Tuesday, June 18, 2013
I awoke before the sun came up on Tuesday, got in my car and headed north. I needed to be at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia to meet up with a group of campers from Camp Scene Environmental Adventures to tag along with them as they explored Sitton’s Cave inside the park. Camp Scene Environmental Adventures offers caving expeditions as well as zipline and ropes courses, hiking, kayaking and climbing for campers to experience. Sitton’s is a wild cave with a river running most of the way through it and with that being said the proper respect must be given to the danger involved. Because of this we were guided through the underground maze of pathways by the Georgia Girl Guides. The all female guide group leads caving, hiking and camping trips throughout the park as well as Pigeon Mountain. We entered the cave through a fairly expansive hole in the side of a cliff. As we scooted down the rocky path and made it to the bottom our group got our bearings ad pressed into the cave. We followed the underground river as it wound through the different sections passing by calcium formations. For three hours we explored the different sections of the first third of the cave through the mud, water and rocks. As we reached the end of our time underground we had to pass through a fairly tight section of about 50 cm that lasted for what seems the length of a football field. As we reached the exit and returned to the humidity of the above ground world I felt accomplished and will definitely be going back a second time.
Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Cole Baker gives a high five to Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ director Scott Seitz before hiking to Sitton’s Cave at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Georgia Girl Guides Christine Rose (center) and Amy Ward give instructions to a group of campers from Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures before heading into Sitton’s Cave at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Tucker Bush listens to instructions from the Georgia Girl Guides leading their expedition inside Sitton’s Cave at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Amy Ward (right), Christine Rose, John Caudill and Tucker Bush climb a trail leading to the main entrance to Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
The main entrance to Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
The main entrance to Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
William Dusenbury (bottom), Matt Schmitz and Christine Rose make their way down the entrance of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Gibson Cook (left), Cole Baker and Jenna Gosa slide down a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Grace Bryant (left) looks over towards Matt Schmitz as he crawls through an opening in the rocks as they explore Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Gibson Cook (left) and Cole Baker (bottom) slide down a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Georgia Girl Guides Amy Ward (left) and Christine Rose (right) lead a group of campers through an underground river as they explore a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Grace Bryant (right) and Autumn Smith explore a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Georgia Girl Guides Amy Ward (left) and Christine Rose (right) lead a group of campers through an underground river as they explore a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
William Dusenbury (center) crawls over rock formations as he explores a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-nased Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Calcium deposits drip water into the underground river of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Campers from Camp Scene Environmental Adventures explore Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Thursday, June 18, 2013.
Georgia Girl Guide Christine Rose (right) explains different formations to campers as they explore a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
George Dusenbury (left) sits a short distance away from other members of his group as they rest while exploring a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Calcium deposits drip water into the underground river of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Georgia Girl Guide Amy Ward (center) waits for campers to catch up as they explore a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Jenna Gosa (left) and Gibson Cook explore a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Calcium deposits drip water into the underground river of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
George Dusenbury (left) and Tucker Bush (center) explore a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Autumn Smith (bottom) is followed by Grace Bryant as they slide down a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Devyn Pangyanszki (bottom) slides down a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Cole Baker (bottom) slides down a section of Sitton’s Cave in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia as part of Decatur-based Camp Scene Environmental Adventures’ summer camp on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.