Caves are calling

Sierra caverns test stamina, but still prove memory-worthy.

Published online on Wednesday, Sep. 03, 2008

Most adventures into the Sierra and its foothills head up and up. They're all about climbs and what you can see when you get to the top.

Turn that idea upside down.

On this day, gravity and Sierra limestone beckon us to head away from the light, instead worming our way down -- down on a four-hour journey to what's called "Middle Earth" in the network of caves known as California Cavern.

Thanks to some geologic activity in the Wayback Machine of Earth's history, the region's foothills are home to hundreds of caves, especially in Calaveras and Amador counties.

Though there's evidence of indigenous people frequenting the caves eons ago, many of these sites became popular during the Gold Rush after 49ers tried mining them. But caves still are being "rediscovered," as recently as 2006 in the case of one dubbed Ursa Minor in Sequoia National Park.

The discovery agenda before us was all about a mile-long, often-claustrophobic path that promised to be physically demanding, an exercise in "walking, crawling and squeezing," we were told. We were to begin in the historic Mammoth Cave area and then head for Middle Earth, an area rediscovered in 1980.

Web information on the adventure is coated in mud, not sugar: "Here there is mostly walking through nearly knee-deep, sticky cave clay (high-top shoes are a must) and the scenery is incredibly beautiful. The remainder of the trip consists of exploring the horizontal fissures in the 'Cave of the Quills' area and a quick, 70-foot rafting trip across 'Tom's Lake.' The trip concludes with passages filled with 'goo,' more beautiful crystalline rooms, and then ascending ladders to sunshine and showers."

Here we go

I was eager to go. On the California Cavern scale of difficulty, this one ranks a 5 on the "Mild to Wild," gauges, 5 being wildest.

The outside temperature was cooking at 107 degrees. As guide Eli Fairchild, 28, opened the cave entrance, we felt a blast of cool air. Inside it was 55.

I was in a group of five participants and two guides. We were outfitted in coveralls, gloves and a helmet with a headlamp. By journey's end, I would be covered in mud and grime.

But the beauty within the caves overwhelmed me. It felt like a different world, full of natural crystalline formations. I learned water had slowly dissolved rock to create passageways over thousands of years.

First hour

For now, we stayed relatively dry. We crawled on our bellies through passages that fit only one person at a time. Some areas were dimly lit, but for the most part we relied on our headlamps to help us see.

I was in awe of the stalactites above and stalagmites below, and the draperies of calcite formed from water running down inclined ceilings. Flowstone seemed to mimic a frozen waterfall.

As we followed Fairchild, we would regroup to hear him relay historical bits. He said a mining camp formed after Capt. Joseph Taylor happened upon the caves in 1849, later leading to a "cave city."

"The townsfolk would use the cave for meetings, political meetings, church services and weddings," Fairchild said.

For a "pinch of gold," tourists could enter with a candle and a nail: the candle to see for about an hour; the nail to scratch names on the wall (still visible).

Second hour

I encountered what I was dreading -- knee-deep trudging through mud and clay. If I stood in one place too long, it took quite an effort to get unstuck.

I felt the mud saturate my socks and shoes. There was nothing I could do, so I learned to deal with the squishy, cold mud cushioning my every step.

Third hour

Here we entered the point of no return. That meant that if this bit of spelunking was too much for you, it was the last chance to make a relatively easy exit. But even claustrophobic first-time cave explorer Michael Stadler of Evans, Colo., would move on.

His wife, Alethea, had the right attitude.

"I actually kind of enjoyed it," she said. "Some of the spots are really, really tight, but with the guides there we had no problem."

Next, we navigated waist-deep, cold muddy water. I wasn't freezing in wet clothes because I was getting a workout.

Fourth hour

We climbed down a ladder to a raft, on which our guide rowed us across Tom's Lake to another ladder back to solid cave. We continued to ladders leading up to the cave's west exit. We exited after sunset. By now, the outside temperature was in the mid-80s.

We hiked back to where we started, stripped off our muddy coveralls and boots, and showered. My clothes were so grimy they were barely salvageable, especially my boots. I've got to admit I underestimated how challenging it would be. I did feel safe in the care of our guides, though there still was potential for injury.

As mentioned on the California Cavern Web site, there are no bathroom breaks while underground.

What made things tougher was carrying my camera gear in waterproof housing. I had it protected in a nylon sack, but carrying it left only one hand free.

Was it worth it? For me, it was. Every step and passageway.