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There are currently 19 upcoming caving trips on our calendar. Click here to submit your own trip. Summer 2012 Regional At Mount St. Helens. Note - All non-members please check with someone before showing up for a trip. This is to make sure you know what is involved and to find out if its a restricted trip for members only. Thank you.
Trip to refind and visit some pits near Mount Saint Helens. House Rock and Bing pits. More details later with date. Vertical required.
Trip Leader: KimSign Up |
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WVG's Vertical Practice, You are invited: The Willamette Valley Grotto, WVG, is putting on its annual Vertical Practice. It will be held in Portland, Oregon on Rocky Butte's North side on Saturday, June 23, 2012, from 9 AM to 9 PM. Set-up starts at 9 AM. Everyone is required to sign a liability waiver. Rocky Butte is near I-84 and I-205 freeway connections in Portland. To get there you will need to get to the Sandy Blvd / 82nd Ave area (which is NW of Rocky Butte), go south one light on 82nd and take a left at NE Fremont, go east, following the main road up the hill to the left. Once the road turns to the east, the cliffs will be on your left. The site is northwest of the big church domes. Come and enjoy the fun, this practice is for everyone even if you are not a vertical caver. I have an extra harness, helmet, and gloves for the beginners if you want to try my system. It is adjustable and it will fit you. Helmets and gloves are required when people are on rope, and helmets are required for people assisting underneath the people on rope. If you are under 18, please call or email me first. The dreaded obstacle course may not appear this year but real drops will be there. I might be able to put up some kind of Tyrolean traverse that should prove to be interesting, if I can get some more rope to work with. So bring your ropes! Because we are not having to rent a building or tables this year, we will not have any donations and the lunch and dinner will not be provided, so it's whatever you decide to do for your meals. Alcohol is not permitted.. Free is a very good price for what you will be getting. This should be a fun area because of the Talus Caves and mine tunnel that is in the area. (If they are still there!) http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.550786,-122.56479&z=15&t=h&hl=en We will be where the letters "NE" are in "NE Rocky Butte Rd." on the Google map.
Trip Leader: VERTICAL BOB< http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.550786,-122.56479&z=15&t=h&hl=en> Sign Up |
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June 25, 2012 - June 29, 2012
NSS 2012see NSS website for details. Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Trip Leader: NSS< http://nss2012.com/> Sign Up |
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Plans are in the works to do some caves near Twin Falls Idaho. Will be about a 4 day trip if you drive.
Trip Leader: Kim and Gem State GrottoSign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
APE CAVE CLEAN UPHelp clean the cave and see the cave for free. Over 2 mile long cave. Biggest cave of MSH.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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Two very nice caves with some of the best Railroad Track formations.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
BEAVER CAVEThis cave has a short vertical drop into some very large passage with some nice ledges. Not too much breakdown. Longer hike and some vertical gear recommended.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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THREE SINKS - Very nice cave, almost all walking with large sand formations. Maybe an hour drive from camp.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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FLOW CAVE has some nice colorful passages and railroad tracks. LITTLE PEOPLES has some nice walking and crawling passage with levels.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
GREMLIN CAVEA Nice cave with two entrances. One a vertical drop. Some nice formations. About half walking and half crawling. near camp.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
LAKE CAVE CLEAN UPhelp clean the cave and see for free. A cool side Red passage and almost 100 percent walking. Near Ape cave and Trail of Two Forest.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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This cave has some very large lava falls and almost all walking passages and a River towards the end. A limited trip and some minor vertical required. Near camp, short hike.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
NCA Regional 2012Will be held at Mount Saint Helens. In planning stage right now. Camping at free site near Sand cave area.
Trip Leader: Oregon GrottoSign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
OLES CAVEOne of the longer and nicer caves. Mostly walking passage and some cool features. Over 1 mile hike to cave.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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The most decoreted cave and will be very limted. Cave is gated and permit required. Only 4 people per trip.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
UTTERSTOMS CAVES Several small caves with some cool features. BREAKDOWN, RAILROAD TRACK, SURPRISE, ARCH, MOSS AND SPRING CAVES
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
VERTICAL PITSThere are a few vertical pits near Mount Saint Helens. See website for more details.
