Goes Caving: A Lesson In Teamwork
October, 2007

By: Melissa Lowrie

Do you know the two places on Earth where one can experience total darkness? Twelve Wildwood Christian Academy students and four adult chaperones now have personal experience with one such place. Pettijohn’s Cave in Walker County on an October Thursday was the site of an unusual, amazing and very muddy field trip. After a day of hiking and a night of camping at Cloudland Canyon, the group traveled to a remote location for an unforgettable journey into the depths of a cave. Helmets, headlamps, fresh batteries, glow sticks and sturdy shoes were necessities before entering the cave, along with a serious safety lesson from Wildwood’s own physical education instructor, Beth Singleton, an experienced caver and leader for this adventure. All cavers were assigned numbers, to count off and be accounted for while in the cave, as most of the time visual contact was impossible. Beth advised to watch the person in front of us. “Like a game of telephone” she told the group, “communicating is so important, you have to tell the person behind you where to put their feet and the best way to navigate tight spots.” It was a most amazing lesson in teamwork; relying on the person directly in front of you for your personal safety and the safety of the others in the group. It was essential to listen, be alert at all times and be conscious of the people around you; never creating too much space, lest you need to lend a hand. 

Pettijohn’s Cave was formed through the dissolution of limestone by acidic groundwater and has more than six miles of passages to explore. There is a waterfall, stalagmites, stalactites, columns and immense limestone boulders. Tight spaces gave way to cavernous ‘rooms’ where the group could gather together. For the most part, it was working through tiny passages, climbing up into minuscule tubes and trying not to slip on the incredibly slick and muddy cave floor. A highlight for the group was the famous “Pancake Squeeze”. The descriptive title lived up to it’s name as crawling on all fours gave way to lying flat on your belly and slithering over the cold mud like a snake. Turning back to check on the next person was not an option as the space was too small to rotate a head in a helmet.

 “I was so impressed with these kids” stated chaperone Pamela Ruff. “I always knew we had a special group, but the maturity they all showed under the demanding circumstances was amazing.” Susannah Melton, a Wildwood fifth grader and first time caver said the experience exceeded her expectations. “It was harder than I thought it would be, but it was awesome.”  The sentiment was shared by Sam Peagler, a sixth grader and veteran boy scout. “It was awesome; I can’t wait to do it again.”

 While working through tight spots, it was common to hear the students encouraging each other. “You can do it!”, “Are you guys okay?” or “Watch that hole.” The support helped the whole group that day and a lot was learned about each other, working as a team and the amazing science of caves. By the way, the other place to experience total darkness on Earth is the bottom of the ocean.

 Beth Singleton, the physical education director and teacher of outdoor adventure projects such as this caving expedition, along with Pamela Ruff, Melissa Lowrie and Don Singleton served as chaperones for this incredible trip.  “We have different outdoor adventure trips planned for each of our students at Wildwood, said Beth Singleton.  Each grade level creates a different challenge but all students need to experience and master team building, conflict resolution, responsibility for self and others and confidence building in life and that is what these trips are all about”.  Other outdoor adventures planned as part of the Wildwood physical education program include, a high and low ropes course, map and compass skills and camping skills.