Logsdon River Sump 2007

Exploration Beyond a Sump in the World’s Longest Cave

by Brian Williams

So this is what it looks like in the famous Logsdon River sump? Not much of a view. I can’t see my hand on the survey line, much less any details in this shallow, muddy, underwater passage, but it’ typical sump diving so no surprise there. According to the original exploration data gathered in the late 1980’s, it’s anywhere from 200 to 600 ft long and 5 to 10 ft deep depending on water levels.

Ron Simmons prepares to dive sump one, circa 1985. Note spool and line. Photo: Wes Skiles

Struggling with a 30 lb bag of gear, alternately scraping along the ceiling and plowing into the viscous mud of the bottom, I push on through the brown soup. Occasionally, I bump into rock and back up when the line curves around the wall and slips under a ledge. I hear the familiar sound of exhaust bubbles no longer hitting a ceiling and I surface to find 12 inches of air space and darkness ahead. I spit out my regulator. It’s a surface swim now for another 500 ft as the ceiling rises and the passage widens. It’s quiet over here. Matt and Mark have already doffed their gear and continued upstream to recon sump two. I am alone and begin to reflect on the historical significance of this cave. The route through sump one is the only way to reach Swicegood Avenue and the unexplored leads that may be the key to South Toohey Ridge. Downstream via Logsdon River is the only known connection to Mammoth Cave. Now it’s our turn to push new leads and hopefully add to the survey of the world’s longest cave.

Exploration beyond any sump requires intense planning and commitment. Despite sometimes daunting challenges, the 2007 exploration trips in Roppel cave were successful due to the combined efforts of many dedicated cavers. These trips were the culmination of 4 months advance logistics planning and preparation. Exciting new discoveries were made and new survey data were added. But none of this could have been possible without the incredible amount of support we received from the CRF and CKKC, with over 25 cavers supporting many gear hauls through the often technical and challenging passages of Roppel.

I was first contacted by Doug Hynes in late March of 2007 regarding a possible sump dive in a “world famous” Kentucky cave. He needed to put together a team of sump divers that could make the dive, explore difficult leads and survey new discoveries. I gladly accepted the offer to explore in a cave I had read so much about over the years. For those interested in learning more about the historic caving in this region, I highly recommended two excellent books: “The Longest Cave” by Roger Brucker and Richard Watson and “Beyond Mammoth Cave” by Jim Borden and Roger Brucker. At 360 miles, Mammoth is by far the longest cave in the world and our exploration would take place in the 80 miles of passage known as Roppel Cave located in Hart and Barren County, Kentucky and connected to Mammoth via the Logsdon River passage.

See the Article

See the full article by Brian Williams in The Carbide Dump September 2007 V42, #8.