Xanadu Cave/Camp trip - Tennessee
May10-12, 2002

Trip report by Todd Merriman.

Trip narrative by Brad Henderson.

At Eastfork Campground - Mike, Randy, Josh, Scott, John, Todd, and Brad

Logging road leading to the gorge

The Mountain Laurel was just beginning to bloom

Overlooking the Obey River Gorge and Lints Cove
The intrepid Stonewall cavers met up Friday evening at East Fork campground and got off to our usual break-of-dawn start...  The road down to the edge of the gorge had been recently logged, so we had to park and walk the last 1.5 miles to the rim.

Todd, Brad, John, Josh, and Scott

Randy

Mike

View up the gorge
The bluffs along the rim of the 1000' deep Obey River gorge offer spectacular views.   We stopped along the way for a break from lugging heavy packs full of caving and camping gear.

Todd the fearless hiker

Setting up the tents

Just enough flat spaces

More tents

Most of the Obey River sinks underground upstream from here, but springs feed clear, cold water into this section

Sandstone boulders rounded from floodwater

Impressive waterfall sinking into the cave system

Mike at the Xanadu waterfall
At the bottom of the gorge is beautiful, almost pristine woodland.  The Obey River was crystal clear, and the recent rains pumped up the waterfall at the main Xanadu cave entrance.

Downstream on the Obey River

 A combination of limestone and sandstone is perfect for making caves

Randy admires the waterfall

We're ready to cave now!

John grabs a snack before heading into the cave. The entrance is in the bluff beside him

 It sure was green down there

Randy's too comfortable to go caving

The Sandhills! Mountaineering underground is more like it. Thirteen breakdown mountains up to 150' high and up to 70 degree slopes.
After setting up camp and donning our cave gear, we began the arduous climbing over the "sandhills".... big mountains of breakdown, sand and clay in the main trunk passage.

Scott becoming one with the formations

Almost a column

Formations snake from cracks in the ceiling

Todd admires the Jewelbox pretties
At the end of the main trunk is the Jewel Box, perched high above the main passage.  This is just a small part of what the conservation management plan is trying to protect.

Cave coral formed from splashing water

John, Mike, Josh, Todd, Brad, and Scott in the Jewelbox.

More cool Jewelbox stuff

Mike thinks the scenery was worth the effort

More Jewelbox

Josh carefully avoiding the fragile formations

Nice totem poles

Some of the many odd-shaped formations
After touring other parts of the cave, we braved the sandhills a second time (sporting!) since the lower entrance was sumped.    Sunday, we climbed the 1000' hill back out of the gorge at our leisure.  Another great Stonewall Trip!

Josh and Scott, happy to have made it back over the sandhills and out of the cave

The 1000' climb back out of the gorge

A nice rainbow was a great sign of another great Stonewall trip.
   

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Photos copyright by Mike A., John LaMar Cole, and Randy Paylor.  Do not use without permission.