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Opening Goliath: Danger and Discovery in Caving
"Writing in a style that reads like fiction, Griffith takes readers into heart-stopping action alongside caver John Ackerman, who found unexplored Goliath Cave in southeastern Minnesota." St. Paul Pioneer Press
Narrow passages, twisting upward or dropping precipitously. Huge vaults filled with fantastic shapes. Tunnels twined in tangled mazes. Over centuries, underground rivers can carve holes and rooms in solid rock; drips of water build walls of stone. Natural caves shape another world beneath our feet. Dangerous and beautiful, these places remain unknown—until someone decides to investigate.
In 2004, businessman and caver John Ackerman drilled an entryway into Goliath Cave, a huge and unexplored complex in the karst region of southeastern Minnesota. Squeezing through tiny openings, scuba diving through silt-filled waters, scaling walls, and traversing crevasses, he and his fellow cavers painstakingly mapped ever-further reaches of the complex in an exploration that continues to this day.
But man-made caves that do not breathe can be even more dangerous than their natural cousins. In St. Paul, also in 2004, five teenagers entered an area where intermittent fires robbed the air of oxygen. Only two emerged alive.
Narrow passages, twisting upward or dropping precipitously. Huge vaults filled with fantastic shapes. Tunnels twined in tangled mazes. Over centuries, underground rivers can carve holes and rooms in solid rock; drips of water build walls of stone. Natural caves shape another world beneath our feet. Dangerous and beautiful, these places remain unknown—until someone decides to investigate.
In 2004, businessman and caver John Ackerman drilled an entryway into Goliath Cave, a huge and unexplored complex in the karst region of southeastern Minnesota. Squeezing through tiny openings, scuba diving through silt-filled waters, scaling walls, and traversing crevasses, he and his fellow cavers painstakingly mapped ever-further reaches of the complex in an exploration that continues to this day.
But man-made caves that do not breathe can be even more dangerous than their natural cousins. In St. Paul, also in 2004, five teenagers entered an area where intermittent fires robbed the air of oxygen. Only two emerged alive.
- GenresNonfiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2009
5 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Cary J. Griffith
11 books144 followersAward-winning author Cary J. Griffith grew up among the woods, fields, and emerald waters of eastern Iowa. His childhood fostered a lifelong love of wild places.
He earned a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in library science from the University of Minnesota.
Griffith’s books explore the natural world. In nonfiction, he covers the borderlands between civilization and wild places. In fiction, he focuses on the ways some people use flora and fauna to commit crimes, while others with more reverence and understanding of the natural world leverage their knowledge to bring criminals to justice.
He lives with his family in a suburb of Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
He earned a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in library science from the University of Minnesota.
Griffith’s books explore the natural world. In nonfiction, he covers the borderlands between civilization and wild places. In fiction, he focuses on the ways some people use flora and fauna to commit crimes, while others with more reverence and understanding of the natural world leverage their knowledge to bring criminals to justice.
He lives with his family in a suburb of Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 25, 2009
In my head this book is titled "entering goliath" which i think is a little obscene. very engaging, makes me glad i didn't die all those times we used to go into the tunnels in the cities. some of the dudes in this book are so effin crazy, it's unbelievable. They should unseal all the caves in the cities to prevent the carbon monoxide build up that kills people. Some places are ungovernable, and to try just makes things worse.
April 17, 2010
Caves are really freakin' cool.
That indisputable fact alone makes this a thoroughly engaging read. And Griffith has a flare for telling a tale, a knack for building suspense as he guides you through the near-death experiences of those who probe the unknown recesses of the earth.
What Griffith doesn't do well is hide his obvious friendship and sympathy for certain people involved in the controversy of how best to preserve and protect fragile underground resources. His embarrassingly obvious man-crush on caver John Ackerman blinds him to Ackerman's arrogance and recklessness in drilling man-made entrances into some of the most inaccessible caves in Minnesota and Iowa. He barely acknowledges a rather important question: isn't it possible we're not SUPPOSED to be going in to these places, and that's why they're so hard to get to?
Still, I learned a great deal about caves and cave exploration in this book, and enjoyed the ride as I was doing so.
That indisputable fact alone makes this a thoroughly engaging read. And Griffith has a flare for telling a tale, a knack for building suspense as he guides you through the near-death experiences of those who probe the unknown recesses of the earth.
