I wasn’t surprised to see the creek in front of Hancock Cave flowing fast Saturday morning. Snow melt from the north side of the mountain takes days to run off, and it was raining as we left the restaurant—and pouring while we walked from the cars to the cave entrance. I carefully rigged the entrance while Jacob, Jillian, and Jim adjusted gear for the newest caver (Jim, son of the cave’s neighboring landowner).

The shower nozzle in the Entrance Room was set to high with streams of water pouring from the formations. Many more formations dripped in the Grantham Room, along with a cave salamander. We didn’t spot bats there, but the idea was more about getting my team moving and warming up. 

A loud rumble greeted us in the Octopus Room, but we progressed up to the Flying Zamboni and down the Corn Cob Crawl to get everyone warmed up. After a resounding trip to Hickory Dickory Pit, we traveled to TJ’s Trap. The soaked stalactites supplied a seasonal stream right through the clay in the middle of the room. That stream fed another loud rumble further down into the trap.

Jacob, Jillian, and Jim enjoyed a snack before I introduced them to a descent using the Breakdown Staircase. Heavy currents a few feet deep ran through the parallel passage at the base of the Staircase and at the base of Harrington Hall. 

While driving out the night before, I had mentioned to Jacob that one walking spot in the cave is unusually slippery beneath Rapunzel’s Tower. I looked at the tower and saw that the water level was likely chest deep. No Under or Over that day at the Over & Under. After I slid into a pool in In-The-Pendants Hall, my group couldn’t find the webbing in my pack but were able to pass me a sharp rock to carve out some footholds. Jacob also got to know how much heavier I am than he.

The water in the first Toilet Bowl was likely about 14 feet deep, so we didn’t travel to the Funnel Tunnel. Hancock Cave is significantly shorter when in flood stage, so we beat a hasty retreat to ensure that no one would get too cold in the cave. The bat count would be incomplete this year.

Outside the rain continued to pour, and the creek outside the cave entrance was noticeably higher and fast running. A walking stick was useful for three of us to cross the creek but broke when Jacob tossed it back for Jillian. Her balance was better than ours anyway. We noticed that a creek overflowed the road in front of neighbors’ houses, and that was only the beginning of the drive back to Marion.

Water flowed across the road over the mountain in many spots all the way to the top. When we reached the southern base of Walker Mountain, we noticed water levels rising to the foundations of the local houses. The river crossed the road once, but we were stopped when the water got much too deep for Jacob’s coupe. Fortunately a local gentleman directed us on a detour back to Marion. Tanya shared hot cider and tea with us to warm our cores before dinner and the drive home.