Is anybody out there still not convinced you will miss a whole lot of fun if you skip the ICS event ?
Surely most of the CaveTex readers by now have already decided on whether or not they are going to ICS. I am posting this because I wish someone had tried harder to convince me to attend the caving conventions when I was a newbie. Many of you that attend will arrive on or before Friday night the 17th. That is only 31 days away. Meaning anyone who has not yet heard of ICS or hasn't made up their mind yet, has little time to get fired up for it. It is possible that there are cavers out there who have lost contact with their nearest grotto and may not have heard about ICS. If you know some caver like that, call them up and invite them at least to the Howdy Party. I called an Aggie caver that I haven't caved with in 22 years, and a Houston caver I haven't caved with in almost 10 years. They could not come. But just in case you are still procrastinating about going: I think if you can only attend one day, then you probably don't want to miss the big slide show. I hope I don't miss the Terminal Siphons concert. Rumor is that they are going to have a great saxophonist this year. So don't miss that. Seeing all the maps, photos, and artwork on display is an opportunity that you won't get again. The Speleo-olympics should be quite exciting, with some of the fastest froggers in the world. And listening to the exploration talks by the caver's that made the latest discoveries, connections, and record-breaking trips is very motivating. ( Do you remember the 1st time your eyes saw The Chandelier ? ) It is fun to make new friends, and this event will be a good place to do that. ( for me, I think that is the best reason ) And hopefully, you will have an opportunity to go in a cave that you might otherwise never have a chance to go in, or at least to go caving with a famous caver that you may never get to go caving with. You will get that warm fuzzy feeling by being able to say "oh yeh, I have caved with her." And meeting the cavers that work as vendors is a real treat, and watching them custom make your gear on site is fun. I imagine a few cavers will go to a good swimming hole like Krause Springs and you can join them and have a lot of fun. I want to do that. I encourage newbies to try to get to know the old-timers there, like Dick Blenz. You would be surprised how dedicated to caving they still are. For those of you who have never camped in Texas in July, you don't need a sleeping bag. Just wrap up in a large cotton sheet. Wash off with a wet rag before going to bed and wipe the sweat off of you until your body cools down. I prefer sleeping on a cot as opposed to sleeping on the ground. Just spray a little bug spray on you. And the best tents are the ones with lots of netting and the bigger the tent the better. Don't use a Goretex single wall tent. You will be miserable. And having your tent under some kind of canopy or tarp is a big help especially if you plan to camp all week. If you are on a really tight budget like I am going to be. Here are some tips: Learn to like cheap sardines. Any fruit you buy will probably spoil thus wasting your money. If you must go to a restaurant, order a bowl of soup and drink water. You can survive for a week on a few cans of cheap beanie-wienies. There is a salad restaurant in downtown Kerrville. Their Taco Soup is the best I have ever had. I guess my last thoughts are that you won't be able to reminisce about the convention someday unless you attend it. Cavers will probably be talking about this event around the campfire for many years to come, and you will just have to shrug your shoulders and say, I wasn't there. Bring a nylon pvc-coated poncho, if you have one. A golf umbrella comes in handy as several cavers can stand under it to walk between the events during the storm. Has anyone ever seen a caving convention without a storm ? Cheers, David Locklear --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