Trip Leader: OREGON GROTTO< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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August 30, 2012 - September 03, 2012
VERTICAL PRATICEVERTICAL PRATICE 2 DAYS ONLY, DETAILS LATER
Trip Leader: VERTICAL BOB< http://www.oregongrotto.com/regional2012.shtml> Sign Up |
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Date Subject to change yet. Vallecito California near lots of limestone caves.
Trip Leader: Stanislaus GrottoSign Up |
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NORTHWEST CAVING ASSOCIATION
Copyright Oregon Grotto.
Labor Day Weekend Aug 31st to Sept. 3rd, 2012 at Mount Saint Helens.
Planning Stage.
Camp Ground. Will be near the Sand cave camp area. Near Little Red River cave.
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Mount Saint Helens US Forest Service information.
List of Major Caves.
Ape cave. Northwest Forest Pass required. Longest of the caves of MSH.
Arch Cave
Aka: USFS No. 631-2
This neat little cave has nice red lava on black lava passage. Somewhat of a vertical drop into cave. One of the Utterstrom's Caves, Arch Cave has two entrances with southern exposure and two "pits," or drops. One of its passages underlies Surprise Cave. Forest Service records note that "Opportunity for bat study is offered at this site. Discovered by Bill Reese and Cascade Grotto member Jan Utterstrom, first described by Bill Halliday following a June 1963 visit.#8982.
Ash Cast Cave Aka: 611-89; Ashcast Cave(); GPS 089 (#7714.); Two Level Smooth Cave (#8073. OG minutes. ). A three level cave with tree molds and bark molds in cave. Cave is being mapped and has a few hundred feet so far.
Barneys Cave Aka: USFS No. 631-3; Snake Tongue Cave (#1419); Daddy Long Cave (Luper email, #8073.). Discovered in 1968, and named after Charlie Baker's dog Barney, this cave consists of about 200 feet of mostly walking passage with several side passages at head height. A very low tube contiues down-slope. One of the caves examined by NASA crew. Two maps exist.
Bat Cave Levels, side passages, some formations, walking, crawling.
BEAVER CAVE Aka: GPS 392 (MSH GPS notes, Luper, 5-15-06.) Beaver Cave, named after the skeleton of a "mountain beaver," was discovered during the summer of 1962 by Don Tedrow from the Mosquitoe Lakes Guard Station and two others (#8007). Senger and Crawford (#0914), who expressed some doubt that mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) would be found near there or that most non-biologists would recognize the skeleton of one, suspected that a porcupine skull (found there in their study) was the object seen by the earlier cavers. First known Oregon Grotto member to visit Beaver Cave was Jim Wilcox, in late 1965 (#7868 1(3):2).
Beaver Bay Cave
Breakdown Cave Aka: USFS No. 631-7 Breakdown Cave is a comparatively small cave at the base of the southern wall of a very large collapase sink--the largest in the Cave Basalt--and may be collapse of the master tube at that point (#0914). All breakdown (hence the name), no lava tube lining remains. In 1983 this cave contained the only known "subterranean" ice in the Cave Basalt (Senger and Crawford, 1984); a conclusion that obviously needs explanation. Although this cave is generally considered part of the Utterstroms System, the huge size of its entrance sink and elvated rim seems to indicate a far greater volume of lava passed through here than the other, smaller of the system's. The elevated rim evidently prevented the 1980 mudlfows from entering the cave itseld. There were USGS instruments in cave in late August, 1980 (#2693).
Christmas Canyon Cave Aka: USFS No. 631-9
Christmas Canyon Cave is a local manifestation of a complex underground drainage system of mostly low, interconnecting stream channels in unconsolidated pyroclastics beneath an unusually permeable basalt cap rock pierced by tree molds (or tree wells). Oddly, some of its passages connect with horizontal tree molds (a.k.a. log molds). The system's size, though unknown, may be very extensive, but there are reports of storm runoff sinking into the lava flow several hundred feet east of the entrance.
Crater Root Cave Aka: Root Crater Cave? (#8446, #8262). Crater Root Cave and Manzanita caves connectd by impassable passage.
