Odd, Old News: A Curious Cave in the Eel River Valley

Pierce Asbill

Image from A Compendium of People and Places for the North Fork
Eel River Region during the Homesteading Era

Nuggets of old news are now being served up once a week by David Heller, one of our local historians.

The Pierce Asbyll in the newspaper clipping below is Pierce Asbill, who with his brother Frank, was an early hide-hunter, military scout, and Indian killer and slaver who lived in southern Trinity and Humboldt counties. Their exploits were written up by Pierce’s son, Frank Asbill, while serving a prison sentence for murder of his common law wife.

The younger Frank’s book, Last of the West, is an account of the stories that he had heard from his father and uncle, as well as his own recollections of growing up in the last few decades of the 19th century. Though lacking in historical accuracy in its earlier sections, the book has great value as a cultural document.

Argle Shawley edited out much of the rough spelling, raw language, and rambling style of the original version and Last of the West was published in 1975 by Carlton Press.

Heeding warnings about its historical veracity, noted historians Estle Beard and Carranco made great, but discerning, use of the book in their now out of print history classic Genocide and Vendetta.

Pacific Appeal, Volume XVI, Number 13, November 9, 1878 MORE FACT OR FICTION?

A Curious Cave

A correspondent of the San Francisco Examiner, writing from Covelo, Mendocino county, says: I will give you some facts relative to Round Valley and vicinity which you have probably not heard of. On the Eureka and Round Valley road, about sixteen miles from the latter place, may be seen a cave of curious formation and uncertain size. The cave was first discovered by the Indians in the fall of ’52. These innocent sons of the forest have a legend in connection with this cave, that a band of Indians went into it to explore it and never returned. They believe it to be filled with evil genii and that it will be the future purgatory for bad warriors, and no “brave” can be induced to go with in miles of it. Probably the first white man that entered this cave was Pierce Asbyl. You follow the bed of the Eel river (which is insignificant in summer, but in winter is a boiling, seething stream for about two hundred yards, and then you come to the opening of the cave, which is twelve feet above your head on a smooth wall of rock. There your wit’s end are tried to ascend. Ropes are generally employed, which are thrown around projecting crags in the mouth of the cave. And in the cave a scene of awful sublimity and grandeur presents itself; a corridor 250 feet long, whose vaulted roof is supported by numerous pillars about the size of a man’s body. Stalactites suspended from the ceiling give back from your torch the appearance of thousands of stars, which dazzle the eye and imparts to you the feeling that you are standing in the presence of the most sublime works of God’s hands. Your heavy, nailed boots give back multiplied sounds, and the discharge of a gun is followed by the reverberations almost deafening. It has never been explored for more than a half mile. Openings lead off into different apartments. There is no conjecturing the size of this curious cave, but it is probable that if explored it would rival the great Mammoth Cave of Kentucky.

Earlier Odd and Old News:

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

59 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Willie Caso-Mayhem
Guest
4 years ago

🕯🌳I know this cave and what it’s actually connected to. 😁

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago

Willie would you please share?

Alvin
Guest
Alvin
2 years ago

Hey Willie… could you share some more information about this? Otherwise… why even mention it? Just to gloat?

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

Thank you for this, Kym.

To my way of thinking, this adds even more to Humboldt’s wonderment.

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
4 years ago

Interesting stuff. This is the Paul Gibson Cave… up on Trinity Mountain.
Seems like all the references to that cave have been removed including the USFS. Either they are trying to keep it ‘secret’, or they don’t know about it.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

~fantastic.

Much appreciated post, Bozo.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

I’ve been spelunking through quite a few caves throughout the Trinities and Marbles. Are you willing to give the location of this one?

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

Manzanita Creek Cave

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

Marble Mountains Bigfoot Cave. This karsk hides one of the largest cave system in North America.

Limestone and marble is where you’ll find cave systems out here.

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

Yes. Takes a bit to get there… it is likely beyond the reach of tweakers etc.

Big Hill Road from Hoopa. Go north to the Trinity Mountain Trailhead.
(Small USFS Camp there.) Trail goes up the hill… stay left on the trail (unless you want to visit the Trinity Mountain Guardstation.)
.
Mile or so later, the trail forks… Main fork goes to Mary Blane country… take the southbound trail,
which goes round the east side of Trinity Mountain (Grogan Hole, Devils Backbone etc).

Short distance… you cross the headwaters of Soldier Creek. Leave the trail and
head down the hill following Soldier creek. The cave entrance is on the north side
of the creek… just a bit above where Soldier Creek/Virgin Creek join.

About a 10′ hole in the side of the mountain. Inside that hole is a smaller hole that
goes into the cave. I was 180 lbs back then and found the hole a ‘tight fit’.

