Pine Hill Waterfalls

Friday evening after I got off work, Daniel, Jacob M, Jeremiah, Joe, Esther and I met to go caving.  It was going to be a bigger trip but a lot of people couldn't make it.  But we were going, nonetheless!  We were going to Pine Hill Cave; and it would be a simple trip up through the waterfalls, and a small stop next to the big waterfall.

                                                  (Joe and Daniel)
We made really good time following the stream, and soon we began climbing up through the smaller waterfalls.  Spring time is definitely the best time to be in Pine Hill Cave.  It is wetter and everything looks so much better.  When we arrived at the intersection to continue on to the last two big waterfalls, we climbed out of the stream passage and walked a couple minutes to where the cave system ends.  It butts up against a valley.  In this area is a lot of flowstone and formations...

It was here that we all stopped and Jacob read a Psalms.  Then he and Jeremiah talked for a while.  They made a lot of spiritual applications out of the physical attributes of caves.  When we were done there Daniel found 4 or 5 tiny, baby salamanders on a formation.

                                           (Esther looking at the salamanders)
Then it was time to move on!  We climbed back down into the stream passage and proceeded to the big falls!  It's always fun swinging on the foot and handholds to climb up through it.

                                            (Joe, not wanting to fall in more than he already is)
When all of us got up we then climbed up the last easy waterfall and went to the rain dome momentarily.

We stopped at the Rain Dome for a minute, and then we went back to the big waterfall.  I was going to jump off it, and do a cannonball into the pool.  So I took off my shirt so I wouldn't have to be cold wearing a wet shirt, threw my waterproof pack over, and then I jumped!

                                          (Me as I make a big splash and am about to go under)
Daniel, Jacob, Jeremiah, and Joe followed.  Esther just climbed down, using the hand and footholds. 

                                     (Daniel, playing below the waterfall)
We made pretty good time exiting the cave.  We changed, and then hiked back to the car.  When we were there we found a couple frogs in a puddle next to the cars.  One of them was singing, and we didn't scare them off.  I was able to pick one of them up.  The frog wouldn't let go of my fingers when I finally went to put it down!  I certainly thought of how much my sister would love it!  Then we admired the stars, and watched as the sky lit up from lightening.  There was a storm in the distance, past a ridge.  But overall it was a great caving trip and it was fun to get wet and have an easy, exciting trip!