texascavers Digest 11 Sep 2009 04:56:39 -0000 Issue 851

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:56:50 -0700 (PDT) 

texascavers Digest 11 Sep 2009 04:56:39 -0000 Issue 851

Topics (messages 12052 through 12069):

Re: Low Altitude Photos of Mars
        12052 by: David

Re: request for computer help
        12053 by: J. LaRue Thomas

New Zealand Caves
        12054 by: Jesse Walker
        12056 by: Geary Schindel
        12057 by: vivbone.att.net
        12058 by: Diana Tomchick

Labor Day at Deep and Punkin
        12055 by: Geary Schindel
        12059 by: Fritz Holt

Bear Man drops into Big Bend Ranch State Park
        12060 by: dirtdoc.comcast.net
        12062 by: Don Cooper

RE - Bear Man drops into Big Bend Ranch State Park
        12061 by: dirtdoc.comcast.net

Re: Prospective TSA member - Complimentary Texas Caver
        12063 by: Mark Alman

TCC Cave Day
        12064 by: germanyj.aol.com
        12065 by: Heather Tucek

For those of you who are crossing the border...
        12066 by: Louise Power
        12067 by: Lyndon Tiu
        12068 by: Katy Roodenko
        12069 by: Rod Goke

Administrivia:

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----------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Begin Message --- 
http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/images/2008/details/cut/PSP_009488_1745_cut_a.jpg

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
Thank you, all,
I got plenty of offers for help with reading my father's disks and I do believe if they are readable I will be able to read them. 
All who contacted me--I'll be with you shortly.
Jacqui
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
Has anyone caved in New Zealand, or know any caving contacts there?  I'm going 
there in a little over a month, and want to do non-commercial caving.

 

 

Jesse

_________________________________________________________________
With Windows Live, you can organize, edit, and share your photos.
http://www.windowslive.com/Desktop/PhotoGallery

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
Jesse,

There are some great caves on both the north and south islands of New Zealand.  
You may want to check out the NSS Directory and see who is a member down there. 
 Also, I would recommend that you contact some of the caving clubs in the 
country.  I believe there is a number of them.  The karst is outstanding with 
giant sinkhole plains, some deep pits (Harwood Hole), glow worm caves, long and 
deep limestone caves, lava tubes, etc.  I stayed in some caver huts near 
Waitoma where the glow worm caves are located.  They also have a nice caving 
museum.  If I remember correctly, there is also a 320 foot pit in the area.  
Also, there is black water rafting which is when you use a wet suit and inner 
tube and float through some of the caves that contain glow worms.  It is a 
wonderful country with some of the most varied scenery on the planet.  From 
volcanoes to fault block mountains, sinkholes and caves, hot springs and 
geysers, high mountains and glaciers, from rocky coasts to deltas and very 
large springs, it is a geomorphologist's dream.  The folks are wonderful - even 
to American's - and they have great wines.

Geary




From: Jesse Walker [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:21 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Texascavers] New Zealand Caves

Has anyone caved in New Zealand, or know any caving contacts there?  I'm going 
there in a little over a month, and want to do non-commercial caving.


Jesse
________________________________
With Windows Live, you can organize, edit, and share your photos. Click 
here.<http://www.windowslive.com/Desktop/PhotoGallery>

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
 Hi Jesse,
I spent a couple months there in the early 90's. It was awesome, my first 
international trip. I wenton my own with 2 weeks notice and very little 
prparation. I caved agood deal of the time. It's really easy to do. You don't 
even have toknow anyone (but I will look up a few contacts I have for you 
later). On the North Island there is a town called Waitomo, which has a 
hostelwhich is run by the local caving club. NSS members could stay there 
for$3.00 per night as of 1993. In the hut is a flat file with cave maps,and a 
location map in the lower corner of each map. I found it reallyeasy to meet 
both cavers and other travelers, and to get into caves. Iended up taking some 
international travelers from the hostel with me tosome of them. It was a great 
experience. 