1970’s or so… some people had excavated a new entrance that went into the cave… would have ruined it.
Fortunately some other people patched up and fixed the hole.

Forest fires have burned through there… pretty much burned down to the ground.
Not sure what the cave entrance looks like now. Here’s a photo showing the main entrance.
Will post a follow up showing the tight squeeze entrance.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

Thanks! I had heard of a cave on Soldier Creek… this is probably it.

Dot
Guest
Dot
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

Mary Blaine, Soldier Creek, Virgin Creek, Devil’s Backbone… I’m no spelunker, but I spent a lot of time in the back country in the early 70s. Thanks , Bozo, for bringing up the memories of my old stomping grounds.

Steve
Guest
Steve
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

Good luck getting there since the meagrem fire it’s a serious brush wack…besides these things should be kept a secret to protect the natural beauty.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Steve

Is it beauty if no one sees it?

There’s been a couple of good burns through there since the Meagan fire.

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

Cave Entrance.

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

Tight squeeze into Paul Gibson…

Ron Christianson
Guest
Ron Christianson
2 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

Email me at [email protected] I can show you exactly where it is on Google Earth. I explored it back in the late 60’s.

Ice
Guest
Ice
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

Prob not same cave as Paul Gibson cave is at least 50 miles from this cave near Round valley/ Covelo. Trinity county has many many caves ..

zorball
Guest
zorball
4 years ago
Reply to  Ice

At least someone read the article.

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo
Darrell foust
Guest
Darrell foust
3 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

They know about it.
I was searching for a similar cave and asked the forest service personell how to get there how to get there. They’re response was ” Since it’s on public property, we can’t stop you. But we won’t tell you how to get there”. He went on to explain the dangers and responsibilities of caving.
Be careful and carry more than enough flashlights for each person (at least three per) and at least four people going in. One to stay with an injured person, and two to get help. Just in case on of them gets injured on the way out. It’s life and death and caves are no place to take lightly. Or lightless.
YOU CAN DIE, SLOWLY AND MISERABLY!!!

Edit; I found the cave and I know why they were so serious. It’s not like a cave with steps and ladders. And it goes on forever in a labyrinth of possibilities.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
3 years ago
Reply to  Darrell foust

Good info for readers Darrell, thanks.

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
4 years ago

Another photo… Paul Gibson Cave.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

Cave Work on the
Shasta-Trinity
National Forest

Joel Despain

Pacific Southwest Region/ Mendocino National Forest

Paul Paul Gibson Cave is the longest cave on the
Shasta-Trinity National Forest and is located in the
Trinity Alps Wilderness. The map of the cave,
completed in the 1970s, was incomplete and lacked
detail and key resource information. In addition, spatial
survey data from the original cave survey was no longer
available. Good quality and detailed cave maps provide
an inventory of caves and their contents. Not only is the
spatial extent of the cave recorded, maps also provide
an inventory of potential cave habitats, hydrologic
information, paleontological resources, unusual
minerals and many other cave features. Thus, a project
to re-map the cave has been started. The cave is a long,
hard hike to reach and difficult to find. For project work
over the Columbus Day Holiday, Southwest Region
staff recruited experienced cave mappers from the
Shasta Area Grotto, Klamath Mountains Cave
Conservation Task Force, and the Mother Lode Grotto.
Five participants hiked out to the cave and were onsite
from Thursday through Monday. Cavers often are
willing to work on caves projects, which is of great
benefit to the Forest Service. The cave team completed
survey work in the cave totaling 1499 feet of cave
survey; completed another 750 feet of survey on the
surface between the cave entrances and the cave spring.
The cave is now surveyed to a length of 3430 feet or
just over a kilometer while the earlier map included
3181 feet. There is much more to map in the cave. A
few disarticulated bones buried in sediment and of an
unknown origin and age were noted near a tight
squeeze and also in two locations in the ‘75 Passage.▪

From here:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.fs.fed.us/geology/groundwater/documents/caveskarst/BeneathTheForestFall2016.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwij8p2FkrLiAhVNUK0KHecqCwgQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0LvKSNC740CXlyK8ybYsza

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

~you and Bozo have posted some fine comments and pictures.

Thank you much.

Melesa E Fary
Guest
Melesa E Fary
4 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

What a great picture! Which one is
you?

Geoffrey davis
Guest
Geoffrey davis
4 years ago

Oh dear… here come the marauding hoards again……….Looks like the Hiipy spelunkers.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Geoffrey davis

What’s a “Hiipy spelunker”?

