texascavers Digest 22 Apr 2014 17:33:16 -0000 Issue 1966
Topics (messages 23712 through 23716):
for a caver in south Dallas
23712 by: David
TCMA thanks volunteers
23713 by: Ron Ralph
Important caves to purchase
23714 by: David
Honey Creek Cave Work Day, Saturday, June 21st
23715 by: ellie watson
Re: caves to purchase
23716 by: David
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--- Begin Message ---
When I was a young kid in 1974, I found a limestone boulder in a creekbed
in south Dallas, that had an interesting fossil of a fish in it. The fish
was about 2 feet long, and the boulder about 4 feet in diameter, It resembled
a barracuda.
The coordinates of the boulder are:
32.715929, -96.889127
I haven't seen it in 40 years, and would bet it has been vandalized.
It might have been my vivid imagination as a kid, but I have always
wanted to return there and look for it.
So if you are near there and bored, and looking for something to do, here is
your chance.
It was next to that creekbed, that I did my first sewerlunking.
David Locklear
P.S.
I was in a truck stop the other day and found some good caving gloves
made by Caterpillar. The were $ 10 and fit great on x-large hands. These
are the type that are polyester and stretch and have a thick rubber coating on
the palm and fingers.
http://images.plumbersurplus.com/images/prod/6/Cat-Gloves-CAT017416L-rw-268582-373117.jpg
They seemed to be a better quality than the kind you get at Harbor
Freight Tools or
Northern Tool Company.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Cavers,
I would personally like to thank the 17 volunteers who came out to help clear
dead trees and spread mulch at the Texas Cave Management Association’s Ezells
Cave Preserve in San Marcos this past Saturday, 19 April 2014. Your five hours
of labor made a big difference in combating erosion and in cleaning up the face
of our property.
Volunteers included Laura Battle, Rob Bisset, Gill Ediger, Andy Grubbs, Liz
Herron, Aubri Jenson, Jim Kennedy, Joy Levy, Vivian Loftin, Ryan Monjaras,
David Moore, Ron Ralph, John Schneider, Pete Strickland, Matt Turner, Diane
Young and Sam Young. We also send a huge thanks to Mike DeBow, our neighbor to
the west, who cleaned up our remaining street mess (leaves and wood dust) after
we left. We could not have made such progress without all of you.
In preparation for installation of a new bat-friendly cave gate, a small crew
including Jim Kennedy, Matt Turner, David Moore, and Laura Battle worked on the
entrance with mattock, shovel, and jackhammer. Soil and loose rocks were
cleared down to bedrock to prepare the new gate footprint, and large, loose
boulders were removed from the construction area. They also began removing the
existing concrete slab blocking part of the cave entrance.
Another major accomplishment was the removal of dead trees at the top of the
hill. Jim and Pete worked the chainsaws, while many others dragged the
branches and logs to the street where Ediger fed the residue to a wood chipper.
A special thanks goes to Terry Raines for the use of his machine.
The huge volunteer effort also completed the spreading of two dump truck loads
of mulch along the front edge of the property and down the path to the cave, to
serve as erosion control. What seemed like several hundred wheelbarrow loads
were placed, along with waterbars to slow runoff, all the way to the gate at
the cave perimeter fence. Again, thanks to Terry Raines for delivering the
mulch.
Our hearty thanks go out to Vivian Loftin and Ryan Monjaras for initial work
clearing bamboo at the downhill end of the property. The grubbing and hand
clearing gave us an idea of how much more work there is to do (lots!). There
are many more Ligustrum (privet), Chinese tallow, Chinaberry, and Agave on the
lower slopes which remain and must one day be removed. So please stand by for
another call for volunteers this fall.
The TCMA cannot manage our properties without the on-going assistance of
volunteers in preserves. Keeping up our cave resources is an ongoing chore,
and one that the TCMA can only applaud as a job well done.
We are seeking additional funds for the new bat gate on the cave, in order to
restore the impacted cave ecosystem. If you would like to make a donation,
please contact the Preserve Manager.
Ron Ralph, Manager
Ezells Cave Preserve
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Here is an opportunity for a caver with real estate knowledge, and
some financial resources to make a signficant impact on caving in
Texas, or just own some of my
favorite caves.
There are 2 significant caves for sale at these map coordinates
#1 ) 29.849104, -101.554851
#2 ) 29.852752, -101.544781
Also, there is another significant cave nearby for sale at the
coordinates below.
#3 ) 29.815631, -101.573465
( Disclaimer on # 3: I am not certain that is the exact spot, as the
aerial view, I am
looking at is kind of fuzzy ) But within a few hundred feet of that spot.
Can you guess the name of these 3 caves ?
Cave # 3 is on a 1,551 acre lot is listed on the web for sale for just
1 million.
( $ 650 per acre )
Ref.
http://www.landwatch.com/default.aspx?ct=d&pid=200432227&utm_medium=datafeed&utm_source=Gen#.U1YMj5dwQMo.gmail
The other parcel with caves # 1 and # 2 is for sale for $ 800 per acre or
13 million.
Ref:
http://homes.trovit.com/index.php/cod.frame/url.http%253A%252F%252Fwww.landsofamerica.com%252Ftexas%252Fland-for-sale%252F17000-acres-in-Val-Verde-County-Texas%252Fid%252F526502/id_ad.k1W1R1grc1613/what_d.langtry%20cave/type.10/origin.2/section.1/section_type.1/pop.1
Cavers should snatch these 3 caves up if it all possible.
David Locklear
NSS # 27639
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Texas Cavers,
Please mark your calendar for a work day at Honey Creek Cave property on
Saturday, June 21st. The landowners are very generous to let us cave in
their impressive cave and this is a small way for us to give back.
We have several projects from cutting fallen trees, taking down a game
fence, to painting the front gate. Not all projects will get done in one
day but June 21st is a good, steaming time to start. Kurt and I will
have some tools but please bring anything you have that could be handy for
a surface workday: chain saws, loppers, sanding tools.
This will be a full-on work day, those who participate in the work day will
have the opportunity cool off with a refreshing trip into the cave. Let me
know your schedules for the cave and we can accomodate Friday-Sunday.
Please contact me off-list if you plan to come out.
Cavingly,
Ellie Watson
509-899-0007
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Jim Kennedy has correctly guessed #1 & #2
The names of all 3 caves are all over the web on the real-estate ads for
these 2 parcels.
It would seem possible just to buy the entrances, then get some kind of
easement, especially for #1, which should be a #1 priority for anyone in
the U.S. considering a cave purchase, as it is so close to the main road
for miles and miles, and super easy for locals to access.
David Locklear
--- End Message ---
