By Lambe Lamis 
Of all the caves that I have explored, Tumbling Rock Cave in Alabama ranks quantity 3 on my listing of preferred caves. I have built a lot of visits to this well known and Alabama’s most visited cave. Tumbling Rock Cave is more than 6 miles extensive and is primarily strolling passage. At a person time it was referred to as Blowing Cave. There is a stream that flows practically the entire size of the cave and kinds a spring just below the entrance. This is the only cave that I know of that is made up of oil, the Asphalt Ooze happens in Allens Alley in the vicinity of the again of the cave and handles the flooring with a layer of dust hiding it. It drips from the ceiling and flows down a prolonged slope to the floor of the cave. I hold a sample of it in a bottle labeled Alabama Crude!
Following a check out with the proprietors and shelling out our parking rate, we climb a quick length up the side of the mountain, open up the gate and crawl through the 3-foot higher entrance. The very first room, Ante Area, is big walking passage that crosses around the stream. Treatment will have to be taken from the start out, if you eyes have not modified to the darkish, you might stage into the crevasse that crosses the route. This is a a few foot wide drop that you phase over. You then stick to the stream to the Saltpeter Performs. These are huge Civil War vats which have lengthy rotted absent leaving the sq. mounds of grime remaining.
My initially stop by was in July of 1971 with the Dogwood City Grotto and it was on this excursion that I satisfy John Wallace, a long time mate and caving spouse. John shared that when he was relationship his spouse, Youlanda, he spread out a desk cloth in the vicinity of the Saltpeter Is effective, and set up a candle mild supper that he experienced carried into the cave.
A small length from the Saltpeter Works we climb up out of the stream passage and into a substantial space with two large formations termed the Elephants Feet. If you climb up to the prime of 1 of the ft, in the vicinity of the ceiling just one can enter a tiny crawl that goes up over the ceiling and about the stream passage into what is now termed Vujade’ Extension.
Continuing up stream we climb around the Wildcat Rockpile and go the Very little Corridor of Mysteries. There is Formation Grotto off to the remaining and we have explored The Sewers to a 15-foot drop. We then returned to the stream and went as a result of the Wind Tunnel to the Totem Grotto, Craters of the Moon. Chucks New music Box is in a side passage to the still left and very well worthy of the go to to check out the tall then columns. At this issue you need to have to be with anyone who is familiar with the cave in purchase to identify the Hidden Doorway, if you miss the Hidden Doorway on the way again out of the cave one particular finishes up in a lifeless end stream passage.
Just past the Concealed Doorway and just in advance of getting into the Good Corridor of Mysteries, is the Kings Shower. When the upper passage to the Topless Dome and the decrease passages were being mapped it was found that there ended up only inches concerning the two. So a sledge hammer was used to make a limited minimize up to the Topless Dome. The stream from the Dome now runs down and drops by way of the gap generating the Kings Shower. Pulling up by means of this gap and going a small length to the right delivers you to the base of the Topless Dome.
The Dome is 396 feet superior and was climbed by Don Davison and Cheryl Jones around 1979 about a two-12 months interval. The climb is 555 ft lengthy, which helps make it the longest underground complex route in the United States. Go through about Topless Dome Revisited in the October 1982 NSS Information.
For a very long time the Fantastic Corridor of Mysteries was the end of the cave. Now there are two passages to keep on to the back of the cave. Both equally are hard, I will explain the Blue Crawl very first as it was the initially to be uncovered. Straight across the place, to the left of the Christmas Tree formation and up the mud slope, is Johnstons Junction, a quick squeeze into the Emperors Room. Cross the Emperors Space and climb up in a crevice and into a 75-foot lengthy round crawl that one particular will have to make a decision which arm goes initially at the start. Due to the fact you are not able to improve positions once more right up until you arise out the considerably side of the Blue Crawl. When exiting the Blue Crawl it is a slender ledge and in get to get your entire body out of the hole a single has to extend out over the ledge. I have created the crawl just one time, but under no circumstances yet again. Nevertheless I assume that absolutely everyone need to check out it as soon as.
Exiting the Blue Crawl and into the Inter Sanctum breakdown area and on the considerably aspect climb down and below the Surprise Waterfall into Allens Alley.
The 2nd route that was discovered or I really should say was dug open is the Suicide Passage. Again in the Emperors Area climb down and along the proper aspect of the Xmas Tree formation to the stream amount. Abide by the sandy crawl alongside the still left facet of the stream until you can climb up into the rock pile. Immediately after numerous tight bends and climbs just one enters Allens Alley. This is a shorter route and is normally favored to the Blue Crawl.
Allens Alley is a nice extensive canyon passage with the stream flowing down below. About half way as a result of 1 has to climb up in the vicinity of the ceiling and crawl via a two-foot restriction. It then opens again up once more into a large extended space. Observe out for the Asphalt Ooze along the ideal side, which crosses the route.
The reward at the close is the Pillar of Hearth, and it is effectively worth the climb up Mt. Olympus. This big dazzling red formation sets at the top of a mud mountain named Mt. Olympus. This is ended up most cavers cease right after a 4-hour vacation in and a further four several hours to get out. If just one needs to see the bitter conclusion, Terry’s Tiger Teeth, then just ahead of climbing Mt. Olympus, go about to the suitable side of Allens Alley and seem for the D-T passage. This is a restricted crack down crawl for about 300 ft. Immediately after emerging back again into walking passage all over again in Grants Tomb, the stream is down and to the suitable, named Grants Pool. Terry’s Tiger Teeth is on in advance to the remaining.
The cave continues, however the passage may perhaps not be discovered, much more than the size of the known cave to a tiny cave termed Timber Cave on the considerably facet of the mountain. Dye tracing of the drinking water getting into Timber Cave was traced to Tumbling Rock Cave. If you are searching for a superior 8 hour wild cave trip, then I would recommend Tumbling Rock Cave.