Great report, Kris!
> On Oct 15, 2013, at 21:14, Kris Pena <[email protected]> wrote: > > Project Date: October 11-13, 2013 > > VOLUNTEERS: Lori Karker, William Quast, Anthony Garot, Yazmin Avila, Jim > Kennedy, Gerry Geletzke, Vivian Loftin, Lydia Hernandez, Aubri Jenson, Nicole > Goodman, Justin Shaw, Galen Falgout, Ellie Watson, Davey Siddors, Heather > Tucek, David Moore, Diana Tomchick, Jason Cook, Jessica Smith, Kasey Irons, > Jessica Aguilar, Neil Buckman > > HOURS: 102 hours drive + 121 volunteer hours > > SUMMARY: > Jessica, Neil and Gerry surveyed SAB 314 (Spider Web Cave) and reported that > a VERY small, experienced caver should return and attempt to push the lead. > They also visited SAB 272 (Hard Wedge Cave), SAB 797 (LIVC01 Karst Feature) > which could use some additional digging, and SAB 798. They were unable to > locate SAB 350. > > Lydia, David, and Kasey’s team and Jessica, Vivian, and Nicole’s team crossed > the river in search of unknown features. Together they found several > promising features that could use some digging and two caves were tentatively > named (Rack Cave) and (Minor Mishap Cave). > > Justin, Galen, Ellie and Diana set out to continue the dig on SAB 199 (Don’t > Fit Pit) and SAB 718 (Two Burnt Ropes Cave). They were unable to locate > (Don’t Fit Pit). They did find and begin digging on (Two Burnt Ropes Cave), > only to find that the cave continues as a tiny crack that would require > endless digging. > > Will, Laura, Aubri, and Lori completed a survey of SAB 599 (Cody’s Well) and > explored SAB 769 (Deep Dream Cave). A subsequent trip is required to complete > that survey. > > Heather and David explored an area labeled “new karst area” and confirmed > that it requires a larger karst walking team. They successfully located SAB > 338 and tentatively named it (Fred’s Cave), but they were unable to survey > it as it requires additional digging. They were also able to locate and > describe (French Press Karst Feature) and to survey SAB 245 (Slumps Below > Cave). > > Caver Camp was full of gnats, making sitting and eating difficult. Saturday > night had thunderstorms on the way. The combination of these factors led > some to leave Saturday night while others embraced them and had a great night > watching the lightning roll in. > > FULL TRIP REPORTS: > > Team 1: > Jessica, Neil, Gerry > Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. total hours: 18 > Data: Pouch #4 > Objectives: to survey caves and describe karst features. (SAB 314, SAB272, > SAB273, SAB797, SAB798, SAB350) > Report: SAB 314 (Spiderweb Cave): survey (see pack number 4). A more > experienced and very small experienced caver should retry. If you head toward > the fence in the cave you have to travel on your side on the ground. A helmet > barely fits through. Ahead you can see a tiny room with a column and > stalactite formations. Beyond that, another tight crawl space exists. This > one is horizontally formed. It looks to be 10 feet long and beyond that is > unknown. > SAB 272 (Hard Wedge Cave): the tight fissure entrance dropped about 12 feet > to the first ledge. The entire drop is about 20 feet. This cave is extremely > narrow. Could not see beyond. > SAB 797 (LIVC01 karst feature): the entrance was covered in overgrown > shrubbery. Could not get around it or see inside. > SAB 273 (coon scat cave): description given from 7/8/95 is correct except the > entrance dropped about 10 feet down. > SAB 798 (karst feature): 4 feet deep and very narrow. No way to fit beyond. > SAB 350 (SABK001): could not locate. > Next tasks: send screening, experienced cavers to investigate the type > passage of spiderweb cave. > > Team 2: > Lydia, David, Kasey > Time 10:00 - 18:00. Total hours 24. > Data: GPS Garman Ellie Watson > Objectives: Ridge walk across the east side of the river and look for karst. > Report: we ran across the river after walking down the trail to Gorman from > the conference center. We hiked along the East Park boundary fence and fanned > out looking for karst. We finally found something at the end of the hike 3.6 > km from our start point (048). Karst feature was blowing air, needs > modification (HEB). Then we swam in the river we cross and helped a scout > leader back to her camp and went on a trip to Spicewood Springs. Then back to > camp for food and fun. > > Team 3: > Jessica, Vivian, Nicole > Time 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Total hours 21. > Data: GPS number #1 > Objectives: search for new caves. > Report: This was my first time out. We crossed the river followed the fence > boundary until the turn and split into two groups. We came across one hole > that looked promising then found a cave that we named "rack cave". I had > found a deer antler, so we wanted to name it something along those lines. We > were able to climb in and saw a couple of passage ways. But they were too > tight to continue too far. > We found another promising sinkhole near here. Continued walking the rim, > then decided to meet our other group. Then we ran out of water, so decided to > head back. I got a little lost! Then we came across another