!Orthodox Christmas
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agk's diary 
9 January 2024 @ 13:21 UTC
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written on ThinkPad X61/HP 15" monitor/Model M keys
at kitchen table; daughter puts her babies to sleep
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On Orthodox Christmas this year I woke in the tent
next to first daughter. It was 1C after 12 hours of
rain. My feet were warm, so was she. I helped her
get boots on. She went outside to pee. I followed.

I ate leftover lentils and rice, reheated oatmeal
on a camp stove for her, sausages and cheese for us
both. Heated milk. Hot chocolate with butter and
coconut oil for my thermos, for later.

Evy and Bugz arrived in 25-year-old Toyota 4-Runner
while I got into caving clothes: wool tights, wool
socks, cheap pink synthetic workout top, camo
fatigue pants. Grabbed helmets, gloves, boots. We
headed to the picnic shelter where people drank
coffee and waited to cave.

I led 3 cavers from 3 states through one of my
favorite caves. One's a friend, two strangers. Evy
and Bugz stayed with daughter. Us 4 splashed and
wiggled through silt, clay, rushing water, and
rock, 13C warmer than the outside world.

Over an hour in, I told the crew "tower domes,"
said to be spectacular, were down a passage to our
left. I'd never found them. We hunted crawls and
dead-ends for another hour. Then the ceiling was
gone. Headlamps up, 125 feet, we stood below the
first of the domes.

Majesty, impossibility. Head leaned back to drink a
waterfall. Headlamps off. Listen to the cathedral
below the crest of the ridge.