Crossroads - 10/5/2024

Aidan Ward Reporting

Cavers: Aidan Ward, Viktoria Stalwick, Athen Wagley, Brian Smith, James Nitsch, Chris Meyle, Tristan Talbert, James Sun, Tim Goodloe, Josie Goodloe

Entering the cave around 11pm. We made our way through Crossroads' impressive entrance room and scrambled down a fissure into the Lost and Found. Once there, we went the straightest way through, which also happens to be the tightest. Just a fairly short squeeze through a breakdown pinch, but foreshadowing of what's to come.

Once we made it through the Lost and Found we were once again able to stand, now in the main trunk passage of Crossroads. We scrambled and duck-waddled our way east to the Pit, getting there around noon and taking a short break to discuss our next move. We could go north to continue along the main passage, or keep going east into the southern end of the Maze. The latter would involve less exposure, but it would be much tighter. 

The group decided they were up for the challenge, so we went east and squeezed our way through popcorn-covered fissures until we made it into a much larger passage where we had plenty of room to stand. We explored this area, finding lots of large roots breaking through the ceiling and climbing down the walls. 

It was a little after 2pm when we decided to turn back. We squeezed back through the fissure, scrambled around the pit, and finally climbed back out of the Lost and Found and then out of the cave, exiting around 3:30pm.