texascavers Digest 7 Dec 2011 14:58:29 -0000 Issue 1449
Topics (messages 19151 through 19157):
Opportunity at Jewel Cave, South Dakota
19151 by: Speleosteele.aol.com
Re: surreal caving video
19152 by: George Veni
Re: Opportunity at Jewel Cave, South Dakota and at Mammoth Cave, KY
19153 by: Preston Forsythe
Texas parks need your help
19154 by: Andy Gluesenkamp
Descent magazine
19155 by: Mixon Bill
Don Broussard
19156 by: Jim Kennedy
19157 by: Andy Gluesenkamp
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--- Begin Message ---
Jewel Cave National Monument is planning a project to restore the extensive
trail network throughout Jewel Cave. This involves replacing, labeling,
and moving navigational flagging used through trade routes, recreation
routes, and common exploration travel corridors.
We are soliciting help from cavers to assist starting January 2012. Trips
range from novice to advanced, and will be planned based on people’s
interest and schedules. We can coordinate trips with individuals or groups of
cavers alike.
In addition, exploration opportunities are also available for any
interested cavers. This project will provide an excellent opportunity to see
diverse areas of Jewel Cave.
Accommodations and caving equipment are provided. Prior caving experience
is required.
If you’re interested, please email [email protected]_
(mailto:[email protected]) . Or call at 605-673-8312. For more information
about Jewel
Cave, please visit _www.nps.gov/jeca_ (http://www.nps.gov/jeca) . Jewel Cave
National Monument is located just 6 hours from Denver. It is currently the
second longest cave in the world at 155 miles (250 km).
If you know of any cavers who may be interested in coming to Jewel Cave,
please feel free to forward this to them.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Descent Magazine published an article several months ago about this photo
technique. While of its articles are focused on caving in the UK, there are
a lot with broader international interest. A couple of months ago there was
an insightful analysis by a US caver on how body type affects the efficiency
of various climbing systems. I've been a subscriber for 27 years. If you're
interested in checking it out, go to: http://www.wildplaces.co.uk/
George
-----Original Message-----
From: Mixon Bill [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 18:41
To: Cavers Texas
Subject: [Texascavers] surreal caving video
There's a short, rather surreal underground video at
http://vimeo.com/20918866 . It won first prize in the video contest at
Hidden Earth 2011 (Britain's annual caving convention). -- Mixon
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For an easy holiday this year, just give everybody the finger.
----------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message came from, but for long-term
use, save:
Personal: [email protected]
AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected]
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Jewel Cave is an opportunity. Maybe Shari and I can run up to Jewel for a week
this year. A similar opportunity is at Mammoth Cave which is around 392 miles
long. Here is my recent write-up on the November MaCa Restoration Trip.
Mammoth Cave Restoration
November 5 and 6, 2011
By Preston L. Forsythe
Mammoth Cave Restoration is the largest and longest running cave restoration
group effort in any cave, to my knowledge. It is appropriate that this effort
takes place in the longest cave in the world. It is the largest group effort
based on the number of cavers participating on an average year and decade. On
November 5 there were 56 cavers from a half dozen states helping the old cave
out. The group included 12 Boy Scouts and 4 leaders from the Rising Sun Boy
Scout Troop, Indiana, and 4 members of the National Park Service. Later 10
students from Western KY University joined us for a few hours. The task was
hauling 25 pound bags of broken up concrete from an old boat dock at Cascade
Hall on Echo River to the base of the elevator shaft near Snowball Dining Room.
The bags were staged at a place called Valley Way Side Cut, which is two miles
down El Ghor from the Snowball Dining Room. (note: Stephen Bishop was the first
to walk this way). This was hard work as many cavers carried close to 50 lbs.
on each trip. Many bags were advanced to Ole Bull Concert Hall and on to Pam’s
Paradise and about 80 bags were dropped at the base of the elevator. Some
cavers walked up to 9-10 miles round trip in the cave that day, including a few
intermediate hauls. It took me two days to recover as this was plain old
backbreaking work. Four Resto Cavers pulled and pushed the “Mammoth Rover” down
the rough trail loaded with 300 lbs. of concrete. It remains to be seen if they
will use that method again. The park service will never have funds to contract
a job like this. MaCa Restoration is a wonderful way to see and learn more
about the cave while doing some satisfying work that makes a difference.
