We Discovered a New Cave in Alabama!
After our last ridge walk in Alabama, we knew we weren’t finished. Same ridge. Same contact zone. Same quiet hope that the mountain might finally give something up. Join me, Jason, Robby, and Danny as we head back into the Alabama cove to keep searching that sweet spot, where the sandstone cap meets the limestone below and caves are born. Just a few hours into the hike, Jason notices something most people would walk right past… an obscure rock with the faintest hint of possib
Dry Coves & Wet Holes: How We Discover New Caves
Join me, Jason, our good friend Robby, and Danny, who drove all the way down from Indiana, as we head deep into an Alabama cove to do what cavers call ridge walking. Ridge walking is all about reading the mountain. We hike the ridgelines at the elevation where caves are most likely to form. Rainwater runs off the sandstone cap, makes its way down the mountain, and when it reaches the contact layer, it finally has the opportunity to penetrate the limestone beneath, slowly diss
We Found the Legendary "Super Formation" Inside this Alabama Cave!
Join Jason, Angel, and me as we head into Alabama in search of a legendary cave formation known as the “Super Formation.” Our adventure began with a one-mile hike to a dramatic 50-foot-high bluff entrance, complete with a small waterfall cascading down into the sinkhole. Once inside, the cave immediately opens into towering canyon passage, some nearly 60 feet high, before splitting in two directions not far from the entrance. We chose the longer route first, determined to fin
Exploring a "Nerd Hole" Cave near Nickajack Lake in Tennessee
Join me on a Friday night after work as I head out to explore a small “nerd hole” in Marion County Tennessee near Nickajack Lake. What is a "nerd hole" you ask, a nerd hole is a short cave that doesn't take long to explore but can often times be considered fun for cavers. This particular cave is listed at just under 200 feet in length, but it’s said to have some beautiful flowstone dams tucked inside, and you know I can’t resist checking that out for myself. After parking, I
Exploring Caves by Boat Along the Tennessee River!
Jason and I loaded up our John Boat and headed out on the Tennessee River in search of some bluff-side caves and deep vertical pits. After putting in, we cruised about two miles downstream to a massive limestone bluff that had been calling our name. We found a steep ravine that gave us access to the top and made the short hike up to the first cave, a 105-foot blind pit. For those who aren’t familiar, a blind pit means there’s no continuing passage at the bottom… just a straig
Exploring a Hidden Cave I spotted from the Road
While driving down a back road, I spotted something most people would pass without a second thought, a cave entrance hidden in plain sight. Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to gear up and explore it. This cave features two separate entrances, with the lower entrance holding stunning ice formations just at the entrance. Stretching an estimated 3,000 feet long, the cave is filled with massive breakdown slabs, creating an impressive and rugged underground landscape tha
Discovering Native American Pictographs on the Cumberland Plateau
Come along with me, Jason, our good friend Troy, and his two kiddos, Keira and Rider, as we set off to explore several rock shelters on the Cumberland Plateau here in Tennessee in search of Native American Pictographs. Our day begins with a visit to Hooty, which is believed to be the largest known pictograph in the Southeast, preserved within a rock shelter. After spending time checking out Hooty, we move on to another nearby shelter where we discover markings that may be add
Hidden Caves in West Tennessee
Join me on a solo cave and adventure trip across Tennessee as I travel to a unique natural destination known as The Bridges. Located in Tennessee, The Bridges is believed to be the only double natural span bridge in the United States, and possibly the world. While I can’t personally verify that claim, I can absolutely attest to how beautiful and rare this natural feature is. For many years, The Bridges operated as a high-end health spa, and access to the double natural bridge
Extinct Jaguar Remains Discovered in a East Tennessee Cave
Jason and I set out to explore an intriguing cave in East Tennessee, one with an entrance pit that drops down over 100 feet below. After rappelling into the entrance, we encountered a mud slop and then down to a major ledge where we encountered our first amazing discovery: skeletal remains, including a skull which are believed to be from a black bear. Nearby claw marks in the mud wall are silent evidence of a desperate struggle as the animal fought to escape what became a dea
We Found an Ancient Seabed in the Middle of Tennessee
Come along with us as we explore a unique Tennessee cave that holds clues to an ancient seabed hidden deep underground. Inside, we discover clear evidence that this cave was once beneath the ocean as marine fossils and fossilized sea worm tubes are preserved in the rock. This cave also played a role in early American history. During the Civil War era, it was mined for saltpeter, and evidence suggests the saltpeter vats may have been set on fire, possibly when the operation wa
