worleysCave2012February 28th – March 3

Troop 1 will be going spelunking on the February Camping trip with our friends from Rock Dimensions of Boone, NC as our guides. Worley’s Cave, also known as Morrell Cave, is located on private property in Eastern Tennessee. It is a large, undeveloped cave with numerous rooms, passages, and crawl spaces to explore. Worley’s Cave also has some extraordinary formations, including flowstones, drapery and a “tombstone” area. Various routes winding through the cave involve large passages opening up into bigger rooms with unique formations and areas to explore.

What to expect

  • Spend 3 – 4 hours inside the cave
  • Discuss cave formations (stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, calcium flows, streams, etc.) and cave life (bats, salamanders, etc.)
  • Explore cave passages with a headlamp, candle, or just your eyes (to get a taste of true darkness)!
  • Experience the nocturnal beauty of a natural cave. Compare the surroundings and experience with a commercial cave.
  • Discuss and use appropriate “leave no trace” etiquette to protect the fragile cave environment.

The cost for this adventure will be $80 per person and includes the services of Rock Dimensions, all spelunking equipment, transportation, camping accommodations, Friday dinner and a Sunday lunch stop.

Scouts will be responsible for supplying and preparing their own meals – Saturday’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner and Sunday breakfast. The troop grills and stoves will be available.

We will be camping at Warriors Path State Park, Kingsport,TN. Check them out on the web at http://www.tennessee.gov/environment/parks/WarriorsPath/index.shtml#camping .

Please register and pay by the February 18th meeting. You may learn more about Rock Dimensions on the web at www.rockdimensions.com. Rock Dimensions requires 2 additional forms which you will receive by e-mail (also available at here and here). We will meet at the scout hut Friday at 3:30 and plan to depart by 4:00. The anticipated arrival time back in Spartanburg on Sunday will be sometime around 1:00.

What to bring

  • 3 new AA batteries per person (for headlamp)
  • Plan to get dirty and wet due to the nature of cave environments. We recommend wearing overalls or old clothes with an insulating layer underneath.  Also try Salvation Army for some coveralls or overalls.
  • Boots or old tennis shoes. Boots are highly recommended for their stability and sure-footing. Be sure to bring an extra pair of shoes to wear after departing the cave.
  • Silk or synthetic base layers to keep warm underneath the outer “grunge” layers.
  • Wool socks with liners, or some other wicking footwear.
  • Wool or synthetic hat.
  • Jacket for warmth and water/mud protection. (Don’t wear your nice, expensive outdoor clothing).
  • Extra set of clothes and shoes to change into after departing the cave.
  • Lunch and snacks for before/after cave excursion.

Optional items:

  • Small daypack or fanny pack with water and personal items. (Use plastic bottles – no glass.)
  • Camera, flashlight

Rock Dimensions provides

  • Helmets
  • Kneepads
  • Petzl Zoom Headlamps
  • Gloves
  • Trash bags for dirty clothes

Registration for this event has closed.