CAVER DASH 2013
An especially unique event came into my rather routine life
this weekend that I wish to share. That event being Alfred Crabtree’s (my son … says the proud father) now
annual Caver Dash. Briefly, this two-day event is for the “cavers” (please not Spelunker!) in his
grotto out of Cookeville, Tennessee, and any other cavers from elsewhere. It
began with the folks arriving Friday evening at our home, Windsong Ranch, up on
the Cumberland Plateau, adjacent to Fall Creek Falls State Park. Everyone
pitched tents or parked their campers in the front fields, the orchard, and
some around the compound. The scheduled events began early Saturday morning,
which included a hilly bike ride of some five miles to the boat dock on the
lake in the park. At that stage, kayaks waited for the participants to paddle a
course around the perimeter of the lake, about four miles. Upon completion, they
returned to their bikes and peddled up to Buzzard’s Roost for rappelling off
Lookout Point (100 ft.?), and then a rope climb back up (50 ft.?) near a small
waterfall next to the Roost. Wait … there is still more to do folks! For the
now tired cavers, a rugged, but awesomely beautiful eight-mile hike down the
canyon at the bottom of Fall Creek Falls (256-foot drop) awaited. After that, they
returned to their bikes and rode back to the Windsong. Now comes a few
additional rewards over the satisfaction of their having completed an endurance run
of some considerable magnitude. First, a home built, solar, field shower for
those weary muscles. Further, and all along, there lay in the Windsong fire
pit, roasting for six hours, a succulent pig. Additionally, next to the pit sat
a very large cast iron “smoker” preparing a goat (cabrito) for a mouthwatering
experience. Plentiful side dishes, deserts, adult beverages, and the noble
conversations of caver fellowship, all served from the Windsong Ranch residence.
I would mention names of the staff that labored, planned, prepared, and executed
these events without a hitch, but I would want to write all the names and I don’t
have those capabilities anymore (everyone found out about my embarrassing problems
remembering) and so the fear of omission is overpowering. However, there are group photos
on Facebook under Caver Dash with names. Thankfully, the gods smiled on the
event as even the downpour of rain waited until we had all eaten at the long
table constructed outside. But those same deities have their limits; as the live
entertainment planned for the sixty (my estimate) some folks up in the large fire
pit area, in the front field of Windsong constructed over several days by a
large diesel Caterpillar backhoe, did become the casualty of the rains. Oh yes,
a new kayak was raffled off with other prizes and some door gifts. Of note, the
furthest person to attend came from California, a high school friend of Alfred’s.
I wish to share, that with all those folks coming through my home to get their
meals and libations they showed every concern and caution, with politeness, and
then afterwards offered to help with the cleanup. What a group of gracious
folks those cavers and their friends are ... always, and will forever be, welcome
in my home and Windsong any time. Thank you all for coming, you are a gracious and
intrepid group … you “cavers”.