So how many of you have ever been in a cave before?
So how many of you have ever been in a cave before?

Okay, a few of you.
Okay, a few of you.

When you think of a cave, most of you think
When you think of a cave, most of you think

of a tunnel going through solid rock,
of a tunnel going through solid rock,

and in fact, that's how most caves are.
and in fact, that's how most caves are.

Around this half of the country,
Around this half of the country,

most of your caves are made of limestone.
most of your caves are made of limestone.

Back where I'm from, most of our caves are made of lava rock,
Back where I'm from, most of our caves are made of lava rock,

because we have a lot of volcanoes out there.
because we have a lot of volcanoes out there.

But the caves I want to share with you today are made
But the caves I want to share with you today are made

completely of ice, specifically glacier ice
completely of ice, specifically glacier ice

that's formed in the side of the tallest mountain
that's formed in the side of the tallest mountain

in the state of Oregon, called Mount Hood.
in the state of Oregon, called Mount Hood.

Now Mount Hood's only one hour's drive from Portland,
Now Mount Hood's only one hour's drive from Portland,

the largest city in Oregon,
the largest city in Oregon,

where over two million people live.
where over two million people live.

Now the most exciting thing for a cave explorer
Now the most exciting thing for a cave explorer

is to find a new cave
is to find a new cave

and be the first human to ever go into it.
and be the first human to ever go into it.

The second most exciting thing for a cave explorer
The second most exciting thing for a cave explorer

is to be the first one to make a map of a cave.
is to be the first one to make a map of a cave.

Now these days, with so many people hiking around,
Now these days, with so many people hiking around,

it's pretty hard to find a new cave,
it's pretty hard to find a new cave,

so you can imagine how excited we were
so you can imagine how excited we were

to find three new caves
to find three new caves

within sight of Oregon's largest city
within sight of Oregon's largest city

and realize that they had never been explored
and realize that they had never been explored

or mapped before.
or mapped before.

It was kind of like being an astronaut,
It was kind of like being an astronaut,

because we were getting to see things and go places
because we were getting to see things and go places

that no one had ever seen or gone to before.
that no one had ever seen or gone to before.

So what is a glacier?
So what is a glacier?

Well, those of you who have ever seen or touched snow,
Well, those of you who have ever seen or touched snow,

you know that it's really light,
you know that it's really light,

because it's just a bunch of tiny ice crystals clumped together, and it's mostly air.
because it's just a bunch of tiny ice crystals clumped together, and it's mostly air.

If you squish a handful of snow to make a snowball,
If you squish a handful of snow to make a snowball,

it gets really small, hard and dense.
it gets really small, hard and dense.

Well, on a mountain like Hood, where it snows
Well, on a mountain like Hood, where it snows

over 20 feet a year,
over 20 feet a year,

it crushes the air out of it
it crushes the air out of it

and gradually forms it into hard blue ice.
and gradually forms it into hard blue ice.

Now each year, more and more ice stacks up on top of it,
Now each year, more and more ice stacks up on top of it,

and eventually it gets so heavy
and eventually it gets so heavy

that it starts to slide down the mountain
that it starts to slide down the mountain

under its own weight,
under its own weight,

forming a slow-moving river of ice.
forming a slow-moving river of ice.

When ice packed like that starts to move,
When ice packed like that starts to move,

we call it a glacier, and we give it a name.
we call it a glacier, and we give it a name.

The name of the glacier these caves are formed in
The name of the glacier these caves are formed in

is the Sandy Glacier.
is the Sandy Glacier.

Now each year, as new snow lands on the glacier,
Now each year, as new snow lands on the glacier,

it melts in the summer sun,
it melts in the summer sun,

and it forms little rivers of water on the flow along the ice,
and it forms little rivers of water on the flow along the ice,

and they start to melt and bore their way down through the glacier,
and they start to melt and bore their way down through the glacier,

forming big networks of caves,
forming big networks of caves,

sometimes going all the way down to the underlying bedrock.
sometimes going all the way down to the underlying bedrock.

Now the crazy thing about glacier caves
Now the crazy thing about glacier caves

is that each year, new tunnels form.
is that each year, new tunnels form.

Different waterfalls pop up or move around
Different waterfalls pop up or move around

from place to place inside the cave.
from place to place inside the cave.

Warm water from the top of the ice
Warm water from the top of the ice

is boring its way down,
is boring its way down,

and warm air from below the mountain
and warm air from below the mountain

actually rises up, gets into the cave,
actually rises up, gets into the cave,

and melts the ceilings back taller and taller.
and melts the ceilings back taller and taller.

But the weirdest thing about glacier caves
But the weirdest thing about glacier caves

is that the entire cave is moving,
is that the entire cave is moving,

because it's formed inside a block of ice
because it's formed inside a block of ice

the size of a small city
the size of a small city

that's slowly sliding down the mountain.
that's slowly sliding down the mountain.

