Smokerise Cave

[DavidR]

It's been a while since I've been caving but after today I'm going to start hitting them again. I had a blast exploring Smokerise Cave. It has 4 levels and is huge for the most part. For more pictures and details visit Alabama Tent and Trail.


Smokerise Cave (1) by daviddreed9, on Flickr


Smokerise Cave (6) by daviddreed9, on Flickr

[Jdevil]

Gosh David, I haven't been there in over a decade.  I've always heard that there is a way out, which allegedly emerges somewhere near that old concrete building at the foot of the hill by the trail leading up (which was there 10 years ago, but not sure if it is now), by following the stream at the bottom of the main crevice.  I've crawled all through there and never could find it, perhaps because the water was always up too much.  Any idea if such allegations are true? Thanks for the memories, I need to get back over there myself.   

[wirerat123]

Seeing places like that defaced drives me nuts.

[DavidR]

Thanks Jdevil. You've answerd a question I had. The building isn't there any longer but the foundation is. I had wondered what it was. I only went as far on the bottom level as the cave tapers into a belly crawl in the water. I didn't venture into those yet.

@wirerat123: I know bro. The destruction is way worse than the pics I have show. It's only on the top level though. At least the hoolagans are too lazy to work down into the cave.

[Jdevil]

@ David - If my memory serves correctly, I think it was an old pump house.  It was really old, even back then, and in really bad shape, much for the same reason wirerat mentioned. It sounds like you came to the same problem as myself every time I've been there.  Too much water to keep crawling, lol.

@ Wirerat - me too man.  Me too.  We went over to Hughes Cave in Cotaco last week and it pretty much looks like an underground dump with 50+ years of trash and graffiti.  As always, a really great cave, but an extremely sad sight.  Same thing at the spring and people wonder why most would rather keep their coordinates to themselves.  It's hard to believe that people can be so inconsiderate and disrespectful.               

[wirerat123]

I remember a point back in the early 90s when Hughes cave and the springs were fairly decent looking considering the relative ease at which you can access them.  But idiots will be idiots.  Hughes cave is a great cave too.  It's too bad so many have to mess up the natural beauty of these places.

[Jdevil]

I wholeheartedly agree. 

[squidbilly]

Seeing places like that defaced drives me nuts.
[/quote

Yeah, me too. Some people should be fed feet first into a wood chipper...slowly .