Winter Caving Hell – Adventure Sport in Canada

Winter Caving Hell – adventure Sport in Canada, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

For some this would be a winter caving hell, and admittedly, the weather was 30 below zero and wallowing around in that muddy tube was getting a little cold. We cleared a space through about 5 feet of bedrock, dredged the water down by bailing with buckets and rubber boots, then we entered the tunnel on our bellies – see short video on Winter caving hell – adventure sport in Canada – here

At the end of this tube the water and tunnel roof came to within about an inch of each other and there was a good breeze blowing through the gap. Unfortunately I finally lost my nerve as the tunnel along which we’d come was refilling with water, and underground water (midwinter or otherwise) can be a little numbing. My caving partner at the time had traced the resurgence of the water in this passage to a spot several hundred meters distant.

When I finally emerged from the tube the front of my wet suit was pierced by innumerable rusty spines from the barbed wire that had once lain over the top of the feature, I suppose I must have looked like an industrial-age porcupine that had run into decline like the many factories of the region. Oddly, though my skin had also been punctured I had never felt a thing, but knowing they were there and pulling them out was a little creepy – I’m surprised I never got tetnus.

This project took place around 10 years ago and it certainly presented a few challenges, amongst those obstacles the need for me to loose around 20 pounds to fit in the tube and make it back alive.

 

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iverNatural Spring near Hamilton – Water in Ontario

Natural Spring near Hamilton – Water in Ontario, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

While out looking for caves today we were unsuccessful, but it was not entirely a bust. We found this place where a vigorous stream bubbled up from the wall of a valley.

We had first seen this spot on an aerial photograph, a mysterious valley from which water seemed to flow. We spent most of the day searching the area in hopes that somewhere there would be accessible cave tunnels. According to the landowner, there are plenty of sinking streams on the plateau above this spot. Doug, (I believe that was his name), pointed out a ridge nearby and called it “the great Divide”, water on the far side flowed toward Lake Ontario and water on the side of this stream flows into Lake Erie – the separate watersheds are governed by the Grand River Conservation Authority and the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

Water in Ontario generally seeps from marshes or oozes from the soil, this natural spring was quite a treat. Somewhere on the plateau above this feature we will eventually find the sink point, in fact we have pinpointed several significant sinks from the map search. The biggest problem is to find landowners on a Sunday. As for the local geology it is promising in that the bedrock is limestone and it is exposed right at the surface just thinly covered by a clayish soil. To it’s detriment the rock is fractured and thinly bedded.

Water in Ontario seldom flows from the earth in the way you see in the accompanying picture, but I do know of one really cool spot near Guelph – the headwater’s of the Eramosa River. It is a place called Blue Springs (in a Scout camp), There is this really incredible pool that’s crystal clear with a carpet of the finest beach sand across it’s bottom. If you look carefully you can see the bottom of the pool churning as the water flows from the aquifer back to the surface. there is shattered karst all along the valley, but at this time the areas tunnels are yet to be revealed.

For more details on cave hunting techniques check out my new book on caving in Ontario here.

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Pushing Dead Mouse – A new Ontario caving area south of Hamilton

A disapponting conclusion – I’m to fat to go much further

 

IMG_7898, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Just a quick post as promised – a conclusion to the newly discovered cave – “Dead Mouse”. In one sense, you did not miss out to much here Greg. The cave soon changed to something less explorable, but it was the exploration earlier in the day at another spot found by Jeff that really made the journey worthwhile.

I am again supposed to be studying for a health and safety exam. This is the last of the delay tactics that I can employ – a quick update that I will build upon in a following few posts later this evening.

As we have discovered over the weeks since our last visit, the Onondaga Escarpment (south of Hamilton) is a rich caving ground if you know what to look for. The escarpment winds all wriggly and convoluted across the top of Lake Erie – interspersed with layers of chert and some fabulous fossils.

More to come soon.

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