Jim Jacobs
FROM A HOLE IN THE GROUND
Jim Jacobs
PUBLIC MEETING OF THE NEAR NORMAL GROTTO!
TIME: FRIDAY, JANUARY 27th, AT 7:00pm
LOCATION: COMMUNITY ROOM
FIRST OF AMERICA BANK
EAST AND JEFFERSON ST.
BLOOMINGTON, IL
YOU ARE INVITED!
From time to time the questions arise, "Why join the NSS? What does the NSS do for me?" Some of the more obvious answers are, The NSS News (published monthly) which informs us of national and international happenings in the caving world, the Bulletin (the scientific quarterly), the yearly Member's Index, which provides us with names and phone numbers (and now interNet addresses) of cavers across the country, and the Cave Accidents report. The national convention and regional events such as the MVORs, Kentucky Speleofest and the OTR also come to mind. It must also be recognized that the NSS disseminates information regarding governmental and political movements that can affect us as cavers. This is often information that reaches us late or not at all through the usual media sources such as newspapers and TV. The following is reprinted from the NSS Administrative Memo of December, 1994, and demonstrates yet another way in which the NSS works for us.
THE NSS AND LANDOWNERS vs. LEGAL SUITS
David Luckins, President
NSS
The October NSS NEWS carried a letter describing an unfortunate accident at Norman's Cave, West Virginia where a 62 year old woman fell during a "wildcat" Cave-for-Pay trip and broke both her ankles. Lawsuits against the trip leader, a nearby commercial cave operator, and the land owner were filed as a result of the accidents. The suit against the land owner was especially grievous to cavers as this owner has been friendly to cavers and was not aware of any commercial use of his cave.
Cavers in the region explored several options for assisting the landowner. The Virginia Region played an active part in helping to define a role for the National Speleological Society in assisting cavers who desired to support the landowner in his defense. As a result of their leadership, the NSS Board of Governors adopted the following motion during its fall meeting on October 15, 1994.
Moved that the NSS will assume a leadership role in representing caver interests on landowner liability issues associated with cave accidents. Our goal is to foster an environment in which the cave owners are held harmless for accidents in their cave during trips for which the landowner received no fee.
In particular, the NSS will actively assist the regional caver support for the owner of the entrance to Norman's Cave, West Virginia, in his defense of a suit resulting from an accident in his cave.
As a result of that motion, the Executive committee of the NSS has taken the following actions:
1. A restricted fund has been established to permit cavers to donate money to help defray the landowner's legal expenses as he defends himself.
2. The NSS Legal committee has been asked to assist the landowner's attorney where possible.
3. In order to be better prepared to assist landowners confronted with similar problems in the future, the NSS Land Owner Relations committee has been asked to take an active role to:
A. Develop a legal discussion and list of precedence on these issues that could be provided to the landowner for his attorney to us in developing a defense.
B. Obtain copies of suits, dispositions, judgments etc. for such suits and provide upon request when it serves our interests.
C. Seek to establish a favorable legal precedence for the principle that a landowner is not liable for injuries suffered by those who enter their cave without fee to the landowner and widely advertise our success.
D. Consider if further legislation may be necessary given current cave laws and assist local NSS regions to develop such legislation.
I've spoken to the landowner, his family, and their attorney. The landowner is very moved by the expressions of support he has received from cavers and wants each of you to know how much your support means to him and his family. I've outlined the above plans to him and to his attorney, and they both welcome and appreciate your assistance. You can help by doing the following:
1. Encourage your fellow cavers to donate to the defense fund by sending contributions to the NSS at 2813 Cave Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35810-4431. Make your check to the NSS, BUT be sure to include a note indicating the donation is for the Norman's Cave Defense. That way, the money will be channeled into the correct account.
2. Timeliness is important. Please help by getting the word out to concerned cavers by using your grotto meetings, and by using your newsletters.
3. The Land Owner Relations committee has its work cut out. There's a lot of research to be done in the legal stacks. If you are aware of a caver studying law who may be able to help with the research, please contact Bill Thoman, 4905 Ralph, Cincinnati, OH 45238.
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If lawsuits such as this are permitted to succeed, then we might as well find another hobby. Landowners will be reluctant to allow us to enter their caves if they are liable for any accident that happens there.