 But the really big caves areon the South Island. NZSS (New Zealand 
Speleological Society) isactively organizing expeditions to these areas. If you 
want to do therally hard core stuff, you'll need to coordinate with them.  Also 
onthe South Island is Harwood's Hole, which is the deepest pit in theSouthern 
Hemisphere (at a llittle over 500' I think) and can be done asa through trip. 
It might be easier to arrange a trip there. Lots ofother caves are near there, 
too, near the town of Nelson. Also there isanother cave-club owned "hut" near 
there. This one is not a hostel, but NSSmembers can stay there, too.

I can give more info later, after work.
-Vivian Loftin

 (512) 659-9486 (mobile),  (512) 441-2495 (home-office)


 -------------- Original message from Jesse Walker <[email protected]>: 
--------------

Has anyone caved in New Zealand, or know any caving contacts there?  I'm going 
there in a little over a month, and want to do non-commercial caving.
 
 
Jesse

With Windows Live, you can organize, edit, and share your photos. Click here.

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Lots of other caves are near there, too, near the town of Nelson. Also there is another cave-club owned "hut" near there. This one is not a hostel, but NSS members can stay there, too.
Back in 1987 when I spent 2.5 months in Australia, I stopped off for a week in New Zealand on my way back to the States. I was riding around the South Island in the back seat of a car rented by two German guys I had met in a youth hostel in Nelson, and we decided to drive to Greymouth, which is on the West Coast, west of the mountain range that runs the length (from North to South) of the South Island. It was the dreariest place any of us had ever seen--and that's saying a lot, as I grew up in the Seattle area and have lived through many winter months of constant rain. We pulled into town at 3 PM in a steady downpour, the houses were as grey as the sky, and we instantly decided that we could spend the time to just drive on through and head east for better weather. By 7 PM we were not only in dry, sunny weather, we had gorgeous views of the Southern Alps and were cooking dinner in the youth hostel at Arthur's Pass.
Kiwis are incredibly friendly, generous, laid back people. By the end of my trip I wanted to stay there forever--but couldn't figure out how to finish my degree and make a decent living as a Ph.D. chemist. If you're only going for a week, you will soon discover that you wished you had a year to spend there enjoying all the outdoor activities and the camaraderie of the locals. It's a country of (20 years ago) 3.5 million people and 20 million sheep. And I swear that all of those people are somehow distantly related to each other--every local that stayed in the youth hostels would spend time working out how they were related and how the family was faring. It was surreal, but in a nice way. 

Diana

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diana R. Tomchick
Associate Professor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Biochemistry
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Rm. ND10.214B   
Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A.   
Email: [email protected]
214-645-6383 (phone)
214-645-6353 (fax)

