Indian Oven Cave - located in Millerton, NY just a few miles from the tri-state corner of Massachusetts. The Indian Oven Cave is an extensive limestone fissure on top of a high ridge. It has two tall chambers, approximately 50 feet in height, connected by a series of small chambers. Over the floor of the cave runs a brook, disappearing as a waterfall in a low, wide chamber at the end of the cave.
'Indian Oven Cave' by James Wells
Taken from the Spring, 1981 edition of Northeaster Caver
Over the summer, Mike Cowlishaw, Ian Baren, John Schwenk, Missy Rice, and I did six dig trips to Indian Oven Cave. We dug into 39 feet of crawl space beyond the seasonal sump. The current end is a pinch between a bedrock ceiling and a stal floor, beyond which a small way on through rimstone can be seen, but not followed. In a different place in the cave, Mike Cowlishaw squeezed into a small, but (so we hear) decorated room.
Over the summer, Mike Cowlishaw, Ian Baren, John Schwenk, Missy Rice, and I did six dig trips to Indian Oven Cave. We dug into 39 feet of crawl space beyond the seasonal sump. The current end is a pinch between a bedrock ceiling and a stal floor, beyond which a small way on through rimstone can be seen, but not followed. In a different place in the cave, Mike Cowlishaw squeezed into a small, but (so we hear) decorated room.
'Indian Oven Cave "Re" Survey by Ray Keeler
Taken from the September, 2004 issue of Northeastern Caver
There was interest in continuing Bob Simmons' surveying class at the November Central Connecticut Grotto meeting so Indian Oven was selected as a suitable beginner cave mappers' site. A Grade 3 map of the cave by MET Grotto had been published in the 1991 NSS Convention Guidebook. However the map listed the cave in Dutchess County, NY and the description listed the cave in Columbia County and it appeared some additional detail could be added.
On February 21 we started with a disorganized single team with way too many students, but after three survey shots John Schwenk (who volunteered as a second book person) graduated to a team lead to survey the Overpass and a side lead near the beginning of the 45 Degree Passage. Several people on each team molded into the various survey positions and we progressed rapidly enough to be completed in five hours. John's team had some difficulty with the foresights and backsights matching within two degrees but this probably was due to a sticking compass.
Our surveyed length was 609 ft (196 m) with a depth of 73.6 ft (22.4 m). The Sewer Crawl and the lower parallel part of the 45 Degree Passage were not surveyed. A GPS reading at the entrance places the cave in Columbia County.
There was interest in continuing Bob Simmons' surveying class at the November Central Connecticut Grotto meeting so Indian Oven was selected as a suitable beginner cave mappers' site. A Grade 3 map of the cave by MET Grotto had been published in the 1991 NSS Convention Guidebook. However the map listed the cave in Dutchess County, NY and the description listed the cave in Columbia County and it appeared some additional detail could be added.
On February 21 we started with a disorganized single team with way too many students, but after three survey shots John Schwenk (who volunteered as a second book person) graduated to a team lead to survey the Overpass and a side lead near the beginning of the 45 Degree Passage. Several people on each team molded into the various survey positions and we progressed rapidly enough to be completed in five hours. John's team had some difficulty with the foresights and backsights matching within two degrees but this probably was due to a sticking compass.
Our surveyed length was 609 ft (196 m) with a depth of 73.6 ft (22.4 m). The Sewer Crawl and the lower parallel part of the 45 Degree Passage were not surveyed. A GPS reading at the entrance places the cave in Columbia County.