On Sunday a group of 40 went into Frozen Niagara entrance to recon for future
projects. Old wire and asphalt were found, especially behind Grand Junction.
This will be removed in the future. Don’t miss these trips!
We estimate 7,500 lbs of concrete were removed from Cascade Hall. This is one
of three weekends a year volunteer MaCa Restoration work is done. The other
weekends are the first weekends of March and May. The first week of August is
the annual week long restoration camp. All of this effort for the past 23 years
makes this the largest and longest running cave restoration project.
Bill Copeland of Missouri and Rick Olson, Mammoth Cave National Park, lead this
group effort, with many long time participants like Larry Matiz and Rick
Williams helping.
If you would like to help contact Bill Copeland. Please check the Web site:
http://www.caves.org/io/mcrg/
Sign up starts one month prior to each event, with a normal limit of 45 cavers.
==============================
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 6:56 AM
Subject: [Texascavers] Opportunity at Jewel Cave, South Dakota
Jewel Cave National Monument is planning a project
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Dec. 6, 2011
Media
Contact: Mike Cox, (512) 965-7574, [email protected]
Texas
State Parks Announce $4.6 million Appeal for Help:
Record
heat, drought, wildfires spark call for park visits, donations
AUSTIN – The Texas
Parks and Wildlife
Department today hosted 11 news conferences at different locations across the
state, appealing to the public to visit state parks and make donations to help
offset a revenue loss caused by heat, drought, wildfires and a resulting drop
in park visitor revenue.
“A
‘triple whammy’ of record heat and drought, devastating wildfires and a
corresponding decline in visitation and revenue has created a critical need for
Texas State Parks,” said Carter Smith, TPWD executive director. “So, we are
reaching out for help.”
TPWD held news conferences at the
following state parks or other locations in cities across Texas: McKinney
Falls/Austin, Government Canyon/San Antonio, Sheldon Lake/Houston, Cedar
Hill/Dallas-Fort Worth, Abilene SP/Abilene, Amarillo Convention and Visitors
Council office/Amarillo, Mustang Island/Corpus Christi, State Parks Office/El
Paso, Estero Llano Grande/Rio Grande Valley, Tyler SP/Tyler, and Mother
Neff/Waco.
Visitor
fees fund about half the $69 million operating budget for the state park
system, subject to legislative appropriations. For many years, there’s been a
steady upward trend, with more people visiting parks generating more revenue to
operate them--until this year.
Through
the summer and into early fall, traditionally a busy time for parks, many
Texans stayed home because of the dry heat. Shriveling lakes and rivers
disrupted swimming, fishing and boating, and burn bans prevented campfires.
Also, three popular state parks--Bastrop, Davis
Mountains and Possum
Kingdom--suffered major
wildfire damage and produced no revenue for weeks, though all are now back open
to varying degrees.
As
a result, in August state park system revenue declined 25 percent compared to
the same month last year. So far this fall revenue is down11
percent--improving, but still not close to what park leaders say is needed.
“The
bottom line is we have a $4.6 million gap in our
2012 park system operating budget,” Smith said. “This is the amount we need to
raise to help keep state parks open. We want to alert people now while there is
still time to help.”
TPWD is rolling out a multi-faceted
awareness campaign stressing three calls to action:
· One, go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/helpparks
to make a tax-deductible, year-end donation.
· Two, starting Jan. 1, make a donation
when you renew your motor vehicle registration.
·
And, most important,
because visitor fees pay for about half of park system operating costs, visit
state parks.
“Cooler weather makes fall and winter
a fine time to visit state parks, which are great places for holiday outings
and gatherings,” said Brent Leisure,
TPWD state parks director. “Also, recent rains are allowing many of our parks
to lift burn bans. That’s making campfires possible once again, an important
tradition for many park visitors.”
Leisure said state parks are important
for many reasons. They protect unique places and provide settings for healthy
outdoor recreation and family fun for millions of people.
State parks are also economic engines
for nature tourism. In a 2008 study, the Texas Comptroller found state parks
draw outside tourists into host counties, generating millions in annual retail
sales and local resident income.
The Texas State Parks operating budget
is based on legislative appropriations, but relies on revenue generated by
visitor fees. This year, an additional $3 million in revenue was projected.
