texascavers Digest 6 Nov 2009 03:42:47 -0000 Issue 882
Topics (messages 12518 through 12533):
border crossing tip / travel tip
12518 by: David
Texas cave book for sale - eBay
12519 by: David
12525 by: Chris Vreeland
12526 by: Carl Kunath
12527 by: Mark Minton
12532 by: Mark Minton
12533 by: Chris Vreeland
news from AMCS
12520 by: Mixon Bill
Colombia
12521 by: Mixon Bill
Los Indios Border Crossing
12522 by: Preston Forsythe
12524 by: Mark Minton
book review: cave diving reprint
12523 by: Mixon Bill
the latest robot video
12528 by: David
motorized ascenders
12529 by: David
Amistad Project trip announcement :
12530 by: JerryAtkin.aol.com
Cave diving death in Florida - Eagle Nest Sink :
12531 by: JerryAtkin.aol.com
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--- Begin Message ---
When you pay the bridge fee when crossing to and from Mexico, you
need to save both paper receipts. This will speed the crossing, as it
tells the guards exactly when you entered and left.
If you tell them you lost them, well
you might get searched.
If you don't have a passport, you can still get back in the country, but
you will spend lots of time in the customs office answering questions.
The border guard told me that it is a federal law that you must have a
passport when entering the country. ( But that isn't news )
Also,
if you are in Nuevo Laredo and crossing back into Texas, it
is best to drive 20 miles west to the crossing at Columbia. I saw
no signs that said Columbia until I was nearly there, so just follow
the signs that say to International Bridge number 3 ( which is a
commercial bridge a few miles east of the Columbia Bridge. )
I did not see a single sign that said Solidarity Bridge or Puente
Solidaridad, but I don't know if it is like that coming from the
Bustamante side. I only saw 1 or 2 signs that said Puente Columbia,
with no explanation as to what that meant.
I am not sure why you would want to enter Nuevo Laredo. I just
spent about 3 hours there, and that was 3 hours too many.
Other related info,
I bought 12.75 pesos for each dollar.
In many places in the U.S. they do not accept bills larger than $ 20. So
presume that the same principle applies down in Mexico. A 500 peso note,
is almost $ 40, and most stores will not readily keep change handy to cash
it. The large bills are fine for paying for a hotel bill, or a tank of
gas or a group
dinner, but not for small items.
On a personal note:
I plan to be in the Monterrey area over Thanksgiving. I hope to do a short
day
hike, but the rest will be spent visiting my wife's "familia." I don't
know if my
cell phones will be working, but feel free to keep my number if you are in
the
Monterrey area. 281-995-8487 and 281-960-0687. I will try to check my
e-mail daily while I am down there, too.
David Locklear
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The book below is currently on eBay for $ 55
http://www.mhodistributors.com/texas-caves.jpg
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Lundelius mainly studied paleobiology (vertebrate paleontology?) and
did a lot of work at Friesenhahn, if I remember right. TMM published
some of his monographs -- most likely, that book is largely about
paleo-fauna. I think for a lot of the researchers of his ilk, caves
are just convenient places to find skeletons. I figure that book is
only about caves insamuch as they relate to paleo dig sites.
Mixon or Reddell could probably correct me on that. :-)
CV
On Nov 4, 2009, at 2:07 AM, David wrote:
The book below is currently on eBay for $ 55
http://www.mhodistributors.com/texas-caves.jpg
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Actually, Chris, it's far more than that. The book contains contributions by
A. Richard Smith, Bud Frank, Bob Mitchell, Pete Lindsley, and quite a few
others.
Since Locklear was seeking to obtain a copy of this book a couple of years ago,
he has doubtless already scooped up this hard-to-get item.
===Carl Kunath
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Vreeland
To: Cavers Texas
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Texas cave book for sale - eBay
Lundelius mainly studied paleobiology (vertebrate paleontology?) and
did a lot of work at Friesenhahn, if I remember right. TMM published
some of his monographs -- most likely, that book is largely about
paleo-fauna. I think for a lot of the researchers of his ilk, caves
are just convenient places to find skeletons. I figure that book is
only about caves insamuch as they relate to paleo dig sites.