Dogwood Cave
Dollar and a Dime Cave Aka: Lower entrance USFS No. 631-11A; upper entrance 631-11B Discovered in Nov. 1966 by M.W. Becker and his brother while searching for caves using a formula they had devised for finding caves in the Cave Basalt. On their way home, they stopped at a tavern in Woodland where pitchers of beer cost $1.10, hence the name "Dollar and a Dime." Part of a bewildering network of interconnected near-surface tubes, its broad arched, mostly walking passages, it harbors an astonishingly-thin lava bridge and a 6-foot lava fall, various interesting mineral deposits and lava formations. There are multiple entrances: the upper entrance is in a small collapse trench; the lower entrances are in a large collapsed sink, 35 feet x 50 feet in size. Four maps exist--two originals plus revisions of each--one includes Column Cave (incorrectly labeled "Pillar Cave"). Dollar and a Dime, and Prince Alberts caves were featured field trips during the 1972 NSS Convention in White Salmon.
Double Tree Mold Cave Aka: GPS 195 (#7714.). This is a very cool tree mold with lots of lava mold formation. Enter into small entrance into cave which goes two ways to different tree molds. Very delicate on left passage. Some very nice burnt tree mold formations in various colors.
Elk Hunters Pit.
One of the northernmost Cave Basalt caves.
Flow cave. Very colorful cave with nice tube and tube features.
Gremlin
Kim's Cave AKA as Two Rocks and Mine Field. Average height is about 4 feet. Very tight squeeze to formation area. About 9 inch over very rough lava.
Lake Cave. Northwest Forest Pass, parking at Trail of Two Forest. Almost all nice walking cave with some minor crawl and climbing. Lake at end of cave during winter and spring.
Lava Springs Cave. This small lava tube is a portion of the Utterstrom's cave group.
Log Crawl Cave Aka: 631-52; The Crawl, Lost Log Lava Labrinth
This short cave consists of interconnected horizontal tree casts along the Trail-of-two-Forests interpretive trail.
Little Peoples Cave
Little Red River Cave. Gated and limited. Nice walking cave with two large lava falls and and Little red River at end of cave.
Ole's cave. Nice walking cave with a feature that looks like George Washington .
Pillars Of Hercules Cave. Gated, permit required and limted visits
Prince Albert Cave Aka: USFS No. 631-31; GPS 388 Prince Albert Cave was discovered but not entered on March 4, 1967, by Charlie and Jo Larson. The Larsons returned to the cave with Oregon Grottto members Paul Grebstad, Reed Dow, and Wayne Larson on the following weekend. Handicapped by heavy snowfall, they were unable to thoroughly explore the cave, but did find a well preserved Prince Albert tobacco can on a ledge in the down-slope section, after which the cave is named.
Unlike the typical lava tube it is complex up-slope as a braided tube then becomes more unitary down-slope. Considerably more complex than most other Cave Basalt Caves, this shallow cave's configuration can be assigned to pre-flow topography. Three entrances–a collapse sink and two skylights–provide an unusually extensive twilight zone beautifully adorned with over 25 species (#0914) of shade-tolerant plants. Special care is called for when visiting this cave. While the plants are not unusual–they can be found nearby, as well as in similar microclimates all over the Cave Basalt–this luxuriant assemblage is easily trampled and distubed . Equally susceptible to damage are a great many brittle lava formations, and the first silica drapery reported in the Northwest.
Railroad Track Cave Aka: 631-32; Utterstrom's Cave. Parallel lava levees give this cave its name. Nearly free of breakdown, it has a slot-like ceiling resulting from incomplete closure of the trench roof.
By late August, 1980, a small mudflow tongue had entered the entrance, otherwise the cave was unaffected by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens (#2693). Forest Service records note that "this cave has attracted the attention of cave biologsts (#5437)."
Sand Cave Aka: USFS No. 631-34; Knight's Cave (#2171); Camp Cave (# 5437).
