TR Caving Lecture - Dr. Todd Rasmussen

Todd started caving in the 1960s while in High School in Northern California, first in the limestone around Lake Shasta and then lava tubes near Lassen Park and Lava Beds. After college, he worked as a Wilderness Guard for the US Forest Service in the Marble Mountains of Northern California, where he met up with cavers led by Steve Knutson that were exploring the alpine Bigfoot/Meat Grinder Cave System in 1976, which became the deepest cave in the US. 

Todd then spent almost three years in the Peace Corps in Honduras (1976-79), which exposed him to the great tropical caves of Central America. He then helped Steve Knutson and other US and European cavers navigate the dicey politics of traveling (and caving) in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, which were published in the NSS News.

Todd then discovered the wonderful TAG caves after moving to the University of Georgia as a hydrology professor in 1992. He routinely took his classes to explore these awesome gateways to the underworld. His caving activities became even more active during COVID when the university switched to online instruction, with Tumbling Rock Cave becoming his new podium because of SCCI's high-speed internet. 

Students quickly found that camping, caving, and taking classes at "The Cave" was much more stimulating than sitting at home alone for two years. Students found an opportunity to bond with other students, apply what they're learning in their other classes, and generally having the time of their lives. Todd helped them set up research projects based on their personal interests (geology, hydrology, atmospheric sciences, public health, fish and wildlife, public health, engineering, and much more), and stoked their passion for exploring the unknown. 

His mission has been to help the next generation of cavers find the excitement and curiosity that he had when he first discovered this incredible subterranean world.