texascavers Digest 9 Jun 2009 01:04:15 -0000 Issue 772
Topics (messages 10865 through 10885):
Re: Reflecting on the 94 Convention
10865 by: Schwartz, Benjamin
Aquarena Springs
10866 by: KFYI.aol.com
the good old days
10867 by: Mixon Bill
10872 by: Minton, Mark
Re: 15th ICS - deadline correction
10868 by: Mixon Bill
Re: Bexar Grotto
10869 by: CWAN.boernenet.com
Honey Creek Cave tank haul trip
10870 by: speleosteele.tx.rr.com
10871 by: Minton, Mark
10873 by: Thomas Sitch
10874 by: Minton, Mark
10875 by: Frank Binney
Volunteers needed
10876 by: Jim Kennedy
Mistaken identity
10877 by: Thomas Sitch
10879 by: Minton, Mark
New NSS WNS Web Page
10878 by: Minton, Mark
Re: non-bat caves
10880 by: Louise Power
Re: 15th ICS - last chance for early registration!!
10881 by: Mixon Bill
Honeycreek Cave air and related topics
10882 by: David
Disposable caving clothes.
10883 by: David
Prassel Ranch Cave
10884 by: David
bat houses - personal opinions
10885 by: David
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--- Begin Message ---
No, it sure isn't! At the very least, it livens up a campfire like nothing else
does... And Aquarena Sprnigs is not closed, either.
Benjamin
________________________________________
From: [email protected] [[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 7:56 PM
To: David; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Reflecting on the 94 Convention
*ahem!*
Carbide is most certainly *NOT* dead! Anyone who thinks it is can send me
their old lamps anytime.
;-)
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
On a tourist note,
Aquarena Springs is closed now. Right ?
David Locklear
David, Aquarena Springs is still open. See hours of operation -
_http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/Glass-Bottomboats/Hours.html_
(http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/Glass-Bottomboats/Hours.html)
It is no longer an amusement park it once was. See history -
_http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/About-Us/History.html_
(http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/About-Us/History.html)
An interesting addition as of a year ago was an installation of an
underwater web cam operating 24 hours a day. At night, the image is black.
See
underwater web cam - _http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/underwater-cam.html_
(http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/underwater-cam.html)
Paul Johnston
**************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy
Steps!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222377042x1201454362/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Jun
eExcfooterNO62)
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
From a summary in Descent #208 of a talk at the 2008 national British
caving conference:
In 1970 an intrepid group of British cavers set forth for India in an
old double-decker bus that had been purchased very cheaply then
modified to produce a mobile caving-base-cum-motorhome.
Things grew interesting as the team tried to cross the border into
Germany, when it became evident that they had exceeded the road's
height restriction. Over the next couple of days they manually sliced
the roof off the top deck and re-attached it, making the bus less than
the maximum height. With police approval, they continued on their way
until the road went through an arch under an ancient city wall, and
here it was obvious they would become stuck. The police were very
helpful though, halting all the traffic and directing the bus onto the
wrong side of the road to go through a separate and slightly higher
arch.
With numerous other incidents, the expedition proceeded across Persia
and into Afghanistan, only to meet an even lower bridge where, after
much deliberation, the tyres were lowered to a few psi and they crept
forward, just making it through. Handily, they had come equipped for
diving and the cylinders enabled them to reinflate the tyres.
Eventually, after a journey of 5,189 miles that took 48 days and used
85 gallons (390 litres) of diesel, the group reached the end of the
road at Arki in the Himachal Pradesh. The team set off on foot,
heading for a range of mountains that they had been advised would make
a good objective. Visible in the distance the peaks certainly looked
impressive, but after two days' walking they appeared no nearer, so
our band of cavers turned back.
After staying in the area for around ten weeks and finding about
fifteen caves of varying lengths and depths, the journey home began.
Winter had by now set in and they were not equipped with snow chains -
their and the bus's survival appeared distinctly unlikely as they
slithered their way over high mountain passes on icy dirt tracks for
which a British double-decker was never designed. In the end, however,
the engine block fractured in the cold and the bus had to be abandoned
for the train.
