Here is a recent report written, by Randy (MixAddict). I figured I would post it since he hasn't had time yet, and I didn't want to write a whole new one-
"I'm sure for many of you that live full time in cave country or other areas around the world where there are numerous underwater caves found, exploring a virgin cave is not a once in a life time event! For a small group of tight knit Utah cave divers, Ricks Spring is a dream come true. You may recall reading an article in the CDS magazine last year concerning the ongoing exploration of Ricks Springs in Logan Canyon, Utah. Of course compared to Wakulla or other major exploration projects, Ricks is of little consequence in the overall scheme of things, but having a diveable cave within a couple of hours of home is absolutely fantastic!
We have been pushing this cave over the past 3 years. Originally dived by Wendell Nope and Richard Lamb, the Ricks exploration team now consist of 9 people: Wendell Nope, Richard Lamb, Tom Lamb, Matt Mimnaugh, Tibby Petrescue, Mike Robinson, Joshua Thornton, Michael Thornton, & Randy Thornton.
As a high flow, high altitude fresh water spring, diving Ricks is a challenge in many ways. It is only divable during certain months of the year due to excessive flow! When I say flow, I mean during spring run-off times, you can't even make it in the entrance let alone make any headway in the cave! Probably the biggest challenge is the water temperature. 40 degrees is cold by anyone's standards, and cave diving in this environment certainly appeals to only the most vigorous divers! Dry suits, thick hoods and gloves make virtually every aspect of laying line in virgin passageway a challenge. Additionally, smoothed scolloped surfaces with few legitimate tie off points make for line laying challenges.
About 1500 feet into the cave, you hit a dry section which then requires climbing up a waterfall section and portage through about 300 additional feet of dry/wet limestone area to the next section of going underwater cave. As of yesterday, with the teams assistance, Josh and Michael Thornton added about 300 feet of additional passage making explored passage past the dry section about 700-750 feet, for a total of approximately 2200 feet of cave explored. (rough estimate, as at some point we will go back an do a legitimate measurement!) According to Josh and Michael, the new unexplored passage became extremely silty as the percolation dislodged silt resting in the scolloped cups on the sides of the cave and viz when from 100 feet to 2 inches!
Run times for exploring the end of lines at this point are running in the 2 to 2 1/2 hour range, so you can imagine how cold the divers are when exiting the cave in these temperatures! The divers usually require help removing their equipment and getting out of the water at that stage because they are so wiped out!
The cave is definitely sidemount access. There are some very large passages, but also some restrictions that just wouldn't allow for backmount access. Yesterday, in order to continue past the dry section, the push team staged cylinders at the dry section so that they could use just their primary LP 85s in the new section without having to worry about extra stages in the large crack that is currently being explored.
Last year the CDS donated some gold line to be installed. Less than a year later, parts of the gold line already need to be repaired, and we hope to work on that project in the next few weeks as well as improve the routing in a few places. Past the dry section there is only exploration line in place for now, but the team is hoping to install more gold line later this fall. Hopefully, if I can figure out how to get my housing through the cave safely, I'll post some pictures of the inside later this fall.
Regards,
Randy "
Here is a little more about what we did Saturday:
Michael and I made it to the end of the line I laid last fall. Surprisingly the thin exploration line was in great shape, only requiring us to repair one 30 ft section. This part of the cave is beautiful! Large passageways lead into a small restriction. Once through the restriction, you enter a large crack that is maybe 5 ft wide (at the widest point), and around 90 ft from top to bottom. It makes for a very interesting dive.
At the end of the line (around 2000 ft penetration), Michael tied in with his reel and started his first foray into virgin territory! Both Michael and I had this on our list of lifetime goals. I cannot explain how it feels to go where truly no one else has ever been. What a feeling. We headed down what we thought was the right way. Laying 200-300 feet of line we ended in a complete silt out with the crack pinching off. At this point we called the dive and headed out. Luckily the viz cleared up to about 15 ft at the 1800 ft penetration mark.
Slightly before Michael tied off and started laying line, I saw up and behind us what seemed to be a promising, more open, passageway through the giant crack. This is the path we will try next dive.
Matt and Tom where waiting back in the dry section to go in after us. About 30 seconds in to their dive, Tom's light failed and they called the dive. Very frustrating to the both of them, but that is life.
