CompuServe Messages

…by all means. DON'T cave alone. I almost learned twice (!!) the hard way at Palermo, NH. Mines and caves are best explored by groups with equipment. (A buildup of CO2 can be quite as lethal as a rockfall….. And *NEVER* peg rocks at barrels. I *almost* did once, and didn't. I later learned that the barrel was filled with *aged* high explosive.) I violated all sound advice on rock hunting several times. The cardinal rule is to not go alone. (Caves or not!) I survived Palermo twice by not going into the shaft. I later learned of the vertical dropoffs….. I went alone into Maine and in spite of a compass, maps, first aid kit, etc. etc., got lost for *hours* on Deer Hill, miles from anyone at all. I survived Cobalt, Ont. *only* because I saw the blasting caps (very old and hence unstable) before they saw me (G). OK, in caves, you only have to worry about dropoffs, not blasting caps, but the message came to me load and clear. A broken ankle miles from help can spell trouble. DEEEEP doo-doo! Also, in mine/cave country, it pays to carry a big stick to probe ahead of you. There are numerous areas in Bancroft (or nearby) that you can't see what's 3 feet in front of you from underbrush. Things like 100 foot dropoffs…….. And we haven't even GOTTEN to the cave yet. I dunno, maybe I'm getting conservative in my old age (G) but I would like to *have* an old age…….JD