On another (and happier subject), the Near Normal Grotto is now THREE YEARS OLD, and we're bigger and stronger than ever! Happy birthday to us! We're receiving a steady influx of new members to reinvigorate the old members, and new ideas are flowing in. We've completed our first big grotto project, the mapping of the Blackball Mine, and are looking for permission and support for further research and activities in that area. There is the possibility of another research, exploration and mapping area for us just across the Missouri line. We will be able to provide further news on this possibility once the weather warms up, and we have more time to check things out. Since Don Coons is not around as much as he used to be, and Kevin Rasmus' free time is limited, a few of us need to learn how to run book on mapping expeditions. Anyone interested?
If you are an NSS member, and want your email address listed in the 1995 Members Manual, send your name, NSS number and email address to trea@delphi.com. If you were listed last year, no need to do it again.
On the subject of addresses, please note the following address changes:
Val Winston, 1221 W. Governor #11, Springfield, IL 62704, ph. (217) 793-8699.
Eli and Sara Rodemaker, 78 East, 100 North, Smithfield, UT 84335, ph. (801) 563-8234.
According to information from Kevin Allred, his trip last month extended the depth of Kazumura Cave, a lava tube on the big island of Hawaii to a U.S. depth record of 888 meters (2,913 ft.). Total surveyed length now stands at 47.2 kms (29.3 miles). Kazumura has a linear straight-line distance of over 28 kms! This may be the longest linear cave in the world. It is currently the longest and deepest lava tube cave in the world.
The Mark Twain Grotto has made good progress in their Highway 61 project. Many sinkholes and caves underlying proposed areas of blasting for the highway widening project have been mapped, and the information given to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department. "There is a ten mile stretch of highway south of Frankford, MO that needs to be examined before construction starts. We may find caves that need to be recorded and brought to the attention of the MHTD.", reported MTG president Dave Mahon. The project is ongoing, and there is still much to be done before construction begins less than a year from now. If you would like to participate, just contact Dave at (217) 656-3849 or Loren Fear at (217) 938-4331.
Welcome to new members:
Beth C. Reinke, 612 Creve Coeur dr., Champaign, IL 61821, ph. (217) 398-5768
Angela J. Carson (wife of David), 2421 E. Washington #8-91, Bloomington, IL 61704, ph. (309) 663-5790
We just keep growing...and growing...and growing.
At our upcoming meeting on the 27th of this month, there will be some special surprises in honor of our birthday. I understand that there may be two methods of entry into the meeting; the active caver's entrance, and the armchair caver's entrance. Sources of light will be provided. SEE YOU THERE!
IN THIS ISSUE.........
*NORM ROGERS describes his return trip to Great Onyx Cave, and perhaps discovers something about himself and why he caves.
*New caver, PAT O'CONNELL reports on his first vertical cave trip, and how Santa Claus was good to him.
*ALAN CRESSLER and company blast open a blowing crack to find new cave.
*DAVE MAHON gives us a tip on repairing crawlway-split boot toes.
*DONALD DAVIS opines on the impact of publicity on caves.
*A NEWS RELEASE on progress in Lechuguilla.
*Tips on cave photography by JOHN HELLSTROM.
*A discussion on fees for the use of caves on public lands.
*PATTI KAMBESIS provides suggestion on food for long cave trips.
*ANOTHER CAVE COMPUTER NET
*ANMAR MIRZA gives us a first-person account of the recent rescue in Reeves Cave, Indiana
*We finally find out why JIM JACOBS caves. I think.
July 15, 1992
Norm Rogers
Participants: Norm Rogers, Dave Mosley, Mike Lorance, Jeff Grant
This article is a continuation of one published in the last NEWS. To get the full story, refer to the article entitled "Great Onyx Cave" in the November issue.
While attending the following year's restoration camp at Mammoth Cave, we took some time to push our new lead in Great Onyx cave. On the previous trip, we were forced to turn back due to lack of time. Now, we were determined to push the lead until we could go no further. We quickly made our way to our previous point of exploration--the T junction. At that point, we decided to take the lower route in the water because it was the easiest way. It was hands-and-knees in water up to our elbows and the chilly water numbed our fingers and knees, especially after having already gotten completely wet from the water crawl leading to the dam.
