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Giving
Thanks at Thanksgiving
By Patrick O'Diam, NSS #35852
From the December 2000 Flowstone
At this time of the year, the holidays have a way of making one reflect on the blessings they receive. As I reflect back on the past year, I recall many wonderful caving trips. It's hard to believe that I somehow crammed 45 trips into my busy life. It seem this year has been one of my slackest years ever, and I guess it has been. I feel very blessed to have got to cave as much as I did this year. I have definitely set some memories in stone to look back on for years to come. One of these events took place over the Thanksgiving weekend and I will look back on it as one of my roughest cave trips ever. There are but few things that can top a nice, long, muddy, hard-core cave trip: the all you can eat seafood bar at the restaurant on the way home, the hot bath that takes place after the trip, and the soft, warm bed to lay your head in for the night. On the holiday set aside to give thanks, I found more to be thankful for: true friendship among my caving buds. This tops any of the other adrenaline rushes or thrills I may get from exploration. This friendship is what keeps me going strong in the sport, striving and longing to return, explore new passages, push my body to the limit. In so doing, I am also able to spend time with a group of people that I am thankful for and that I feel privileged to call my friends.
As I sat off for Georgia around 6:00 in the evening after just finishing eating my fill of a fine Thanksgiving supper, I tuned in the weather on the CB radio. Looked like the rain was not going to hold off, and the temperature was just warm enough to keep the precipitation in the liquid form. Jeff and Wendy were already at the camping spot for Ellison's and they had a nice fire going when I arrived. I quickly had to find more clothes to put on my cold body. I got my tent set up and we sat around the fire for a while before the cold chased us into our sleeping bags. The rains started around 2:00 in the morning and continued for the remainder of the trip.
Hunters woke us up early in the morning. I was sure that other cavers would be joining us, but they stayed away. As I started digging things out for breakfast, Wendy informed me that we were going into town for some Mexican food. Town was just a few miles away so we took off and spent some time shopping before finding a Mexican restaurant. It was about this time, I started feeling bad. I didn't ever eat much of my meal at all. I had a fever and just didn't feel well at all. Jeff took me to a pharmacy where I got some stuff that I hoped would hold me over and we returned to camp. The rains continued to fall. Harold, Evon, and David were not to meet us until later that night, so I took a nap for a few hours. When I woke up, I felt much better and was ready to go.
The rain continued to fall heavily as I got all my things together. I wanted to make it to the entrance before dark, but that did not happen. I started off, rope and pack in tow, with a rain poncho over everything. The Blue Hole seemed quite low for all the rain we had been receiving. About 1/3 of the way up, I collapsed on the ground. Jeff and Wendy soon joined me and I gave Wendy a good scare which could have been much better had I had the energy to move. Jeff took the rope and a short way further found me on the side of the trail sick. I decided to turn back, yet I hated to. They were going to explore other parts of the lower cave where I had never been before, so I went against my good
judgment and continued up the mountain. The normally 45 minute hike took an additional hour that night.
Just inside the entrance, I was able to warm up and get dry. The passage which often is knee deep in water had no water at all in it at this time. After a little rest, we continued on down the passage toward the Warm-up Drop, a 124' drop that leads on to Fantastic. At the top of the Warm-up, we rested for quite a while. I was feeling much better at the time, so I decided to go ahead and go down. As we were rigging, we heard a noticeable increase in the amount of water that was going over the pit. As I reached bottom, I was surprised to find that there was no water where the rope landed as there always had been in times past. The water was some 15 feet away on the other side of the pit. I had never seen water there before, and Jeff commented on that as well when he reached bottom. We moved on to the Nuisance Drop where you must climb up 18' to go to the Attic. We took our time hoping the others would soon join us.
