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Whipple Cave
South Egan Range, Lincoln County, Nevada
Ryan Crockett
and the Micron Crew (again)
Once again
the Micron crew (Ryan, Justin, Leon, and Dano) headed out for a hardcore
day of spelunking. With the help of a GPS, Nevada Gazetteer, and Ryan’s
mental map, we drove directly to Whipple cave in the South Egan Range.
Luckily we didn’t get stuck in Ely the night before when Justin
bent Ryan’s only key trying to unlock the Pathfinder.
Whipple cave requires a 70 foot rappel and ascent, so we came prepared with ropes and gear.
The nice thing about Whipple cave is that the caverns are huge and crawling through tight spaces isn’t required unless your name is Leon (below).
Whipple cave is full of spectacular formations, including a 40 ft column and cascading pools of water at the back.
Getting to the column requires backing through a tight hole and feeling for a boulder with your feet. If you miss the boulder, you’ll fall 8-10 ft into a crack like Dano did. We named this now infamous spot "Dano's Crack".
view of Dano's
crack from above
Dano looking into his crack after being rescued
Leon reenacting Dano’s landing
Luckily this was
the only injury
The Column
More cave formations along the way……
We spent 4 or 5 hours in the cave and explored every passage we could find. The Ascent back up the rope was the most difficult part of the journey……
Whipple Cave is definitely
worth the trip. It has just enough danger, plenty of formations, and it’s
easily accessible. If you venture to Whipple cave, be prepared, and be
respectful.
High Resolution Images:
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