(I don't believe the implied 61 mpg. There must be an error there
somewhere.) -- Mixon
---------------------------------------------
He who renders warfare fatal to all engaged in it will be the greatest
benefactor the world has yet known. - Sir Richard Burton
----------------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message
came from, but for long-term use, save:
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
>Eventually, after a journey of 5,189 miles that took 48 days and used 85
>gallons (390 litres) of diesel, the group reached the end of the road at Arki
>in the Himachal Pradesh.
48 days just to get to there?! And I thought it took us a long time to
get J2 going this year! And I agree with Bill Mixon, there's no way an old
double-decker bus could get 61 mpg.
Mark Minton
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Begin forwarded message:
From: ICS 2009 eList <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: June 6, 2009 8:23:37 PM CDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: 15th ICS - deadline correction
Dear Friends,
My apologies but I have repeated a mistake I made previously. I copied
information from an earlier message and forgot the date was wrong. The
deadline to reserve free transportation from the San Antonio
International Airport to the 15th International Congress of Speleology
in Kerrville is tomorrow, 7 June 2009. We will continue to make
reservations after tomorrow, but only until we fill the vehicles we
are reserving. There are no guarantees after tomorrow. For more
information and to make reservations, contact [email protected].
Again, my apologies for the mistake and any confusion.
George
George Veni, Ph.D.
Chairman, 15th International Congress of Speleology
Adjunct Secretary, International Union of Speleology
Executive Director, U.S. National Cave and Karst Research Institute
----
You have received this message because you are subscribed to the 2009
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---------------------------------------------
He who renders warfare fatal to all engaged in it will be the greatest
benefactor the world has yet known. - Sir Richard Burton
----------------------------------------------
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 ---
> Christi is working on getting her registration worked out. I will just
attend the ICS on the days that I can get away from CWAN (if any) by
paying for a day pass. There are several ICS related events here so some
of the ICS will be coming to me along with the usual Summer tourist
traffic.
Mike Burrell
Manager
Cave Without a Name
Thank you for Christi's name. Her husband is not registered, so I will
> need
> her to register too. So I can enter the correct data in her registration.
>
> John F.
>
>
> On 6/7/09 7:16 AM, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Misread message The last person is Christi Burrell. Christi is the wife
>> of
>> Mike Burrrell Mgr of Cave Without A Name.
>> ---- John Fox <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>> I have 1 Bexar Grotto sponsorship and 5 Bexar Grotto paid
>>> registrations.
>>> The Paid registrations are going to:
>>> Susan Schindel - already registered
>>> Paul Bryant - already registered
>>> Sara Ranzau - already registered
>>> Kevin McGowan - not registered
>>> ? = one mystery person
>>>
>>> The question is who is the mystery person?
>>>
>>> John F.
>>> Registration Committee
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 6/6/09 1:13 PM, "Karen Kastning" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks - I'm trying to close the books on pre-registration this coming
>>>> week.
>>>>
>>>> Karen
>>>>
>>>>> From: <[email protected]>
>>>>> Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 2:06:55 +0000
>>>>> To: [email protected]
>>>>> Subject: Bexar Grotto
>>>>>
>>>>> I left a meeage with Kevin McGowan to get the form mailed to you. The
>>>>> last
>>>>> person is Paul Bryant. I talked with Sue Schindal who is meeting with
>>>>> his
>>>>> mom
>>>>> tomorrow . She'll lite a fire under him. any problems email or call
>>>>> me.
>>>>> cell
>>>>> 210 724-9365
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Well, we did it. And it may well have been the Last Honey Creek Cave tank haul.
Or, at least, I think, the last one I organize.
I was among the last three to get out of the cave yesterday, coming out at 9:00
a.m. after a 23 hour trip. Nine hours of that was spent in one place, on a
not-so-comfortable rocky mud bank, waiting on the two divers, James Brown and
Jean "Creature" Krejca. I tried to sleep, didn't think I did, but found out
later that I snored and people laughed about it, so I must have slept some.
I'll write a more detailed report tonight and post it here. I'll also commit to
writing a detailed review of the push of the upstream HS sump for an upcoming
issue of the Texas Caver. The upstream HS sump project has been ongoing for the
past several years.