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
Folks ,
We had a wonderful weekend at the Deep and Punkin Nature Preserve in Edwards 
County.  The weather was great, the food was even better and the company 
wonderful with the exception of one uninvited guest.
There were three trips to Deep Cave and two to Punkin.  There was no sign of 
any bats in Punkin, however, we did not leave the entrance room.  The guano 
smell was very minimal.  I wonder if the drought has pushed  the bats to 
another feeding area or to migrate earlier.  In addition, there was no bee 
activity from the bee hive in the main entrance drop so either the drought got 
them, or they are suffering from colony collapse disorder.  Though the property 
has had some periodic rains, it is still very brown and dry and prone to fire.  
There is a county wide burn ban in the woods and we every asked folks going to 
the cave not pass gas for fear of auto ignition and subsequent fire.
Work was performed to extend the back porch of the cabin so it is now about 20 
by 20 feet in size and makes a great area for community cooking and 
socializing.  On Sunday night, we watched the International Space Station and 
Space Shuttle go sailing right over the cabin.
Mike Harris and John , both members of the Schertz Police Department arrived on 
Sunday morning and went into Deep Cave to take pictures while some of us went 
over and did Punkin to check on the bats.  We all arrived back at the cabin 
around dusk and proceeded to eat and clean up.  After John was done taking a 
shower, he went back to his truck (without a light), and ran into Joe 
Noshoulders, one of the locals from Carta Valley.  Seems there was a buzz about 
with this chance meeting, and since Joe showed up without a reservation, Mike 
got his gun and attempted an arrest.  Following good police procedures, Mike 
yelled to Joe, "down on the ground and put your hands up where I can see them" 
(Joe was already on the ground).  I was nervously running around yelling "don't 
taze me bro" as I'm prone to do when near cops.  However, Joe didn't comply 
with the hands up part so he was dispatched.  Seems old Joe was crawling around 
the cars and the tents in the dark which is always a problem.  Joe measured 
(taped) at 5 feet in length and was the thickest rattlesnake I've seen in the 
wild.  He would have put the serious hurt on someone and was so large, he would 
have been difficult to relocate, even with snake tongs.  (Mike is also the 
resident snake expert since he helps to relocate wayward snakes in Schertz - so 
he knows snakes).  If he would have been along one of the trails on the 
property, we would have admired this fine creature and left him alone; however, 
the risk to all the folks at the preserve was considered too great.  Mike 
Harris cooked him up for lunch on Monday.  This just goes to show you that 
you'll never know who you'll run into in the woods and always carry a light 
after dark (and no, I didn't get tazed).
It was a good time had by all - except Joe.
Folks in Attendance: Geary Schindel, Sue Schindel, Zach Schuderwitz, Steve 
Bryant, Kelly, Josh Rubinstein, Michelle Bryant, Mike Harris, John, Jill Orr, 
Arron Wertheim, Renee Skwara, Tony Castro, Jacob Castro, Drew Wendeborn, Daniel 
Galvin, Lisa Dolan, Don Dolan, Mike Cunningham, Christine Cunningham, and Joe 
Noshoulders.
Geary Schindel

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
Sounds like a great weekend in the western boonies during the waning days of 
summer. Joe didn't die in vain as Mike Harris lives by the credo, "We eat what 
we kill". Will Joe now become someone's hatband? I never tried rattlesnake but 
would like to. Does it taste like chicken? By the way, where is Schertz?
Fritz

________________________________
From: Geary Schindel [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:28 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Texascavers] Labor Day at Deep and Punkin

