NEVADA CAVEMAN BLOG

I thought we could share our trip pic's to DV from some early spring time fun. This trip was done as a fact finding tour for our group. I'm thinking this will be a good trip to spend a few days in the canyons. Just before we arrived at our camp, we met with the Park Ranger who said that they had just rescued a young lady from a group who fracture an ankle in this same location we plan to tour. As SAR members we are always interested on how things went on the rescue. So word to the wise; this type of adventures takes some planning and training to pull off a trip with some reasonable amount of safety. Trips, slips and falls are just some of the worries in places like DV. Back to the rescue, we learned that because of the late hour that the rescue team reached the lady they had to spend the night before extricating her the next morning. This area is full of dry falls that you need some technical experience to travel. Even with good planning something as simple as a sprain can result in rescue difficulty. You need to know afew things about the hazards of just going to DV. Here's the list of what you should be prepare for:

Drink plenty of water: Drink at least one gallon (4 liters) of water per day to replace loss from sweat, more if you are active. Fluid and electroyte levels must be balanced, so have salty foods or "sports drinks" too.

Avoid hiking in the heat: Do not hike in the low elevations when temperatures are hot. The mountains are cooler in summer, but can have snow and ice in winter.

Travel prepared to survive: Stay on paved roads in summer. If your car breaks down, stay with it until help comes. Carry extra drinking water in your car in case of emergency.

Watch for signs of trouble: If you feel dizzy, nauseous, or a headache, get out of the sun immediately and drink water or sports drinks. Dampen clothing to lower body temperature. Be alert for symptoms in others.

The main cause of death in Death Valley: More people die in single-car accidents than by any other means. To avoid an accident, follow the speed limits, shift to a lower gear on steep downhill grades, and wear your seatbelt.

Dangerous Animals: Never place your hands or feet where you cannot see first. Rattlesnakes, scorpions, or black widow spiders may be sheltered there.

Flash Floods: Avoid canyons during rain storms and be prepared to move to higher ground. While driving, be alert for water running in washes and across road dips.

Mine Hazards: Do not enter mine tunnels or shafts. Mines may be unstable, have hidden shafts, pockets of bad air and poisonous gas.

In Case of Emergency: Dial 911 from any telephone or cell phone. Cell phones may not work in many parts of the park. Do not depend on them.

I have some more helpful information at my preparing for outdoor adventures if you are interested.
http://preparingforoutdooradventures.blogspot.com/

Other than doing public safety work, caving is one of our most passonate adventures trips.

I thought we would share our annual adventures in Search and Rescue and BSA Troop & Venture Crew 911.

We started our year in January with a caving trip to our favorite cave called Whipple. In January oldman winter is still around so we tend to stay in tepees during the cold months cause they just do the trick in keeping warm. Some of our trips do inclued youngsters so we are very concerned about making their trip comfortable and fun. As we arrived in the early evening we are greeted by some snow fluries. By the next afternoon most of the snow in the sunny areas were all but disappeared. The two pictures of the entrance do not do justice to the 70ft. drop-in. Since we have been visiting this site, I can see dramatic changes to the cave over the last 8 years . The water entering the cave this year was at least 80% more than the last few years. The view always overwhelms me each time we visit. The pools were full of water with the walls dripping with back drop of reds and orange. The very large colum still seems to be holding her footing to the high ceilings of the main chamber. One thing we did notice is that the amount of trash and the fact that someone destroyed the sign-in book box was disheartening. I'm not going to preach on leave no trace cause the people that did this most likely will not read this. I have been searching the internet for some one that has some historical info to share on this jem of Nevada. Not having much luck so I'm calling to the community to help. If you know of any geological history please share it with us! Here's some more pic's of Whipple and the area.