Vince, Jon, Jake, Tav, and Nick
A damp morning but, thankfully, the bags remained mostly dry. Packed bags ready for refilling while waiting for the others to arrive.
All assembled headed underground, Jon leading the way to the AUD area where digging would take place today. Before digging got underway a brief discussion with Jon and Jake showing where the maxilla had been recovered and where the other remains are exposed. Jon got on with filling bags, I was clearing away, Jake hauling the bags up the slope, and Tav moved the spoil across the chamber to the ‘hump.’ Surprisingly, Nick was not active in Can of Worms due to an over-indulgence on the previous evening, instead he was the other side of the ‘hump’ hauling the bags over. When a suitable pile had amassed, the spoil was moved along through the cave to eventually arrive on the surface but were not emptied there. This process repeated as and when necessary.
At the dig, some subtle changes seemed to be occurring; a corner appearing on the eastern side, a line of stal ‘stumps’ on the floor, a slight rise in the floor level, and a rise in the roof with some thin calcite layers. Then at the very end of the session as we had just finished tidying up, a prod of the sediment at ‘roof’ level revealed some open space above. It looked tantalising but time for digging was done for today and we left to help clear the cave. It will still be there for the next session, and it was good to end the morning with a positive note.
Total for today = 75 bags filled, hauled, and emptied; one token rock was added to the spoil heap wall.
Back to the Hunters’ Lodge Inn for refreshments this weekend.