Peter Quick

NSS# 18575

Fellow - Lew Bicking.

One of the original discoverers of the Fisher Ridge Cave System in 1980 and has been one of the principle leaders of the cave project for the last 17 years. He helped set rigorous survey standards that the project has adhered to ever since. At the same time as the discovery of the Fisher Ridge Cave System he helped found the Detroit Urban Grotto to provide an organization that would both support the project and provide an outlet for information on the cave system. A few years ago progress in the exploration of the cave system stagnated at around fifty miles in length. Very little new passage was being found. Peter continued doggedly leading mapping trips and checking leads. In the Fall of 1992 he discovered a huge breakthrough that led to the expansion of the cave system under Northtown Ridge. The nature of the exploration of the cave had changed. Trips became very tough and long. Using cave camping techniques he had picked up on his numerous Mexican caving trips, Peter developed special techniques for light weight mutli day camp and exploration trips to the distant parts of the cave. Most of the project members now use his equipment suggestions. Presently Peter is the project leader and lead mapper. He has personally mapped over 40 miles in the cave system thus far and has shepherded the Fisher Ridge Cave System to 84 miles in length. The length of the cave system is even more impressive when it is realized that most of the mapping has been done by not much more than 15 primary surveyors.

Peter Quick has caved since 1974. He became immediately interested in mapping caves. In 1976 he started mapping caves in Vermont with the Boston Grotto. In 1979 he decided that he wanted to map all the known caves in Vermont (none had been mapped beyond sketch maps) and to write a geologic and historical guide to the caves of Vermont. The project didn't move very fast because in 1980 he moved from Massachusetts to Michigan. Never the less he continued to return to Vermont and slowly continued gathering information on Vermont Caves and continued mapping. He had many solo trips and mapped many caves by himself. This long term commitment finally paid off when in the summer of 1994 he self published a book "Vermont Caves" covering over 100 caves.

Peter's one other area of caving interest over the years has been Mexico. Since 1980 he has participated in a number of week long underground expeditions.