Seeking information about caves and lava tube tunnels in Gifford Pinchot National Forest

[pnwbigfootsearch]

Hello everyone, our team is investigating multiple missing persons cold-cases inside Gifford Pinchot National Forest. We are seeking information regarding the locations of known caves and lava tube tunnels inside Gifford Pinchot National Forest
One case we're investigating is the disappearance of Kristopher Zitzewitz, a spelunker whom vanished while hiking inside the Big Lava Beds on September 29th, 2013.
Any information you think may assist us, that you don't mind sharing, would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

[pinecone]

For the reasons of protecting fragile cave environments and protecting "spleunkers" from the hazards of caves, much information is hard to find free floating out there. There is an abundance of information to those dedicated to research and joining as members of the National Speleological Society, which is a nationwide community of cavers and researchers. www.caves.org Their archives contain excellent information. Experts on the area will be with the Oregon Grotto. For some direct info on Big Lava Bed for example, their site has a wealth of info https://www.oregongrotto.com/big-lava-beds-washington/ but, for the reasons above, maps and exact locating references are gatewayed for members.

[jvangeld]

https://www.oregongrotto.com/big-lava-beds-washington/ but, for the reasons above, maps and exact locating references are gatewayed for members.

From that site:

Several weeks later we returned, and did a survey of the newly discovered cave, and it was a healthy 646 feet long, with potential for more passage down slope. I brought a heavy duty six foot bar along, and did quite a bit of pounding off the lower cave’s floor and ceiling at the pinch. I made a lot of progress, but I needed to break a bit more of the rock from the floor and ceiling. I even brought some card board to lie on, and tried squeezing my skinny body through a cardboard tunnel, but I needed a few more inches to make it work.
I was pretty spent from all the hard work, and found myself drifting away into sleep as I laid there recovering on the cardboard mat. I don’t know how long I slept, but I woke up not knowing where I was. I laid there in total darkness for a moment wondering what was going on, and slowly realized I was in a cave dig. I was crazy to think that I might have just slept until the evening there, and then had to try and get back in the dark, although Garry and Bob probably would have found me before that. I packed up my gear and returned to the surface to tell them about my failed attempt, and found them in the middle section of passage.