Vince, Jon, Nick, and Jake
After packing the bags ready for refilling (they were not as soggy as anticipated) the team headed underground. Jon made a beeline to continue the digging beyond Trick or Treat and Jake took to digging in Can of Worms determined to fill ten bags there. I followed Jon to clear bags as they were filled, Nick hauled them away, across the chamber, to the ‘hump’. When Jake had completed his ten-bag quota, he joined Nick, and the bags were removed to the base of the pot. And so, the morning progressed until Jon found a hole. And it opened into something different…
With a bit more poking the ‘hole’ opened up and it was possible to stand-up and get a better view, peering into a low, very nicely decorated passage that appears to continue (~northwards). This is probably a connection into An Unexpected Development – although this needs to be confirmed, probably next session. Nick, rather aptly, described it as a ‘break-in’ rather than a ‘breakthrough’. It was interesting to note that the passage appears to continue in the general direction of the current dig (~northeast-easterly). Time will tell. All the team present today had a look and all were impressed.
Time was moving on and the loose material tidied away then all moved back to clear the accumulated spoil from the cave. About 70 bags were filled, hauled, and emptied onto the spoil heap. The recent damp weather resulted in a very slippery walk to the top of the spoil heap and the hauling rope needed constant cleaning.
As usual, refreshments were enjoyed at the Hunters’ Lodge Inn. A satisfying conclusion to the 2024 digging year