Fricks Cave

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Fricks Cave

Exploring Fricks Cave in Northwest Georgia.

An Eastern pipistrelle clings to the cave walls during open house day at Fricks Cave in western Walker County in Northwest Georgia. Fricks Cave is the summer home of federally-protected endangered Gray Bats (Myotis Grisescens) and is closed to all visitation without written permission by the Southeastern Cave Conservancy.

Geologist Ron Miller assists a rappeling caver into the upper entrance at Fricks Cave During open house day.

Bill Putnam, Southeastern Cave Conservancy Acquisitions Chairman and a member of the SCCI Board of Directors, leans against a large stone at the edge of the first drop called Warm Up Pit. There is a drop of more than 100 feet drop behind him in Ellison's Cave.

Just prior to descending into the vertical entrance of Fricks Cave, geologist Ron Miller (orange helmet left) and Bill Putnam (red helmet on right), work out some technical issues with gear.

Dr. Cathy Borer, professor of biology at Berry College, gives some rope ascending tips just before exiting the vertical entrance/exit of Frick's Cave.

A bat clings to the cave walls during open house day at Fricks Cave.

Caver and geologist Ron Miller, in the Bat Room section of Fricks Cave.

A series of formations known as speleothems. in the bat room section of Fricks Cave.

Some stalactites form as long thin tubes, called soda straws, while others are larger and more irregular in shape. These are also formed by calcite deposition as carbon dioxide is released from the saturated groundwater, as seen here in Little Fricks Cave.

Bill Putnam looks over large stalactites forming on the ceiling of the cave when rainwater seeps through tiny fissures in the bedrock, dissolves some of the limestone, and then deposits the mineral calcite.

Wearing approved caving safety gear and clothing, including 3 light sources (two on the helmet one in a pack), caver Bill Putnam prepares for a journey into Fricks Cave.

Stalagmites form and meet each other to form columns in Fricks Cave.

Caver Bill Putnam, belly crawls headfirst through a tight passageway on his way through Little Fricks Cave.

Dr. Cathy Borer, descends on a rope into the pit entrance into Fricks Cave.

More stalactites in Fricks Cave.

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An Eastern pipistrelle clings to the cave walls during open house day at Fricks Cave in western Walker County in Northwest Georgia. Fricks Cave is the summer home of federally-protected endangered Gray Bats (Myotis Grisescens) and is closed to all visitation without written permission by the Southeastern Cave Conservancy.

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