Folks ,
We had a wonderful weekend at the Deep and Punkin Nature Preserve in Edwards 
County.  The weather was great, the food was even better and the company 
wonderful with the exception of one uninvited guest.
There were three trips to Deep Cave and two to Punkin.  There was no sign of 
any bats in Punkin, however, we did not leave the entrance room.  The guano 
smell was very minimal.  I wonder if the drought has pushed  the bats to 
another feeding area or to migrate earlier.  In addition, there was no bee 
activity from the bee hive in the main entrance drop so either the drought got 
them, or they are suffering from colony collapse disorder.  Though the property 
has had some periodic rains, it is still very brown and dry and prone to fire.  
There is a county wide burn ban in the woods and we every asked folks going to 
the cave not pass gas for fear of auto ignition and subsequent fire.
Work was performed to extend the back porch of the cabin so it is now about 20 
by 20 feet in size and makes a great area for community cooking and 
socializing.  On Sunday night, we watched the International Space Station and 
Space Shuttle go sailing right over the cabin.
Mike Harris and John , both members of the Schertz Police Department arrived on 
Sunday morning and went into Deep Cave to take pictures while some of us went 
over and did Punkin to check on the bats.  We all arrived back at the cabin 
around dusk and proceeded to eat and clean up.  After John was done taking a 
shower, he went back to his truck (without a light), and ran into Joe 
Noshoulders, one of the locals from Carta Valley.  Seems there was a buzz about 
with this chance meeting, and since Joe showed up without a reservation, Mike 
got his gun and attempted an arrest.  Following good police procedures, Mike 
yelled to Joe, "down on the ground and put your hands up where I can see them" 
(Joe was already on the ground).  I was nervously running around yelling "don't 
taze me bro" as I'm prone to do when near cops.  However, Joe didn't comply 
with the hands up part so he was dispatched.  Seems old Joe was crawling around 
the cars and the tents in the dark which is always a problem.  Joe measured 
(taped) at 5 feet in length and was the thickest rattlesnake I've seen in the 
wild.  He would have put the serious hurt on someone and was so large, he would 
have been difficult to relocate, even with snake tongs.  (Mike is also the 
resident snake expert since he helps to relocate wayward snakes in Schertz - so 
he knows snakes).  If he would have been along one of the trails on the 
property, we would have admired this fine creature and left him alone; however, 
the risk to all the folks at the preserve was considered too great.  Mike 
Harris cooked him up for lunch on Monday.  This just goes to show you that 
you'll never know who you'll run into in the woods and always carry a light 
after dark (and no, I didn't get tazed).
It was a good time had by all - except Joe.
Folks in Attendance: Geary Schindel, Sue Schindel, Zach Schuderwitz, Steve 
Bryant, Kelly, Josh Rubinstein, Michelle Bryant, Mike Harris, John, Jill Orr, 
Arron Wertheim, Renee Skwara, Tony Castro, Jacob Castro, Drew Wendeborn, Daniel 
Galvin, Lisa Dolan, Don Dolan, Mike Cunningham, Christine Cunningham, and Joe 
Noshoulders.
Geary Schindel

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 

Wednesday September 9, 2009  8 or 9 PM 


I don't know if he starts in the Solitario or where, or if he finds the rock 
art at Shelter Thrust, which waterfall he visits, or if he traverses the Lower 
Shutup and is almost bit by a rattlesnake.  Maybe he will contrive to rappel 
past the big windows on the west side off Solitario Peak which look in to 
Fresno Canyon. That might make it sorta cave related.  I guess I'll have a 
look.  8 PM in Denver.  Advertised as 9PM elsewhere.  A repeat from last week, 
in case you missed it (we did).  



DirtDoc

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
He probably had to get special permission from the department of homeland
security to make his signature parachute drop into a national park.
Though I find his showboating un-necessary - having done it myself -
arriving anywhere by parachute is pretty cool.
-WaV

On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 4:34 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:

> *Wednesday September 9, 2009  8 or 9 PM*
>
> I don't know if he starts in the Solitario or where, or if he finds the
> rock art at Shelter Thrust, which waterfall he visits, or if he traverses
> the Lower Shutup and is almost bit by a rattlesnake.  Maybe he will contrive
> to rappel past the big windows on the west side off Solitario Peak which
> look in to Fresno Canyon. That might make it sorta cave related.  I guess
> I'll have a look.  8 PM in Denver.  Advertised as 9PM elsewhere.  A repeat
> from last week, in case you missed it (we did).
>
>
>
> DirtDoc
>

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
OH - that was obviously 'Man vs Wild' on the Discovery channel.

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
Hey, Anthony and welcome to the Lone Star State!


I'm not aware of what's out there, but, maybe some of the folks here can help.

Since you're moving here, I would suggest you join the caving community by 
going to www.texascavers.com and join this list and also go to 
www.cavetexas.org and join the Texas Speleological Association!

While you're there, check out the TCC, the TSS, and the TCMA.

(How's that for a response and a plug or three?!)


Thanks and hope to meet you soon!


Mark Alman
Editor - The TEXAS CAVER
Chairman - The TSA 




________________________________
From: Tony Kroes <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 3:55:05 PM
Subject: Prospective TSA member - Complimentary Texas Caver


My family may be moving to Alpine, Texas and I am wondering what caving 
opportunities are available down there.
 
