Sure, we crawled out from under a rock. We are cavers! 100% darkness, 100% humidity, 55 degree air temperature, and 45 degree water temperature. These are the conditions within the Clarksville Cave Preserve. Clarksville is a popular, non-commercial, wild cave system in Albany County, New York, with approximately 4,800 feet of passage and three entrances.
The girls of Troop 262 gather in the Cave Pool Room for a portrait.
Ten Scouts from Troop 262 and eighteen Scouts from Troop 260 explored these caves in September. Armed with helmets, knee pads, and three sources of light, two separate groups of scouts dropped into the cave through an unassuming hole in the woods. Sliding down into the Big Room, the scouts then broke out into skill levels and explored the cave system accordingly. Some scouts remained on Perry Avenue, a more straightforward path leading to the Pool Room and back via the high or low roads along the avenue. Some scouts even went for a swim in the Pool Room, whether intentional or not remains up for debate! Other scouts explored more technical sections, like the Thook Section, navigating one-foot corridors with names like The Snake, and Chest Compressor.
September’s caving trip is popular with Troop 260, and this year it was a pleasure to have Troop 262 partake in the adventure as well. The girls all acted like skilled spelunkers, and it was truly a pleasure to see. Exploring the north sections of the cave takes about two hours to complete, which left no time to slip down the Ward-Gregory Link to explore the southern caverns. Next year we will start where we left off.