Hiking the 4-mile Rose River loop at Shenandoah National Park in the snow.
The sunset from Skyline Drive in the park.
nature
01.01.2010
Mexico Caving Day 10
Bringing in the New Year rappelling into Sótano de Cepillo (425 feet) on our last day in Mexico.
12.31.2009
Mexico Caving Day 9
Took a photo of the low side of Sótano de la Golondrinas (1,150 feet) while waiting for my turn to rappel into the massive pit. This time we visited the pit with a large group of people, which was not the idea situation. Over 10 rappelled down, and then spent hours exploring the bottom, before I got my chance. No one climbed. So when Chris and I hit the bottom, we had a quick snack and then hopped on rope, being the good team players we are.
My view about 400 feet from the top.
Chris derigs the high side of Golondrinas.
12.27.2009
Mexico Caving Day 5
Sonya Erickson rappels over the lip alongside of the 300-foot waterfall called Cascadas de Tamul.
The view while rappelling on the side of the waterfall.
The limestone-rich water was fantasy colored. The stream was lined with dark pink flowers and lots of green, exotic trees. It was straight out of a book, a live elvish landscape!
12.26.2009
Mexico Caving Day 4
Here’s the sophisticated sign we found when we returned to Hoya de las GuaGuas after a 2-year hiatus.
Jeff Dunn rappels the high side of the 668-foot entrance pit.
Looking up at a rappeller on the high side of the pit.
What it looks like on the bottom . . . a mini Mexican forest. The huge black space on the right is another 600-footish pit that gets you into the cave. We did not go down, as we’ve been told the loose rocks on the slope are very dangerous.
12.19.2009
It was 6:30 in the morning, and we awoke to snow. A lot of snow, on the morning we were supposed to leave for Mexico in the Jeep! Luckily, we packed it night before with all of our caving and camping gear. We had decided to sleep in our own bed for one more night, rather than hit the road at midnight. It took us 10 hours to drive to Bristol, entirely in 4-wheel drive. Normally the drive takes 4 hours.
11.17.2009
Chris stands next to one of the only views we got while hiking a 7-mile circuit near Hone Quarry.
10.24.2009
Led a trip to Porter’s Cave with Madison University Student Grotto (MUSG) members . . . Brian Young, Meghan Moss, Chris Booth, Dan Ferrante, Jessie Brechbiel and McKenna Dullea.
07.20.2009
Backpacking in Cranberry Wilderness
Day 3: A quick portrait of Chris and I before out 9-mile hike out.
Me pushing through a thicket of bee balm.
A USGS geological marker . . . you never know when you’ll find one of these suckers!
07.19.2009
Backpacking in Cranberry Wilderness
Day 2: Chris atop a waterfall during a short day hike from camp.