Thanks!
 
Anthony J. Kroes
NE Wisconsin Caver

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
Hey Cavers!

Can anyone tell us when the Texas Cave Conservancy "Cave Day" will be held this 
fall?? Is there a Web site with this info?

thanks!
julia

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
September 12!
http://texascaves.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=27

-h

2009/9/9 <[email protected]>

> Hey Cavers!
>
> Can anyone tell us when the Texas Cave Conservancy "Cave Day" will be held
> this fall?  Is there a Web site with this info?
>
> thanks!
> julia
>



-- 
Go find out!
-Heather Tuček
UT Grotto
NSS 59660
(512) 773-1348
[email protected]

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
...thanks for your cooperation. You've cut our harassment time substantially.

 


Program to track citizen border crossings exceeds expectations
By Jill R. Aitoro 09/09/2009

A security initiative to track citizens of countries that border the United 
States as they enter and leave the states by land and sea has surpassed 
expectations, a Homeland Security Department official said on Wednesday.

On June 1, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative began requiring citizens 
from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda to show a passport or other 
approved document when entering and leaving U.S. ports by land or sea. The rule 
has applied to air travelers since January 2007.

"So far results are extremely impressive and definitely exceeding my 
expectation," Colleen Manaher, director of the WHTI program, said at the Gov 
2.0 Summit in Washington. She dismissed criticism reported in USA Today that 
the program hurt communities that are dependent on tourism revenue.

DHS' Customs and Border Protection reported a 93 percent compliance rate the 
first day the bureau began checking documents at land and sea borders, Manaher 
said. After the first week, CBP reported 95.7 percent compliance, and now, 
three months after rolling out the requirement, compliance remains steady at 
95.6 percent nationwide.

The new system, which cut the number of documents accepted at land and sea 
borders from hundreds down to six -- including U.S. passports, U.S. passport 
cards and enhanced driver's licenses -- has shaved as many as eight seconds off 
the verification process. Twenty-three percent of all documents presented are 
enabled with radio frequency identification technology, Manaher said, which 
allows border agents to verify a traveler's identity by electronically matching 
an ID number stored on the RFID chip with biographical information in a secure 
database. CBP officials said they hope to see the use of RFID-enabled documents 
increase.

"This translates into time savings for every [citizen]," Manaher said, because 
less time is required to review and verify the authenticity of documents.

CBP is trying to identify areas that need improvement, and targeting markets 
with lower compliance to educate citizens about the requirements. The agency 
also launched an education campaign for the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver, 
B.C., to ensure U.S. citizens are prepared to comply with the program as they 
cross the border into Canada.

"CBP will remain committed to working with travelers; we also believe education 
is a far better strategy than hammering on enforcement," Manaher said.

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
Retinal scanning to enter the border (NEXUS/CANPASS):

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/nexus_prog/

Has been available for many years. This cuts down on the harrasment time even 
further.

On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:33:55 -0700 [email protected] wrote:
> 
> ...thanks for your cooperation. You've cut our harassment time
> substantially.
> 


--
Lyndon Tiu

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message --- 
They should implement rectal scan as well. Can cut down on the
harrasment time even further.

Besides, they will know what shit do you eat when you are abroad.

Katy

--- On Thu, 9/10/09, Lyndon Tiu <[email protected]> wrote:

> From: Lyndon Tiu <[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: [Texascavers] For those of you who are crossing the border...
> To: [email protected]
> Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 8:51 PM
> 
> Retinal scanning to enter the border (NEXUS/CANPASS):
> 
> http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/nexus_prog/
> 
> Has been available for many years. This cuts down on the
> harrasment time even further.
> 
> On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:33:55 -0700 [email protected]
> wrote:
> > 
> > ...thanks for your cooperation. You've cut our
> harassment time
> > substantially.
> > 
> 
> 
> --
> Lyndon Tiu
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
> For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
> 
>