After about 75 feet, the stream in which we were crawling dropped 10 feet to the floor of a room 20 feet high and seven feet wide. We had left our climbing gear back in the River Room, and the drop was too tricky to fee climb. A narrow, muddy slot continued over the top of the room, so we decided to get to the other side that way. The mud was three inches thick on the sides of the slot, and every move we made put us in danger of sliding through and falling to the floor below. We had to wedge our knees against one side of the slot, and our backs against the other while trying to move forward by digging our elbows into the slippery mud.
By the time we reached the far side of the room, and climbed down to the floor, our arms were trembling from the strain of trying to keep from sliding deeper into the slot. As we rested, we could see two good leads at opposite ends of the room. The stream that fell from the crawlway spattered noisily into a pool of water that covered the floor. The pool drained out of the room into an inviting hole. The other lead was through a small opening lined with popcorn. That would be our first objective.
Dave Mosley led us into the popcorn crawl. The popcorn snagged our clothes and the passage twisted in such a way as to make it almost impossible to negotiate. Dragging our wet clothes and packs through the tight passage sapped our strength. Climbing up to a higher level, we found a comfortable crawlway which moved a good amount of water. We crawled upstream for several hundred feet until the passage began to pinch down a bit. We had to crawl on our elbows and knees and things were not looking like fun up ahead as the ceiling became lower still. Soon we were forced to belly crawl in the cold water.When we rested, we all thought of the inviting drain back at the other end of the large room. We turned around without pushing the lead to the end.
We made our way back to the large room and dropped into the drain.It started as a hands-and-knees crawl, but quickly changed to stooping and then to walking passage. It was winding and narrow, but a real pleasure after having to crawl all the way to get there. As we progressed, the water got deeper. First waist deep, then chest deep. We decided to send a couple of people ahead to see what the passage did. Dave and Jeff volunteered, but shortly returned with the sad news that the water got too deep to walk, and the walls provided no footholds to go any further.
We turned around and made our way back to the large room with our spirits even gloomier than this deep, wet part of the cave. My carbide lamp went out. As I sat against the wall in ankle deep muddy water, I poked feebly at my lamp with a tip cleaner. We were soaking wet, chilled to the bone, and still had a long hard trip to the entrance of the cave. "What a stupid hobby this is!", I said out loud. At that point, no one disagreed. We all felt miserable.
If there were an epilogue to this story, it would be the same as many other cave trips. We made it out of the cave without incident--hating every minute of it, but when we got out, we felt great, almost euphoric. We bragged to all of our friends as to what a great trip it was. We didn't reach our main objective--to find large amounts of big, walking cave, but perhaps someday someone will go back and find very little water in the same passage in which we had turned around, and make further discoveries. It usually happens that way.
BUDDHA CAVE, Buddha IN. - SHOWCASE CAVE, Bloomington IN.
Pat O'Connell
With the holidays about us, and a little vacation time available, Jim and Marty Jacobs willingly agreed to take a novice caver with them to southern Indiana. That novice was me, Pat O'Connell. I was biting at the harness to go. Santa was very good to me. He brought me some really nice toys, and I wanted to get the chance to use them. I'm new to the Grotto and caving. I've known Jim for quite a long time. He would tell me about going caving and how much fun it was. I was pretty skeptical, until he talked Kathy (my wife) and I into joining the trip to Illinois Caverns last fall. We had a blast, and got hooked. My next trip was to southern Illinois for some repelling. We repelled off a cliff at Cove Hollow. Well after all this it's no wonder what the Christmas list looked like!
With new toys in hand we left Bloomington (IL) at 7:30 am on Thursday, Dec. 29th. We had reserved a room at the
Rosemount Motel in Bedford IN. It turn out to be a pretty adequate motel for a caving trip. After checking in,
we got our caving clothes on, and started for Buddha. Jim and Marty have both been there before on a previous trip.
This made finding the cave a lot easier. Upon arriving at the farm house who's property the cave's on, Jim went
up to get permission. No one was home so he left a note telling who we were, and that we were going to the cave.
To get to the cave you have to walk through the pasture, which was probably the toughest and scariest part of this
cave. Toughest being the fact you had to watch every step you took to keep from stepping into the fresh cow patties.