Old Humboldt
Guest
Old Humboldt
4 years ago

Love it, David Heller! Thank you.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago

You are welcome, though gratitude must be directed to Kym as well as this is a collaborative effort. I come up with the articles and some background info and she puts it together, edits, and adds photos.
I really enjoy the comments that sharing a story elicits, thanks for the interesting cave directions and stories. But, as Ice said, 16 miles north of Covelo is still far south of the cave mentioned above. No one I have talked to about this upper Eel River cave, landowners, archaeologists, Native descendants, had a clue about this cave. I wondered if the Northfork of the Eel would have a different geology for cave formation than along the Main Eel. ? Then again, Asbill was known for telling stories….

Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago

The guy sounds like a real dick to me!!

LJohnson
Guest
LJohnson
4 years ago

I have heard of caves but not were this is, I heard of caves out in Larabee way up the Gorge. Anyone else here of this? It’s about a day’s hike but we never found them, supposed to be gold from the cowboy day’s. Idk my dad use to Rome around in search of caves he knew about.

Barn Owl
Guest
Barn Owl
4 years ago

Do we really need to hear stories about Indian killers and slavers? Seriously?

Tre404
Guest
Tre404
4 years ago
Reply to  Barn Owl

No one is forcing you to read anything. Hit the back button as soon as you come to words that offend you, and you’re done. Easy-peasy.

Flora-not-bombs
Guest
Flora-not-bombs
4 years ago

None of the comments seem to adhere to eel river valley or 16 miles from round valley. I don’t think this is referencing anything in the trinities.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago

Since no one knows anything about the cave on the Eel (except Willie) the comment section would be pretty brief without conversation on other area caves.

Mike
Guest
Mike
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

If willie knows this it would be the first thing he has known. It’s been so long since I was up in the marbles, we found the Bigfoot cave and went down as far as we could without gear which was allot farther than any person should go without gear, we found and went down another cave that was really close in location, I want to say the nameplate said The Meatgrinder Cave, or something very similar? Does that name sound correct? As I said it’s been a long time but you’re comments brought back some pretty awesome memories.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Yes! Meatgrinder… apply named. I’ve spent too much time worming my way down that hole.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

*aptly

Caves of different sort: snow/ice caves in the Trinities near Caribou Mountain.

Dot
Guest
Dot
4 years ago

Thanks for an interesting article (with interesting comments!) and a great series.

Willow Creeker
Guest
Willow Creeker
4 years ago
Reply to  Dot

I second that. Good thread. This area has got a lot to explore. Get off your devices and check it out. ✌️

Steve Parr
Guest
4 years ago

There are supposedly caves behind Fieldbrook, in a granite cliff I used to visit as a kid. It’s a high cliff, unusual for the area, and when we were kids we heard stories of a cave in its face, pretty high up, but not so high that a desperate man couldn’t climb to it.

In it were supposedly a bunch of old guns, slathered in Cosmoline, and wrapped in canvas, and other supplies.

I read everything I can get my hands on regarding Fieldbrook history, and one time I came across a copy of a soldier’s journal from back in the 1800s, and it told of being part of a supply train heading for Fort Humboldt, with new rifles, etc. They ran into Indians, and were in a running gun battle for quite some time, and ended up fetched up against the bottom of a high cliff. Their situation was desperate; the bottom of the cliff was a jumble of house-sized boulders, and was almost impossible to defend, especially at night.

One man was able to make it up to a cave in the face of the cliff, and securing a rope, they were able to get all of the men, the guns and some other supplies into the cave, where they held off the Indians until one man was able to slip away, get to Fort Humboldt, and return with enough troops to rescue the men in the cave. They were unable to retrieve the supplies, and I found no mention anywhere of the Army making any further attempts.

This story matched the ones we’d heard growing up so closely, that we searched for the cave for years. The valley was heavily timbered at the time (it’s all been logged, now), but from the opposite side we could see that there were caves in the cliff face, but we weren’t rock climbers, so had no way to get to them.

At one point, we took some climbing rope and went up there with a friend who had some experience repelling, and calculating the spot directly over the caves, a couple of guys repelled down the cliff face trying to get to the caves, but we’d under-estimated the height of the cliff, and our ropes wouldn’t reach.

There’s a crack that runs the length of the cliff, about fifteen or twenty feet back from the face. In places it is just a depression in the ground; other places it opens up to holes. If you drop a rock off the face of the cliff, and count the seconds until it hits, then drop a rock down the holes, it takes almost as long to hit the bottom.

One guy was able to repel into the hole the same distance he’d gone down the face of the cliff, but could see nothing other than more hole.

A geology professor from HSU lived out there; he saw us heading out to the Rimrocks one day, and asked us where we were going. When we told him, and described the cliff, he didn’t believe us. He said such a formation was geologically impossible around there. We had to show him.

