[OPTIK’S NOTE]

The following is more information I’ve found relating to the Ted the Caver story. It contains real names as well as the alleged name of the cave. These are exerpts from forum posts that were made about the matter, and I would provide more information if it were available. Most of the sites that had information about Ted the Caver story have since disappeared with time. If I get more information, I will post it asap.

 Here is a rundown of the actual events. My friend Brad (the “B” in the story), opened a passage in a local cave called “Freeway” or “Interstate Cave”, due to its location above a freeway. I kept a caving journal documenting our efforts in the cave. The events took place from Dec. 1999 to March 2000. It took us nearly 3 months and 8 trips to finally make it through the passage. Between trips to the cave we would keep our families updated on our progress. After we made it through I wanted to put my caving journal on the ‘Net, along with photo’s, so any friends or family members could see the fruits of our labors. As I began typing the journal, I thought, “Why don’t I embellish a little?”. Well, “a little” turned into “a lot” and the final results are what you see. It ended up taking a LOOOONG time to write the story, so I didn’t post it until 2001. I altered the dates to appear like I was posting it in real time. Then Brad and I told our family members to make sure they checked back for updates.

[Source: http://forums.caves.org/showthread.php?t=646&page=4&pp=10] (this link no longer works, but posted anyway in case someone knows of any other locations this thread can be found)

After following this thread and story on this and several other forums I feel the need to check in. As a way of introduction I was the person who organized and led the first trip to Interstate Cave in 1975 and I have taken an interest in the cave ever since. A trip report appeared in the 1975 Speleo Digest on Page 163, “THE SAD STORY OF INTERSTATE CAVE”. The title refers to the almost immediate desecration of the beautiful, fragile features of the cave, along with spray painting. Fortunately I did take some good slides before the formations were pounded to dust. The cave was mapped and the report is in the 1983 Speleo Digest on page 160, along with a report. The paper is entitled ” CAVES OF THE SILVER ISLAND MOUNTAINS, PART I, TOOELE COUNTY, UTAH.

The chiseling of the small hole was a well publizied event among the Timpanogos and Salt Lake Grottos. Brad M., Ted H’s friend, came to Salt Lake Grotto meetings with trip reports and the request (well, begging) for people to come and help. I never attended the Timpanogos Grotto meetings during this time but I assume Brad also reported extensively there, since that is his primary grotto. Little, if anything was documented publically during the excavation, but when mapping started in the middle of 2001 many comments were made on a local Yahoo.groups forum “utcavers”. Ralph Powers moderates the forum so if you can talk him into temporary access, start reading the postings starting around number1840 in the middle of May, 2001. I don’t think there is any doubt about who chiseled their way into the new passage. The story about the dig is true, the photos of what they were digging are true. I can’t vouch for Ted’s description the noises. The cave is directly under the interstate. While we were mapping road crews were still digging the sometimes noises were genuinely eerie, even though we knew exactly the reason for them. The new passage is only about 40 feet below the road surface where probably hundreds of heavily loaded 18 wheelers pass each hour. Whether Ted made up the noises or embellished what he heard is for him to tell. Let’s face it, without the relating of noises, there really isn’t much of a story.

[Source(s): http://www.gaudiya-repercussions.com/index.php?showtopic=312]