Scariest for Marty, because she really doesn't like the cows that much.
As we entered the cave you could hear the rushing of water, a stream running in and disappearing into a hole at the cave floor. We had to climb over and up to a ledge, about 10 feet high. From there we crawled through a opening, and made our way through the passage. A short while later, we had made our way to the place in the cave where a crevice splits the floor open to a lower level. While Marty and I were still trying to figure out how all our harness and descending equipment goes on, Jim rigged the rope to the lower level. The descent was a success and breath taking. The formations in the lower level were gorgeous. I took only a few pictures in this cave. My camera only had a few shots left on it. I wish I would have picked up more film. There was a small waterfall here. Jim and Marty said they climbed up through it last time they were there. Marty, being the one to look for the easier route, found a ledge to take to avoid the waterfall. We followed! We think we found the buddha of the cave (a formation resembling a fat little buddha, with a bowl in front of him). This is a very decorated and beautiful cave. We were able to make our way as far as you could go, until the stream and the cave ceiling met.
On the way back out I tested my camera to see how well it would survive falling and bouncing off a couple of ledges. Happy to say it survived quite well. Everyone ascended without any trouble or help. By the time we made it out it was already dark, and as we approached the farm house the cows which we spooked herded away in a roar of thunder. Marty kept swearing there was something behind her.
After a hot shower, and some clean clothes, we headed for the Pizza Hut. On our way to get pizza we saw what looked like a really nice Christmas light display. So after we ate we detoured are return to the motel. The display turn out to be just breathtaking. The entire house was covered with lights , including the roof. This wasn't one of those one story ranch type houses. This was an old two story house with a walk up attic. It was simply gorgeous. Definitely worth seeing if your in the area at that time of year. We then made our way back to the motel , where we settled down for a long nights sleep.
The next day , our intentions were to drive up to Bloomington, IN. and explore Buckner's Cave. Upon stopping at our second caving supply shop, Jim bravely asked the proprietor ( Buddy Rodgers ) if we could be lucky enough to see his cave , "showcase". After scrounging around for the key, he obliged us. His shop is "Bent Arrow Caving Supplies". He custom makes a lot of his own bags and harnesses. His work looks pretty first rate. Buddy gave us directions from the shop on how to get to the cave. After we got our gear all together and suited up, we started for the cave. Buddy could have saved giving us directions though, because his dog led us right to the cave opening. The opening to this cave is an iron gate over a man hole in the woods. It starts out as an 8 foot climb straight down a narrow chimney. Then has a narrow crawl over a crevice, with another 10 foot climb down. From there you have to slide and climb down an additional 10 feet to were the cave opens up into a large room with a 7-8 foot ceiling. Since none of us had ever been in this cave before, Jim decided to leave a lightstick to mark the exit.
This cave is a rather damp wet clay cave. There are some rather nice formations though throughout the cave. We explored about all of the cave we could get through. At one point I thought I had discovered this really neat place with a big room, then Marty pointed out that this is where we had started, " oh yeah ". We then went in a different direction through a crawl way. It opened into a large room with a lot of breakdown. At one end of the room was a crawl way to another room, this one being probably the most decorated. Upon making our way to the back of this room we found a figure of a little man made of clay, later Buddy would tell us that its been there for 5 or more years. We made our way back to where Jim had left the lightstick. Before we made our way back to the world above, Jim got out his little stove and made a cup of tea for us. The climb out was a little tough. Instead of climbing up the one end of the second level and crawling over the crevice, I opted to save on the crawl and just chimney up the other end. After getting my bag and Jim's bag up, I then made my way up to the first level. Next came Marty to the second level then Jim. Marty decided to take the way we came down back up, and Jim followed me. Marty didn't like the crawl, but she didn't think she could chimney up the way Jim and I did. Well we all made it out just fine, and our next problem arose when we tried to lock the gate and couldn't get the key to come out of the lock. We had been forewarned by Buddy that it could be pretty stubborn. Well stubborn wasn't the word for it. We all tried and tried until we finally gave up. We took the lock and key back to Buddy , who decided it was time for a new lock. I ran back to the cave and locked up. There was some young cavers at the shop on our return. After talking with them for awhile about the caves in the area, we told them about our trip to Buddha the day before. They told us they had been to Buddha before but had never done the lower level. The time they were there, someone had already set up ropes at the crevice. The people below yelled up that they could use the rope if they wanted, but just don't take the rope! Well this struck Jim as wild, because he and Marty were in the group that had set up the rope, and had just descended. They were the ones that had yelled up. Small world isn't it!