Cave is gone: Molyneux email 2008]
Discovered in 1966 by an Oregon Grotto member named "Doug" (#2171), the main entrance is at the south end of a large sinkhole at the base of a steep basalt slope. In 1972, the known cave was about 220 feet long. In 1984 it was noted that the entrance sink had filled with colluvium (chiefly pyroclastics from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens), reducing the cave to a total length of approximately 65 feet (#5437), eliminating the skylight. By 2009 the cave no longer existed. colluvium of the in 1992,
Spider Cave Spider Cave was discovered by Jan Utterstrom and Julie Tobkin on Sept. 4, 1964. It was explored and partially surveyed by Jan, Julie, Donna Tobkin; Len, Bob, and Harry Reese on Oct.18, 1964 (#8008. #8009). Spider Cave is a 900-foot long, fairly low, near-surface tube, with a very rough cauliflower aa floor. Collapse talus is sparse and localized. The small upper level passage at the entrance connects to the main cave just beyond the crawlway, providing a classic cross section of a truncated upper level tube. There is very little alluvium and only one area of significant breakdown. Near the entrance, baked earth is spilling into the tube through a break in the tube lining. Drip pools are few, but during most of the year an underground stream can be heard through a crack near the cave's end (#0914). The uncommonly large entrance sink is a cold-air trap and winter cave ice is common near the entrance. About one inch of ash from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens fell locally, the cave was unnaffected(#2693); 3/4 inch on a somewhat exposed rock (#2705). Spider cave was originally favored by hibernating big-eared bats, before the Mount St. Helens bat banding program which was initiated in this cave. The bats predictably reacted to being handled and banded by abandoning the cave for other sites, many of them buildings, all over the county (#7771 #0914).
Surprise Cave Aka: Utterstrom's Caves
This is the longest of the Utterstrom's Caves with a passage length of approximately 300 feet.
Tadpole Cave Aka: GPS 080; What Cave (2012 email).
goes deep with 2 entrances; Named after shape of entrance sink
Upper Hunters Cave Aka: GPS 084 (Luper TOPO); Hunters Upper (#8012). This is an up-slope segment of Hunter's cave, separated from the latter by an un-draied seegment approximately 200 feet long. A large sinkhole (depression) separates the two caves. The brass cap is set on a small projection above the entrance which is located below a prominent tree along the west edge of the sinkhole. The entrance is a crawlway approximately two feet high.
This cave exhibits some interesting flow marks, and strand lines along the walls, similar those in Hunter's Cave
Utterstroms Caves Aka: Utterstrom's Cave System (#0914). Discovered in 1963 by Bill Reese and Cascade Grotto member Jan Utterstrom, first described by Bill Halliday following a June 1963 visit (#8001). Utterstroms Caves are a disorderly series of six small named caves and even shorter unnamed tube segments, north of McBride Lake Road, well north of Little Red River Cave. Located in a steep section of the Cave Basalt Flow, they are the highest known caves in the Cave Basalt (#0914). Lowest of the series is Breakdown Cave, followed upslope by Moss, Railroad Track, Surprise, Arch, Lava Spring and Pats caves. All but Breakdown Cave are shallow (near the surface), and they lack the characteristics of the larger, deeper caves like Little Red River. Breakdown Cave, associated with an anomalously large and deep collapse sink, perhaps shouldn't be considered part of the series.
Wram Springs Cave
Named after a survey stake inscribed with "Wram Spring."
FALLS CREEK LAVA TUBE SYSTEM
Lizard Cave Aka: USFS 202#Luper locations. 633-02
A segment of the Falls Creek Lava Tube System.
Salamander Cave Aka: 633-201
Cave is of large cross section but short. Made a good shelter in rainy weather.
Double Eagle Cave Aka: USFS 633-200Up-slope from Three Sinks (#7835. ) Down slope from Double Eagle #7835.
Risky Business Cave This cave, about 350 feet long, is lined entirely with unstable fractured rock and is the product of upward migration due to ceiling collapse.
Three Sinks Adjunct Cave A short un-surveyed cave upslope from Three Sinks Cave. Misery Trip Arch
Named after the awful weather encountered by an Oregon Grotto group that camped in the snow at Three Sinks Cave.
Three Sinks Cave. has some of the best sand formations
Folgers Cave Aka: 204 or 213 #Luper locations. Folgers Coffee Cave ( Speleograph 4(7):1). A segment of the Falls Creek Lava Tube System, named for a Folgers Coffe can found nearby, was first entered in March, 1968, by an Oregon Grotto party (#8037). A 1973 map by Rick Pope and Rick Lonergan shows about 2,100 feet (map length 950 feet) of moderately sinuous passage underlain by two terminal branches. Mostly breakdown, the cave exhibits some fascinating lava balls and sand castles. and floor and walls are very interesting [Speleograph 4(8):1]. For years the tiny entrance at the lip of the south end of the sink was carefully re-covered when leaving the area.
Mrs. Olsens Extension Aka: USFS 212; Mrs. Olesons Cave (#Luper locations.); Mrs. Olsons Cave (#6573.).
Opposite Folgers Cave in same sink.
