Peppersauce Cave
Encyclopedia
Peppersauce Cave is a limestone
cave
found in the Santa Catalina Mountains
approximately ten miles south of Oracle, Arizona
. Peppersauce is frequented by about 23,000 visitors every year and contains approximately one mile of mapped passages .
. An article about the cave was later featured in a 1951 issue of National Geographic Magazine
which showed photos of a scientist breaking off and removing a large stalactite
for purposes of further study. The cave has always been and continues to be completely open to the public.
from California explored underwater passages within the cave. The two aimed to map passages and to venture into unexplored areas in hopes of discovering new rooms and formations. Due to an equipment malfunction, the pair was only able to travel about 100 ft from the main lake, but reported a strong possibility that rooms may exist which can only currently be accessed by traversing through underwater passages. While underwater, the divers also discovered a wooden ladder propped against one of the cave walls. This seems to suggest that the water level within the cave was at one time considerably lower http://www.scubalocker.com/main/news/.
was injured in a fall while exploring the cave. Suffering a knee injury and subsquest shock, he was unable to extricate himself from the cave, but was rescued by bystanders from a location reported to be approximately 50 feet from the entrance. He was evacuated from the area via Air Ambulance coordinated by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office and the Oracle Fire Department. http://www.azfamily.com/news/Citizens-pull-injured-teen-from-cave-on-Mount-Lemmon-133785968.html http://www.kpho.com/story/16028575/hikers-pull-injured-teen
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
found in the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
approximately ten miles south of Oracle, Arizona
Oracle, Arizona
- Geology :Oracle and the surrounding area sit largely on a slab of granite called "Oracle granite" that is visible as red or grey-and-white speckled "boulders" rising over the scrub and grass. It is mostly porphyritic biotite Precambrian granite with large microcline phenocrysts, and has...
. Peppersauce is frequented by about 23,000 visitors every year and contains approximately one mile of mapped passages .
Public knowledge
Peppersauce was initially made known to the local public in February 1948 by way of an article published in Desert MagazineDesert Magazine
Desert Magazine was a monthly regional publication based in the Colorado Desert, in the Coachella Valley town of Palm Desert near Palm Springs, United States.-Editors:...
. An article about the cave was later featured in a 1951 issue of National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
which showed photos of a scientist breaking off and removing a large stalactite
Stalactite
A stalactite , "to drip", and meaning "that which drips") is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling of limestone caves. It is a type of dripstone...
for purposes of further study. The cave has always been and continues to be completely open to the public.
Vandalism and the PCCP
The cave has been subject to vandalism and heavy littering for over fifty years. In 2001, the Peppersauce Cave Conservation Project (PCCP) was established upon the discovery of E. Coli and coliform within the cave's lakes. The initiative is funded by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and is aided by volunteers who work to keep the cave clean. A sampling conducted in January 2003 indicated that no harmful bacteria were present in the water. The group was also highly successful in removing graffiti, though the cave continues to be heavily subjected to vandalism.Divers of 2000
In 2000, two cave diversCave diving
Cave diving is a type of technical diving in which specialized equipment is used to enable the exploration of caves which are at least partially filled with water. In the United Kingdom it is an extension of the more common sport of caving, and in the United States an extension of the more common...
from California explored underwater passages within the cave. The two aimed to map passages and to venture into unexplored areas in hopes of discovering new rooms and formations. Due to an equipment malfunction, the pair was only able to travel about 100 ft from the main lake, but reported a strong possibility that rooms may exist which can only currently be accessed by traversing through underwater passages. While underwater, the divers also discovered a wooden ladder propped against one of the cave walls. This seems to suggest that the water level within the cave was at one time considerably lower http://www.scubalocker.com/main/news/.
Cave Rescue
On November 13th, 2011, a 16 year-old Boy from Gilbert, ArizonaGilbert, Arizona
-Demographics:As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments, Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. there were 217,521 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household....
was injured in a fall while exploring the cave. Suffering a knee injury and subsquest shock, he was unable to extricate himself from the cave, but was rescued by bystanders from a location reported to be approximately 50 feet from the entrance. He was evacuated from the area via Air Ambulance coordinated by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office and the Oracle Fire Department. http://www.azfamily.com/news/Citizens-pull-injured-teen-from-cave-on-Mount-Lemmon-133785968.html http://www.kpho.com/story/16028575/hikers-pull-injured-teen