Mojave on KSL

[CaverStretch]

Did anyone catch the news story on Mojave Underground and the search for Susan Powell on KSL Radio today? I was surprised when I heard it.

[RockRacer]

Not on the radio, but my dad just sent me this email:

Group searches for Susan Powell in abandoned mines

[Michael_Leavitt]

Fellow Explorers:

I haven’t checked in with the Mojave Underground for a while, but the www.NuttyPuttyCave.com website inquiry this morning inspired a reply of which I thought you might be interested reading...

Michael, I saw this article on KSL today [url]http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=12748567[/url]  that says spelunkers are looking to find where Susan Powell may be?  I cant help being curious about the Nutty Putty news, when that one guy was sealed in there…if there are other entrances to the cave where that group would be able to look?

Best regards, Dex
----------------------------
~ elevate others and you find yourself elevated as well ~

10/11/2010

Dex:

That was an interesting little article. Here are my knee-jerk thoughts:

   1. Although rumors abound, there is no back opening or other way into the sealed Nutty Putty Cave.
   2. There are numerous other caves located within 20 miles of the Nutty Putty Cave, most of which are wide open, not gated, remote, and rarely explored.
   3. Abandoned mines are probably a much better hiding place than a cave due to the deep vertical shafts that you could more easily push a body off of for a huge fall into the darkness. Being abandoned, the body in the mine would remain unknown until somebody actually explored the depths of the mine. With tens of thousands of abandoned mines in Utah, it would be rare for the body to be found without more specific guidance and clues as to where to look. Keep in mind, according to reports, that the body probably would have been hidden with a 2 wd vehicle in 6 inches of snow. That greatly limits the mines needing to be searched since most have very remote and difficult access.
   4. The bonus to disposing a body in an abandoned mine is that there is a growing trend (written mandate) to seal off all of the old mines. This means that others would be paid to close the opening of the abandoned mine, without searching first, and permanently entombing the evidences of the body disposal.  
   5. As for disposing of a body in the Nutty Putty Cave, I could only imagine trying to pull a dead body into the Nutty Putty Cave opening and through its tight winding passages. That would be exhausting and impossible work for one individual. And since I presume murderers to be rather lazy, a mine shaft would be far easier than a location like the Nutty Putty Cave, since you could drive up, drag the body inside to the abandoned shaft, and then push it off into the darkness. SIDE NOTE: Due to the decomposing stench, you would also have to fully wrap the corpse in a way that there would be no rips or tears in the wrapping during the fall, or else the odor would be noticeable to other explorers, as well as dead body sniffing canines… That would be a tough task.
   6. Another key point to remember is that the Mojave Underground is working with several other groups and are not just looking for a needle in a haystack for free publicity. They have been searching for the body of Susan Powell in the easier accessed mines after investigations led them to specific regional areas. I was impressed by the Mojave Underground video found here... [url]http://mojaveunderground.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=851&highlight=Powell[/url] . This video was from July 1, 2010 and displays their ongoing efforts. The October 8, 2010 article that you sent to me is not their first search effort for Susan Powell, and it won’t be their last.
   7. Also keep in mind that the Mojave Underground is a group of Utah mine preservationist that are very upset at the sweeping trend to permanently close all of the old abandoned Utah mines. They have some of the best equipped professional explorers in Utah amongst their ranks. They are not just a bunch of college partiers heading out for fun late on a Friday night. The searches are being done in a safe and systematic fashion. With some luck, they might just stumble upon  Susan Powell‘s remains. It’s a long shot, and it also adds another level of excitement to their mine explorations. I wouldn’t be shocked to learn of them finding other dead bodies, as I am certain that somebody has given this method of body disposal a try.

Will the Mojave Underground ultimately be successful? It is a long shot, but they are volunteers donating their precious time to a worthy cause. For their efforts, they should be praised. And if they are successful, then Susan Powell’s family may find the peace they desire.

Thanks for sharing the link. Do you have any thoughts or insights to share?

Michael Leavitt
Timpanogos Grotto Webmaster
Orem, Utah
801-636-6816 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              801-636-6816      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              801-636-6816      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              801-636-6816      end_of_the_skype_highlighting 
[url]www.TimpGrotto.com[/url]
[email]Michael@TheHomeInspector.com[/email]
[url]www.TheHomeInspector.com[/url]
[url]www.NuttyPuttyCave.com[/url]
[url]www.NoCavesInUtah.com[/url]
[url]www.USSCaves.com[/url]

http://www.nuttyputtycave.com/NSusan...nes_KSL_2.htmlwww.NuttyPuttyCave.com

[UnderUtah]

Thanks for the input and the complimentary and in depth response you have shared Mike. We have had numerous comments along the same lines - people conflate mines and caves as one, and often don't have the facts - they hear that there are 20,000 abandoned mines in the state and clutch their chests in panic, wondering if there are a dozen or so in their own back yards that they have somehow missed. What they don't realize is that what the state calls an abandoned mine can range from a 1200' deep shaft with a few miles of workings to the tiniest prospect with only a few cubic yards of material having been disturbed 100 years ago. It dosen't make much of an impact were the state to say "we have approximately 1500 dangerous vertical mine features that require closure or mitigation." it is much better to fly the "20,000 dangerous abandoned mine openings" flag, and insist on closing them all no matter their signifigance or probable physical danger.

We have been working with a few groups helping with the Susan Powell search, and it is important to note that our efforts, and when I say our efforts I am referring to MU, the SAR group, the cadaver dogs and their trainers, etc. do not require the involvement or authorization of WVCPD or the DOGM / DNR. These agencies have been kept in the loop regarding our work, but despite the news inference that we are conducting these searches "without permission," implying that explicit permission must first be asked then granted before any abandoned mine may be searched is a bit of a technical fallacy.

You are correct to point out that a cave would be a poor repository for a body, and that the mines we are interested in are of the easy-to-get-to-in-2WD variety. My estimate is that there are far fewer than 100 locations that fit the criteria - certainly not 20,000 as frequently referred to in the news. We will continue to target those sites that are reasonably suspect and will do so in a responsible manner. Thanks for sharing the information!