Exploring Virgin Cave in Ricks Springs Utah

[IowaCaveDiver]

our max depth is about 75 fsw.

salt water?

[CCR Josh]

salt water?

No it is fresh water. Sorry, my computer just measures in feet salt water.

[IowaCaveDiver]

fwheeew! I thought you were really onto something even bigger... a salt water mountain cave!

[Rustykfd]

To the Utah Cave Divers,(Wendell for getting the ball rolling, Richard, Thomas, Matt for diving with me) I would like to extend my thanks for allowing me to join you in your system.

It was great to get in the water and what a place to do it!!!!

Rusty

[Randy Thornton]

Hi Rusty,

Glad you were able to get some dives in with Richard, Matt and Tom. Sorry we were out of town!

Hope you enjoyed the cold water!

Regards,
Randy

[Cold Water Richard]

What Rusty failed to mention was that he only got to do one dive in the cave before he was roped into help surveying the cave. Also Rusty has firmly established himself in the history of this cave by becoming the first diver to rack up a deco obligation in this cave, not an easy task considering that the average depth is 26 ft and the water temp is 42 degrees. When we were surveying we spent a lot of time between 50 and 60 ft and the cave elevation is right at 6000 ft, our run time was 78 minutes... If that wasn't enough he'll also go down in history as the first and probably the only diver to dive trimix in Ricks Spring... the deepest point we've found so far is 70 ft...

Rusty, thanks again for your help with our survey, it was a pleasure to get to do a couple of dives together.

Richard

[YBWET]

Awesome job guys, loved the report, stay safe and lots of continuing success !!

[CCR Josh]

I know this might sound weird to some, but I am sorry I am in Cave Country and had to miss diving with you Rusty! It has been too long since I have been in Ricks.....

That being said, I am having a blast here teaching Doug Dobransky's HH CCR course.

[Rustykfd]

Here is the video I got. This is not much editing, just chopped out the really ugly stuff, no music........I was having some problems with the housing, opened it up while I was wet, ended up with some moisture inside/condensation on the port..........not the best, but it is the best video of this part of the cave that exists.



Rusty

[Cold Water Richard]

Thomas & I were back up diving the spring this Saturday. The snow and slick roads up the canyon made the trip to the dive site almost as exciting as the dive itself. Also this was one of the few times that we put our tanks in the 42 degree water and actually watched our tank pressures go up, they had registered 3300 psi at the truck and once warmed up in the water were back up to almost 3600 psi. We were amazed by how much the flow from the spring had dropped just since last week making us think that it won't be long and it will stop all together. We were able to survey another 200 ft of passageway before one of my hoses developed a leak and we had to turn the dive. The last time up my neck seal had leaked quite a bit, enough to make me wonder if I had leaks elsewhere in my suit, however, on this dive we took a little extra time to adjust the seal and that stopped the leak, however we were about 80 minutes in 40 degree water so even with drysuits working correctly we were still quite cold when we got out. This cave gets more fascinating as we go. Up to this dive the passages have been running on a very much northerly course, however the last 130 ft the passages are quite shallow and running just a little west of south making us think both passages are associated with the same N - S fault line with the deeper passages running north and the shallower running south. At Jim Wyatt's elbow the passage takes almost a 90 degree turn and is heading almost due west and there enters the Florida passage, that's as far as we made it before the hose started leaking. We now have enough information to start a good map of the system.

We exited the cave to find it snowing, big wet flakes about the size of quarters, that made breaking down and stowing our gear and getting out of our drysuits and into warm, dry clothes a whole new challenge.

We are hoping to be back up next weekend and place some line protectors in the high friction areas before the flow completely stops making it almost impossible to get back past Tibby's Table; hopefully the line will survive the high flow season next spring.