Marty went ahead and drove us down to the end of the road so they could show me where Buckner's Cave was. Jim and I hopped out and walked down to the entrance, and he showed me the beginning of the crawl way. We then made our way back to Bloomington IN., where we ate supper at McDonald's, then headed for Bloomington IL.
LARSON'S WELL, THE MAKING OF A CLASSIC
Alan Cressler
NSS 24392
cressler@wrdmail.er.usgs.gov
For me, the TAG Fall Cave-in weekend use to be a party and socializing event and caving was the secondary reason to attend. Since 1990 that has changed. I still socialize but it is a normal caving weekend for me. In my effort to do as many caves as I can, I found myself back in Orme, Tennessee looking for a cave thatI had failed to find in the summer of 1992.
Despite all the good trips that were leaving the Cave-in, on Saturday, October 8, I managed to lure a crew consisting of Chris Hudson, John Adler, and Harald Anderson to look for Orme Pit # 1. We were equipped with a better point than I had back in 1992. It didn't take long for us to find it. The pit is a mostly freefall 96 foot blind shaft. Our plan was to do the pit then head across the valley to Waterworks Cave but when we got back to the vehicles, my friend Little Wayne Godsby was home at his trailer near the parking area. I talked to Little Wayne for a while about life in Orme and going to Waterworks Cave. Just as we were about to leave, he told me about a man up the "haller" that had a deep hole that he might want checked out.
After getting directions to Mr. M.C. Larson's house and a warning that he was old and a little funny to get along with, we walked up into Payne Cove to the end of the road. Mr. Larson was sitting outside his rustic house in an old chair under a mulberry tree. We found him to be rather pleasing. He indeed did have a hole that he had known about for thirty years. He told us that it was 200 ft deep and had a lake at the bottom. How many times have we heard that, I thought. After looking at all of us, he said he didn't think we would fit. I convinced him that we were skinnier that we looked. Being 70 years old and with steel hip parts, he had no trouble climbing the mountain to the area. I recognized the contact and started looking on my own. I basically walked right to the small sink. Everyone showed up after I bowed them down.
Mr. Larson was right, the crack in the bottom of the shallow sink was only six inchs wide and 6 ft long. There wasn't a rats-ass-chance-in-hell that we would fit. Harald is one skinny man and he couldn't even get his butt cheeks into the crack. We dropped our first rock down; there was a significant delay before we heard an echoing boom and splash. Talking about exited! We dropped rock after rock down the pit. We could even see the lake at the bottom with a wheat lamp. There was one major problem, we could see that the crack was too narrow for 15 ft before it belled out to 40 ft in diameter. Blasting would be the only way. I knew just the man for the job. Before we left, we did the only digging we could do with a hammer. We also tied the two ropes we had together with a rock on one end and lowered the rock to the bottom and hand-stroked the rope as it was pulled out. Our hand-stroked figure was 150 ft.
I talked to Mr. Larson about blasting. He had done plenty of time in the old coal mines of Orme, so blasting was no problem to him. Besides, he wanted to know what was at the bottom as bad as we did. Before we left the cove, we located two other caves that he had told us about. Larson's Spring Cave was 60 feet long and 25 feet vertical and Home Brew Cave was 60 feet long and 30 feet vertical.
Back at the Cave-in, the story circulated quickly. I for one being a blabbermouth, told all my blabbermouth friends and before long we not only had our blaster but a cast-o-thousands to help. The rain that began Sunday morning wimpered all but eleven of the truely crazed. Andy Porter, Chris Hudson, John Adler, Harald Anderson, Jerry Reeves, Marion Smith, Maury Benamy, Shawna Owen, Jim Smith, Doug Strait and I were equipped with tarps and other rain protection. Jim was going to use his gasoline powered drill with 9 and 18 inch drill bits to make the shot holes and the wonder powder to make a classic. It rained about half of the day. A total of six blast echoed down upper Doran Cove. Hours were spent cleaning shattered rock between each blast. Jim is so good with his technique that we were going down about 18 inchs at a time. At the end of the day, the right wall was large enough for nine feet. We were not only out of time, but out of blast.
