Spelunker

Spelunker is a word hidden deeply in my vocabulary, but one I cannot remember the last time I used. When I was a kid, maybe 8 or 9, F.M. Dixon had a series of books called The Hardy Boys. In those books, Frank & Joe Hardy were mystery solvers and crime fighters and one of their stories involved caves. Spelunkers explore caves so that word was used extensively in their story. Were it not for those books, I probably would have no idea what spelunker meant.

I was a pretty adventurous young man, but caves never interested me at all. They always seemed too dangerous, a lot of work, and would have many cramped locations. Spelunking has its own set of rules, and a second chance just might not come your way. I guess another reason might be because I grew up a loner. A spelunker needs a buddy to watch out for you while you watch out for him. From the early 70's to the mid 80's I thought nothing of hiking up in to the woods 7 or 8 miles setting up camp and doing the same thing the next day. Being by myself was the way to go, so that would have been a very bad fit, spelunking.