large cave Vivian > called this porcupine Cave because she thought one lived in it. We were > getting tired at this point so continued back, removed our clothing and took > a nice dip in the river. This made us feel so much better! After this, or > other group came back and we check out the springs on the other side of the > park. I learned a lot of new things on this trip, which was my objective. So > overall a good trip. > Next project: possibly dig the potential caves we found today. Learn how to > survey. > Addendum: As there are several Porcupine Caves in the park, Vivian would like > to instead name the cave Minor Mishap Cave. > > Team 4: > Justin, Galen, Ellie, Diana > Time 10:00 – 15:30. Total hours 22. > Data: Justin has fieldnotes. > Objectives: Enlarge constriction at end of Don't Fit Pit and explore and > survey. Enlarge entrance of Two Burnt Ropes Cave and explore and survey. > Report: We departed caver camp at 10:00 and headed out to find SAB 199 (don't > fit pit) with the goal of enlarging a constriction that is the current and of > the cave. Unfortunately we didn't have the SAB number, and our GPS only had > the numbers, no names, so we were hoping to find it by memory. Gorman Creek > Crevice was along the way, so we popped into the entrance for about 15 > minutes. Oxygen level was measured at 20.9% at 10:30 – 10:45 AM. Searching > through lively pasture we thought SAB 198 might be it, and Galen went in to > discover it was not. Around 11:30 we found ourselves at Radish Run Rift and > observed that the shrubbery we had cut out of the entrance has regrown and is > obstructing the entrance. More caves were found and checked SAB 197, SAB 724 > were not what we were looking for. Just after noon we decided to go find > Crash and see if his GPS had cave names and numbers. We couldn't find Don’t > Fit Pit in his GPS but did find Two Burnt Ropes Cave SAB 718. At 13:00 we > arrived at SAB 718, a fissure that you could see down into and appeared to > have passage going off in one direction. We dug the fissure until I could > squeeze in to see that the crack was tiny forever and would require endless > digging to further penetrate. > > Team 5: > Will, Laura, Aubri, Lori > Time: 10:30 – 4:15. Total hours 24. > Data: Aubri's field book > Objectives: to resurvey SAB 599 (Cody's Well) and SAB 769 (Dream Deep Cave) > as well as collect data on whoop ASS cave. > SAB 599 – We hiked for 30 minutes and we had some difficulty finding Cody's > well with the current GPS coordinates but we found it eventually. The initial > description of the karst feature was a 10 foot drop and we dropped more than > 40 feet (no vertical needed). We found a small passage at the and and it > leads to be tighter passage and unable to make it further. We completed the > survey with 10 points and unable to go further than that. At the other end, > we found a drop point where the initial report had described and used it to > climb out. > SAB 769 (dream deep cave). We found it without issue, dropped down with > vertical (vertical is a must) for approximately 60 feet. We noted there are > two more exit points at the top to check out. We found an ancient beer can > from 1976 (Schultz) inside the cave after we slid down between two walls. Our > time ran out and we were not able to survey Dream Deep so that remains an > objective for the next trip. Other objectives remain to be completed. P. S. > On the way back to the car I think will was trying to be lost on purpose as > we hiked back for what seemed to be ages. > Next project: complete the survey for SAB 769, collect data on Whoop ASS Cave. > Addendum: SAB 769 is actually named (Deep Dream Cave). > > Team 6: > Heather, David > Time 10 AM – 4 PM. Total hours 12. > Data: loose leaf > Objectives: check out "New Karst Area". Get data on SAB 338, resurvey SAB > 245, write description for "French Press Karst Feature", locate Lone Bat 1 & > 2 Caves. > Report: We started out looking for a new karst area, that we had GPS > coordinates for, but nothing else. We located a current feature but nothing > else. The area could use a full day with lots of people karst walking. We > attempted to locate SAB 807 on the way back to the car, but was not where it > was supposed to be. We then went to Lemon's Ranch area, and found SAB 338. We > had no data other than the GPS coordinates. We named it "Persimmon Cave", > since there were three old Texas persimmon trees right at the entrance. We > wrote a description for it and took preliminary measurements, but it will > still need to be dug out before it can be surveyed. We located and wrote a > description for "French press karst feature". We located and surveyed SAB > 245, or "Slumps Below". It was a 3' x 1' pit, full of crickets. There is a > voice connection to another pit but it is too small to fit. We could not > locate either “Lone bat caves”. > Next project: Full karst walk of "new karst area", dig and stabilize > persimmon cave for serving. Find lone bat one and two. > Addendum: “Persimmon Cave” will tentatively be named “Fred’s Cave” as the use > of persimmon may be confusing with existing caves. > > >