What Griffith doesn't do well is hide his obvious friendship and sympathy for certain people involved in the controversy of how best to preserve and protect fragile underground resources. His embarrassingly obvious man-crush on caver John Ackerman blinds him to Ackerman's arrogance and recklessness in drilling man-made entrances into some of the most inaccessible caves in Minnesota and Iowa. He barely acknowledges a rather important question: isn't it possible we're not SUPPOSED to be going in to these places, and that's why they're so hard to get to?
Still, I learned a great deal about caves and cave exploration in this book, and enjoyed the ride as I was doing so.
December 7, 2012
This was an excellent book, not only about the experience of caving, but about the dangers of man-made caves. Some very interesting chapters were spent describing the history of some caves that were originally dug for natural refrigeration. Poor ventilation combined with fires from vagrants makes for a deadly mix.
But I think my favorite section was about the drama and politics surrounding management of Goliath Caves. The natural entrance is only open in the winter, the people who owned the land wanted to dig a quarry there, another person wanted to drill a new entrance to the cave, the government gets involved...there's a lot more to cave management than I thought. Very interesting insights into an environment that keeps fascinating me. :-)
But I think my favorite section was about the drama and politics surrounding management of Goliath Caves. The natural entrance is only open in the winter, the people who owned the land wanted to dig a quarry there, another person wanted to drill a new entrance to the cave, the government gets involved...there's a lot more to cave management than I thought. Very interesting insights into an environment that keeps fascinating me. :-)
August 25, 2013
Fascinating book about contemporary cave exploration in Minnesota. The bulk of the book is about the ddiscovery of Goliath cave in southeastern Minnesota. It is preceded by a couple earlier vignettes demonstrating the haxards of cave exploration. The author has a clear bias against efforts by the DNR to inhibit the opening of Goliath, which I'm not sure I entirely agree with - for reasons of safety alone access to the caves should be regulated, not to mention preservation.
July 29, 2018
Caves are "the new frontier." So, like the Wild West, explorers and government clash over public land use and ethics. I stumbled across this book while doing research, and being from Minnesota thoroughly enjoyed the mix of local politics, discovery, and dangerous expeditions.
That said, bureaucracy battles aren't for every reader. Furthermore, at times exhaustive expedition details and repeated sentiments (to avoid offending sources and friends) slow down the story's pacing. But the heart of the story is passionate people debating how to best explore, educate, and protect amazing caves. Nobody has perfect answers yet, and probably never will. Kudos to the author for trying to convey all aspects of caving, informed by extensive research.
That said, bureaucracy battles aren't for every reader. Furthermore, at times exhaustive expedition details and repeated sentiments (to avoid offending sources and friends) slow down the story's pacing. But the heart of the story is passionate people debating how to best explore, educate, and protect amazing caves. Nobody has perfect answers yet, and probably never will. Kudos to the author for trying to convey all aspects of caving, informed by extensive research.
September 24, 2021
A few stories of caving in Minnesota. Politics, adventure, and death. If you enjoy caving, this might be a fun read for you!
It was exciting to be reading it by the campfire one evening and realize that a location referenced in the book was the exact location I was currently camping at.
There be caves in them there hills! Or farm fields...
It was exciting to be reading it by the campfire one evening and realize that a location referenced in the book was the exact location I was currently camping at.
There be caves in them there hills! Or farm fields...
July 18, 2024
Interesting, a bit fragmented.
November 8, 2012
I picked up this book to read as background for a NaNoWriMo novel involving urban caving.
The book developed from some articles he did about "outdoor adventure" and it is well written and researched. Riveting, too, but I already know I would never go into a cave! The section about the deaths of several teens over the years in the caves near the Mississippi River are particularly poignant.
The book developed from some articles he did about "outdoor adventure" and it is well written and researched. Riveting, too, but I already know I would never go into a cave! The section about the deaths of several teens over the years in the caves near the Mississippi River are particularly poignant.
April 19, 2009
Ok, so i'm a bit biased here. This is my dad's new book. It's really a great read though. There's a whole caving community in Minnesota doing amazing things I had no idea about. I think, all bias aside, it's a pretty nifty book.
December 30, 2011
I learned a lot about caving from this book - mainly that it can be very dangerous. I have been in a few walk-in or crawl-in caves and have really enjoyed them, but I do not think that I want to do any of the types of exploring that are described in this book!
April 28, 2009
A fascinating account of new caves currently being discovered in my hometown area of SE Minnesota.
April 19, 2011
My respect for the DNR has increased tenfold, although I doubt this was the author's intent.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews