A couple of questions about Ellisons cave

[Elliott-Hellmann]

I saw that there are some anceint threads asking a few of the questions I'm going to ask but I didn't know if they would stay in the front page long enough. So I apologise to the mods if this is a redundant thread.


Fist question, could someone please PM me the directions to get to the incredible pit entrance. I went hiking on top of Pigeon mtn Saturday looking for it and after covering 8 miles with no sign of the "I", I gave up. For anyone questioning my abilites with rope work, I am a novice but successfully made it down and up fantastic last Sunday. In other words, not planning to die in a cave and am not going to attempt this without people who know what they're doing or surveying and planning it first.


That's from "T.A.G. Hall" last sunday. The waterfall was really gushing and had to hide behind that rock to use the camera.

Another question, when you drop into warmup pit and walk up the little ridge in the middle of the room there is a rope hanging to the right side of the room. Does anyone know where this leads and if it is safe to ascend? I was tempted by it last time but didn't want to test a rope untill seeing how it's rigged.

Other questions, please PM me if nessessary
-How do I get to mystery falls?
-Where is Smokey I and Smokey II?
- Once inside the incredible entrance, how do i get to "incredible pit"?

[Amazingracer]

Incredible: Are you coming in from the top or bottom? The "I" tree is on the top route. The I is not very big, probably smaller than a dollar bill. I have a picture somewhere but cant find it at the moment.

The rope hanging in the Warm-Up room. If you can reach it I would be thoroughly surprised, as its probably 30' from the floor. Thats an old relic from an incident where a rope broke. Dont remember the exact details, but it just hangs there for us to stare at. If you can reach the rope ground (not the cut rope mentioned above), it most likely the way to the Attic (unsure of how you dropped Fantastic).

Mystery Falls. Contact Buddy Lane (he's in the NSS Member Manual). He is the gate keeper there. The cave is located in Chattanooga near Ruby Falls if that was the answer you were looking for.

Smokey 1/2. Attic level of Fantastic, go past the rig spot and down the tunnel. From there directions are kinda hazy, been several years since I was there. But the two pits are literally right next to each other. There is a 100' drop to get to the pits though, I do remember that. Smokey 1 provides a dry drop into TAG Hall all year.

Incredible Directions. Foggy there too. There is at least 1 90' in-cave drop involved, and maybe one other drop (I might be confusing the entrance drop too). Route is straight forward, but again hazy on the specifics. Some one else might be able to better assist. Word of advice, everything is in high water right now, the waterfall in Incredible flows right down the rope course, it will be wet and raging all 440 feet. Might go elsewhere till water levels go down.

I can see where this is headed and figure the next question might be, How do i get from Incredible to Fantastic? That route cant really be explained in text. The best way is to bumble through it or have some one physically take you. You could spend two hours in the bottom of Incredible and never make it out thanks to the Devils Trapdoor. You can also come the 1.5-2 hrs (depending on group size and speed) from Fantastic and make it to the Incredible window (about 40' off the floor) and never make it to the bottom, again thanks to the Devils Trapdoor.

Sorry I dont have more specifics that I could PM you, but Im sure some one else can assist.

[rebelfirefighter]

Visit Pigeon Mountain Grotto. 7pm first friday of the month at the bank of Lafayette in Rock Springs on Hwy 27.

[Elliott-Hellmann]

Vistited the Chattanooga grotto meeting last night and am signing up. It'll be nice to get networked with people who know what they are doing. Thanks for the invitation, I'll check out the meeting for the Pigeon Mtn. grotto if I can make it.

[Cody JW]

I second Amazingracer on waiting until a dry time like late summer /early fall. Incredible is wet pretty much all year around where Fantastic is seasonal. If it were me I would pick the driest time possible. There are two drops of approx 80 feet or so that leads to the Incredible.Some refer to it as the stairstep entrance. I have not been since the major flood event a couple years ago but I am told the flood made it easier to find from the top. It also changed the appearance of the entrance. If you can get your hands on some old Sera or TAG guidebooks , you may find some detailed directions there.

[Amazingracer]

I have not been since the major flood event a couple years ago but I am told the flood made it easier to find from the top. It also changed the appearance of the entrance.

That is correct. The wet weather creekbed that used to flow near the entrance, but was blocked from entering the sinkhole by a large berm, now redirects directly into the cave since the berm was destroyed in the floods. So instead of the raging creekbed continuing down the mountain it now redirects directly into the entrance. I could only imagine the insanity that could be found by entering or exiting when that thing is flowing.

[Chads93GT]

we exited the incredible side (only time ive been there) and it was a big gaping hole in the ground where bill putnam said it used to be tiny. I wondered what was up when we crawled out form under a ledge and there were big ass logs everwhere.........remnants of the entrance collapsing into the huge chasm it is today I guess.

[Elliott-Hellmann]

Thanks for all the info. Definaltly going to wait untill after a drought in the summer before checking out incredible.

[Elliott-Hellmann]

After going down the first drop on the incredible side and walking down to where the three ropes are hainging, does anyone know how high the one in the middle is? I'm very curous because by just eyballing it, it looks to be close to if not over 200 ft.

[Chads93GT]

After going down the first drop on the incredible side and walking down to where the three ropes are hainging, does anyone know how high the one in the middle is? I'm very curous because by just eyballing it, it looks to be close to if not over 200 ft.

no idea, but they were there 1.5 years ago when I was there. i sure as hell wouldnt trust them.

[Elliott-Hellmann]

I dropped into incredible last week and we used a tarp to redirect the waterfall and it worked well. Because it was rather difficult and dangerous getting it set up, we left the tarp in the cave and repositioned so that it's not causing any kind of obstruction to the normal flow of water. It ' can be easily set up to do the same for anyone else who wants to make an almost dry drop into incredible in high water seasons. I was wondering if this was unethical and bad caving etiquette to leave the tarp in the cave. If so I'm planning to do some bouldering at Rock Town in a couple weeks and can go back and remove it.

[Scott McCrea]

In my opinion, it should be removed. Several reasons come to mind. First and probably foremost, it's Ellison's. Very bad things can and have happened in there. If there is any chance that something that I left in there contributed to a problem, I would get rid of it. If it was another cave, I might consider leaving it. Two, chances are probably 50/50 that the water will rise and tear the tarp to shreds. Then, it will be a PITA to gather all the pieces from the pit.

I don't think you did a terrible thing. In the heat of the moment, we all do things that we might not normally do. It is admirable that you asked for input. If it were me, I would sleep better knowing it wasn't there.