Over two months later and the Mistress dig is stabilized. In fact, it never showed any signs of being unstable as the wall was being built down to dig level, but then the main plug boulder had always been securely cross-braced. As it turned out, the large boulder was sitting on another immoveable. This was apparent once it was possible to dig all loose dirt from around the boulders so I could cement them all together. It also turned out as I built the East wall down that there were three other half ton boulders buried beneath the talc from the north and wedged under the intrusive hanging wall on the south, making a total of six major boulders. These are all now concreted together with steel around them. When the wall-and-steps complex reached the dig level there were twelve steps descending a distance of 17 feet.
What do I remember about those weeks of digging? Every day after work, any day of the week. Working 'til dark, sitting around a little campfire to dry gloves and warm hands before driving down the mountain for a late dinner. Remove the collapsed clays back to rocks and boulders, often with airspace underneath where the collapsed material didn't make it. Wash rocks, many coming back down from the surface. Measure for stee and wire it together. Lower buckets of mixed concrete and build wall and steps. Lower the scaffolding platform and begin again. As I lowered the scaffolding I washed the walls, exposing all the intricacies of the marble's crystal structure and boxworks of chert and micro-intrusives (I believe).
I remember one night when Charlie and I were walking down our forest path on our way back to the truck, when we passed two giant Pacific Salamanders going the opposite direction! I almost stepped on one, then a few feet farther on the other one, not seeing them with my weak LEDs, but Charlie's light showed them well, walking up the trail through the night, keeping a promise.
Day by day, the sun slowly moved behind the south ridge for the winter; the first snows came, probably to stay 'til spring. We kept concreting down until all exposed boulderage was cemented together down to the dig level. Interesting notes here: I mentioned above the air spaces under the rock piles. When the mud and clays from the collapsed sink are removed from the boulder pile there was always airspace, no airflow, underneath. This is due of course to the fact that the sinkhole formed from the inside out and the boulders were lying there in the void when the talc above them collapsed, covering but not totally penetrating the rock pile.
When I prepped for the last and lowest step, there was at least three feet of air space down between the boulders it was built on. Mud still filled the area to the south that led down. Along the South ceiling-wall a foot of airspace (slight airflow) led on down where the dig will eventually go. Very promising. I have started laying the stone floor around the top of the shaft, but it will take more dirt from the dig to finish it and my rock pile is now covered with snow. We keep the gate locked at the 30-foot level.
I have decided that from now on I will try to build the wall down before I dig. Darve out a channel in the mud, fill it with concrete, then dig down. I don't know how this will wor with the dig wet. All my concrete work has been in a dry hole, whereas most of the actual digging was with the hole wet and the shoring was cedar beams. At this point I am very comfortable with the dig remaining stable throughout the wet season, although there is still concrete work that could be done even before more digging occurs, and I am anxious to finish up with the materials that have already been packed in.
Another item of note: At last my own and Steve Knutsen's persistence with the NPS and the Forest Service has resulted in these wonderful, helpful giants taking notice of the project (my "passion", to quote another individual familar with the dig), and I am earnestly and anxiously hoping that they are taking us seriously and even will help us and work with us in any capacity they can. Some kind of memorandum of understanding with our administrative friends might go far in helping us achieve our goal of discovering this cave in real time with an internet connection. I will soon have the opportunity to meet with Roy Bergstrom of the Wild Rivers Ranger District and find out after over 10 years of talking with them where I and the Cave Next Door dig stand.