When we reached Fantastic, the 586' drop was as impressive as ever. Water could be heard below crashing into the pit. The rope was rigged and we sat down to wait for the rest of the group to arrive. Because of my sickly feeling, I knew I was not going to do the pit, but I fully expected the others to go down, that is until we heard the waterfall pick up considerably and start surging. Sometime around 11:00 at night, the others arrived. They had even drug along good ol Micah which surprised us all. I was curled up in a little ball at the time, not feeling my hottest. I recall hearing bits of the conversation as they contemplated going down. We were informed that the dry passage we had walked down several hours before was now several inches deep in water and that the waterfall was raging at the bottom of the Warm-up where the rope lands. This was bone dry just 2 hours before. When the rope was inspected and it appeared that people were climbing on it from the movements it was making, everyone decided that the waterfall was too strong and none would attempt the drop. As the rope was pulled, it was discovered that the rope was in the waterfall for quite a ways. I was rather surprised that everyone in the group used good judgment and knew their limitations. It's rare that cavers make it to that point and then back out. It made me think about the sensibility the people in our group have. I guess it was a good thing I was feeling so bad. I'm sure if I felt good, I just could not have stood it without going down to see how heave the waterfall was. I guess I need to still learn a lot from my caving friends.
It was on the way out that I was able to truly appreciate the way cavers help each other out. By this time it was well after midnight and we all seemed to bunch up at the bottom of the Warm-up Drop. I found a rock and curled up to take a nap until it was my time to climb. I was not feeling well at all at this time. Micah gave me a shake a little later and told me it was about my turn. I started to climb; the more I climbed, the more I hated life. I was very sick, and came close to passing out. I was about at the point of calling up and having the ones up top pull the rope on up with me on it. I did make it to the top, and several people came to my aid to detach me from the rope and get me in a safe spot. I managed to curl up in a little ball again and fall asleep.
The next little while is not too clear for me. I seem to remember bits and pieces of conversations. When I came to, my gear was off me, it had been packed away, and my pack was nowhere to be seen. The pit was de-rigged and Harold was waiting on me. He told me the others had headed on out and had all the extra gear with them. It was about all I could do to make it down that passage without a pack, but it sure was nice of all the others to pitch in and help out. When you have your own pack along with several hundred feet of rope, the last thing you want is another pack to try to get out of the cave. As we caught up with the rest of the group, they were all working to get out of the cave. I never heard one complain about having to take my pack. I'm sure they were under their breath - I know how heavy that pack was - but they were wonderful to help out in such a way.
The dry passage we had walked down earlier was truly ankle deep or better as we exited. The cold night air met us at the entrance but we were relieved to find that the rain had temporally stopped. We exited at 2:30 where the wind was howling loudly and strongly. My wonderful cave friends still continued to carry my stuff down to the car. I offered to take a pack several times, but was always turned down. I guess It was a good thing; I nearly did not make it myself. Several people offered to help me in different things which truly touched me. It was not "every many for himself" like so commonly practiced in the world today. I was able to crawl into my tent around 3:30 in the morning as Harold, Micah, David, and Evon headed for some food and then for home.
I slept for several hours, shivering with cold at times and sweating with a fever at others. I finally got up around 10:30 and packed everything away. A quick look at the Blue Hole showed me just how much water had been in that cave the night before. The Blue Hole was several feet deeper and wider. I returned home and went to bed, but I would receive phone calls from time to time checking up on me. I stayed sick in bed for a few more days, but have finally fully recovered. As I was in bed, I reflected several times about what great friends I have within the Cullman Grotto. I am glad to call these people my friends, and know they will be there if I ever need them. On second thought, seems several of them passed right by David on the way home in the wee hours of the morning when he had a wreck and tried to flag them down. They left him on the side of the road, stranded, in need of medical attention. They didn't even stop. Lot of help they gave him! I guess in the darkness and with their sleepiness, they did not realize it was David. I did hear that this same group later the next day went with their husbands and wives to visit with Dave and see if there was anything they could do. I guess they made up for it. I truly am impressed at the quality of people we have in the grotto, the friendship we enjoy together, the willingness to help one another in times of need. For my caving friends, I truly am thankful. Thanks guys for your help and support on this trip, and on the may others over the years.
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