MudDonna's Caving Escapades

Coffin Cave, Pang Mapha District, Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Mike, the cave-whisperer, found the almost non-existent trail through a cornfield that led to the cliff face. This was not a novice hike. The old wood bridge that wound up the cliff was mostly rotten and even burned in places. It was more rock-climbing than anything. There were several places you could look through the rotted bridge slats to a long drop below.

The risk was worth it-fantastic cave with the promised archaeology. Numerous ancient coffins carved from tree trunks were to be found.

Chinese tourists far below us were photographing us in the entrance. They stuck around, probably hoping to watch one of us fall-but we disappointed them by making it safely back down :)

Rather than stay at the overpriced bare huts near coffin cave, we backtracked to Mae Hong Son and stayed at "The Jungle Guesthouse." So glad we did! The individual cabins were comfortable, clean and private. "Da" our hostess, made all our meals from scratch, including fresh bread! We will definitely return to her place both for the food and all the nearby caves still to be explored :)

Tham Lod Cave, Thailand

Our first cave in Thailand was Tham Lod, a 1666 meter cave system located in Pang Mapha District, in Mae Hong Province, northern Thailand. We took a rental car to get there and enjoyed 50 km of winding, scenic mountainous roads on the way.

On a Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the site was not crowded. We admired the Nam Lang River flowing into a cave while waiting for our guide to prepare a gas lantern.

The entire system is made up of three caves: Big Column, Doll and Coffin Caves. If you're a fan of archaeology, you'll appreciate the exhumed ancient coffins and history of the place.

A highlight for both of us was the river trip on bamboo rafts. Schools of large fish accompany you on your journey though the stunning caverns.

Tham Lod is fascinating and beautiful. Be sure to add this to your itinerary if you're traveling in Northern Thailand.

Do Hoary Bats Like Dragonflys? Let's Find Out...

Bat Rehabilitation: "Wally" from Wal-mart Gets a New Home

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Bat Rehabilitation: My First Bat Rescue

Townsend Bat Colony

I stumbled upon this Townsend Bat colony purely by accident while cave hunting. I was as surprised to see them as they were to see me! I stayed less than two minutes, not wanting to upset them further. I took this quick video so you all can enjoy seeing them in their natural environment.

My First Bat Rehabilitation Patient

Got a call from Kathy today, said she was sending a bat my way! I scrambled to gather supplies and drove out to meet the couple who called in to Bat Crew. They had found him last night, hardly moving on a cold garage floor. They took him in and kept him warm. By the time I picked him up, he was more feisty. He took a small amount of water, and then settled in for a long nap. I will try to squeeze some worms in his mouth tomorrow.

Defiance Cave Preserve: Drapery Den is Trashed

Last month, we headed to Drapery Den with Rob McFarland, Ken Headrick, Mike Frazier. We were armed with garbage bags and gloves, but were unprepared for what we found. We had expected to clean up trash that one person left behind. Instead, thigh high mountains of trash greeted us. Only multiple probably mentally ill people over a long period of time could have accumulated so much refuse. Old cans, bottles, wrappers, clothing, drug containers, broken furniture, camping equipment, magazines and more. It will take a small army to clean out this cave and make it habitable for bats again. We loaded and carried many bags to the surface of the cave, but were only able to carry a fraction down the mountain. We anticipate spending many weekends starting next spring on this project.

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Double Eagle Dig

Joined John McLean, Doug Medville, Todd Burke, Hunter, Paul Fowler, Mike Frazier and others for continued work on the Double Eagle Dig. At one point, we could hear Donald Davis tapping his hammer in a nearby passage, so a connection is imminent!

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Bat Rehabilitation: My First Time Handling a Bat

Colorado Bat Crew at Vampire Fest

Tonight I joined in my first event with the Colorado Bat Crew at the Ft Collins Vampire Fest. We handed out educational materials on bats, showed some videos, answered questions from party-goers. Thanks always to Kathy Estes for her support in getting me closer to my goal of earning my Bat Rehabilitation Specialist License! For more info on the Colorado Bat Crew: http://www.coloradobatcrew.com/

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Bat Exodus

I've been looking all over for this video! We visited friends a few years back and were fortunate to be treated to a bat exodus at a nearby cave!

B. Cave

Enjoyed a fantastic trip this Labor Day weekend. Rick Rhinehart invited us to a "little" gem of a cave he's known about for some time. Also along was Donald Davis, John McClain, Ken Headrick, Mike, and Guano.

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Defiance Cave Preserve/Cave of the Clouds: Gate Project

In order to reduce vandalism to Cave of the Clouds and create a more secure area for bats, we are installing a gate. We have hauled 4000 pounds of cement (15-50 pounds at a time in backpacks) up the side of the mountain. Today, we undertake the brutal task of carrying up one of the steel gates.

Defiance Cave Preserve-Hauling the Final Gate

Thanks to all the volunteers who have jumped in and helped carry 4000 pounds of cement, steel and a very heavy generator to Cave of the Clouds. (add volunteer list) The following videos, showing a single steel gate being slowly dragged up the mountain, will give you an idea how difficult and dangerous the project has been at times.

Videos