General stuff you may wanna know.

• 31 acres of land here for you to hike - enjoy all the trails!

• The lagoon is not too cold to swim yet, and is the only clothing optional part of the property. Enjoy it while it’s still warm!!

• Meditative labyrinth near the garden will probably take 20-30 minutes to walk to the center. There are no wrong turns.

• There will be a fire by the farmhouse Friday night

• There will be a ropes demonstration after dinner by Gokul - we will ring a bell when it’s time

• There will be a stump jousting tournament Saturday night after dinner with prizes for the winners!!

• Toxic Frog cave gear is in the trailer at the top of the lot

• We love you, we promise, but no, you can not camp in that one space that you really, really want to that’s outside of our camping area.

• Meals will be at 7:30 each night, and we’ll be doing a gratitude circle just beforehand. It’s an awesome experience. You should totally come.

• The water in the outdoor showerhouse is super hot right now. Be careful or you’ll burn your face off.

• You can use the outdoor showers even if you’re covered in mud, you filthy, filthy caver. Just use the scrubby broom on the floor after if you make a mess.

• There is a hose that’s attached to the well near the farmhouse to wash gear

• The farmhouse is available 24/7.

• Fridge space is for hostel use only. We apologize, but need all the room for the yummy food we want to feed you!

SATURDAY

All trips leave from LRH at roughly 11:00am

MILL CAVE

(Public Property – Permit Required)

Travel: 40 minutes – we arrive just before noon. Carpooling is encouraged; ask if your ride will return to the hostel, or not. The cave is ~15 miles south of Salem, IN.

Difficulty: Easy (Ideal for new/unsure cavers)

Finish Time: Back to parking 3:00 - 3:30 pm. We will be underground for 2-3 hours.

Challenges: There is no “barrier to entry” to this cave - no intense maneuvers or tight spaces needed in order to access the space. It starts off incredibly easy and just gets progressively tougher little by little as it goes. Eventually, beginners will generally hit their adventure limit and decide it’s time to turn around. The first third of this cave is generally ankle-deep water, and beyond that, dry passage. Think creek-stomping - just underground.

Pay-Offs: If you’re unsure of your abilities, this is the trip for you. There are long stretches of winding 15 ft ceiling canyons with a small waterfall at the end. There are small, winding passages that you can CHOOSE to take alongside the main group, but they are purely elective. You will see lots of quartz, salamanders, and high ceilings. This cave gives people a good sense of what they are/aren’t comfortable with for future trips, and you’re likely to have a great trip with a feeling of freedom to explore no matter what your ability level is.

Sign up HERE

FREDERICKSBURG CAVE

(Private Property – Permission Required)

Travel: 40 minutes – we arrive just before noon. Carpooling is encouraged; ask if your ride will return to the hostel, or not. The cave is ~15 miles south of Salem, IN.

Difficulty: Medium (OK for new cavers)

Finish Time: Back to parking 5:00 - 5:30 pm. We will be underground for 4-5 hours.

Challenges: Water (waist-deep in spots) in the lower level of the cave. Long, rocky, hands-and-knees crawl to enter and exit the cave. Steep climb up/down to access the upper level. Exposure with consequence!! Deep “suck mud” in the upper-level (gets bad as you approach the lake) Long, physical trip. If there’s no pain, it ain’t caving!!

Pay-Offs: Extended cave trip with water and mud and rocks. Large stalagmite (“Herman”) in the lower level. Pretty formations in the upper level. Largest underground lake in Indiana. The entrance to the cave is in a deep sinkhole close to parking. A walk-in entrance room leads you to a long, rocky, hands-and-knees crawl. After completing the crawl, the cave opens up to mostly walking, at least the parts we will visit. The lower level of the cave is stream passage. We will wade in the cave stream for several hours. The water is waist-deep at spots. You will get wet! A steep, rocky climb-up connects to the upper “lake passage.” There is exposure with consequence on this climb and YOU MUST BE CAREFUL!! There are some formations after the climb. As we head out the upper-level “lake passage” the mud will get deeper and nastier. We will stop for a break on the shore of the underground lake. Bring a snack! Some foolish people may decide to swim across the lake, LOL. This is an out and back trip featuring the upper-level passage ending at the underground lake. We are going to send it on this trip and you will know you have been caving when we are done. The showers back at camp will feel really, really, good. Just saying. Advil is your friend.

Sign up HERE

MIDDLE CAVE

(Public Property – Permit Required)

Travel: 40 minutes – we arrive just before noon. Carpooling is encouraged; ask if your ride will return to the hostel, or not. The cave is ~15 miles south of Salem, IN.

Difficulty: Medium-High

Finish Time: Back to parking 5:00 - 5:30 pm. We will be underground for 4-5 hours.

Challenges: Wet, wet, wet. This is a water cave where you will be soaked, likely swimming, and will need a wetsuit. We have extras for those who need one. In the entrance, you’ll be scrambling up a stream with a 4 foot high ceiling for a couple of hundred feet. After that, there is a climb up a 20 ft waterfall in order to access the rest of the cave. It is not physically challenging (you do not need to be a seasoned climber), but may present some psychological challenges. At the back of the cave there is an additional 15 ft waterfall that can be tough to scramble up. Usually not everyone makes it up that one.

Pay-Offs: This cave is stunningly beautiful and varied. The landscape changes drastically as you go. There are high, high ceilings, beautiful swirling circular pools in the stream, and lots of quartz. The scenery will change and change as you continue. This cave is an absolute wonderland, and not heavily traveled because of how difficult it is to get into. At the end of this, you will be wet, cold, and have made a core memory.

Sign up HERE

MEDITATIVE TRIP AT HENDERSON

(Public Property – Permit Required)

Travel: 40 minutes – we arrive just before noon. Carpooling is encouraged; ask if your ride will return to the hostel, or not. The cave is ~15 miles south of Salem, IN.

Difficulty: Easy

Finish Time: 3-4pm. Time in the cave itself will be short - maybe an hour. After we will have an opportunity to talk or dawdle as long as we please.

Challenges: Ankle-deep water, uneven ground.

Pay-Offs: While in a cave, this trip is about the meditation more than the cave. Your leader will move through a meditation in the pitch blackness that will be partially guided and partially self-guided. Likely processing and conversation in the sunshine afterward.

Sign up HERE

DOGHILL CAVE

(Private Property – Permission Required)

Travel: 40 minutes – we arrive just before noon. Carpooling is encouraged; ask if your ride will return to the hostel, or not. The cave is in the heart of the town of Bedford.

Difficulty: Medium (OK for new cavers)

Finish Time: Back to parking 4:30 - 5:30 pm. We will be underground for 3-4 hours.

Challenges: Wet stream passage & potentially gross mud spots. Wetsuits needed, and we have extras if you need them!

Pay-Offs: Who knows? Feeling extra adventurous? This is a well-loved cave that will be a first for our trip leader as well. He is experienced, but the cave will be new to him too!

Sign up HERE