SMU alum Pete Lindsley explains one of his caving maps during his presentation Wednesday for the Outdoor Adventure Program.
SMU’s Outdoor Adventure Program gave a presentation yesterday on caving in the Dedman Recreational Center. The presentation covered the early exploration of the Inner Space Caverns by SMU alum and caver Pete Lindsley. The Outdoor Adventure Program welcomed Lindsley as the feature speaker and an expert on Laubach Cave.
In 1963, Interstate 35 was being built across Texas. When construction workers set out to pave the road they found a 4-inch core hole that piqued their curiosity.
This hole was expanded into a 24-inch hole into which Lindsley and 87 other interested cavers descended. They were the first people to go down the 30-foot drop into the cave, which was originally known as Laubach Cave, but today is called Inner Space Caverns.
“Virgin caves are extremely rare to come by and this was an opportunity of a lifetime. You don’t want a cave someone has already been in,” Lindsley said.
“Part of the thrill is being in an amazingly pristine and unique environment where no one has ever been before,” he added.
Inside Laubach, Lindsley found prehistoric javelina bones that were excavated and studied by palentologists. The other bones that were discovered included wolf bones, camel bones and saber-toothed tiger bones.
Lindsley has been caving now for more than 40 years. His wife Karen is also an avid caver and explained why the caving experience appeals to her.
“What you see down there you are never going to see anywhere else,” she said.
“From blind salamanders, amazing formations, bats and bones – these are all things that are unique to the caving experience,” Karen said.
Lindsley also directed his presentation toward beginning cavers and listed the necessary items needed for caving which include a lighted helmet, water, two alternative light sources, gloves and food. He encouraged any interested students to try caving and noted that Gorman Cave in central Texas on the Colorado River is a wonderful cave for beginners.
Senior Kathryn Gorsch attended the presentation and expressed her newly developed interest in caving and the new opinions about caving that Lindsley’s presentation allowed her to form.
“Going into a cave has always seemed like such a frightening experience, but after seeing all of the beautiful formations that Mr. Lindsley showed us and what a truly unique experience would be I am really thinking about trying it,” said Gorsch.
SMU’s Outdoor Adventure Program will be having a Caving Inner Space Day Trip on Sept. 23. The trip will cost $100, and the deadline and pre-trip meeting will be held tonight at 6 p.m. in the Outdoor Adventure Center. Anyone interested in finding out more is welcome.
