Tunnel cave missouri

Caves begin as springs, Vineyard explains. There are a number of large springs in the Ozarks. The list of ingredients for making a cave is short. You need plenty of limestone, a mineral that can be dissolved in groundwater. The entrance is a restriction c. Only the center portion can be used by back mounted divers.

After about 15 feet the cave opens up into a large tunnel which leads to a pit a little over feet from the entrance. Along the way there are several jumps, but each leads back to the main tunnel. There is also a short jump off of the pit itself. There are absolutely stunning clay formations throughout the cave--especially in the upper tunnels.

There are some instances where there are 15 or more layers of colored clay black, orange, white, gray one after the other and repeating themselves. I haven't seen the like anywhere else--not either in Missouri or Florida.

The pit drops sharply down through a series of concentric rings to the mouth of a restriction at feet. The flow can be rather mild in the fall, but for a good part of the year it can be like trying to swim into a fire hydrant. I was attempting to get through the restriction, before we installed the rope, some years ago when the flow was fierce and I saw Elvis frog kicking in front of me--and he was wearing a thong bikini bottom--it wasn't a pretty sight.

Beyond this restriction is the "Mud Room". It is a wide, low silty room c. We spent several dives exploring this room for leads, but there were none. There is a slight incline as you swim toward the center of the room, then it begins to drop and opens up into a large tunnel at a depth of feet. This "Deep Tunnel" is 10 to 15 feet in height and width and travels for a little more than feet where there is a third restriction at a depth of feet.

The cave honeycombs at this point and once through the restriction you cannot go more than 20 to 25 feet. There is no flow at this point and it is impossible to crawl through the restriction without reducing the viz to zero. Where the Deep Tunnel begins there is another tunnel off to the south left as you are facing the Deep Tunnel which I explored for about 50 feet a few years ago. I think this is where the flow is coming from and it is at a depth of c.

You can reach this part of the cave swimming in less than 30 minutes. I have made it to the end of the Deep Tunnel in 32 minutes when I was not exploring or laying line. The spring water temp doesn't vary all that much c.

The lake water goes from 80 f. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Your e-mail: Sign Up. Share on Facebook Pin it on Pinterest. Liz Oliver. Liz is a Missouri native with a B. A good portion of Spring Cave is walking passage, though spots of deep mud and water often complicate exploration. A wetsuit is not required, though it is recommended that mappers bring extra clothing to put on later in the trip. Travel time to the current limit of survey is approximately one-hour.

Trip lengths vary but usually run in the 8-hour range. Trips dates will be posted on the MSS Calendar. James Corsentino Pulaskicaver yahoo. It really brings back the memories. I think I bought my copy at the campus bookstore in Rolla.

Of course, I didn't begin to understand what Bretz wrote back them when I was about 23 years old. It is a great cave. We are close to finishing the survey of this cave famous last words! Most of this footage is in nearby Spring Cave. It was commercially operated for a brief period and did have a wooden dance floor in the entrance. Some manmade structures from this time period are still visible in the entrance and near the highway. Roubidoux Cave overlooks Roubidoux Creek. The downstream entrance of Tunnel Cave overlooks the Gasconade River.

James Corsentino. I had forgotten the Gasconade was where Tunnel Cave exited as it were. I remember the dance hall story, too and seeing some of the old wood work still scattered around. Heck, I think there might have still been wire to see, This was back in , of course. Seems to me I tried crossing it on my Hodaka once while involved in a Roving Trials event one Sunday.

Me and the bike didn't make it across. It sucked water in thru the carb and blew the cylinder off on one side. It took me about 8 hrs to get back to Waynesville. I just took the bike apart, hung it on the wall of the garage with plans to repair it when I returned next year.

You all aren't done with that thing yet? As you probably remember, the Roubidoux empties into the Gasconade at the 17 hwy bridge north of Waynesville near Indian Cave.

I've done a lot of cave surveying in the Bloodland area, especially near Dundas Ford.