--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The most dangerous aspect of this in my opinion is the use of RFID chips in passports and other documents, since these chips can be read without your knowledge at any time by anyone within range with a suitable RFID reader, even when your documents are stored out of sight in your pocket or luggage. In principle, it should be possible to store your passport or other RFID equipped documents inside a special envelope or case designed to act like a Faraday cage, blocking any radio frequency signals traveling to or from the RFID chip. I've heard some discussion that envelopes of this type might be provided with the new RFID equipped passports, but have not checked into this, since I still have a valid old passport with no RFID chip. Have any of you had any experience with special passport envelopes or other packaging designed to prevent surreptitious detection and reading of RFID chips?

The closest experience I've had with a similar issue was during the late 1990s with a credit card sized access card that was provided to me by my employer to access the building where I worked. The access card apparently contained an RFID chip or some similar wireless technology, since it did not have to be inserted into a reader but could activate the automatic door lock simply by holding the access card near the reader. Normally, I carried this card in my wallet and used it for after hours access to my office. The problem, however, was that this access card also would trigger the anti-theft alarm at a local Target store whenever I walked through the scanner at their door. The Target security guard didn't suspect me of shoplifting, since the alarm went off immediately whenever I entered the store, but it was a nuisance for both of us, since we'd have to waste time verifying that my access card was the cause every time it triggered the alarm. One night the security guard gave me a special card designed to eliminate this problem. It was a card about the size of a credit card or business card and it appeared to be made of thick paper, similar to a business card. I suspect, however, that this paper contained some kind of electrically conductive material designed to shield against whatever electromagnetic signals were used by their reader. All I had to do was to place this card next to my access card in my wallet, and as long as I carried the 2 cards next to each other, there were no more false alarms.

Rod

-----Original Message-----
From: Louise Power
Sent: Sep 10, 2009 1:33 PM
To: Texas Cavers
Subject: [Texascavers] For those of you who are crossing the border...

...thanks for your cooperation. You've cut our harassment time substantially.
 

Program to track citizen border crossings exceeds expectations

By Jill R. Aitoro 09/09/2009

A security initiative to track citizens of countries that border the United States as they enter and leave the states by land and sea has surpassed expectations, a Homeland Security Department official said on Wednesday.
On June 1, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative began requiring citizens from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda to show a passport or other approved document when entering and leaving U.S. ports by land or sea. The rule has applied to air travelers since January 2007.
"So far results are extremely impressive and definitely exceeding my expectation," Colleen Manaher, director of the WHTI program, said at the Gov 2.0 Summit in Washington. She dismissed criticism reported in USA Today that the program hurt communities that are dependent on tourism revenue.
DHS' Customs and Border Protection reported a 93 percent compliance rate the first day the bureau began checking documents at land and sea borders, Manaher said. After the first week, CBP reported 95.7 percent compliance, and now, three months after rolling out the requirement, compliance remains steady at 95.6 percent nationwide.
The new system, which cut the number of documents accepted at land and sea borders from hundreds down to six -- including U.S. passports, U.S. passport cards and enhanced driver's licenses -- has shaved as many as eight seconds off the verification process. Twenty-three percent of all documents presented are enabled with radio frequency identification technology, Manaher said, which allows border agents to verify a traveler's identity by electronically matching an ID number stored on the RFID chip with biographical information in a secure database. CBP officials said they hope to see the use of RFID-enabled documents increase.
"This translates into time savings for every [citizen]," Manaher said, because less time is required to review and verify the authenticity of documents.
CBP is trying to identify areas that need improvement, and targeting markets with lower compliance to educate citizens about the requirements. The agency also launched an education campaign for the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C., to ensure U.S. citizens are prepared to comply with the program as they cross the border into Canada.
"CBP will remain committed to working with travelers; we also believe education is a far better strategy than hammering on enforcement," Manaher said.

--- End Message ---

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