But here's the short version of last weekend's trip. About twenty (I'll have an
accurate count with names tonight) cavers
went in the shaft entrance of Texas' longest cave Saturday morning. Most had a
share of the load for the two cave divers, including four tanks, regulators
packed in Pelican cases, BCs, lead weights, fins, wetsuits, a camers, survey
gear, and a cave radio graciously loaned to us by Brian Pease of Vermont. It
took 5 1/2 hours for us to reach the beginning of the 1,435 foot long sump. It
took another three hours for the all the gear to be located in what pack and
unpacked, passed through the mud and gloom (in not so great air) to the divers
when they called for this or that piece of it, and for them to commence the
dive.
The results were that James and Creature surveyed 1,000 feet of passage and
reached another sump. The cave radio transmission was not successful, in that
Kurt Menking, waiting on the surface over that part of the cave in the evening
dark, thought they were going to transmit about between 200 - 400 feet upstream
from the 1,435 foot long HS sump, but instead they trasmitted from the second
sump they reached, 1,000 feet upstream from the HS sump. However, it doesn't
really matter, because given that there's another sump, putting in another
shaft entrance into the 1,000 feet of passage they reached, won't get us into
the going air-filled cave we're hoping to reach.
More tonight,
Bill Steele
Irving, Texas
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Bill,
>The results were that James and Creature surveyed 1,000 feet of passage and
>reached another sump.
Congratulations on some hard-won passage! Too bad about the next sump.
:-( I guess passing that one is beyond the limits of reasonable effort with
current technology.
Mark Minton
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Forgive my ignorance on the costs/logistics, but I am very curious about the
cost/benefit of pushing forward.
You could return with a cave radio, get a proper reading, and then drill a new
well into the current passage beyond the sump, correct? What's the cost of
drilling the well? Is that on the order of thousands or tens of thousands of
dollars?
Then the challenge would be pushing the second sump into whatever untold wonder
or third sump exists beyond, correct?
~~Thomas
--- On Mon, 6/8/09, Minton, Mark <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Minton, Mark <[email protected]>
Subject: [Texascavers] RE: Honey Creek Cave tank haul trip
To: [email protected], [email protected]
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Monday, June 8, 2009, 9:09 AM
Bill,
>The results were that James and Creature surveyed 1,000 feet of passage and
>reached another sump.
Congratulations on some hard-won passage! Too bad about the next sump.
:-( I guess passing that one is beyond the limits of reasonable effort with
current technology.
Mark Minton
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Thomas Stich said:
>You could return with a cave radio, get a proper reading, and then drill a new
>well into the current passage beyond the sump, correct? What's the cost of
>drilling the well? Is that on the order of thousands or tens of thousands of
>dollars?
>Then the challenge would be pushing the second sump into whatever untold
>wonder or third sump exists beyond, correct?
Yes, that could be done, but it would hardly be cost effective unless the
new sump could be drained enough to allow non-divers to get through. It would
indeed cost thousands of dollars to drill a new shaft, and it would not provide
access to going cave for anyone but divers, and even then it would be a gamble
that there is not a series of sumps ahead. Unless someone donated the cost of
the shaft, I doubt most cavers would think it worthwhile.
Mark Minton
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I'm reminded of the wisdom of the immortal Cave Carson quoted in Inside
Earth #1:
A SUMP IS GOD'S WAY OF TELLING YOU THE CAVE ENDS THERE
On 6/8/09 6:26 AM, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Well, we did it. And it may well have been the Last Honey Creek Cave tank
> haul. Or, at least, I think, the last one I organize.
>
> I was among the last three to get out of the cave yesterday, coming out at
> 9:00 a.m. after a 23 hour trip. Nine hours of that was spent in one place, on
> a not-so-comfortable rocky mud bank, waiting on the two divers, James Brown
> and Jean "Creature" Krejca. I tried to sleep, didn't think I did, but found
> out later that I snored and people laughed about it, so I must have slept
> some.
>
> I'll write a more detailed report tonight and post it here. I'll also commit
> to writing a detailed review of the push of the upstream HS sump for an
> upcoming issue of the Texas Caver. The upstream HS sump project has been
> ongoing for the past several years.
>
> But here's the short version of last weekend's trip. About twenty (I'll have
> an accurate count with names tonight) cavers
> went in the shaft entrance of Texas' longest cave Saturday morning. Most had a
> share of the load for the two cave divers, including four tanks, regulators
> packed in Pelican cases, BCs, lead weights, fins, wetsuits, a camers, survey
> gear, and a cave radio graciously loaned to us by Brian Pease of Vermont. It
> took 5 1/2 hours for us to reach the beginning of the 1,435 foot long sump. It
> took another three hours for the all the gear to be located in what pack and
> unpacked, passed through the mud and gloom (in not so great air) to the divers
> when they called for this or that piece of it, and for them to commence the
> dive.
