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Nutty
Putty Caves
Utah County, Utah
I was invited to tag along with four graveyard shift co-workers to explore the caves in the middle of the night. Nutty Putty caves are located on the Southwest side of Utah Lake via highway 68 and a few miles of unmarked dirt roads. The entrance to the cave is at the top of a hill with a 15 ft. drop straight down. You are then given the choice of going through "The Maze" to the left or "The Big Slide" to the right.
The maze requires a lot of crawling and tight squeezes. I tried to bring along a backpack which was a big mistake. I ended up pushing the backpack in front of me through all the tight squeezes so I wouldn't get stuck. We made it to the end of the maze and on the way back the fear kicked in because everything looked completely different going the other way. I was worried that we were taking a different route and we'd be lost because it seemed to take a lot longer to get out than it did going in. I would suggest trailing string behind you to follow on the way out to ease your mind.
When we finally made it out, Lance and Jeff decided they'd had enough and waited in the car while Justin, Ed, and I went down the Big Slide. There's a 165 foot drop at the beginning of the Big Slide that requires a rope, luckily there is already a rope in place to help you in your ascent down the slippery slope. When we reached the end Ed was the only one brave enough to squeeze through "The Birth Canal" which requires 100 yd squeeze through a tunnel barely big enough for a small person to squeeze through with their arms out in front of them. At the end there's barely enough room to turn around and come back.
Nutty Putty caves are dusty, hot, and not aesthetically pleasing, but they are definitely an adventure. I wouldn't suggest them for children or for people with any kind of phobias of small spaces, darkness, or heights. There are a lot of dangers involved so don't go alone and tell people where you're going. Bring extra flash lights, batteries, water, and vaseline to help you slide through the birth canal. Don't panic if you get stuck because 3000 people visit these caves every year and you're bound to be found within a few days.
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