Bats turn left when exiting a cave. ~ Anonymous
Jug Hole, also known as Blue Hole, is a first magnitude spring located in Ichetucknee Springs State park. It is reached via a boardwalk and nature trail approximately a third of a mile long. That is the hype…. Truth is….its ten miles long and uphill….both ways……
I have never had the pleasure of diving this site and Forrest generously agreed to accompany me on this trip.
In memory of Tim Owens, a cart has been donated to help move gear from the parking lot to the spring. This is a wonderful and much appreciated gesture. Unfortunately, through wear, or more likely, overloading, the cart was in need of repair and we set about replacing the broken wheel. Let us just say this is a well built cart and not easily unassembled…. but once repaired we loaded up and were on our way.
The trail begins with an inviting boardwalk heading in a slightly downhill direction into the cool wooded canopy of trees. Don’t be fooled by this leisurely jaunt. The boardwalk soon ends and a packed dirt path studded with roots and an uphill climb appears all too soon as you make your way to the spring run. Winding along you can catch glimpses of the north spring run which joins in forming the beginning of the Ichetucknee River.
My thanks to Forrest who took charge of the cart handle while I “pushed” and took in the sights along the way. I never really sat on the cart and rode while doing so…. not long at least…. honest.
At the end of the path is large wooden deck with benches overlooking the spring run and steps leading into the water. The boil from Jug Hole is visible from the deck and just a short swim through shallow waters thick with river grass and the occasional small fish.
Dumping all the air from my wing I hung in the crystal clear water as if in flight, enjoying the ride and taking a moment to realize that the flow is stronger than previously described and a little more effort was required if I was to see what secrets the cave held below. I made my way down and we began our way through the small opening next to the Reaper sign to a low bedding plane doted with rock and sand that lead to the first room.
The black of the walls eats your light while alternately reflecting where patches of limestone show through and the floor changes from sand to clay and back. Each restriction leads to a large room and the walls can be thick with silt or layers of clay can draw your attention.
The Diamond Restriction is named for the way the sand reflects your light, but is also shaped much like a diamond and as I turned to slide through the force of the water caught the regulator at my neck and started it to flow. Not an easy task to grab and adjust it while still making my way through, but as I emerged I was entranced with glimmer of the sand before me. Once again moving through the cave, Forrest pointed out a jump on the right side of the passage and upon entering I soon encountered a tight silty restriction where the flow of the spring streamed through. The source of the caves flow, this was not a place to continue on and I turned to make my way back to the line.
The line and the cave soon ended with a view of a small room and the end of the caves passage and we turned to make our way out. While a beautiful cave to see, it is a short dive, just 41 minutes, with a maximum depth of 90 feet although most of the cave is much shallower. Water temps were 71F and visibilty outstanding....in front of me....behind me wasnt bad either.
Emerging from the cave entrance into the cavern you are greeted with a large circle of light beaming through the entrance above onto the white sand floor like a spotlight on a stage, the black tree branches littering the cavern floor the center of attention. Exiting the cavern I once again floated above the entrance, and while bats may fly from a cave exiting left, I took flight to the right and the stairs of the deck and the long uphill trek back to the parking lot.