Datus Perrys Cave
Aka: USFS 205; Skamaniac Cave (#7945).
Datus Perrys Cave, part of the Falls Creek Lava Tube System, was reported to Oregon Grotto in early 1968 by Datus Perry, a long-time resident and inveterate cave digger of Carson Washington. Best known for its lava stalactites and stalagmites, parts of the cave were photographed by Charlie and Jo Larson on May 19, 1968. Two photos depicting a two-foot lava stalagmite "before and after being broken," included in the 1980 Oregon Grotto Slide Show, were actually photos of the stalagmite as found (broken) and of it reassembled. In 1975, Oregon Grotto members surveyed 800 feet of the cave before the survey was abandoned because the cave was too cold for "shirt sleeves."
OUTLYING CAVES:
Elk Creek Pit Aka: 631-14
This is a pit cave 25 feet deep located along the north fireline of a clearcut.
Wiggins Pit Aka: 631-48 A series of two pits leads to the low point about 75 feet below the surface. One good sized room, with a large chalkstone wedged across its middle, is found half-way to the bottom.
Wolffs Pit Aka: 631-49 Wolff's Pit, located near the timber edge at the west side of the clearcut on top of a ridge, is a natural trap with animal bones noted in fill near one of two entrances. The cave has two entrances both requiring ropes to safely descend.
Big Creek Shelter Aka: 631-74 ""This is a very large rock shelter located below the Big Creek Falls Trail, about 1/3 mile down slope from Big Creek Falls. The shelter is located at the base of a cliff about 100 feet above Big Creek, immediately below the trail. It is not possible to see the shelter from the trail since the caves is actually under the trail and no vantage points are available. The best way to reach the shelter is by following a steep, indistinct, path down a steep bluff just up stream from the shelter. Ledges can then be followed to the cave. The shelter is about 120 feet wide, 70 feet deep, and up to 65-70 feet high. Evidence of packrat usage was noted in one area."#5437.
Yale Fissure
House Rock Pits
Aka: 631-18
"The House Rock Pits are a series of earth cracks near a cliff edge above the Lewis River. The cracks are found in roughly an "L" shape with the two points of the L intersecting the cliff. A triangular block of basalt slid outward toward the cliff edge creating the cracks where separation occurred from the parent cliff. The deepest crack forms a single room cave with two entrances. A 65' roap descent is needed to reach the floor. Spiders, harvestmen and a buck deer skeleton were found at its bottom. No evidence of bat use was noted. Several other shallower cracks also exist, none over 25-30 feet deep."(#5437)
House Rock Pits were discovered by Forest Service employee Bing Beckman in summer 1979. See also: Bing Pit and Cherry Pit (#0154).
Bings Pit
Bings Pit is one of the House Rock Pits.
Cherry Pit
Cherry Pit is one of the House Rock Pits.
Curly Creek Cave
Aka: 631-81 This is the only cave known in an ancient lava flow which moved northwest from the vicinity of East Crater.
Other non caving things to see and do.
Ape canyon (hike, bike)
Trail open to Mountain Bikes and Hikers. 5.5 miles one way.
Beginning next to the mudflow that traveled down the Muddy River drainage, the trail climbs steadily through a plantation of young trees before entering groves of giant Douglas fir, silver and noble fir. The trail then emerges on an open ridge top with views east into Ape Canyon and in the distance, Mount Adams. Wildflowers, when in bloom, paint these meadows in vibrant colors. Continuing along the ridge, the trail passes through patches of 1980 standing dead forest before emerging at the top of Ape Canyon, where it terminates at the junction with Loowit Trail #216.
Butte Camp Trail. Click on link for more info on this great trail.
June lake (hike, bike) Click for trail map and info. This is a nice short trail to cool views.
Lahar Flows (scenic drive)
Lava Canyon and waterfall (hike)
Mount Saint Helens Climb.
Trail Of two Forest. See some cool lava molds on a nice boardwalk. NW Forest pass required.
Trip Leaders: We need trip leaders. Let us know if you can help and which caves.
Guidebook: Charlie Larson will do A new guidebook. Email him maps and what you like to include.
Meal Plan: Ruth will do a Saturday night dinner.
Lake and Ape cave clean up.
Programs. None yet.
Vertical. Vertical Bob will help
Outhouse: Chris will build for us. way to go Chris.
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