Andy, Doug, Jim and I spent the night near the Sinkhole. Monday was Columbus Day so we had the day off. Jim had to drive to Chattanooga to buy some more blast. He met us at Russell Cave around 1100am. We stopped and chatted with Little Wayne and Mr. Larson for a while before we headed up the mountain. They were going to join us after a bit. Andy worked on the hole before Jim stated drilling. While Jim was drilling, Little Wayne and Mr. Larson showed up with a bag full of Diet Pepsi and a tall Budweiser for Mr. Larson. Jim did three more flawless blast that barely made Mr. Larson flinch as he told us very entertaining stories about the old days and coal mining.
After one more hour of wall cleaning, I got my gear on and rapelled though the narrow spot and into the huge void. We had made a freefall classic that we taped at 161 feet! I landed on the edge of the large pool. I stepped into the continuing canyon and yelled off rope and to bring more rope. Jim was the next down. A walking canyon went about 30 feet to a pit that looked to be 40 feet deep. Water issued from the left wall and made the next pit wet. Jim found a rig point and yelled as he rapelled through the waterfall. We taped the pit at 39 feet. Andy and Doug were quickly down and we began scooping the continuing canyon. Jim was in front as I improved the passage behind him. Within 150 feet, the narrow canyon began to drop as we encountered climbdowns of 4, 7, and 8 feet into a large room with massive breakdown on the floor. Jim, Doug, and Andy continued into the big room and I investigated where the water was going. I cleared some breakdown and found a 25 foot pit. We didn't have any more rope so I began looking for a climbdown bypass. After finding a route that looked like it would work, I joined the rest of the crew in the big room. I found the skeleton of a small carnivore, most likely a weasel or mink like animal, in the passage that Jim and Andy were in.
We never found a way out of the room so we went back to my lead. A 20 foot climbdown reached the bottom of the 25 foot pit. At the bottom, there were some massive sandstone boulders, that most likely originated from the surface ravine, that formed a 15 foot climbdown to a point where the water went into a way too tight, rubble-filled crack. After that, we began our journey out. Doug checked out an upclimb in the 150 foot long canyon, that connected back to the 39 foot pit, about 25 feet up. We pushed the most obvious passages, but the cave was by no means totally pushed. Chris Hudson's mapping project may yield a way on. Our official estimate on the depth is 265 feet, with a length of 400 feet. The cave continues over 100 feet below the valley floor.
Mr. Larson was very pleased to find out what he had. I provided him some pictures of his cave. The pit is a true
classic, even if we did have to improve the first 13 feet. In a couple of years, only the most astute will recognize it as a blast site. As a general precaution, everyone who does the pit should be aware that it is a blast site and the possibility of rock fall does exist. We worked for many hours to prevent this. Don't get flatrocked, REMOVE any loose rock that you see. We have only one request from Mr. Larson. He wants the pit covered after each use. We have provided an old cedar tree top that should be placed in the hole. Lets keep this now friendly landowner happy. Chris Hudson completed the survey several trips later. His reduced data revealed the cave to be 270 feet deep and a horizontal extent of 403 feet. The cave went to near base level very quickly. The survey did not produce a way out of the big room. I am still convenced that there is a major cave type drain in Payne Cove, Larson's Well could still be the way in.
LEATHER BOOT TOE TIP
Dave Mahon
Mark Twain Grotto
Boots are in contact with cave surfaces more often than any other caving apparel. Soles are built to resist harsh surfaces, although most soles do not provide protection for boot toes. I have seen and experienced premature boot failure due to boot toes splitting after numerous crawls.
I am pleased with the performance of my American made deep-lugged jungle boots, although one toe began splitting after approximately 40 cave trips. I have developed a low cost remedy that may also be used to protect new boots.
An old boot, shoe, purse, etc. can be used to provide a strip of leather large enough to cover the front surface of the toe. An excellent adhesive should be available at the sporting goods departments of K-Mart. SHOE GOO, distributed by Eclectic Products cures to a somewhat flexible state and prevents the added leather strip from separating from the boot toe, even in wet conditions.
