PLESS CAVE-CAVE CAPERS

August 11, 2015


Pless Cave, Indiana
A bunch of us got up early to make it to the front of the recreational site so we could join the group that was going over to Pless Cave near Blue Springs Indiana. We all followed our Trip Leader Dave Everton, to the landowners property where we got set up for the cave.  I believe we had around 6 cars at the parking lot full of cavers ready to get a bit cooled off in this cave.
 flow stone cable ladder climb in Pless Cave, Indiana
Some of us brought wetsuits and others did not have the luxury for the extra protection and while the cave was not too long, the water was plentiful and there were some cases where we had to swim and crawl in high water / low ceiling conditions to the point where we had to turn our head aside and dip our ears
Pless Cave, Indiana
We worked out way over to the entrance and it was a nice walking entrance that had a second collapse entrance with a stream running through it and a open gate that led us to a series of rimstone dams we had to walk and climb over.  It was quite beautiful!!

rim stone entrance in Pless Cave, Indiana
We continued on and encountered our first ear dipper which was quite low at times but open up into more walking passage.  It had a slight similarity to Buddha cave in the walking section.  We continued on and passed by a few formations and eventually came up to the flow stone climb to the upper level where more cave can be continued.

Pless Cave, Indiana

 The group decided not to climb the ladder and traversed back to the junction to follow it another way over to where more low crawling water passage was and onto another formation section.


bacon flow stone formation in Pless Cave, Indiana

We get back to the confluence where the two water passages feed into the main stream and out of the cave so we could check out the remaining passages to the cave.  We had to climb over a series of rimstone dams and follow a water passage that had some stoop walking water passage and “Dry” walking passage. 

 entrance to Pless Cave, Indiana
There appeared to be a few sections where the cave jointed left and right and kept going until we got to a side passage where there was a formation room with bacon flowstone formations. The group was starting to get cold so we quickly made our way through the slot canyon passage and into the final room where the formations were located.


Pless Cave, Indiana
They were quite pretty and the bacon drapery formations were really nice!! I snapped a few pictures and we started to head out so we could warm back up. We eventually made it out of the cave and I was able to snap a few more pictures along with way.  It was a real pleasure to go caving with Dave Everton once again and get a chance to hangout with some old and new friends on this trip to Pless Cave.  I am looking forward to the opportunity to go back and to visit some of the upper passages and see more of the cave.
Pless Cave, Indiana

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