Since someone posted something about me on Cavetex today, I feel I need to respond to it.
They indicated that it was amazing for someone in their 40's to know a lot about caving history. It is not going to be easy to clarify that comment without sounding boastful, so here is part of my speleo-resume: In 1987, I was 23 and I did consider myself as the un-official A.S.S. historian. I only held office one year, as vice-president, and that was only because at the time we had just 2 members ( me and the other was president. ) But it never seemed important enough to write any of it down. I have little "first-hand" knowledge of any caving events except what happened within the ASS from 1984 to 1987. Anything else I claim to know is a fuzzy memory of second-hand rumors or stories. The socializing aspect of hanging out with cavers was always more important to me than the actual exploration. All of my caving has been recreational in nature and to caves that had already been mapped. I had a few mentors in my early days of being around cavers, and I listened to a few stories around the camp-fire. My college geology professor was a caver and introduced me to several cavers. Among them were Jon Everage and A. Richard Smith. ( both deceased ) A caver named Steve Robertson, introduced me to the speleo-wonders of Mexico in 1985. Since then, I have attended 4 Mexpeleo Conventions. There I met Oren Tranbarger, and he became one of my best caving friends. I briefly new Pat Copeland. ( both deceased ) I have attended 2 grotto meetings at Bexar and U.T., and was an un-official member of the DFW Grotto in 1988 and attended most of their meetings that year. I haven't been to the Guads much, however, I have been to Lake Cave in Slaughter Canyon 3 or 4 times. I have caved once in Indiana, Tennesee & West Virginia. I have been to commercial caves in Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Indiana, West Virginia, and Florida. I have caved in several Mexican states. Once in Oaxaca, twice in Guerrero, once in Hidalgo, and once in Veracruz, and many trips to San Luis Potosi and also the northern states of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and Coahuilla. I have also visited several commercial caves in Mexico. My only foreign caving trip outside of Mexico was in Panama. ( 3 Panamanian kids led me on a flashlight tour of Chilibre. ) During my years here in Houston, I have met well-known cavers like Charles Fromen and Bob Richards, and got to know a lot of great people, like Charlie Haskett and Donna Mosesman ( both deceased ). I have many people to thank over the years for guiding me. Among them are Bill Steele, Rolf Adams ( deceased ) and Don Broussard, James Jasek, and I am leaving out a lot of people that assisted me in one way or another. "One thing a person learns about caving after they have been in it for a while, is how much the still haven't learned." I know little about the NSS eventhough I have attended some of their conventions. I still haven't made it to the OTR. I know little about the TSA, the TSS, the CRF, although I have tried to follow some of the activities of the AMCS. I know zero about the International caving scene and the ICS. And I know zero about cave diving, or cave-parachuting on nudist-caving. I have missed many TSA functions and have still not made it out to a TCMA or TCC project. And I have never made it to the TSS or the NSS office. I have only done a little ridgewalking. After visiting a few caves in Indiana, this summer, I realized I still have a whole lot to learn about cavers and caving. But that is all in the past, and what is important is what I plan to do with that knowledge. Assuming I live another 10 years, I would like to attend more NSS Conventions. I would like to do some real caving in Mexico. I would like to go deeper and get wetter. I would also like to visit the new caving musuem in Kentucky. But for the time being, my reality is that I have a 3 year old daughter who is becoming a fascinating young girl and a mortgage and job that conflicts with my caving desires. I have to focus on that for a few years. I hope that clarifies the previous post. Hopefully, I will see some of you again at the TSA winter get-together. David Locklear caver in Fort Bend County, Texas --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