The first step of the boot repair requires making a template to the correct dimension of the boot toe. The template should be used to mark an outline on the leather to be cut. After cutting and cleaning the leather strip, apply some SHOE GOO to mating surfaces. After the leather strip has been applied to the boot tip, try to stretch the strip over the tip. Secure the strip with duct tape until the adhesive has cured. After removing the tape and tape adhesive residue, apply a bead of SHOE GOO around the entire perimeter of the leather strip. Let the SHOE GOO cure several days, and you're ready to crawl again.
Donald G. Davis
dgdavis@nyx.cs.du.edu
There are two kinds of destructive human impact on caves: focused impact and diffuse impact. The former is the kind caused by mines, quarries, dams, urban sprawl, etc., wherein some large-scale outside force overwhelms caves. The latter is the cumulative effect of human cave visitation. Where a focused impact threatens, high-profile publicity may be necessary to mobilize opinion against the threat. But in regard to diffuse impact, I maintain that publicity is always harmful.
Advocates of publicity often maintain that education will nullify the damage done by cave visitors. This argument is sound in fields like wildlife management, where the resource has a significant renewal rate, and if a fair majority of people can be persuaded to behave well, the resource can stay stable. But it overlooks a fact that seems to me much underappreciated by cave managers: caves differ from most recreational resources in being essentially nonrenewable.
This means that if 99 of 100 people who cave as a result of publicity respond positively, but one responds negatively, the one can cause more harm than might have happened if none had had the subject brought to their attention in the first place. And the 99 "good" cavers will have their own traffic impact that may be worse than the indeterminate but lesser traffic that would have occurred in the absence of publicity. High-profile strategies are thus very risky in this field. If they work badly, the damage can't be undone. And I have thus far made the very charitable assumption that the high-profile practitioners have only the welfare of the caves in mind. Unfortunately, the practice lends itself too well to contamination by the prospect of money, fame, and so on for the publicizers, as well as corruption in the minds of the audience, who can easily forget the nuances and be left with the impression of caving as just another "adventure sport" (even in this forum, caving is often labeled a "sport," which drives me up the wall--but that's another subject--).
Of course, all of us here are pure of mind, and wouldn't dream of publicizing caving for any but the most highly moral reasons. If you must use this as a conservation technique, it is most excusable in heavily-populated regions where focused impacts are a relatively large proportion of the damage. In areas like the western U.S., where diffuse impact is still the main problem, it is largely indefensible. Regarding the book "Caves of Colorado" specifically, I was one who opposed its publication in 1973. It was not only debated, but its author was in fact censured formally by the NSS (not for publishing it, but for excessive public advertising and distribution). In 1994 I have no doubt that it had, and continues to have, a significant negative effect on our caves. Several people now in organized caving have told me they were started caving by that book. Most of these are good cavers, and some may see this as a desirable thing. However, for every one of these, there are probably many more who have just been aided by the book to add their impact to the caves, without any positive compensation. The book has more than once been seen in cars parked near caves, and photocopies of maps from it have been among the litter picked up in them.
In a past exchange of this kind, someone quoted scripture, declaring that "we shouldn't hide our light under a bushel." I responded that "we shouldn't cast our pearls before swine"! I remain convinced that the caves are best served by keeping our discussions of the subject within the caving fraternity whenever possible.
LECHUGUILLA CAVE PASSES 80 MILE MARK
Over 11 miles added in 1994!
News Release
National Park Service
December 29, 1994
by Bob Crisman
A total of 14 exploration and science trips were conducted in Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 1994, adding 11.2 miles to the cave's known length.
As 1994 ends, and 1995 begins, the mapped length of Lechuguilla Cave stands at 80.4 miles. Less than 10 years, in May 1986, when a major exploration breakthrough occurred, Lechuguilla Cave was thought to be less than 250 feet long, or not even as long as a football field! Now, it is the third longest cave in the United States, and the fifth longest cave in the world. Discovery of a loop closure error in survey records has resulted in a correction of Lechuguilla Cave's depth, which is now 1,566 feet. However, it still remains the deepest limestone cave in the U.S., and is exceeded in depth only by a lava cave in Hawaii, which is over 2,000 feet deep.