Mixon or Reddell could probably correct me on that. :-)
CV
On Nov 4, 2009, at 2:07 AM, David wrote:
> The book below is currently on eBay for $ 55
>
> http://www.mhodistributors.com/texas-caves.jpg
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--- Begin Message ---
There are a few copies of the book available. Besides the
one on eBay (which is still available), I found one for the same
price at <http://www.goantiques.com/scripts/images,id,1514673.html>,
and one for $65 on Amazon.
Mark Minton
At 09:24 PM 11/4/2009, Carl Kunath wrote:
Actually, Chris, it's far more than that. The book contains
contributions by A. Richard Smith, Bud Frank, Bob Mitchell, Pete
Lindsley, and quite a few others.
Since Locklear was seeking to obtain a copy of this book a couple of
years ago, he has doubtless already scooped up this hard-to-get item.
===Carl Kunath
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Vreeland
To: Cavers Texas
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Texas cave book for sale - eBay
Lundelius mainly studied paleobiology (vertebrate paleontology?) and
did a lot of work at Friesenhahn, if I remember right. TMM published
some of his monographs -- most likely, that book is largely about
paleo-fauna. I think for a lot of the researchers of his ilk, caves
are just convenient places to find skeletons. I figure that book is
only about caves insamuch as they relate to paleo dig sites.
Mixon or Reddell could probably correct me on that. :-)
CV
On Nov 4, 2009, at 2:07 AM, David wrote:
> The book below is currently on eBay for $ 55
>
> http://www.mhodistributors.com/texas-caves.jpg
You may reply to [email protected]
Permanent email address is [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
It turns out Andy Grubbs has a few copies of Lundelius' book
he is willing to sell. See forwarded message below. Reply directly to Andy.
Mark Minton
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:51:07 -0600
From: Andy Grubbs <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: Mark Minton <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Texas cave book for sale - eBay
hey, for some reason I cant post to cavetex from this address, but I
have a bunch of copies of this book. I bought out ernst kasting at a
convention a few years ago and have the remanding stock of them. its
slightly more than 10 copies. if you could repost to cavetex for
me I will gladly sell a few especially this week
ANDY
------------------------------
Mark Minton wrote:
There are a few copies of the book available. Besides the
one on eBay (which is still available), I found one for the same
price at <
http://www.goantiques.com/scripts/images,id,1514673.html>, and one
for $65 on Amazon.
Mark Minton
At 09:24 PM 11/4/2009, Carl Kunath wrote:
Actually, Chris, it's far more than that. The book contains
contributions by A. Richard Smith, Bud Frank, Bob Mitchell, Pete
Lindsley, and quite a few others.
Since Locklear was seeking to obtain a copy of this book a couple
of years ago, he has doubtless already scooped up this hard-to-get item.
===Carl Kunath
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Vreeland
To: Cavers Texas
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Texas cave book for sale - eBay
Lundelius mainly studied paleobiology (vertebrate paleontology?) and
did a lot of work at Friesenhahn, if I remember right. TMM published
some of his monographs -- most likely, that book is largely about
paleo-fauna. I think for a lot of the researchers of his ilk, caves
are just convenient places to find skeletons. I figure that book is
only about caves insamuch as they relate to paleo dig sites.
Mixon or Reddell could probably correct me on that. :-)
CV
On Nov 4, 2009, at 2:07 AM, David wrote:
> The book below is currently on eBay for $ 55
>
> http://www.mhodistributors.com/texas-caves.jpg
You may reply to [email protected]
Permanent email address is [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Or Kunath. He could correct me on that also. :-)
On Nov 4, 2009, at 8:24 PM, Carl Kunath wrote:
Actually, Chris, it's far more than that. The book contains
contributions by A. Richard Smith, Bud Frank, Bob Mitchell, Pete
Lindsley, and quite a few others.
Since Locklear was seeking to obtain a copy of this book a couple of
years ago, he has doubtless already scooped up this hard-to-get item.