Anyway- just thought we would share some of our excitement here in Utah. Richard had his video camera on this dive- I will try and get some video posted once we go through it.
"I'm sure for many of you that live full time in cave country or other areas around the world where there are numerous underwater caves found, exploring a virgin cave is not a once in a life time event! For a small group of tight knit Utah cave divers, Ricks Spring is a dream come true. You may recall reading an article in the CDS magazine last year concerning the ongoing exploration of Ricks Springs in Logan Canyon, Utah. Of course compared to Wakulla or other major exploration projects, Ricks is of little consequence in the overall scheme of things, but having a diveable cave within a couple of hours of home is absolutely fantastic!
We have been pushing this cave over the past 3 years. Originally dived by Wendell Nope and Richard Lamb, the Ricks exploration team now consist of 9 people: Wendell Nope, Richard Lamb, Tom Lamb, Matt Mimnaugh, Tibby Petrescue, Mike Robinson, Joshua Thornton, Michael Thornton, & Randy Thornton.
As a high flow, high altitude fresh water spring, diving Ricks is a challenge in many ways. It is only divable during certain months of the year due to excessive flow! When I say flow, I mean during spring run-off times, you can't even make it in the entrance let alone make any headway in the cave! Probably the biggest challenge is the water temperature. 40 degrees is cold by anyone's standards, and cave diving in this environment certainly appeals to only the most vigorous divers! Dry suits, thick hoods and gloves make virtually every aspect of laying line in virgin passageway a challenge. Additionally, smoothed scolloped surfaces with few legitimate tie off points make for line laying challenges.
About 1500 feet into the cave, you hit a dry section which then requires climbing up a waterfall section and portage through about 300 additional feet of dry/wet limestone area to the next section of going underwater cave. As of yesterday, with the teams assistance, Josh and Michael Thornton added about 300 feet of additional passage making explored passage past the dry section about 700-750 feet, for a total of approximately 2200 feet of cave explored. (rough estimate, as at some point we will go back an do a legitimate measurement!) According to Josh and Michael, the new unexplored passage became extremely silty as the percolation dislodged silt resting in the scolloped cups on the sides of the cave and viz when from 100 feet to 2 inches!
Run times for exploring the end of lines at this point are running in the 2 to 2 1/2 hour range, so you can imagine how cold the divers are when exiting the cave in these temperatures! The divers usually require help removing their equipment and getting out of the water at that stage because they are so wiped out!
The cave is definitely sidemount access. There are some very large passages, but also some restrictions that just wouldn't allow for backmount access. Yesterday, in order to continue past the dry section, the push team staged cylinders at the dry section so that they could use just their primary LP 85s in the new section without having to worry about extra stages in the large crack that is currently being explored.
Last year the CDS donated some gold line to be installed. Less than a year later, parts of the gold line already need to be repaired, and we hope to work on that project in the next few weeks as well as improve the routing in a few places. Past the dry section there is only exploration line in place for now, but the team is hoping to install more gold line later this fall. Hopefully, if I can figure out how to get my housing through the cave safely, I'll post some pictures of the inside later this fall.
Regards,
Randy "
Here is a little more about what we did Saturday:
Michael and I made it to the end of the line I laid last fall. Surprisingly the thin exploration line was in great shape, only requiring us to repair one 30 ft section. This part of the cave is beautiful! Large passageways lead into a small restriction. Once through the restriction, you enter a large crack that is maybe 5 ft wide (at the widest point), and around 90 ft from top to bottom. It makes for a very interesting dive.
At the end of the line (around 2000 ft penetration), Michael tied in with his reel and started his first foray into virgin territory! Both Michael and I had this on our list of lifetime goals. I cannot explain how it feels to go where truly no one else has ever been. What a feeling. We headed down what we thought was the right way. Laying 200-300 feet of line we ended in a complete silt out with the crack pinching off. At this point we called the dive and headed out. Luckily the viz cleared up to about 15 ft at the 1800 ft penetration mark.
Slightly before Michael tied off and started laying line, I saw up and behind us what seemed to be a promising, more open, passageway through the giant crack. This is the path we will try next dive.
Matt and Tom where waiting back in the dry section to go in after us. About 30 seconds in to their dive, Tom's light failed and they called the dive. Very frustrating to the both of them, but that is life.
Anyway- just thought we would share some of our excitement here in Utah. Richard had his video camera on this dive- I will try and get some video posted once we go through it.
