Arizona Underground Rivers

[Squirrel Girl]

Hi Forrest!

I'm TRYING to be a nobody here. Keep my head low. Avoid pot shots and all! Not doing a very good job am I?????

Anyway, thanks for the welcome.

And, though I know it's an effort in endless frustration. It's not "Barb." If anyone is gonna pick a few letters out of Barbara, it's me, and I pick the last 3!

Happy diving,
Ara

[jason]

sorry for intiating confusion ara

sincerely,
son

[Squirrel Girl]

You crack me up, son!

Though, I suppose I don't really think of you as "son." I'm old, but I don't think I'm quite old enough to be yo mama!

[jason]

you know... i do this great impersonation of a cave diver getting run over by a scooter....

[Squirrel Girl]

you know... i do this great impersonation of a cave diver getting run over by a scooter....

You do a LOT of great impressions. I don't think anything can beat the jogger in the rain!

I apologize for derailing this AZ thread. I'm sorry! :sheepish:

[lonestarfl]

Hello every one, im a new member of this forum and this is my first post. Pretty nice site you guys have here.

Anyway, im looking for information on the Arizona Underground Rivers. Ive heard of them several times before, and about a week ago a friend of mine asked me if I knew anything about them. It reminded me of them, and that i didnt know anything about them, or if they are even real! Im not looking for directions, Yes i did read the rules . Any info on these would be great, thanks a bunch.

I always loved this part of the country when I would vacation out West. So, when the caves of Florida were flooded and all I had was cyberdiving, I would search for potential dives in the SW. I can't say I hit gold in Arizona except Montezuma's Well is a warm water spring in a national park. And, there is the well known dive site in New Mexico, Sata Rosa Blue Hole. I have even heard rumor that they were going to excavate the basin to open up the deeper cave system.
Enough of the easy stuff. Now start your internet searching under "hot/warm springs" of the various western states. Look at the nudist/naturist sites where they like to bathe in warm springs. Finally, my favorite jewel would be Meadow Spring outside Meadow, Utah. If you hit pay dirt with any of this or have further questions...send me a PM.
Lee
PS Stay away from most the Death Valley..."shoot on site" pup fish springs unless you have some real connections.
PPS Stay away from springs that exceed 100 F ...just too hot for extended exposure...better below 90F
PPS If West Texas is not too far I have heard that they are pushing Jacob's Well sidemount. And have heard that there are several blue water springs off of Devil's River...with a name like that there has to be something there.

[Squirrel Girl]

I can't say I hit gold in Arizona except Montezuma's Well is a warm water spring in a national park.

I did my Master's in geology at Northern Arizona U. A fellow student did his thesis at Montezuma's Well. One time he returned to his car, white as a sheet. He'd been hiking around and a rattlesnake struck at him. It bit at his leg. He was in midstride, so I think it got him on the inside of one calf. BUT! The snake didn't hit the skin. It just got his pantsleg. Unfortunately, its fangs got caught and so he had to waggle his leg around for quite a long time to get the snake to come loose! Totally freaked HIM out! Not to mention what it did to the snake......

Anyway, the rock that Montezuma's Well is located in is poorly consolidated lacustrine (lake derived) sediment, and isn't really the sort of rock that would be good for hosting caves. Maybe you could find some tiny bit of passage, but I can't imagine there'd be much. And then there's the whole problem with it being a National Monument. The well is dang impressive though. It looks like a giant cenote in the desert.
http://www.nps.gov/moca/well.htm

[lonestarfl]

I can't say I hit gold in Arizona except Montezuma's Well is a warm water spring in a national park.

I did my Master's in geology at Northern Arizona U. A fellow student did his thesis at Montezuma's Well. One time he returned to his car, white as a sheet. He'd been hiking around and a rattlesnake struck at him. It bit at his leg. He was in midstride, so I think it got him on the inside of one calf. BUT! The snake didn't hit the skin. It just got his pantsleg. Unfortunately, its fangs got caught and so he had to waggle his leg around for quite a long time to get the snake to come loose! Totally freaked HIM out! Not to mention what it did to the snake......

Anyway, the rock that Montezuma's Well is located in is poorly consolidated lacustrine (lake derived) sediment, and isn't really the sort of rock that would be good for hosting caves. Maybe you could find some tiny bit of passage, but I can't imagine there'd be much. And then there's the whole problem with it being a National Monument. The well is dang impressive though. It looks like a giant cenote in the desert.
http://www.nps.gov/moca/well.htm

I had also heard tales of leeches in the water and poor visibility when it had been dove according to the rangers.
Could just have been tales to keep the divers away...guess I'll never know in this National Monument...but it saves me one hell of a hike with gear.
Lee

[Webmaster]

I believe there are some high altitude sumps in CA, up in some of the marble caves. Not exactly a drive up and hop into the water kind of trip though.

[Mighty Mighty Recon]

I believe there are some high altitude sumps in CA, up in some of the marble caves. Not exactly a drive up and hop into the water kind of trip though.

There is a cave around the Pickle Meadows California area, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. If I remember correctly, the altitude of the cave entrance was about 7,100 ft. We didnt dive it but the stream that leads into it does have fish in it, so i do beleive it does flow through the cave. We found the cave while chasing a fishing pole down the stream while i was at the USMC Mountain Warfare Training Center in Pickle Meadows, although its usually called Bridgeport because Bridgeport is the closest town with a post office (about 25 miles south of Pickle Meadows).

Anyway, we shined a huge flood lamp down into it and it looked like it got a little bigger as it went on, but visibility wasnt that good because of all the bubbles from the stream splashing into it. It might only be 30 feet deep for all i know, but it might be much longer. Who knows? The cave wasnt even on the map (it is now though), and the entrance is pretty small too. About 3 feet across, in a somewhat oval shape. The stream flows down into the hole and over flows back over it and continues down stream. There were alot of fish down in the cave too.

Its located on the USMC Mountain Warfare Training Center, so you cant just waltz on over to the stream and follow it untill you find the cave. I do have the GPS coord's saved, but i dont think I'll be going back any time soon. Although it would be cool to see how far it really does go... and no we never did get the fishing pole back.

Thanks for all the info on the other caves too.