===Carl Kunath
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Vreeland
To: Cavers Texas
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Texas cave book for sale - eBay
Lundelius mainly studied paleobiology (vertebrate paleontology?) and
did a lot of work at Friesenhahn, if I remember right. TMM published
some of his monographs -- most likely, that book is largely about
paleo-fauna. I think for a lot of the researchers of his ilk, caves
are just convenient places to find skeletons. I figure that book is
only about caves insamuch as they relate to paleo dig sites.
Mixon or Reddell could probably correct me on that. :-)
CV
On Nov 4, 2009, at 2:07 AM, David wrote:
> The book below is currently on eBay for $ 55
>
> http://www.mhodistributors.com/texas-caves.jpg
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--- Begin Message ---
New in the AMCS catalog: "Crystal Giants in the Caves of Naica,"
edited by Giovanni Badino and published by La Venta Explorazioni
Geografiche, Italy, in 2008. 8.5 by 8.5 inches, 48 pages, hardbound.
The book contains text and numerous color photos, some occupying two
full pages. See http://www.amcs-pubs.org/other/Naica.html for details.
$20 plus $3 postage in US. See amcs-pubs.org/order.html for ordering
and payment options.
Because foreign postage charges from the United States are so high,
airmail being the only option, and our books and CDs differ so greatly
in weight, the table of foreign postage previously on our web site is
superseded by a request to e-mail [email protected] for a quote on
foreign postage, which will be based on the actual weight of your
order and the destination country.
It is not too soon to think about material for AMCS Activities
Newsletter 33, to be published in time for the National Speleological
Society convention next summer. Articles are sought on all significant
new explorations or discoveries, as well as other significant events
such as accidents and rescues. Articles should be accompanied by all
available cave maps and may include photographs. Short notices for the
"Mexico News" section are also welcome; they may be accompanied by a
map or photograph. Excellent photographs for the front and back covers
are also welcome, whether or not they pertain to an article in the
issue. Material should be sent to [email protected]. The deadline
for the issue will probably be May 15, 2010.
Jim Coke, the Project Director of the Quintana Roo Speleological
Survey, was recently hospitalized in Mérida with a dangerous case of
pneumonia. He is presently recovering back in the United States. The
Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society has
established a fund to help pay uninsured medical expenses. The fund is
implemented in the CDS store at http://stores.homestead.com/NSS-CDS/-strse-Jim-Coke-Donations/Categories.bok
. In the event that a surplus is received for the fund, it will be
kept "for the financial aid of cave divers who are injured while
performing scientific, cartographic, or exploration dives."
--Bill Mixon, AMCS editor
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--- Begin Message ---
The location of the alternative bridge near Laredo is Colombia, not
Columbia, but that probably isn't the reason David didn't see any
signs directing him to it. -- Mixon
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--- Begin Message ---
Los Indios south of Harlingen, TX, is another relatively new and very easy
crossing into Mexico, with the advantages of Colombia of avoiding city
traffic and congestion. Los Indios, I think, is the preferred crossing for
those coming from east of the Mississippi, except you do miss the center of
the caving universe at Austin.
Cavingly,
Preston in western KY
-----------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mixon Bill" <[email protected]>
To: "Cavers Texas" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 10:43 AM
Subject: [Texascavers] Colombia
The location of the alternative bridge near Laredo is Colombia, not
Columbia, but that probably isn't the reason David didn't see any signs
directing him to it. -- Mixon
----------------------------------------
When sharing a dish with the devil, use a long spoon.
----------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message
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AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected]
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--- Begin Message ---
Preston Forsythe said:
>Los Indios south of Harlingen, TX, is another relatively new and
very easy crossing into Mexico, with the advantages of Colombia of
avoiding city traffic and congestion.
