Archaeology Journal - Sebastian Wetherbee

Sebastian Wetherbee

Data Collection in Fairy Cave, CO

2/4/2017

I recently drove up I70 from Boulder to Glenwood Springs, CO to go caving in Fairy Cave. This cave system is one of the largest in the state, and open to the public for guided tours. However, much of the cave is off-limits to tourists. One of the ways for wild cavers to get access to the rest of the cave is to collect data on the health of the cave, including temperature, evapotranspiration, and other indicators that it's structures and formations are healthy. So, some friends and I decided to do exactly that.

The drive itself was a blast, and almost worth the trip alone. Heading over the continental divide and through Summit County, passed Vail gave us sights galore. And when traffic left us stopped for half an hour heading over Vail Pass, we busted out the playing cards on the hood of the car. Around us, other weekend warriors had similar ideas, some of them even hiking up the embankment to get some snowboarding in.

Glenwood Springs is nestled in a small mountain valley. Though covered in snow, the land is clearly dry, with short, gnarled trees and rocky formations covering the landscape.

Once in the cave we had the distinctly satisfying experience of climbing over a safety rail in front of a group of tourists, before flicking on our headlamps and disappearing headfirst down a nearby crevice.

We ended up getting lost for an hour or so, eventually giving up our search for the final data station. We found our way back to the main tourist chambers in defeat, and with only a few minutes left before the gondola down the mountain shut down for the day. If there was any takeaway from the experience for me, it was that being lost underground is not good, though it is a little bit thrilling.

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History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs, and wooden shoes coming up."
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Genes are rarely about inevitability, especially when it comes to humans, the brain, or behavior. They're about vulnerability, propensities, tendencies." ~Robert Sapolsky

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