Silvey’s Cave, Montgomery County, Tennessee
(Click to enlarge pictures)
Every so often we get an opportunity to
visit a cave we’ve never seen before. This was just such a trip back in 2003,
to a cave called Silvey’s, not far out of
That’s
where we go, Peej seems to be saying, right
there…and he’s clean, for the moment! That never lasts long underground.
Meanwhile, Wanda Warren straps on her kneepads. We’ll all need them.
The passage below the entrance is nicely
decorated in spots, and you must walk carefully to avoid breaking any of the
delicate formations. Some of them are quite nice!
Some of the pretties are dripping wet and growing
like the soda straws at left, while some are dry like the flowstone at right…
…some are
nasty, like the popcorn at left, and some are neat like the attractive mass on
the right which has been broken at one time but is now staging something of a
comeback.
My son the climber at left, while another
caver at right follows a lead downward.
Ever hear of “orbs”? Those supposedly
mysterious balls of light that appear in “ghost” photographs? Well, it appears
this cave is lousy with them…of course, it’s just condensation, folks. I get
pictures like this all the time, underground and elsewhere. Nothing
ghostly here.
Three good friends: Uncle Ron Johnston,
owner of
Ron admires some formations. His cave is
more spectacularly decorated, but not so easy to traverse.
Yes, I do still get out and cave every so
often. Not nearly as much as I used to, nor as intensely, but I do still enjoy
it. I especially like sharing it with my son…
…who worms his way out of a crawlway here
as Wanda looks on. I have had this picture on the wall in my office for years.
Afterward, Peej enjoys his post-trip
chocolate with Uncle Ron and Nancy while another caver already has a smoke lit.
It is an enjoyable cave, not terribly long but quite nice and certainly worth a
return trip.
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