* Note - These figures are actually less than real survey totals; I (Don) am still waiting for some more survey numbers from other HR3 members.
| Cave Name | TCS Number | Total Survey Trips | Current Length | Current V. Extent | First Survey Trip | Last Survey Trip | HR3 Project Leader | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yell Cave | TBE 16 | 18 | 10,410 feet | 99 feet | 9/8/96 | 11/27/99 | Marbry Hardin | The entire cave has been surveyed, with the exception of 4-5 leads at the back of the cave and a virgin pit near the center of the cave. One more trip is expected to finish the cave. At present, Yell Cave has passed Warren Springs Cave (TBE 40) and is now Bedford County's second-longest cave. It is only 580 feet short of passing Bishop Cave (TBE 1), Bedford's longest cave. At one time there were two Yell Caves reported in the Tennessee Cave Survey (TCS); HR3 succeeded in connecting them. Currently, the survey can only be done at certain times of the year. The cave's upper levels are home to a large colony of federally endangered gray bats. At the request of HR3, Tennessee biologists have evaluated the cave's bat population and have determined that the cave is indeed a home to a maternity colony. For this reason, the cave is off limits from April 1st to October 1st. |
| Henpeck Mill Cave | TCN 12 | 6 | 5,900 feet | 43 feet | 7/20/97 | 5/1/99 | Keith Filson | This cave has been known for years. In the 1980s, a push by some Tennessee cavers through a sump found the "fabled" Henpeck Mill borehole. Some surveying was done of the major passages at the time, but a complete survey was never done. Estimated length of the cave is expected to exceed 21,000 feet and have a 90-foot vertical extent. Currently, all of the passages at the beginning of the cave have been surveyed with the exception of two leads. The sump has been surveyed, and the survey extends to the beginning of the borehole. The downstream section has also been surveyed, and the only remaining part in this area is the dry bypass to the register. The next HR3 survey trip will clean up the bypass, and will proceed down the main borehole. Therefore, current footage in the cave only includes a small part of the known borehole -- the survey of the borehole itself will no doubt increase the caves' survey length very fast. |
| Xanadu 2 Pit | TBE ?? | 1 | Awaiting data | Awaiting data | 5/31/98 | 5/31/98 | Marbry Hardin | This cave was located on 3/28/98 during an HR3 ridgewalk. Later, while on the first survey trip, Marbry Hardin and Ray Pope noted bad air in the cave and the survey was halted on the spot. One more trip is required to finish the survey, which will be attempted at a time when the cave is unlikely to contain bad air. Awaiting survey data by Marbry Hardin. |
| Bishop Cave | TBE 1 | 1 | 10,982 feet | 60 feet | 5/24/98 | 5/24/98 | Jeremy "Batbubba" Hill & Marbry Hardin | The cave was surveyed during a series of survey trips in the very early 1980's by several TCS members. The cave survey was never completed, although a majority of the cave was believed to have been surveyed. HR3 members have made contact with one of the original surveyors and have received the original working map. HR3 will be attempting to complete the survey that was begun almost 20 years ago. Currently the original data is being examined and a strategy for completing the cave is being formed. One initial survey trip has already taken place - the data presented here, however, does not reflect any HR3 survey yet and is not counted in any totals. |
| Black Rock River Cave (BRRC) | TVB ?? | 2 | 2,007 feet | 22 | 2/20/99 | 4/10/99 | Marbry Hardin | This cave was discovered by Marbry Hardin, and subsequently opened by Marbry and Keith Filson. The cave starts from the entrance as a series of crawls for about 400 feet before it intersects the main stream passage. This continues downstream for about 900 feet, averaging about 15 feet high by 30 feet wide to an area of unstable breakdown. This breakdown was penetrated for about another 200 feet to a point where the water sumped into a couple of small holes. There is an associated upper level about 20 feet higher than the active stream level that intersects it in several places. There are still a number of leads to survey in the cave, although it appears that the major portion has been done. A number of hibernating Pipistrelle bats were noted throughout the cave as were several white crayfish. The name of the cave comes from the black patina on the cobbles in the streambed. Marbry anticipates 1-2 more survey trips will finish the cave. |
| Harrison Saltpeter Cave | TBE 22 | 2 | 3,062 feet | 70 feet | 8/20/98 | 11/28/98 | Don Lance | On August 16, 1998, HR3 members Ray Pope and Daniel Wright dug into a new virgin extension, and an HR3 survey was begun soon after. At present the entire new extension has been surveyed, but the remainder of the known cave remains to be surveyed. The survey is expected to push the length of the cave to almost a mile. |
| Cave Name | TCS Number | Total Survey Trips | Current Length | Current V. Extent | First Survey Trip | Last Survey Trip | Notes / Reason for Holdup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Junction Cave | TWL 73 | 3 | 1,385 feet | 66 feet | 6/6/92 | 9/18/93 | Much of the cave remains to be surveyed. It is estimated that anywhere from one-third to one-half of the cave has been surveyed to date. During the surveys, two potential dangers were identified: 1) The cave floods quickly and completely to the ceiling (all areas) in any kind of rain, and 2) bad air has been encountered in some of the lowest levels of the cave. Also, the frequent flooding of the cave has resulted in very slippery/gooey mud and sharp, scalloped rock. The best time to visit this cave is a day after a severe rain, with no rain in the forecast for a few more days. This cave is Wilson County's largest known cave, with an estimated length of 5,000 feet. Currently, landowner access is a problem and has halted the survey. When the survey began, the cave was in the middle of a large field. Now it is located in a new subdivision of homes. Once landowner relations permit reentry to the cave, HR3 intends to restart and complete this survey. If you can help us out with the current situation, contact me at Don@TheLances.org. |
| HR3 Cave #2 | -- | 2 | 1,663 feet | 49 feet | 12/26/97 | 7/5/98 | Details on this cave are not being disclosed. Only survey stats are being reported for recordkeeping purposes by HR3. This cave is considered "off-limits" by the landowner. |
| Rhoton Springs Cave | TBE ?? | 2 | Approx. 2,300 feet | Approx. 30 feet | 11/16/96 | 10/4/97 | This is a new Bedford County cave located by several HR3 members after a cookout in November, 1996. The entrance area of the cave is tight crawl requiring a wetsuit. After about 200 feet, a super-tight constriction only lets the smallest cavers through. Beyond this, HR3 members have seen over 1,000 feet of virgin cave, with more to be expected. Approximately 3,000 more feet of survey is expected. Cubers have correlated the survey so far with the surface topography in search of a second entrance to bypass the tight entrance area squeeze, but the data so far reveals that it is unlikely to find a second entrance. Currently, landowner relations are still being worked out as access to the cave is limited. |