THE FIRST CONNECTION: Caves and cavers have secrets -- Unknown Cave and Crystal Cave are connected -- THE FLINT RIDGE CON: Jim introduces Roger to the Kentucky caves and to the idea of connection -- THE RINKY-DINK: Bill takes the Ohio cavers on a run-around that makes them dizzy with the vastness of Crystal Cave -- They are filled with the desire to explore it -- ATTEMPT TO EXTEND CRYSTAL CAVE: National Speleological Society cavers try to extend Floyd Collins' Crystal Cave -- Lessons from the C-3 expedition lead to new techniques -- BIG DISCOVERIES EXPAND UNKNOWN/CRYSTAL CAVE: An effort to connect Crystal Cave with Salts Cave fails, but opens the heart of Flint Ridge -- REFINING THE CAVERS AND THEIR METHODS: The cavers again try to connect Crystal Cave with Salts Cave -- They fail, but again improve their caving abilities -- CAVE WAR: Political obstacles confine the explorers, but harden their determination to explore the caves of Flint Ridge -- UNKNOWN CAVE: Bill and Jack secretly explore a big cave near Crystal Cave -- Now they make the Ohio cavers co-conspirators -- TO EXPLORE THE LONGEST CAVE: The explorers organize a power base, the Cave Research Foundation -- A new kind of caving is developed -- The National Park Service opens the caves of Mammoth Cave National Park to exploration and scientific research -- LOST: Getting lost is a serious risk -- Bob gets lost and Jacque remains calm -- THE COLOSSAL/SALTS LINK: Explorers trying to connect Colossal Cave with Unknovra/Crystal Cave surprise everyone --
FUTILITY IN GREAT ONYX CAVE: Explorers try to connect Great Onyx Cave with Unknown/Crystal Cave, but are stopped dead -- ACROSS THE TOP OF COLOSSAL DOME: Adventure is found looking for a passage the old-timers thought would connect Colossal Cave with Mammoth Cave -- JONES PIT: Injury is a serious risk -- A brush with death leads to preparations for emergencies -- THE UNKNOWN/SALTS LINK: The connection between Unknown/Crystal Cave and Colossal/Salts Cave integrates the Flint Ridge Cave System -- It is still not the longest cave in the world, but it is the third-longest -- WHY DOES A GOOD CAVER QUIT CAVING?: Six major explorers drop out, but others take their places -- UNDER HOUCHINS VALLEY: A 3000-foot-wide valley stands in the way of connecting the Flint Ridge Cave System with Mammoth Cave -- Then the explorers find a muddy lead -- It goes to a complex of passages under Houchins Valley -- UNDER MAMMOTH CAVE RIDGE: The hell of far-out Flint Ridge caving is close to the heaven of Mammoth Cave Ridge -- A breakdown pile at Q-87 closes the passage only 800 feet from Albert's Domes in Mammoth Cave -- Q-87: Red thinks about caving on the first big attempt to connect with Mammoth Cave -- That is where your friends are -- FATIGUE AND POLITICS: A threat to the future protection of the longest cave halts efforts to connect the Flint Ridge Cave System with Mammoth Cave, so Joe finds some cave in a blank spot on Flint Ridge. Bureaucrats say there is no cave in Joppa Ridge, so Gordon discovers the Joppa Ridge Cave System and a new connection dream emerges -- FROM THE MAMMOTH CAVE SIDE: Joe authorizes one party to resume the effort to connect the Flint Ridge Cave System with Mammoth Cave -- Red sends ten parties -- THE PRESSURE BUILDS -- There are two styles of connection fanatic -- The romantics line up against the engineers -- John Wilcox enters the running -- Q-87 AGAIN: John decides to force the Q-87 breakdown pile that may block a way from the Flint Ridge Cave System to Mammoth Cave -- His crew learns about engineering the hard way -- They do not get through --
THE BRUCKER STRATEGY: A romantic fling at connecting the Flint Ridge Cave System with Mammoth Cave leads to the reality of a cold Flint Ridge river. It sends the explorers back to try again from the Mammoth Cave side. They fail to connect
AGAIN Q-87: John cons another party into trying to force a way through the breakdown pile at Q-87
On the way back, Pat goes through the Tight Spot to discover a stream that drains west from the Flint Ridge Cave System toward Mammoth Cave
However, the Tight Spot may have separated the woman from the men
SEPARATING THE MAN FROM THE BOYS: The Tight Spot strains out the father, but the son goes on to find a river in the caves beyond
This must be the way to connect the Flint Ridge Cave System with Mammoth Cave
"PETE H.": Pat leads a trip down the new river
Tom makes a startling discovery of a name on the wall and an arrow pointing downstream toward Mammoth Cave
Wasn't Pete Hanson a Mammoth Cave guide?
John counsels secrecy until they know where they are
THE TIGHT SPOT: Joe aborts the trip of a lifetime
Every‐one is worn out, but they advance not one foot beyond the point of previous penetration
"GO UP ROARING RIVER, BOYS.": Explorers return to Mammoth Cave to see if Pete Hanson had followed Marty's advice
Perhaps the river containing Pete Hanson's name that was found from the Flint Ridge side is a tributary of Roaring River in Mammoth Cave
Explorers fail to find it
LEAK!: Tom lets the secret out, forcing John's hand
John must connect the Flint Ridge Cave System with Mammoth Cave while the rumor spreads that it has already been done
THE FINAL CONNECTION: John Wilcox, Pat Crowther, Rich‐ard Zopf, Gary Eller, Steve Wells, and Cleve Pinnix make the final connection between the Flint Ridge Cave System and Mammoth Cave
VICTORY: The longest cave is 144.4 miles long
The Everest of world speleology has been climbed.