A potential disadvantage of Los Indios is that it has rather
limited hours. When we tried to cross back into the U. S. there
after the J2 expedition last spring, it was closed, and it wasn't
even dark yet. I've crossed there before, and it was quick and easy,
but that was a few years ago. Recently Colombia has been extremely
busy during holidays. It had the worst lines I have seen at any
border crossing last Christmas and New Year. The secret is out and
you cannot count on it always being mellow. :-(
Mark Minton
You may reply to [email protected]
Permanent email address is [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
"The Log of the Wookey Hole Exploration Expedition, 1935." Graham
Balcombe and Penelope Powell. Cave Diving Group, Great Britain;
reprint 2009. ISBN 978-0-901031-06-8. 6 by 9 inches, xviii+235+xix
pages, hardbound. £25 plus postage (about $70 total) from http://www.cavedivinggroup.org.uk
.
Following a pioneering but unsuccessful attempt at diving a sump in
Swilden's Hole, Jack Sheppard visited Siebe, Gorman to find out what
sort of light-weight diving equipment might be available. Nothing
suitable could be recommended, but the company offered the loan of
standard base-fed hard-hat diving gear, along with suitable
instruction in its use. Few cave-diving sites in Britain or anywhere
else would accommodate such equipment, but the sump at the end of show
cave Wookey Hole did, leading to the diving project recounted in this
book. The original edition, by "the divers," was essentially hand-made
by Graham Balcombe, with the text pages stencil-duplicated in two
colors after being typed with flush-right columns on a typewriter, and
the photographic plates were reproduced as actual photo prints, faced
with tissue. Only the cloth binding was done professionally. The
adventure of printing the book was described by Balcombe in an article
much later, and I got permission from him to submit it to "Underwater
Speleology," where it appeared in volume 21, numbers 5 and 6, and
volume 22, number 1 (1993 and 1994). The price of the 1936 edition was
7/6, about a dollar. Needless to say, copies of the original, of which
a few over 175 were printed, sell for a lot more than that today, and
even more than the high price of this reprint.
The text pages, including the dive logs, have been newly typeset for
the reprint, and the illustrations are printed in facsimile. Some
additional material has been included, including the article about the
original printing and a short summary of diving developments at Wookey
Hole since. While the technology used by the 1935 expedition was
obviously a dead end as far as cave diving was concerned, Wookey has
subsequently proved to be the site of a challenging series of sumps,
the last known of which was dove to a depth of 90 meters in 2005.
As the first cave-diving book, "The Log of the Wookey Hole Exploration
Expedition" is an important historical document, and it is good that
it has been made available again for less than the hundreds of dollars
an original would cost, if you could find one.--Bill Mixon
----------------------------------------
When sharing a dish with the devil, use a long spoon.
----------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message
came from, but for long-term use, save:
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AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Here is a video showing how close we are to having
a robot caver, or at least at least a robot sherpa to haul
caving gear up and down the mountain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67CUudkjEG4&feature=player_embedded
Click on the enlarge view at the bottom right.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Several months ago, there a post about a motorized
ascender.
The video below may show the same ascender, but I think it
is a newer video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icopDhMjubU
I think a propane version using Coleman propane tanks
would be better suited for some pits. Right ?
If you left the cave or pit using this device, you would have
to say in your trip report that you "motored up the pit."
Right ?
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
There will be a scheduled project trip to Amistad National Recreation Area
near Del Rio, Texas on the weekend of December 5-6, 2009. I have slots for
about 15-20 people so this will be a first come-first serve opportunity
for folks.
The goals for the trip will be to:
1.) Relocate caves and karst features that were noted by the
International Boundary Water Commission back in the early 1960s. We have
rough
locations and descriptions but no one has relocated and surveyed these
features
since then.
2.) Explore and survey the caves and karst features that have been
relocated.
3.) Ridgewalk areas that have no known caves.
Camping will be provided by the NPS at the group camping site. For those
that want a warm bed and sit-down meal, Del Rio is only about 15 minutes
away.
Some of the caves may be vertical and/or require digging to open. The
flora in the area can only be described as vicious so bring tweezers and long
pants. Heavy hiking boots are a must if you don't want the cactus and
lechuguilla to cripple you. The weather at that time of the year can be warm
or cold, wet or dry, so please plan accordingly. If you have any
questions, please contact me off digest.