>
> The results were that James and Creature surveyed 1,000 feet of passage and
> reached another sump. The cave radio transmission was not successful, in that
> Kurt Menking, waiting on the surface over that part of the cave in the evening
> dark, thought they were going to transmit about between 200 - 400 feet
> upstream from the 1,435 foot long HS sump, but instead they trasmitted from
> the second sump they reached, 1,000 feet upstream from the HS sump. However,
> it doesn't really matter, because given that there's another sump, putting in
> another shaft entrance into the 1,000 feet of passage they reached, won't get
> us into the going air-filled cave we're hoping to reach.
>
> More tonight,
>
> Bill Steele
> Irving, Texas
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
> For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Cavers,
I have need for some help for ICS.
First of all, I need a volunteer (or volunteers) to be on the WNS Decon
Committee, specifically to pick up the supplies from my house in Austin
and take them to Kerrville by Saturday 18 July. This person or persons
will be responsible for ensuring that some of the supplies get to Travis
Scott, who is organizing the cave trips during the week, in order to
place them on the vans and busses that are going to those caves. The
volunteer(s) will also be responsible for getting other supplies to Jon
Cradit, in order to place them at the campus Washateria and other
laundry facilities in the dorms and apartments. The supplies will
consist of some big plastic tubs, empty 5-gallon buckets, cases of
bleach and Lysol(r) disinfectant, boxes of trash bags, and other sundry
items (scrub brushes, Purell(r), etc.), so a pickup truck or SUV would
be needed. I will be leading a week-long pre-convention field trip that
will end in Kerrville on that Saturday, so I cannot get the supplies to
Kerrville on my own. Please let me know by the end of this week if you
are available and can do this.
The second job is for trip leader(s) for some Colorado Bend State Park
trips on Sunday (19 July), Monday (20th), Wednesday (22nd), Thursday
(23rd), Saturday (25th) and Sunday (26th). There will be one van
heading out there each of those days with up to 12 people. Trip leaders
will be responsible for driving the van to the Park, conducting
participants to Gorman Falls and several select caves in the Park, and
driving back to Kerrville, dropping off participants at the WNS Decon
Station and sweeping out the van. These will generally be all-day
trips, with a sack lunch. It would be great to have 2 leaders each day.
The same leaders can lead trips on as many of those days as you like.
You do not have to be familiar with the caves, since we will supply cave
maps, coordinates, and other beta, but it helps. Drivers must be over
25, but assistant trip leaders need not be. There will be coolers of
beverages on each van. Please let me know ASAP if interested, and cc
Travis Scott ([email protected]) as well.
Thank you all for your interest and support!
-- Crash
Confidentiality Note: This email and any attachment to it are
confidential and protected by law and intended for the use of the
individual(s) or entity named on the email. If the reader of this
message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
dissemination or distribution of this communication is prohibited. If
you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender
via return email and delete it completely from your email system. If you
have printed a copy of the email, please destroy it immediately. Thank
you
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
LOL, Mark, did you "correct" my name in the reply block?
It's Sitch, as in, itch (what comes of poison ivy) with an "S" in front of it :)
I need to create the Facebook group "I'm not related to Tim Stich, in fact,
neither of our names are spelled the same."
I only put this out there for all of Cavetex because there have been confusions
in membership status and identity between Tim and I.
I don't know where the name Stich comes from, but my name, Sitch, is Ukrainian
for "Screech Owl." Bribed with a margarita, I will be happy to regale any
interested party with the story of my prolific ancestor, the Paul Revere of
Ukrainian history.
My Best Regards,
~~Thomas
--- On Mon, 6/8/09, Minton, Mark <[email protected]> wrote:
Thomas Stich said:
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Thomas,
>I need to create the Facebook group "I'm not related to Tim Stich, in fact,
>neither of our names are spelled the same."
Oops, my bad. Sorry about that. I hadn't noticed the difference in
spelling, and I have in fact wondered whether you were related to Tim. Thanks
for clearing that up.