Also, the legislature passed a new
option that allows people to make a donation when they renew their motor
vehicle registration, estimating that would raise at least $1.6 million per
year. Starting Jan. 1 drivers can donate $5 or more when renewing their
registration by mail, at the county tax office or online in counties offering
online payment.
“The state park system 2012 budget was
set anticipating those two items would raise a total of $4.6 million,” Smith
said. “But the money is not there because park visitation and revenue are down
markedly due to drought and wildfires, and the vehicle registration donation
program is just getting underway for renewals due in January.”
The department is also providing
video, radio, web and social media resources for the media and public, all
emphasizing the same three calls to action.
Many state parks offer reduced camping
fees during “off-peak” fall and winter months, especially for longer stays.
Many parks have lifted burn bans—check online for the latest information. And
dozens of state parks are hosting special holiday events in
December. See http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/calendar/holidays
for dates, locations and descriptions.
To learn about the various
Texas State
Parks and their offerings, or to make online camping
reservations, visit http://www.texasstateparks.org.
Or call state park information at 1-800-792-1112, option 3, between 8 a.m.-5
p.m. Monday through Friday.
Resources for news media,
including photos of drought and wildfires, downloadable video, and radio news
soundbites, are in a Park Awareness News Roundup online.
…
On the Net:
Public Information: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/helpparks
News Media Resources:
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/news_roundup/state_parks_appeal_for_help/
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
George is right that Descent is a nice magazine. Only six issue per
year, but similar in size to the NSS News, although color pix
throughout. I think the layout is a bit gonzo, and you have to
sometimes search for where the text resumes, but that's a minor
quibble. Subscriptions to the US rather costly: $80/year by air, $68
per year by sea. (The NSS is a great deal in comparison.) It is
commercially published (www.wildplaces.co.uk; you'd have to print out
and mail the order form with a personal check on US bank, which is
accepted; no credit card or PayPal). I think I've been subscribing
since sometime in the 1970s; anyway I have a complete set (it started
in 1967), although the first six are photocopies.--Mixon
----------------------------------------
For an easy holiday this year, just give everybody the finger.
----------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message
came from, but for long-term use, save:
Personal: [email protected]
AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
If anybody gets the following message IGNORE IT. It is SPAM! Don's
computer was obviously attacked by a virus and is sending out bogus
emails to people in his contact list. Someone on TAG-Net got hit with
the same thing a few months back.
-- Crash
From: Don Broussard [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 8:23 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: My trip to spain
Hope you get this on time,sorry I didn't inform you about my trip in
Spain for a program, I'm presently in Madrid and am having some
difficulties here because i misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel
where my money and other valuable things were kept.I want you to assist
me with a loan of ($2,300) to sort-out my hotel bills and to get myself
back home.
I have spoken to the embassy here but they are not responding to the
matter effectively,I will appreciate whatever you can afford to assist
me with,I'll Refund the money back to you as soon as i return, let me
know if you can be of any help. I don't have a phone where i can be
reached. Please let me know immediately.
Regards,
Don Broussard
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I called Don this morning and he is now aware of the problem.
He said he'd bring me some Serrano ham, olives, and Madiera when he gets
home....
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- On Wed, 12/7/11, Jim Kennedy <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Jim Kennedy <[email protected]>
Subject: [Texascavers] Don Broussard
To: "CaveTex" <[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 8:57 AM
If anybody gets the following message IGNORE IT. It is SPAM! Don’s computer
was obviously attacked by a virus and is sending out bogus emails to people in
his contact list. Someone on TAG-Net got hit with the same thing a few months
back. -- Crash From: Don Broussard [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 8:23 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: My trip to spain Hope you get this on time,sorry I didn't inform you
about my trip in Spain for a program, I'm presently in Madrid and am having
some difficulties here because i misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel
where my money and other valuable things were kept.I want you to assist me
with a loan of ($2,300) to sort-out my hotel bills and to get myself back home.
I have spoken to the embassy here but they are not responding to the matter
effectively,I will appreciate whatever you can afford to assist me with,I'll
Refund the money back to you as soon as i return, let me know if you can be of
any help. I don't have a phone where i can be reached. Please let me know
immediately.
Regards,
Don Broussard
--- End Message ---