I hope to see you all out there. There's plenty of caves and karst for
everyone !
Jerry Atkinson.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Drowning shows Eagle Nest Sink underwater caves in Hernando County are
dangerous — even to skilled divers
By _Joel Anderson_ (http://www.tampabay.com/writers/joel-anderson) , Times
Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, November 5, 2009
WEEKI WACHEE — A few yards before a wooden ramp descends into Eagle Nest
Sink, signs warn those who dare submerge themselves in the world-renowned
underwater abyss.
One large, green sign with white letters — all of them capitalized —
advises: "CAVE DIVING IN THIS AREA IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS — EVEN LIFE
THREATENING! DO NOT DIVE UNLESS YOU ARE A CERTIFIED CAVE DIVER!!"
Still, longtime friends and diving partners James D. Woodall II and Gregory
S. Snowden were not intimidated. And that might have cost Woodall his
life.
Woodall, 39, drowned Tuesday afternoon while diving in the underwater
caverns of the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area, according to the
Hernando County Sheriff's Office. No foul play is suspected.
His body was pulled from the water after midnight by a diver with the St.
Petersburg Police Department and the owner of a Citrus County diving shop.
Deputies said Woodall and Snowden, 34, both of Richmond, Ky., came to
Florida for the annual Diving Equipment and Marketing Association show in
Orlando. But they also made plans to visit Hernando County for some cave
diving.
The men were experienced divers but had no cave-diving certification, said
Sgt. Donna Black of the Sheriff's Office.
Authorities and diving experts said divers without advanced cave-diving
training should not even think of trying Eagle Nest.
"Once you get in there, you find out it's a different beast. It's only for
the more experienced divers," said Victor Echaves of the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission, which owns the property.
Indeed, from the shore, Eagle Nest appears to be an ordinary-looking,
algae-covered pond. Below, however, is a mile of passages, one of them more
than
300 feet deep. The caves are known in diving circles as the "Grand Canyon"
for their stunning views, extreme depth and remote location.
The area is several miles from hard roads and difficult to reach without
off-road vehicles. The site was closed to divers from 1999 to 2003.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Woodall and Snowden were down about 270
feet and nearly 500 feet inside the caves Tuesday afternoon when Woodall
started having problems with his breathing apparatus.
Snowden tried to help but Woodall was in an "altered mental state" and
pushed him away, according to a report. By the time Snowden was able to steady
himself, Woodall had drowned. Snowden surfaced and called for help at 6:01
p.m.
Back in Kentucky, friends recalled Woodall developing a love for diving in
recent years. A onetime paramedic and owner of a sign shop, he threw
himself into his new passion.
"I don't think Jim ever did anything a little bit," said Jimmy Cornelison,
a friend. "He would tell you that he loved to dive. Period. It was a great
pastime for him."
Accompanying Woodall on most of his excursions was Snowden, who worked at
Woodall's sign shop in Richmond and was founding member of the Madison
County Rescue Squad Dive Team.
"This isn't just something they up and did — this is something they did all
the time," Cornelison said. "This was a big deal for them."
Including Woodall, at least six divers have died at Eagle Nest since 1981.
The last deaths came in June 2004, when the caves claimed the lives of
Craig Simon of Spring Hill and John Robinson Jr. of St. Petersburg. A year
later, Judi Bedard nearly died during a dive there.
Regardless, Eagle Nest remains a popular destination for divers around the
world.
Wednesday, just hours after investigators reopened the area, a handful of
divers were heading into the murky waters. They all had heard of Woodall's
death but remained undaunted.
"It's a wonderful, silent place like a lot of cave-diving spots in North
Florida," said Helge Weber, 43, a public safety diver back in his home of
Friedberg, Germany. "This is one of the best places on Earth for relaxing."
_http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/kentucky-man-dead-missi
ng-after-cave-diving-accident-in-hernando-county/1049287_
(http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/kentucky-man-dead-missing-after-cave-divi
ng-accident-in-hernando-county/1049287)
--- End Message ---
