Dry Coves & Wet Holes: How We Discover New Caves
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
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 dissolving passages over thousands of years. That’s the sweet spot. And we poke into every hole we can find along it.
Danny keeps reminding us, “All we need is one small blowing lead.” Just a faint draft coming out of an unassuming crack in the rock can mean big passage below. And when Danny says that, we listen. He’s been caving in this region for over 30 years and has discovered numerous deep, multi-drop caves here in TAG. He knows these ridges, and what they’re capable of hiding. We also truly appreciate the opportunity to be out here with Danny as time on the mountain with him isn’t just a hike, it's a history lesson in TAG, as we love hearing all the stories, the discoveries, and the friendships he's had along the way.
While working the ridge, we also stop by a few known caves, including one featuring a nearly 100-foot pit that turned out to be a surprisingly sleazy little hole, tight, vertical, and full of attitude.
So… does today’s ridge walk pay off? Do we find that one small blowing lead that turns into something big?
Watch along and find out.
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