Jul 14 - Serious cave crawling**

Friday, July 14, 1972 - Page 196
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

Bethlehem Cave helictites

(1:00 PM 7/15/72)
As it developed, very little work was accomplished Friday. It rained just enough to prevent any progress on much -- only two more sections were completed in the side walk. The second Tim arrived, Thursday I guess. I read some more in "I'm OK, I'm OK," & "The Little Prince." I took a brief nap but it was cut short by Greg & Mike. M.R. managed to get some clothes washed. I wandered through the cave alone (I think that is forbidden -- I'm not sure tho, so I'm innocent) -- I explored the three entrances of the cave, and learned a lot I didn't know before.

I walked around down below everything, where the old buildings are and met three squirrels and a rabbit. The squirrels were Irving, Albert and Horatio, but they didn't let me get any closer than 3 feet. I watched them for about a half hour. Horace, the hare, was more sociable -- he chewed on plants, hopping close to me. After a quarter of an hour, tho, he went away.

A map of 4 known miles of passages in Bethlehem Cave
(More continue to be discovered even today)

We went spelunking -- Me, John, Greg, Mike, and Jim. We saw lots of great things, and in the Sonora Room I got the feel of real cave crawling -- we had to go into contortions on a ledge above a deep lake to enter a narrow opening into a wonderland of stalactites, stalagmites and helictites. Beauteous. We wandered around for four hours, and it would take too long to describe it all.

The water went out on us at Beth, so we couldn't shower. We got to bed after midnight.

TOMORROW: Laying 50 more feet of sidewalk

Here is a formation in Bethlehem Cave.
What would you call it? Here's an easy way to remember:
"Stalactite" has a C in it (as in Ceiling)
"Stalagmite" has a G in it (as in Ground)