Now this is Brent McGregor,
Now this is Brent McGregor,

my cave exploration partner.
my cave exploration partner.

He and I have both been exploring caves a long time
He and I have both been exploring caves a long time

and we've been climbing mountains a long time,
and we've been climbing mountains a long time,

but neither one of us had ever really explored a glacier cave before.
but neither one of us had ever really explored a glacier cave before.

Back in 2011, Brent saw a YouTube video
Back in 2011, Brent saw a YouTube video

of a couple of hikers that stumbled across the entrance to one of these caves.
of a couple of hikers that stumbled across the entrance to one of these caves.

There were no GPS coordinates for it,
There were no GPS coordinates for it,

and all we knew was that it was somewhere
and all we knew was that it was somewhere

out on the Sandy Glacier.
out on the Sandy Glacier.

So in July of that year, we went out on the glacier,
So in July of that year, we went out on the glacier,

and we found a big crack in the ice.
and we found a big crack in the ice.

We had to build snow and ice anchors
We had to build snow and ice anchors

so that we could tie off ropes and rappel down into the hole.
so that we could tie off ropes and rappel down into the hole.

This is me looking into the entrance crevasse.
This is me looking into the entrance crevasse.

At the end of this hole, we found a huge tunnel
At the end of this hole, we found a huge tunnel

going right up the mountain
going right up the mountain

underneath thousands of tons of glacier ice.
underneath thousands of tons of glacier ice.

We followed this cave back for about a half mile
We followed this cave back for about a half mile

until it came to an end,
until it came to an end,

and then with the help of our survey tools
and then with the help of our survey tools

we made a three-dimensional map of the cave
we made a three-dimensional map of the cave

on our way back out.
on our way back out.

So how do you map a cave?
So how do you map a cave?

Well, cave maps aren't like trail maps or road maps
Well, cave maps aren't like trail maps or road maps

because they have pits and holes going to overlapping levels.
because they have pits and holes going to overlapping levels.

To make a cave map, you have to set up
To make a cave map, you have to set up

survey stations every few feet inside the cave,
survey stations every few feet inside the cave,

and you use a laser to measure the distance between those stations.
and you use a laser to measure the distance between those stations.

Then you use a compass and an inclinometer
Then you use a compass and an inclinometer

to measure the direction the cave is headed
to measure the direction the cave is headed

and measure the slope of the floor and the ceilings.
and measure the slope of the floor and the ceilings.

Now those of you taking trigonometry,
Now those of you taking trigonometry,

that particular type of math is very useful
that particular type of math is very useful

for making maps like this
for making maps like this

because it allows you to measure heights and distances
because it allows you to measure heights and distances

without actually having to go there.
without actually having to go there.

In fact, the more I mapped and studied caves,
In fact, the more I mapped and studied caves,

the more useful I found all that math
the more useful I found all that math

that I originally hated in school to be.
that I originally hated in school to be.

So when you're done surveying,
So when you're done surveying,

you take all this data and you punch it into a computer
you take all this data and you punch it into a computer

and you find someone that can draw really well,
and you find someone that can draw really well,

and you have them draft up a map
and you have them draft up a map

that looks something like this,
that looks something like this,

and it'll show you both a bird's-eye view of the passage
and it'll show you both a bird's-eye view of the passage

as well as a profile view of the passage,
as well as a profile view of the passage,

kind of like an ant farm view.
kind of like an ant farm view.

We named this cave Snow Dragon Cave
We named this cave Snow Dragon Cave

because it was like a big dragon sleeping under the snow.
because it was like a big dragon sleeping under the snow.

Now later this summer, as more snow melted off the glacier,
Now later this summer, as more snow melted off the glacier,

we found more caves, and we realized they were all connected.
we found more caves, and we realized they were all connected.

Not long after we mapped Snow Dragon,
Not long after we mapped Snow Dragon,

Brent discovered this new cave not very far away.
Brent discovered this new cave not very far away.

The inside of it was coated with ice,
The inside of it was coated with ice,

so we had to wear big spikes on our feet called crampons
so we had to wear big spikes on our feet called crampons

so we could walk around without slipping.
so we could walk around without slipping.

This cave was amazing.
This cave was amazing.

The ice in the ceiling was glowing blue anad green
The ice in the ceiling was glowing blue anad green

because the sunlight from far above
because the sunlight from far above

was shining through the ice and lighting it all up.
was shining through the ice and lighting it all up.

And we couldn't understand why this cave
And we couldn't understand why this cave

was so much colder than Snow Dragon
was so much colder than Snow Dragon

until we got to the end and we found out why.
until we got to the end and we found out why.

