By Alison Thompson
Just south of Utah Lake, an uncivilized territory of jagged rocks and parched desert hills conceal a spelunker''s paradise.
Those who come to the Nutty Putty caves find an inconspicuous hole in the ground with no signs or markers to indicate the teaming life below the surface. The real story of the caves can only be discovered at the end of a 300-foot drop.
BYU students tame their hidden fear of claustrophobia and brave the foreign atmosphere of the cave year round -- the temperature of the cave never falls below 74 degrees.
'When I first got to the caves, I was shocked by how many people were there,' said Chris Anderson, 22, a junior Seattle, Wash, majoring in computer science. 'It''s in the middle of nowhere, and I''m surprised people were able to find it.'
According to the Timpanogos Grotto Web site, a local chapter of the National Speleological Society, an average of approximately seven people a day visited the Nutty Putty caves between 2000 and 2001.
The cave entrance starts with an immediate drop into a small area where cavers will pass through a tight squeeze before climbing down; Ropes dangle 300-feet below the surface to assist. When finally reaching the bottom, many amateur spelunkers face the challenge of the 'Birth Canal,' an area so tight even experienced climbers said it daunts them.
'I went with my buddy and his high-maintenance girlfriend through the Birth Canal and she totally freaked out,' Anderson said. 'People don''t know if they should go feet or head first coming out of the canal.'
BYU student Nick Hecht said his first Birth Canal experience was memorable: 'The birth-canal was so exhilarating. When I finally got out I said, ''It''s a boy!'''
Another BYU student, Matt Thomas, was concerned about the tight quarters of the canal until he made it through successfully.
'I thought I would be too fat to fit, but I made it,' he said.
While some cavers consider climbing a struggle, other students said squeezing between Nutty Putty''s small crevices presents a far smaller challenge than the one posed by the drive up to the mouth of the cave.
Between the mix of vague directions and bumpy roads, spelunkers may spend more time traveling to the cave than they do exploring the cave''s secrets.
'I''ve seen people almost bust axles on the way up the last hill because they went up the wrong way,' Anderson said.
A Nutty Putty cave Web site, located at http://www.uoflife.com/hac/nutty_putty.htm, gives descriptive directions to the Nutty Putty Caves.
And for students interested in letting others worry about the hassle of organizing a Nutty Putty experience, Outdoors Unlimited provides transportation, gear and a guided tour through the hidden rooms and narrow passages through Nutty Putty caves for $20.
Experienced spelunkers suggest explorers bring a flashlight with extra batteries and wear long-sleeved clothing they don''t mind getting dirty. The Nutty Putty experience could last one to five hours.
'It''ll be one of those awesome trips you talk with your buddies about two or three years later at Doc''s Pizza,' Anderson said. 'We still do.'