More info.: Illusive Pit is actually in Municipio Bustamante, not Candela, according to the AMCS GIS database. It is near the boundary in the mountains, and the first explorers thought it was in Candela, but it's in Bustamante.
I guess you could say that the pit was so awesome is was like an illusion, thus illusive or illusory, but they may have made a pun on illusive/elusive. It certainly was also elusive. Many cavers make puns when naming caves, and there are many bilingual puns among Mexican cave names. Was it Oren Tranbarger who figured out the precise location? I think he wrote an article about it later. Thanks, *William R. (Bill) Elliott* *speodes...@gmail.com <speodes...@gmail.com>* 573-291-5093 cell On Thu, Jul 11, 2019 at 11:08 AM Bill Steele <cwilliamste...@gmail.com> wrote: > David, if you could succeed in getting the Illusive Pit open again for > cavers, I promise to write a ballad about it like the minstrels of old, > singing your praises, and enter it in the NSS Ballad Contest. How’s that > for an offer? > > It’s Illusive Pit. To wit: > http://www.mexicancaves.org/maps/0036.pdf > > Bill Steele > speleoste...@aol.com > > On Jul 11, 2019, at 10:48 AM, David <dlocklea...@gmail.com> wrote: > > The gate to the ranch is about here and was the only gate in the area > around 1995. > > > https://maps.app.goo.gl/JhahJ7GmyLhWBCVW8 > > Gate was constructed of pipe and painted bright yellow, with a protected > single heavy-duty key lock. > > There is a ranch house about 1/4 mile southwest beyond the gate. > > Only one spot required serious four-wheeling across an arroyo > before the house. Bring lumber, 2×6. > > The rest is flat with sharp rocks and tall sharp plants. So there, you > just need good ground-clearance and really tough tires > > Ranch hands lived in Candela 4 blocks south of Municipal building. > > Locals called it "La Mina de Something. ??" > > Owner's adult daughter lived on Nebraska St . in Laredo, Texas about ten > years ago. > > See Eustorgio Garcia ( R.I.P. ) > > > Using rebelays, the pit could be rigged as 3 easy drops ( 2 ledges, one > of which is large enough to get off rope in an emergency ( I tested it ). > > Leads are around but up high, but I think those passages may be mined > tunnels. > > There could potentially be more passage beneath 20 tons of guano. > > I would recommend doing all the popular caves in the region there and just > skipping Illusive Pit. > > I ridge-walked the lower elevations of the west face of the mountain > several times while searching for it and while hoping to find other caves. > If there are other caves, they would probably be higher above Illusive Pit. > > Most likely there are more caves, on that mountain. I do not know if the > east face gets more rain. > > I did not re-find it by myself. The ranch-hands knew of it, but did not > know where it was exactly. They were one ravine off, as I recall and > about 100 meters off elevation. > > I gave them a 12-pack of American beer, which did not please their wives. > I think I made up for that on the second trip. > > I recall Terry Raines saying he verified the ledges interrupted the free > drop. > > My opinion is that you would have to install bolts if you did not bring a > 600 foot rope. We tied 3 ropes together and crossed knots which > unfortunately were not placed at the ledges. ( The first time we did it ) > > > > D. L. > > _______________________________________________ > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers > > _______________________________________________ > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers >
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