Mammoth Cave is imposing. Close to four-hundred mapped miles, by far, the world's biggest cave system. And in one of its limestone passageways, you'll find Roger Brucker...
...America caving's top name over the last century.
That's how long Mammoth has been his second home. Now eighty, he's still exploring.
Brucker was eight when he first set foot here.
Some kids are scared of the dark. Brucker loved it.
"MANY PEOPLE THINK OF CAVES LIKE THIS AS DARK AND DAMP. COLD AND CREEPY. FOR ROGER BRUCKER, THERE'S MAGIC IN THE MYSTERY OF WHAT'S REALLY DOWN HERE. AND WHAT IT ALL MEANS.
These days, Brucker mentors the next generation of caving.
Past the sleeping bats...and assorted crawlies...he teaches them surveying. Mapping. And surviving underground.
To cavers, Roger Brucker is an A-list celebrity.
People started exploring Mammoth five thousand years ago. But in many pockets, Brucker got there first. Mapping more than forty miles of it himself.
He has introduced Mammoth to cavers, and caving to outsiders. But over the years, he has also connected caves with each other, discovering passageways that link them.
He's still discovering. A curiosity both ageless and timeless, pushing him further into the mystery underground.
A modern caveman. And proud of it.
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