Owl Cave: Exploring a Wild Cave in Virginia

Virginia has over 4000 known caves. The vast majority are located on private property. In this episode, my buddy Josh from Peakbaggers channel and I explore parts of this interesting cave located on private land in Highland County, Virginia. To protect this sensitive natural resource, I will not reveal its precise location. We are very grateful to the landowner for allowing access to the property. This is a very interesting cave. The entrance lies only slightly higher than the elevation of a nearby creek, and there is plenty of evidence in the cave that it sometimes floods. We found many sections of the cave to be "dry" and dusty while other passages contained a lot of water, mud, and interesting mineral and sediment formations. This cave contained far more bats than other caves we have visited recently. There are at least two entry/exit points here. We entered through the natural entrance at the bottom of the hill. The cave seemed to "climb" upwards inside the hill. Higher up there was another access point, where a culvert pipe and ladder was installed vertically to the surface. I exited the cave here. Beyond the ladder, the cave continued and appeared to descend deeper into the hill; however, this section of the cave was closed and posted to keep out. Cribbing materials and tools scattered there suggested that some sort of work was ongoing beyond the closure point. I hope to return in the future and explore the cave further. This visit took place in mid-February 2024. Thanks for watching!

Cave Safety: NEVER enter a cave alone. Cell phones and other comms will not work underground. No one will hear your screams for help. Even the two of us could not hear each other talking if separated by a short distance inside the cave. Your voice will not travel far in a place like this. Never go into a cave alone, and make sure someone on the outside knows where you are and what time you expect to return. The outside contact person should also know what authorities to reach out to should that need arise. It's important to wear appropriate clothing as well. Wear gloves to protect both you and the cave formations. Wear a helmet. Most caves in Virginia are cool and wet/humid, so wear quick dry clothing and sturdy boots or shoes. Carry a first aid kit, food and water, and multiple light sources and spare batteries. Take a small trash bag and pack out everything you pack in. Leave the site as good or better than you found it.

Special THANKS to Peakbaggers for inviting me to join:
   / peakbaggersforcancer  

Connect with Smell N Roses:
https://linktr.ee/smellnroses




#smellnroses
#spelunking