The Hump in Front

Cuevas de Bellamar

P1010076, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Shortly after leaving the tourist section of the Cuevas de Bellamar there was this reddish hump in front – it was a rippled flowstone ramp, over which I wriggled and there in front was …..

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Big Chunk of Natural Silver

Raw Silver in Cobalt Mining Museum

dad 043, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Here is my dad in the Cobalt mining museum. Sitting on top of a safe they have a chunk of silver that they dug out of the earth nearby worth around $14,000. I doubt that must be the value by weight – maybe there is some kind of value added for collector appeal. If you are big on silver this is the place to go. I would imagine that there is more you can learn about silver in this museum than any place else.

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It Would Hurt a Lot

A calculation of risk and reward. Why do I obsess over stuff like this?

IMG_8240, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Here is a tunnel – a crawling tunnel that had once been half filled with water. It is possible to wriggle through here without touching the roof but my concern would be, how safe is it?

Three things wrong with getting squished flat. Firstly the personal cost – it would hurt, my wife and family would be upset and I would no longer be able to continue caving. Secondly a nasty accident such as that would bring a bad name to caving in Ontario and thirdly, I am our company’s on-site safety manager. I am responsible for the safety of a lot of people. Dead safety manager! There is some irony there. Ha – always knew the guy never practiced what he preached. We have a term for that – “Disengagement”

I have mulled over the risk and motivation thing and a collegue quite neatly summed it up. I like to do dangerous things in as safe a manner as possible. How true. You cant eliminate risk from life. You need some degree of uncertainty to keep yourself on edge. Risk brings reward. To live wisely you need to minimize the risk, but you must balance it with reward. What do you have to gain? What is the certain cost? What is the possible cost? There is nothing to gain by negligence in one’s work environment. There is plenty to gain by setting goals and making reasonable calculations.

My goal is to know what lies beyond. Why? It appeals to my spiritual well-being.

My question to you is; does this look safe? I know the water goes on around the corner. There is a sound of falling water coming from on beyond. Do you think the roof might fall in if touched? It looks like some blocks have fallen already.

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I Think I’m Gonna Die – Sanctum, Cave diving in 3D

This is caving in Ontario

 

Caving in Ontario – Sanctum of the Bruce!

It is what you might call a rather challenging mental problem – an exercise in self control – sensory deprivation. What is it about pushing the boundaries that is so appealing?

Physically – oh there’s no problem there. I will fit. I figured it out the first time I tried it; Asked my partner to pull me out by the ankles if I stopped kicking. But mentally, you have to lay on your back in freezing cold ground-water. Your ears are underwater so you quickly start getting dizzy. You have to fight hyperventilation as you start wriggling over the cobbles – stifling the urge to scream out as the water turns you into a blast freeze Popsicle. Too many waves and ripples and this same freezing water is lapping over your nostrils. You do the sump on your back.

This is caving in Ontario!

One step beyond the challenge of holding your breath in an icy cave pool is cave diving into the unknown with scuba tanks, Check out this new movie coming out – Sanctum in 3D, it appears to be the ultimate in cave experience without actually caving, it’s about a bunch of cave divers who are exploring an underwater labyrinth – see the trailer for Sanctum 3D here I myself will be one of the first to see this, it opens February 4th.

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A Hollow Bonking Sound Came From Down the Tunnel

An Ontario Cave

IMG_7647, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

You would be surprised how cold ground water can be in August.

While exploring an Ontario cave I heard this strange hollow bonking sound, it was really loud, a sort of chugging, slurping gong. It kind of freaked me out until I realized that it came from somewhere along this water filled tunnel that I am backing down – water pumping up against a low ceiling, a one way trip down into the sump.

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Pink Buddhas a hot commodity at the Bancroft Gemboree?

Bancroft Gemboree 2008

P1010580, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

This lady was selling pink buddhas at the Bancroft Gemboree. I have just got back from spending the weekend there and I have taken a number of interesting photos of the people and the minerals that were being sold. This was the first person that I saw as I walked in.

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Bats in Ontario Mine

The Bats Looked Healthy to me

P1010706, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Much has been said of the mysterious disease that had been killing bats this spring. Having just seen numerous bats in Northern Ontario (Bancroft area) I was unable to notice any of the white fuzz around the nose. This disease might possibly have just shown itself earlier in the year – or maybe it has not hit the mines up around Bancroft. These bats are sheltering up at the end of a shallow drill hole and numerous other bats were flying around in the tunnels.

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The Bancroft Gemboree

An experience of the northern rockhound culture

gemboree1 008, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Ontario rockhounds look forward to the Bancroft Gemboree, it is the biggest rock and gem show in Canada. I have taken a week off work to attend the gemboree and visit various rock collecting sites up in that area.

In my book (as of yet unpublished but still under review by a publisher) I write about the experience of the Bancroft Gemboree. There is a distinct division between the merchants inside and those without. As for deals – you are most likely to get a good deal where the dealers are not professionals. As I wrote …

“These outside dealers of rough stone and mineral oddities are shaggier and rougher than the smoothly coiffed gem merchants within. They are often amateur; this pursuit of beauty is their life’s calling, but not their full time job. It’s not about cash; it’s the love of rockhounding that drives them.

An aged lapidary was selling his polishing equipment. On a table beside him he had an archaic buffing wheel. He was willing to part with it for a mere $250. All around him he had 3-litre strawberry baskets filled with cut agate. I bought one on a whim and upon closer examination back at the cottage I regretted not buying more. It was an incredible mix of sliced nephrite, chalcedony, banded agates and jasper. There were all sorts of striped and spotted rocks, cabochons and nodules of every type, an absolute treasure-trove for $10.

“Why dump this beautiful stuff at such a low price?” I asked. Leaning on the table he smiled sadly at me, watery red eyes suggesting long hours at the grinder. “I’m getting on in years you know.””

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The Cuevas de Bellamar – Caving in Cuba

Fantastic Formations in this Cuban Cave

P1010091, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

I just got back from Cuba and am busily crafting several travel articles. My intent had been to visit Cuba and do some kind of special on the Cuban caves in the Valle de Vinales but from where we were staying it was just a great big hassle to get there (Around 200 K’s on roads that were anything but straight – also I dont speak Spanish all that well).

Anyway, I still managed to visit the Cuevas de Bellamar and I was given permission by the guide to go beyond the tourist section for a short distance. I believe the Toronto Star might be interested in that article.

The Cuevas de Bellamar were absolutely spectacular – the most incredible glassy helictites that cover the roofs of the caverns and at times go all the way down the walls as well. There were also well formed prismatic calcite crystals an pockets on the walls.

This particular picture is about where I left the tourist section and headed off for a short jaunt on my own. I wish that I could have gone a little further but I did not want to abuse the generosity of my hosts – in particular “Jesus” – my guide. As for the beauty of the formations – alabaster pillars, lacy rimstone dams and fantastic contrast between the red cave walls and the white deposits this place is unsurpassed – more on this to follow.

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