Mark Minton
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Forwarded message from Cheryl Jones below.
Mark Minton
NSS webmaster Alex Sproul has created a Web page for info on the June 4 WNS
hearing on Capitol Hill, with a few pictures and links to the video and
transcripts, for we don't know how long the page and records will remain on the
Natural Resources Committee Web site.
http://caves.org/WNS/Hearing%20on%20WNS.htm
<https://mail.nmhu.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://caves.org/WNS/Hearing%2520on%2520WNS.htm>
(or go to www.caves.org/WNS
<https://mail.nmhu.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.caves.org/WNS> and
click the link)
And don't forget to go to the NSS WNS page to watch the new film "Battle for
Bats." The new USF&WS decontamination procedures are now linked from the page
as well. And the WNS brochure. And how to donate to the WNS Rapid Response
Fund.
Yup, it's a one-stop shopping experience for all your WNS info!
Cheryl
(Please circulate this widely to cavers)
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Maybe you can send cave divers to explore the new sinkhole in Round Rock.
Guaranteed no bats.
> Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 12:36:33 -0500
> From: [email protected]
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [Texascavers] non-bat caves
>
> I was just thinking of some caves I have been to that usually don't have many
> bats.
>
> Big Tree Cave ( Langtry Lead Cave )
> Langtry Quarry Cave
> Sally Cave ( Del Rio )
>
>
> However, I don't like to go to these in the summer time and they are
> a good drive from Kerrville.
>
> Is anybody going off-trail in Cascade Caverns?
>
> I am under the impression that off-trail trips are not happening
> at InnerSpace, Caverns of Sonora, but what about Wonder Cave or
> does it even have an off-trail passage worth visiting ?
>
> On a tourist note,
>
> Aquarena Springs is closed now. Right ?
>
> David Locklear
> caver in Fort Bend County
>
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>
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--- Begin Message ---
Forwarded by Mixon
Begin forwarded message:
From: ICS 2009 eList <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: June 8, 2009 4:24:52 PM CDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: 15th ICS - last chance for early registration!!
Dear Friends,
This is a final reminder that early registration for the 15th
International Congress of Speleology (ICS) closes at midnight on
Monday, 8 June 2009. Regular registration will open at the ICS on 18
July 2009. Yes, I have already sent you reminders so why am I
reminding you again?
1) This is your last chance to register for one of the fantastic Pre-
ICS trips.
2) This is your best chance to register for one of the fantastic
Wednesday trips and Post-ICS trips. You can wait to register for these
trips at the ICS, but some will be filled by that time.
3) Your early registration is important. We need to finalize many
details, such as ordering meals and supplies. Your early registration
helps us better estimate our orders so we can spend your registration
fees as wisely as possible to better benefit you and the ICS.
Over 1,230 people from 51 countries have registered early. This is the
largest early registration of any ICS. Come join them at what will be
the most significant speleological event in the Western Hemisphere. To
register, go now to https://secure.concentric.com/ics2009.us/register/ .
See you soon,
George
George Veni, Ph.D.
Chairman, 15th International Congress of Speleology
Adjunct Secretary, International Union of Speleology
Executive Director, U.S. National Cave and Karst Research Institute
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
If you have 20 something cavers in a small passage with bad air
breathing heavily
for 9 hours, do expect the oxygen level to improve or get worse ?
I propose future trips take precautionary measures and release some oxygen
into the passage.
It would be little use to install a big fan and flexible conduit to
force some air into the shaft entrance
because the air would distribute evenly throughout the whole cave and
it would also block the entrance
from easy in and out trips.
Also,
A tiny air shaft could be drilled, that could also be used to lower
the diving gear into the room where
the divers suit up at.
Even a 3 inch diameter shaft would be helpful, because you could lower
a telephone cable, or pump
oxygen into the room, lower emergency food and water, etc.
I propose a 3 inch shaft be drilled to confirm the exact location of
the 1st sump, and then use the
diver's survey to mark the surface where the cave is going.
I would also like to propose that the TSA, TCMA, and every Texas caver
unite behind a single goal, and
I believe that goal should be to finish the map of Honeycreek. (
after ICS of course )
I hope I live long enough to see the TCMA acquire the Shaft Entrance
and at least some sort of permanent
access agreement to the Natural Entrance, like an easement.