At any rate, it seems like any mountain climbers, or spelunkers, with interest in Humboldt Co. history would be interested in exploring this (or these) caves.

They’re on Green Diamond property now, I believe. If you look at a topo map of the Fieldbrook area, you’ll see Tip-Top, and two conical hills to the north, running between the Fieldbrook Valley, and the Lower South Fork of Little River, which we used to call Nineteen Mile Creek. The cliff is directly across the ridge from the headwaters of the South Fork of Little River.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Steve Parr

If there are caves there it is not in granite. More like limestone. Not too different in appearance but limestone (ancient calcium deposits from sea shells) is much softer and will erode with water. Granite will not erode in the same way.

Steve Parr
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

I dunno. Check it out on Google Earth. I seem to recall Green Diamond wanting to quarry it when they logged that area, but were stopped because it was such an unusual formation.

I got the impression that the caves were openings into the crack. Apparently the entire face is cracking off in one big slab, and the grinding motion opens caves in the pulverized rock towards the bottom. That’s what it looked like to me.

Look at the image on Google earth. Does it look like a limestone formation?

joey bda
Guest
joey bda
4 years ago
Reply to  Steve Parr
Steve Parr
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  joey bda

That is it.

beel
Guest
beel
4 years ago
Reply to  Steve Parr

What did the professor say after you showed him?

Steve Parr
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  beel

He said, “I’ll be damned.”

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago

Is this a “hiipy spelunker”?

My wolf dog, ULLR, in the Manzanita Creek Cave. It was hunting season and I put bright bandanas on my pooches that time of year.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago

The great room. This is a fun little cave. Pretty archetypal with easy access to the first room. Provides some adventure for those that want to test their claustrophobic reactions.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago

Stalagmite

Katrina
Guest
Katrina
4 years ago

My dad (Johnny B) used to take pictures all over Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties and I can remember seeing quite a few with caves, petroglyphs and geoglyphs along the Eel and on a few tributaries.
There is a cave up near Zenia that the entrance is like a chimney that can be rapeled into. My granddad said when he first found it that there was an old campfire pit at the bottom and handmade rope.
An Aunt said that when her and her siblings were kids they found a cave near Fort Seward that had alot of artifacts.
In the Trinity Annuals there are a few tidbits of info on other things in Southern Trinity/Humboldt/Mendo area that are intriguing: the moon glyph rock that has crescent moons all over it, partial excavation notes stated it had glyphs below ground down to the level of excavation.
Another rock with petroglyphs is a story about the great flood where only the very top of the Yolla Bullies was not covered by water.
And of course, White Lilies (from Zenia) Gold in the Forest Glen area.

Joe Fasho
Guest
Joe Fasho
4 years ago
Reply to  Katrina

I knew Johnny B. Good guy.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago
Reply to  Katrina

Good stories Katrina, thanks. I appreciate how you can talk about what you know without giving away too many location details. I had not heard of the flood petroglyph. The “Sinkyone” have a story about a flood and the two survivors who lived because they were atop Bear Butte, by Phillipsville. I wonder how many other flood stories are in Northcoast Native lore?
And thank you spelunkers for your photos and additions!

gunther
Guest
gunther
4 years ago
Reply to  Katrina

Katrina, my Dad worked on the NWP railroad starting in 1948. He said, from the train, he could see a cave at Ft. Seward. He always wondered about it but never got the chance to check it out.

Melesa E Fary
Guest
Melesa E Fary
4 years ago

I want to thank everybody for sharing the stories, memories and pictures!! I really enjoyed the history , geography and geology lessons. I am a lapidary artist. In the original story above, our 3 hero’s mention seeing something above on the cave ceiling. Shiny and beautiful. Are they referring to the stalagmites/tites? Are there opals or gemstones? Or are there shiny bats above them,? Is there going to be part 3 coming soon to RHB ?

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago

Melesa– Your comment ended up on the first thread for a cave located in the Main Eel River watershed, not the cave allegedly near the South Fork of the Eel… There are some details that are similar in the descriptions of the two caves..this article appeared first in the newspapers and made me go hmmm about the second cave? The exciting conclusion to the series will be on Thursday…. The source of the ceiling reflections is unknown, unfortunately our local geology doesn’t create much in the way of gemstones for us lapidary artists… just some jade. I did enjoy reading about your ‘shiny bats’ theory though!

Rawlins
Guest
Rawlins
3 years ago

Suppose to be a cave near yolla bolla wilderness that goes in a long ways. Suppose to be a under ground river at the end.

Ron Christianson
Guest
Ron Christianson
1 year ago

Here is a Google Earth map showing where the Paul Gibson cave is. I explored it in the mid 60’s.

GoogleEarth_Image 1.jpg