No Sweat & Lance: California Cave. Photos by Howard Farris

  California Cave is one of the most extensive cave systems in Estill County, Kentucky. It is a very tough cave to locate; situated in a limestone outcropping along a very steep cliff in Alexander Hollow. I first began exploring the cave when I was around 9 years old, going solo into a remote area deep within the cave called "SOAPSTONE PIT."   SS is a grand hallway where you can take out time to relax and marvel at nature's secrets. This series of photos is of me and my grandson, Lance; Lance at the time was 5 years old and I took him all the way back to SS; I highly suspect that he will forever own the honor of the youngest person ever to go that far back into that dangerous area; I watched over him like a hawk. I was 55 years old at the time.  I am now 63 years of age and will be 64 on August 24.  Lance is now one of the very best swimmers in Kentucky, and one of the top swimmers in the nation for a 13 yr. old; he swims on 4 teams and is a very fine person and a dedicated athlete. He happens to be quite a reptile person and has some 20 aquariums scattered throughout our home housing primarily different kinds of snakes.
   California Cave is the most special cave of all the caves I have ever explored.  I've discovered several passages in it that I named after myself. And in my first novel, THESE PRECIOUS DAYS, the first chapter takes place inside this cave.
    The cave derives its name from the strange narrow entrance-way that it owns which happens to be in the shape of California; if you attempt to go into this passage you must turn your body sideways and squeeze your body in as you also lean downwards for some 30 feet or so.  From there it is a wild cave with all kinds of tight squeezes and rough crawling.