disappointment

On Sunday we figured we'd try and get in another cave before we headed home. Peter led our car caravan to the McFails Cave Nature Preserve which, we soon learned, is home to numerous pits and caves. We walked plain clothed through the woods to the cave to see if it looked doable (ie, water wasn't streaming into the entrance). On the way to the cave we stopped at different pits we happened upon. The pits/holes were labeled with wooden nameplates nailed to trees beside the pits. Most of them had a waist high 'fence' going around them. We checked out the entrance to Cave Disappointment and it looked good to go so we walked back to the car and shivered from the bitter cold as we changed into our gear.

Once you climb down into the entrance you encounter a slot when you have to chimney down maybe 20 feet(?) or so. Most of us decided against it as it didn't look to inviting and it was getting late already. Andrew, Peter, Leila and George were the only ones to get down in there. If I remember correctly, Leila said that once you get to the bottom it doesn't really open up and more chimneying is needed to continue on.

I found the following info about the Preserve on caves.org:

The McFail's Cave Preserve consists of two parcels of land. These are the McFail's Hole parcel which contains McFail's Hole, Ack's Shack, and the Hanors/Cave Disappointment System. This was purchased in the mid 1960's. The second piece of property, the Hall's Hole parcel, contains Hall's Hole and the Coeymans Dome Sink. This was purchased by the Society in 1979. Both parcels are "landlocked" (do not front on a road) and the NSS has easements for parking and for access to our property.

GEOLOGICAL - The McFail's Cave Preserve contains about 9 sinkholes. Six of these currently or in the past have led to caves. These are McFail's Hole, Ack's Shack, Featherstonehaugh's Flop, Hanors sink, Cave Disappointment, and the 700-foot sink (Hall's Hole). Of these only Ack's Shack and Hall's Hole currently lead into McFail's Cave.

HYDROLOGICAL - The McFail's Cave Preserve has one of the best examples of karst processes in New York. As such it is used by colleges on field trips - particularly for geomorphology courses.