Ruth Cave, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania

September 2017

Gate Type: BASIC

Ruth is one of my favorite caves ever, and the first big project cave on which I ever led the survey (with more than 75 total trips!) and drafted the map. Caver efforts turned this small, 500-foot-long cave in a roadcut into one more than a mile long. The cave had no natural entrance prior to the highway-widening project, but soon became an important hibernaculum. A well-intended but environmentally damaging gate was constructed back in the ’80s, and we welcomed the chance to finally replace it with a more modern model. But as usual when working on these smaller gates, we didn’t get any in-progress photos. Photo © Jim Kennedy.