Trip date: 2019-05-18
Trip Leader: DJ Hall
Trip purpose: Photo
Areas of Cave visited: CarrollPassage
Entry Time: 2:00pm
Exit Time: 6:45pm
Trip participants:
Jessica White 370
Darla White
Chris Goff 588
Kevin Connett
Allen Bee 589
Scott Bui
Erika Helton 590
Effie Scott
Cagen Johnston 591
Heather Johnston
Seth Colston 583
Mary Colston
Kirsten Colston 582
Barb Buchanan
Patti Jon 587
Stanfield
After a rough start we finally concluded a productive work day and I can check two items off our “to do list”.
Bill Gee and a newcomer to the CCC, Shannon Robinson, arrived about 15 minutes before our planned 7:00 AM departure (Bill’s always early). While packing their gear into my truck Bill noticed a low tire so I fired up the air compressor and aired up the tire. We got in and found that the truck would not start. After connecting two vehicles with jumper cables we were eventually able to get my F350 diesel started. We got about a half mile down the road and the truck was running poorly and the check engine light came on. We turned around and limped back to my house and transferred gear to Bill’s truck but since his truck will only hold two people I followed him in my car. On the way down Bill allowed no time for breakfast and we only got a bathroom stop because he needed gas. So we made up a little of the lost time and arrived at about 10:30.
The attached document is an outline of the topics covered during trip leader training. Although it is mainly intended for those who are leading trips in Carroll Cave, the information is useful to anyone who participates on a trip.
This outline was created some years ago. It is still relevant, though a few items are dated.
CarrollCaveTripLeaderTraining
Editor’s note – This trip report was written by Hou Zhong.
We had a late start because Terry and I did not have a four wheel drive. We parked our cars after crossing the ‘dry’ creek and before starting up the hill. Then we put our stuff on Cliff’s Highlander. Six of us showed up (three camped inside the silo the night before). We started around 9:00 a.m., and everybody got down the ladder around 10:00 a.m. We headed to downstream Thunder river and turned around just past the Forevers around 1:00 p.m. due to rising water.
Bernhard Arnold, Jeff Page, and Rick Hines departed Rick’s home in his truck Sunday morning for a long delayed work day at Carroll. We picked up electrical wire at Menards before hitting the highway. Our next stop was at Randy Bruegger’s home near Warsaw to load barbwire fence he donated. We soon received a call from Jamie Euliss. Jamie and Dustin Young had been on a Thunder River trip Saturday and stayed overnight in the silo so they could work cutting wood Sunday. The recent thaw and rains had left the pasture saturated. Their truck was stuck and they were hoping we could pull them out. So we made a stop at Walmart and bought a tow strap. We left the road and started up the hill to the silo but soon found we could not get up the hill. So back down the hill and over to Rusty Clark’s place to see if it might be possible to enter from the east. I knew Rusty was on vacation but when we saw someone working on his place we stopped. We met Mike, Rusty’s longhorn business partner. Mike said we were welcome to cross the pasture and offered to lead us with his tractor and also help get Jamie and Dustin out. We made it across the pasture but it was very soft and slick. Mike hooked his chain up and made quick work of pulling Jamie out. We gave Mike a tour of the silo and gave him some flyers to post to promote our open house and landowner cave tour. We are lucky to have great neighbors like Mike and Rusty!