Indiana Jones doesn't have anything on the cavers of the Minnesota Speleological Survey (MSS). They scale and descend ropes of breath-taking heights, chimney climb narrow crevices, and suspend themselves between steep passage walls like Spiderman. The statewide club spends much of its time in Southeastern Minnesota and adjoining regions in Wisconsin and Iowa because of the wealth of caves that exist below this corn and bean field landscape. Most MSS members are everyday people with everyday jobs akin to Clark Kent and Lois Lane. On weekends, however, they change into coveralls, put on helmets with mounted lights and descend into dark crevices of the earth. They follow passages located 50 to 200 feet below ground, primarily between the Stewartville and Dubuque layers of limestone, where the humidity hovers around 94 per cent and the temperature is 48 degrees year-round.

Bat Woman and Cave Man

Gerda Nordquist has been studying bats for over 25 years. As a mammalogist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources she finds anything wild in the woods of interest. Although she understands why some don't like running around in dark, clammy places, she'll do whatever it takes to count and analyze hibernating bats. Nordquist recalls being hauled on the back of a manure spreader one winter by a 79-year-old farmer, who slogged through the snow with his old tractor to get the research team to a cave on his property. That cave turned out to be an important location for bat hibernation. Nordquist notes that the MSS has been a critical resource in leading her to bat populations around the state. She also said that they enjoy playing tricks on her by telling her they've seen a bat, just to get her to see a particular cave.

Caving opportunities

The best and safest way to cave is to affiliate with an organization like MSS that provides instruction and supervision.

For more information:

http://lewerer.com/mss

or

http://www.intothevoid.com/mss/

Commercial caves less than an hour's drive from Rochester provide more domesticated caving, meaning you won't get nearly as muddy and they have installed lights, stairs, and smooth paths. Call for their schedule of daily tours.

• Mystery Cave at Forestville State Park (866) 857-2757


• Niagara Cave near Harmony, Minnesota (800) 837-6606

For those unable to experience caving firsthand, many of the stunning sights and sounds can be accessed on the National Speleological Society website: www.caves.org

• For more information on John Ackerman's Karst Preserve:
  
  www.karstpreserve.com

John Ackerman, a Burnsville businessman, has taken caving to an entirely new level. He began caving as a boy in the St. Paul caves (actually mines) and never gave it up. When access to privately owned caves began to diminish, primarily because of liability concerns, Ackerman purchased his own cave farm near Spring Valley.

Thirty thousand sinkholes might exist in Fillmore County alone, a density greater than anywhere in the state, or region, for that matter. Where there is a sinkhole, a cave likely exists since sinkholes are often the result of a fallen cave ceilings. Ackerman knew there was one partially recovered cave on the property about half a mile long, and he knew the property was loaded with sinkholes.

Since purchasing Spring Valley Caverns in 1989, John and his MSS colleagues have discovered a total of 20 caves, extending over five miles underground. And they are still exploring. He uses a modified track hoe - christened cavefinder - to expedite removing rocks from the sinkholes, and he is self-taught in excavation and the use of explosives.

Ackerman is driven by the thrill of the hunt and the sensation of being the first person to walk down a passage. He is also committed to sharing and preserving caves. Despite insurance costs, Ackerman allows MSS members to tour groups through his caves and experienced cavers have access.

While critics are alarmed by Ackerman's invasive methods to access a cave, once inside, it's all about protection. He is known for saying "break an arm if you have to, not a formation.''

He has set up a foundation, the Karst Preserve, to insure that his property, which now totals over 500 surface acres and a total of over 700 acres

I prefer to live vicariously, reading and writing about the adventures of others from the safety of my study. I'm afraid of heights and detest getting my feet wet. So no one was more surprised than me when I climbed a 60-foot ladder at Spring Valley Caverns. On my way down, I didn't ask John Ackerman how far it was, and he didn't volunteer the information. I merely climbed down the narrow metal ladder attached to the vertical cave entrance, one step at a time into the cool darkness. Soon, I found myself suspended above the cave floor with my hands and feet pressed against passage walls, Spiderman style. Granted I was only a couple of feet off of the ground, but I did it. Despite my accomplishment, if it weren't for the hardhat, I probably would have knocked my head off at least twice during the tour. I also acquired a small bruise on my left knee. But it was worth it: the adrenalin rush, the memory of seeing formations and caverns I've only seen in the movies, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from successfully testing one's limits. I now consider myself less afraid of heights. If this bookish person can do it, just about anyone can.