Notes from underground
By Peter Youngbaer, as told to Rachel HellmanUpdated May 8, 2021, 2:59 a.m.
Email to a Friend
Peter Youngbaer exploring the New River Cave in Virginia.Courtesy of Peter Youngbaer
There is nothing like the stillness that envelops you 1,000 feet underground in the heart of a cave. My favorite thing to do down there is turn off my headlamp and just listen. I hear what sounds like a stream in the distance â itâs actually just a trickle of water, but the acoustics of the cave are unlike anything you can encounter on the surface. There might be a rush of cool air, signaling to me another passage. The breeze is weighty, yet free. Itâs really like entering another world within our own.