Caving For Dummies by Tom Gibson

Ever hear of spelunking? Well for those of you who haven't, spelunking is referred to as "cave hunting."

A few weeks ago, our science teacher (Bob) asked if anyone had an interest in going to Pennsylvania's largest cave to go spelunking. My hand shot up to volunteer. A few weeks later we crammed 6 of us into Bob's van and took an easy ride east of Uniontown to Laurel Caverns. When we got there we met Bernie, our tour guide. Bernie was the coolest guy ever. If you go to Laurel Caverns, ask for Bernie; you'll love him.

Bernie asked if we wanted to take the hard way or the easy way. We chose the hard route. Calling it the hard route scared me a little bit, but once we got down with our helmets on and flashlights in hand, it was really great. There's something about being 40 stories underground and covered in sand. For those of you who are badly claustrophobic, I caution you not to go, for there are a couple of tight squeezes (fun as they were) that would scare anyone.

The best parts of it all were what Bernie called the challenges. Maybe a tight shimmy through two rocks, or a slide down 10 stories in 3 steps on your back, or even crawling through a small tunnel with a cute little river in it.

All in all, the whole experience was unforgettable and I'm sure it will be talked about in my life, and others', for some time.

Have fun out there. Remember: 3 points of contact, 2 flashlights, and 1 Bernie!

Go Here for some photos!

Laurel Caverns is a 435 acre geological park located on Rte. 40, east of Uniontown, Pa.in Fayette County. The park offers a variety of tours and programs. The park is closed December, January, February, and most of March.

Learn more at www.laurelcaverns.com

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