Well... not to guess about the unexpected... but as for what is likely...
Following the pattern for caves in the Canadian Rockies, the lowest cave levels will be highly technical (wrt exploration techniques) with a cold and fast-moving river. The typical passage in such a cave often is somewhat like a slot canyon, but with more angular walls. The distance to the resurgence appears to be a couple of kilometers with an elevation difference of 450 meters. The geometry of flow from this swallet entrance to the resurgence looks joint or fault controlled directing the flow northward from the 'dry' valley's outlet. That is, the cave flow's exit is north of the dry valley's confluence with the north-south surface stream. Thus, a large amount of the cave is likely to occur deep under the mountain. With respect to exploration, this increases the chances that higher, drier alternate passageways and alternate infeeder streams exist aside from the main stream course. It is unclear from aerial imagery, but there is also some chance that the mountainside to the north and west of the entrance is karstified. If so, higher entrances are possible -- which could increase the total system depth. The deepest cave in Canada is ~650m from highest to lowest point. While most satellite imagery of the resurgent stream run show a whitewater cascade, there is some variation in flow. The cave at the resurgent spring would be one of the first places to investigate at low flow.
Congratulations to the team for a wonderful discovery!
(Just a quick impression. I have discovered quite a few sizable caves--not this one, of course)
Following the pattern for caves in the Canadian Rockies, the lowest cave levels will be highly technical (wrt exploration techniques) with a cold and fast-moving river. The typical passage in such a cave often is somewhat like a slot canyon, but with more angular walls. The distance to the resurgence appears to be a couple of kilometers with an elevation difference of 450 meters. The geometry of flow from this swallet entrance to the resurgence looks joint or fault controlled directing the flow northward from the 'dry' valley's outlet. That is, the cave flow's exit is north of the dry valley's confluence with the north-south surface stream. Thus, a large amount of the cave is likely to occur deep under the mountain. With respect to exploration, this increases the chances that higher, drier alternate passageways and alternate infeeder streams exist aside from the main stream course. It is unclear from aerial imagery, but there is also some chance that the mountainside to the north and west of the entrance is karstified. If so, higher entrances are possible -- which could increase the total system depth. The deepest cave in Canada is ~650m from highest to lowest point. While most satellite imagery of the resurgent stream run show a whitewater cascade, there is some variation in flow. The cave at the resurgent spring would be one of the first places to investigate at low flow.
Congratulations to the team for a wonderful discovery!
(Just a quick impression. I have discovered quite a few sizable caves--not this one, of course)