Ape Caves in Winter?

[Rob]

I want to take a kid to explore the Ape Caves this weekend. 

It is around 2100 feet or so in altitude, and I am worried the snow might not allow one to drive to the parking lot.

Anyone know if they plow the road to the parking lot in the winter?

[NW-GSP]

Good question! I have been wanting to see them and have never been there!

[Smossy]

They do but it doesnt guarantee anything. We hike ape caves. Right now your best bet is a good 4 wheel drive vehicle and chains. If u got that you should be good to go. Check out www.wta.org and keep up to date on local reports. Hope that helps. Temps stay around 44 degrees. Make sure to bring extra flashlights.

[Rob]

Thanks! 

Great Cave, lots of fun.

I just got back from Puerto Rico and did some spectacular caves there.  Sure are fun to explore!

[Smossy]

Thanks! 

Great Cave, lots of fun.

I just got back from Puerto Rico and did some spectacular caves there.  Sure are fun to explore!

I bet! Ape caves are pretty basic. Slimey rocky walls. Pitch black. No animals or insects, just your occasional bigfoot you know. Nothing crazy

[duckmen1]

I saw a few mice running around them caves when I went

[Smossy]

Ive never seen anything. Not even a single insect. I was excited to find a cave dwelling creature but failed.

[Rob]

mice are cool.

One of the Caves in PR that I did last year was pretty horrid.  I was up to my calves in Bat guano.  We had to tie into a wall to rappel down a black hole to the lower level and the walls and floor were wall to wall cockroaches.  There were bats flitting around, and rats eating the roaches.  The cave was about 90 degrees with 98% humidity but you could not brush the sweat off your face due to the fact you were covered head to toe in Guano.  Then there were the gnats that came out of the guano.  These would buzz your face, but once again you could not brush them off...

Pretty miserable, but we were treated to a great lower cave with a cool skylight about a 1/4 mile in.  I did a beam me up pose with it.

[Smossy]

mice are cool.

One of the Caves in PR that I did last year was pretty horrid.  I was up to my calves in Bat guano.  We had to tie into a wall to rappel down a black hole to the lower level and the walls and floor were wall to wall cockroaches.  There were bats flitting around, and rats eating the roaches.  The cave was about 90 degrees with 98% humidity but you could not brush the sweat off your face due to the fact you were covered head to toe in Guano.  Then there were the gnats that came out of the guano.  These would buzz your face, but once again you could not brush them off...

Pretty miserable, but we were treated to a great lower cave with a cool skylight about a 1/4 mile in.  I did a beam me up pose with it.

Sounds like a great expereience lol. Ape caves is nottthing like that. Its old lava tubes from back in the day. Also up in the same are i think theres a place called trail of two forests, it has a boardwalk style trail through the woods that has some cool lava tubes about 3-4 feet wide wheremagma just devoured the trres and roots. Theres actually a man sized tunnel that u can crawl through thats about 300 feet long ;maybe; that u can crawl hands and knees through just to brag that youve done. Not a tood place of your claustriphoibic.

[Rob]

Yeah, I did Ape and Lake Caves last year, they are pretty cool.  I think the icy steps down were the worst part.

There is another cave in the area called lake cave that was also pretty neat.  not as long, but still a fun cave.  had a nice tiny side passage in it.

here is a photo of our group at Ape Cave last year.

[h20hunter]

Rob....where ya been?

[Rob]

working working working!

New job is keeping me hopping. 

We should plan a ling hunt this spring

[h20hunter]

Gotta start funding the next Safari!

Man...I haven't been in the water for about 2 years! With the kids getting bigger and I find myself catching and fileting 6 inch perch with my boy out at the lake instead of getting the tanks filled. However....now that he is 7 and big enough to put a little leverage on a rod I haven't been more excited about a humpy year.

[Rob]

I hear ya.  In my peak I did ~210 dives in one year!  I'm down to about 10 now.

Ditto on the pinks.  I intend to hit it hard with the young man I am working with in the Big Brother program.  We can't wait to get back on the water!