David Locklear
caver in Fort Bend County
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I would like to offer an idea.
At many resale or thrift stores, they sell cotton work overalls for around $ 9.
Instead of spending a lot of time and money doing WNS decon, why not
just buy some of these overalls, and give each caver one for each cave they
visit.
Or maybe someone could offer them for sale at ICS ?
After the convention, someone can take them all to a big laundromat and then
donate the overalls back to the store, or try to sell them as
convention souvenirs.
After all, most cavers up north are not be accustomed to caving in
cotton work overalls,
and may not own a pair.
I think I could easily round up about 30 pairs of these overalls, but
I don't have the
$ 350 it would cost to do that, and that would only make a small dent in the
number needed.
And,
Of course that still would not decon the cave pack, boots, gear, etc.
Another idea would just be to cave naked or in just your bathing suit.
That would simply decon procedures.
Below are just some related opinions,
Personally, I think we should encourage other fun activities to occupy the
ICS attendees, like taking them to some good swimming holes.
I would also like to add that hundreds of the ICS attendees go caving year
round, and they spend the convention giving presentations, watching their
colleagues presentations and socializing and planning future trips.
I bet over a
hundred cavers there will not have the time to cave.
Caving in Texas in July is almost as bad as August.
David Locklear
caver in Fort Bend County
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
ICS attendees would have some muddy fun at Prassel Ranch Cave.
This cave is about 15 miles north of CWAN, and along the same road
if my memory is correct.
The entrance is only about 200 feet east of the road.
I don't have any idea how to gain access to the cave, but
if the owner lived near Houston, I would be willing to talk
to him.
And this cave has had a going lead for 30 something years. Right ?
This is a cave that would be more fun if it had a shaft entrance. You
have fun "salamandering" for hours only to turn around and repeat the
same to get out of the cave. I don't know how common "salamandering"
is in other cave regions of the world, as it is not described in caving
books. For those of you who have never done it, the problem is
that the mud is over knee deep and the water is waste deep. So you
can only progess by slithering along in the cold wet mud on your belly.
So you need excellent gloves as the mud is gritty and your hands are
pickled. You also need a wet-suit to help you with bouyancy and
the wet cold water. And you need boots that don't pull of your feet.
The zip up neoprene booties work o.k, preferably the kind with they
heavy rubberized toe protectors.
Prassel Ranch Cave is fun cave that you will probably only want to
visit once or twice. I don't know if TSS has GPS coordinates for
this cave or if someone knows where it is on Google Earth. I think
only a trickle of water flows from the entrance.
Any other comments ?
David Locklear
caver in Fort Bend County
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I think I read somewhere that WNS has been found in man-made structures.
Is that right ?
In my opinion, it would be better to build a permanent concrete structure near
cave entrances to encourage bats to repopulate there, one that would be
safe for the bats.
The beetles and cave crickets could be moved to join them.
And it would be easier to collect the guano.
After all, bat guano poisons caves and cave water, and makes caving less fun.
And what evidence do we have that bats have been using caves before man
scared them away from their natural habitats ?
Bats are perfectly happy living in the crevices of bridges and trees. Right ?
Many people put their animals in outdoor structures. Why not do the same
for bats.
I bet Mr. Bamberger would agree.
http://www.bambergerranch.org/news/images/chirop.jpg
Of course, my idea is not new.
http://www.batworld.org/wild_sanctuary/wild_sanctuary.html
What is new is I am proposing cavers build permanent bat houses near
cave entrances to give the bats an easy choice of places to
spend the day sleeping. ( They could return to the cave
when we are not caving if they really wanted ).
Why do bats need access to Honeycreek Cave, for example, when
Bracken Bat Cave is so close ?
I take the side that certain caves should have gates
to keep out the bats. Or at least certain passages should be blocked
to keep out bats. Kartchner Caverns for example, Sonora, Midnight
Cave, Lake Cave ( Slaughter Canyon ), caves with sensitive troglobitic
aquatic life.
In return, other caves could be set up to be only for bat use, like the
Fredricksburg Bat Tunnel, etc.
Of course, caves with known species that require bat guano, would
be exempt from this. But I don't know which caves that would be.
Couldn't these creatures be collected and moved to a bat
sanctuary where humans are not allowed?
David Locklear
caver in Fort Bend County
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