March 24.

This is an update of two work days.  Last Sunday Charlie and I hiked in to the Mistress for more safety work.  I found the handles and attached them to the timbered walls below the collar, using longer drywall screws than the short ones provided.  I put them on the walls and bracing wherever I had found myself reaching for a handle that wasn't there.  This is in the 60-70 foot depth.  The ladder is vertical on the wall and there is a near vertical , 10-20 foot plus hole below you and all the teps are narrow ledges.  Handles are nice -- all caves should come with them.

I worked out a way in the digging bottom of the hole to divert the steady stream of water -- the one that can always find your open neck -- even further to the side.  this makes working much more comfortable.  I removed more cobbles from the west side, sorting and stacking the larger ones on ledges and set up 5 buckets of small ones.  We pretty much have the North and East sides of the sinkhole filled in.

This Sunday Charlie and I went in again without Tony.  I fully expected to spend the day lifting buckets anyway, but instead worked at the top of the sink.  Years ago as the top part of the shaft was built, to prevent the original walls of the sinkhole from collapsing, a lot of temporary backfill was used.  This was mainly cobbles and chunks of gathered bark and wood.  Some had been stored for warming fires on snowy days.  (Our present snowpack is down to less than 3 feet.)  This was removed, went back to the surface where it came from or stored around the shaft for walls and backfill.  The dig is even more prepared for a major finishing effort.

Resurrection Sunday.
Charlie, Tony & myself hiked in, slightly rainy weather, less snow, and got 25 buckets up from the bottom.  Everything went well.  He is arisen and the tomb in empty. Praise God.