Pit Up Straight Creek Cave
Near Pineville, KY
By Dave Socky

Photos (in trip reports page)
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Description

David Socky, Steve Biggers, Rick Wagnor, Chris Woodley. (Dave - sketch and cross sections, Chris - profiles and data, Rick - front sites, Steve - back sites). Mike Crockett led us up to this small, but vertical cave after the Gap Cave trip to Grassy Cove didn't happen. The cave was way up the side of the mountain near Pineville, KY. It was a very steep climb of about 1.5 miles. The cave was vertical, with a total of 6 pits. The 1st was really a hand line drop of 15 feet just below the entrance. The next was a 48.7 foot pit with a lip up on a pinnacle of rock. It was more like rappelling down a wall in a large room. The 3rd was a very pretty 70 foot deep pit which was large with smooth vertical walls, but a small opening at the top. The 4th and 5th were pits with very small openings at the top, but which opened up almost right away. The 4th was 15.8 feet deep while the 5th was 41.6 feet deep. At the bottom of the cave, Steve Biggers and Chris Woodley squeezed through a really tight spot and surveyed an additional 40 to 50 feet which ended in a small lead which needed persuasion to continue. There was air, though. The 6th pit was actually an up-climb near the top of the 4th pit. It was about 40 feet and lead to a narrow passage which eventually led back to a unreachable side lead we had seen in the side of the 5th pit. We derigged the pits, getting out of the cave right around 8pm. We were down the mountain at 9pm. Total length of the cave is 705.3 feet and a total depth of 302.4 feet. The survey was started March 18, 2006 by Hazel Barton, Jimbo Helton, Mike Crockett, Tim Piper, and Jason Gulley. More trips are indicated.