Cavers,
The Miller family sojourn to Nashville, TN has come to an end and we are thankfully back in the great state of Texas. This means that I am preparing to restart the Government Canyon Karst Survey. The first weekend planned for the project is November 7 and 8. Since you haven't heard about it in awhile, here is a little background: Government Canyon State Natural Area is located about 20 miles NW of San Antonio near the town of Helotes. The SNA contains approximately 8624 acres, all but 700 of which are in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. The karst survey, a project of the Texas Speleological Association, has been ongoing since 1993 with the goal of locating and documenting all of the caves and karst features on the property. 47 caves are currently known along with several hundred features. A number of these features have existing digs with some potential to lead into a cave. Less than half the property has been systematically surveyed. The project is strongly supported by SNA management and staff. Caves are both vertical and horizontal. The longest cave so far is Dancing Rattler Cave at 225 meters long and the deepest is Lost Pothole at 23 meters deep. Both of these caves have leads that need to be pushed. The terrain is rugged and the brush is thick. If you come, be prepared to do a lot of hiking and bushwhacking, carrying food and water with you. All skill levels are welcome! There is plenty to do! We will meet at 9:00 both mornings in the parking lot at the Volunteer/Research Station. Camping is available but you need to contact me to get the details. Directions: Find the intersection of U.S. 16 and Loop 1604 in northwest Bexar County (clearly shown on any state highway map). Drive 2 miles north on U.S. 16 to the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1560 (there is a Shell station on the corner). Follow 1560 for 3 miles till you see the sign for GCSNA. Follow the arrow to the right and drive 2 more miles to the sharp left turn in the road. The gate to GCSNA is straight ahead. Enter at the gate and then take the first right. There is an unlocked gate that will need to be opened and then closed behind you. Continue to the Volunteer/Research Station, where we will meet. -Marvin Miller (210)-415-5190
