COLDWATER CAVE DOWN RIVER

December 10, 2012

Coldwater Cave Iowa

This is my second time visiting Coldwater cave and after the first time in the cavge, I was itching to come back and visit the downstream passages that this cave had to offer. Mark Jones and Mike Lace accompanied us on this wonderful trip down river to the sump which was quite fun and quite, well....COLD!!!

Coldwater Cave Iowa

Even in a full 7mm Wetsuit from head to toe, the water got quite cold after being in this cave for over 8 hours. We started off with a lot of walking passage past Big Bertha and other amazign formations until we got to the first swim.

Coldwater Cave Iowa

The Water was quite clear but it was indeed a swim and in 48 degree water with a 48 degree cave, it was quite the ball chiller!!!

Coldwater Cave Iowa

Afterwards we continued on passed some interesting watercut formations until we got to a waterfall side passage. I believe this leads to another waterfall hours up this passage which can make for an over 12 hour trip in coldwater cave.

Coldwater Cave Iowa

We continued on past a few more breakdown rooms and past another cold chilling swim until the passages started to get a little deeper and smaller. They were still walking passage which was nice.

Coldwater Cave Iowa

We stopped right before the sump and went up a side passage that had some solid rimstone dams and watercrawling passage that would lead us to a dome room.

Coldwater Cave Iowa

We checked out another side lead that took us to a interesting raining dome room and another climb up that had rusted formations which might have been from iron deposits oxidizing in the moisture.

Coldwater Cave Iowa

Once we left this passage we decided to start our way out of the cave so we walked upstream to the vertical entrance culvert which is around 100ft to the surface.

48 Degree water in Coldwater Cave Iowa

We finally got out of the cave and were told that sometimes this cave can have radon levels so high that it is like working in a uranium mine for a day...great, im glad I know that now...!!