There was a huge pit or shaft called a moulin
There was a huge pit or shaft called a moulin

going 130 feet straight up to the surface of the glacier.
going 130 feet straight up to the surface of the glacier.

Cold air from the top of the mountain
Cold air from the top of the mountain

was flowing down this hole and blasting through the cave,
was flowing down this hole and blasting through the cave,

freezing everything inside of it.
freezing everything inside of it.

And we were so excited about finding this new pit,
And we were so excited about finding this new pit,

we actually came back in January the following year
we actually came back in January the following year

so we could be the first ones to explore it.
so we could be the first ones to explore it.

It was so cold outside,
It was so cold outside,

we actually had to sleep inside the cave.
we actually had to sleep inside the cave.

There's our camp on the left side of this entrance room.
There's our camp on the left side of this entrance room.

The next morning, we climbed out of the cave
The next morning, we climbed out of the cave

and hiked all the way to the top of the glacier,
and hiked all the way to the top of the glacier,

where we finally rigged and rappelled this pit
where we finally rigged and rappelled this pit

for the very first time.
for the very first time.

Brent named this cave Pure Imagination,
Brent named this cave Pure Imagination,

I think because the beautiful sights we saw in there
I think because the beautiful sights we saw in there

were beyond what we could have ever imagined.
were beyond what we could have ever imagined.

So besides really cool ice, what else is inside these caves?
So besides really cool ice, what else is inside these caves?

Well not too much lives in them because they're so cold
Well not too much lives in them because they're so cold

and the entrance is actually covered up with snow
and the entrance is actually covered up with snow

for about eight months of the year.
for about eight months of the year.

But there are some really cool things in there.
But there are some really cool things in there.

There's weird bacteria living in the water
There's weird bacteria living in the water

that actually eat and digest rocks
that actually eat and digest rocks

to make their own food
to make their own food

to live under this ice.
to live under this ice.

In fact, this past summer, scientists collected
In fact, this past summer, scientists collected

samples of water and ice
samples of water and ice

specifically to see if things called extremophiles,
specifically to see if things called extremophiles,

tiny lifeforms that are evolved to live in completely hostile conditions,
tiny lifeforms that are evolved to live in completely hostile conditions,

might be living under the ice,
might be living under the ice,

kind of like what they hope to find on the polar icecaps of Mars someday.
kind of like what they hope to find on the polar icecaps of Mars someday.

Another really cool things is that,
Another really cool things is that,

as seeds and birds land on the surface of the glacier and die,
as seeds and birds land on the surface of the glacier and die,

they get buried in the snow
they get buried in the snow

and gradually become part of the glacier,
and gradually become part of the glacier,

sinking deeper and deeper into the ice.
sinking deeper and deeper into the ice.

As these caves form and melt their way up into the ice,
As these caves form and melt their way up into the ice,

they make these artifacts rain down from the ceiling
they make these artifacts rain down from the ceiling

and fall onto the cave floor, where we end up finding them.
and fall onto the cave floor, where we end up finding them.

For example, this is a noble fir seed we found.
For example, this is a noble fir seed we found.

It's been frozen in the ice for over 100 years,
It's been frozen in the ice for over 100 years,

and it's just now starting to sprout.
and it's just now starting to sprout.

This mallard duck feather
This mallard duck feather

was found over 1,800 feet in the back of Snow Dragon Cave.
was found over 1,800 feet in the back of Snow Dragon Cave.

This duck died on the surface of the glacier long, long ago,
This duck died on the surface of the glacier long, long ago,

and its feathers have finally made it down through over 100 feet of ice
and its feathers have finally made it down through over 100 feet of ice

before falling inside the cave.
before falling inside the cave.

And this beautiful quartz crystal
And this beautiful quartz crystal

was also found in the back of Snow Dragon.
was also found in the back of Snow Dragon.

Even now, Brent and I find it hard to believe
Even now, Brent and I find it hard to believe

that all these discoveries were essentially in our own backyard,
that all these discoveries were essentially in our own backyard,

hidden away, just waiting to be found.
hidden away, just waiting to be found.

Like I said earlier, the idea of discovering
Like I said earlier, the idea of discovering

in this busy world we live in
in this busy world we live in

kind of seems like something you can only do with space travel now,
kind of seems like something you can only do with space travel now,

but that's not true.
but that's not true.

Every year, new caves get discovered
Every year, new caves get discovered

that no one has ever been in before.
that no one has ever been in before.

So it's actually not too late for one of you
So it's actually not too late for one of you

to become a discoverer yourself.
to become a discoverer yourself.

You just have to be willing to look
You just have to be willing to look

and go where people don't often go
and go where people don't often go

and focus your eyes and your mind
and focus your eyes and your mind

to recognize the discovery when you see it,
to recognize the discovery when you see it,

because it might be in your own backyard.
because it might be in your own backyard.

Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.

(Applause)
(Applause)