Caves and Campfires

After the rush of things to do before I could leave on Thursday, it was a relief when I was finally able to sit down in Jenni Rae Rubio's car and enjoy her company on the way to Fairfield. There, I had the pleasure of meeting the Ressegers' pets before the Ressegers arrived and we were on our way to Lava Beds National Monument. We talked pleasantly on the road until we stopped at a Panda Express for supper. I slept soundly the rest of the way--I must've been really tired. All the camp was asleep as well when we arrived, so I did not attempt to find the girls' tent. Instead, I spent the night in the warmth and comfort of the Ressegers' trailer, getting sleep that fortified me for the weekend.

In the morning, the Pleasant Hill Pathfinders were very happy to see me. We made quick work of breakfast, so that we could get to the caving as soon as possible. Suiting up in ragged overalls and bright orange duct tape, I conducted the customary "lights out" tour of Valentine Cave. As usual, it was a spectacular demonstration of both teamwork and teens who take advantage of the darkness to flirt shamelessly with each other, to my amusement. Then, we did Indian Well before attempting the infamous Buddha's Crack, discovered by the Pleasant Hill Pathfinders on my first caving trip. To my profound irritation, I wound up ripping a gaping hole in my tie-dye shirt in a rather immodest area, but at least I got out to the other side.

One of our girls, however, had worse difficulties. Lodged tightly in the rock, the group behind her had left and it was only me and two teens on our side of the passage, trying to figure out how to free her. Eventually, I had the smaller of the two teens go down to the trapped girl to reassure her while I went to get help. It was an exhausting effort, as it meant doing another difficult passage, the sidewinder, three times in the space of an hour, but eventually we got the trapped girl out and we were very glad to get some lunch.

Patching up my poor shirt with orange duct tape, we went out again to many other wonderful caves--portions of the Labyrinth, Hercules' Leg, Golden Dome, and Jupiter's Thunderbolt. By the time we got out of Sentinel Dome, we were exhausted, and headed back to camp for the evening for a good, hearty supper after changing out of our gear. As for me, I was glad to put aside my Greek flash cards, which I had been flipping through in between caves, for the Sabbath. Don Smith, coordinator of the LIT program, put me in charge of pulling the skits for church together. As the LITs gathered, I enjoyed doing this, then relaxed by the roaring fire.

The church service in Valentine Cave went very well--the actors obeyed my instructions and gave spectacular performances. Pastor Eddie Heinrich's message afterwards was really inspiring as well. A visit to the Visitor's Center, to Mushpot Cave, and the hike back to camp filled the time before Sabbath lunch, a sumptuous meal of pasta and garlic bread. Afterward, we went to Captain Jack's Stronghold, reliving history as we walked through the trenches of that battle between the Modocs and the US Cavalry that happened long ago.

Then, we visited Fleener's Chimneys, the volcanic birthplace of the park. I climbed to the highest of the jagged edifices where I could see the scenery for miles around and the depths of the chimney below. Surrounded by this breathtaking view, my mind wandered off to all the people I wished were there to share it with me. A visit to Skull Cave rounded off our Sabbath adventures, then we dined before suiting up for the Catacombs.

Descending into the depths of the Catacombs, the longest cave in the park, this year we were plagued by fewer navigational problems than ever before--I think we've finally gotten the route through the complicated twists and turns cemented, despite the cryptic maps we use. In the challenging Crossover we met Pastor Heinrich and a few other clubs going in the opposite direction, which was fun.

Returning to camp, we stripped off our gear, sat by the fire a bit, then slept very well as a group. In the morning, we packed up and left, my beloved directors kindly giving me more food than I can eat in this week before Thanksgiving Vacation. I studied for most of the very long car ride back, until all the subjects felt like they were scrambled together. At that point, I called it quits and just rested until we got back to Pleasant Hill. There, I left a headlamp and glow stick on Justin's bench, as a tribute to the one who taught me everything I know about the caves.

Anyway, I wish you all the best, and a happy Thanksgiving to everyone, in case I don't get a chance to say it before then. There's definitely plenty to be grateful for, and one of the best blessings in my life is each of you, my friends, family, and loved ones who make my journeys worthwhile. Thank you.