It’s three days since our epic battle to enter Waterfall Cave and my traps have yet to recover. Ah, where to begin the story….
Waterfall Cave is the third and most difficult cave at Henderson Park. Mill Cave and Middle Cave are the others. The difficulty in Waterfall Cave is about 100 feet in where the floor gives way and the only way forward is through a passage some 25 feet above you. A small, but cold waterfall exits the upper passage much as it does in Middle Cave. You are faced with setting up a ladder over a pit while it rains on you.
The pit
Oh, but it’s not just any ladder. A reliable source told us a 30-foot ladder was required. Unable to find such, I wound up renting a 32-foot ladder. It’s heavy, a beast, and I think it took us nearly a half hour to carry it down to the cave.
After much discussion, Thomas set up some climbing protection along one side of the pit, so we wouldn’t fall into it while struggling with the ladder. We tied a rope to the top of the ladder, so a third person could help raise it while two pushed and pulled from the bottom. We got it up and got soaked, of course, then Jim Bob climbed it and tossed a haul line over an arch of rock in the upper passage. Yeah, I forgot to mention that the ladder seemingly only goes up on the cave wall opposite the upper passage! With his bulls eye toss in place, he took an extendable pole, snagged the line and we hauled up a climbing rope. Climbing rope in place, Thomas self-belayed up the ladder using a Gri-gri, then made a sketchy transfer from rope to rock wall and hauled his behind over the rock arch. Some old webbing left in place by a previous crew was of help.
Looking down from the upper passage
Hopefully, what I just said makes some sense. At least it’s more beta than we had going into the cave.
Alas, it took so long to set up the ladder and climb that we only had about 45 minutes to explore the upper passage. We did not reach the end and look forward to returning. Here are some pics from upstairs:
Typical upper passage
Sometimes you have to get low...
and sometimes low and wet.
Thomas checking out some nice formations
A slimy salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)
Exiting the cave involved a slow rappel on a very soggy rope:
Rappelling out of the upper passage
And a slow walk to the car with the ladder — thus the aching traps.
We think a 24-foot ladder will be sufficient for the return trip and will save a lot of time. Perhaps a different set-up requires the extra length, but our method only required around 19 feet of ladder.
For directions to Henderson Park, read the Mill Cave post. Gear up, be careful, and bring friends!
Looks like a great trip! My source for the 30′ ladder is a book called “The Spelunker’s Guide.” I’ve not done this cave, but the guide has been spot on in describing other caves in the area.
Hard to believe it’s been 6-7 years since I was last there! Where does the time go???
Jeffery Gosnell