Among the scientific trips into Lechuguilla Cave in 1994 were visits by a team of NASA scientists in April, and again the week of December 11th. The NASA scientists are studying some of the 600 strains of microbes found in the cave for clues to potential life forms beneath the surface of planet Mars. Other scientists are studying the cave's microbes for potential medical applica- tions, including possible treatments for cancer.
NPS officials who are responsible for management and approval of trips into Lechuguilla plan to approve six trips into the cave in 1995 for exploration, along with several additional science trips.
John Hellstrom
John.Hellstrom@anu.edu.au
I've always thought taking a nice SLR camera into a damp gritty cave verged on vandalism. For the last 5 years I've been using an Olympus AF-1 point and shoot camera, with up to five slave flashes (strobes, flashguns, anything else you want to call them).
Many 'serious' cave photographers wouldn't be seen dead with anything less than an SLR, as the lenses in these smaller cameras do give a grainier image. In truth, if you're using 100asa film, the grain of the film is still the limiting factor (as long as you're using one of the more expensive point and shoot cameras). Mine has had sand in the lens for a couple of years now, but it still produces sharp photos. The biggest problem is the flash being only 40mm from the lens, as even in caves where there's no problem with mist in front of the camera, you still get a flat and unconvincing photo.
I have tried three ways round this: The first is to shield the flash with aluminium foil, so the light is reflected sideways out of the photo, to where a slave flash is triggered, usually at arm's length from the camera. This works fine, but the slave always has to be on the same side of the camera.
Another way is to tape exposed slide film over the flash, blocking visible light, but still apparently letting enough (IR?) light through to trigger the slave. This also has it's drawbacks, as it reduces by about a factor of four the distance at which a slave will trigger, and unless you're careful you can still get a little steam in the photo.
The third way is to tape the simplest slave unit you can build to the flash, so absolutely no light escapes, and have a cable to a second flash (it would be a bit simpler if you could just plug it in to the camera, but that's not usually an option. In all three methods, the first slave flash triggers as many others as you care to use. Infra-red focus is fantastic underground, as the only way you can get a blurred photo is to have a carbide lamp flame in the very centre of the viewfinder.
Most p/s cameras have a fixed aperture (mine is 2.8), and expose the photo correctly by varying the intensity of the flash. When you take the photo, you know that the shutter will be open for about 1/15th, at f2.8, and can set your flash(es) accordingly. Most p/s cameras have 35mm lenses, which seem ideal for caving (you can get closer to subject, so need less lighting). I haven't tried one with a zoom lens underground, but I've heard bad things about them - if you're going to carry something that big and fragile, might as well take an SLR. A lot of p/s cameras are water resistant (you can get fully waterproof ones too, but they're a bit more expensive), so you can handle them with wet hands, and get mud on them etc (this is possibly their biggest advantage). I keep my camera and slave flashes in a plastic lunch-box, which is small enough to take on any caving trip, so you tend to get more photos. Also it's very fast, as you don't need to use a tripod or be especially careful with the camera, so you don't piss off the rest of your party by wasting their time with protracted photo stops. Only one big minus - you can't do long exposures. All the New Zealand cave photos on Sherry Mayo's cave page were taken using my p/s camera (although unfortunately they haven't all converted from24 to 8 bit colour very well - does anyone know of a good unix or mac application to do this??) Gone caving, John
FEES FOR ACTIVITIES ON FEDERAL LAND
The following is from a discussion from the Caver's Digest of the movement to charge fees for access to caves on government property. Fees are already being charged for climbing some mountains in the U.S. If this becomes general policy, look for the fees to escalate as our population increases and the pressures on our outdoor recreation areas rise. I was mildly annoyed by this prospect, until I got to the final letter from Roger Haley, who shows just how far this trend has been taken in some foreign countries who charge LARGE fees for the use of their mountains, such as the $50,000 charged by the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of Nepal for a seven member trip up Mt. Everest ($10,000 for each additional person!). Then I got worried!--Ed.
DAVE BELSKI
belski@acca.nmsu.edu
Something is afoot that all cavers should know about and have the time to respond to before it becomes the law of the land. It has come to my attention that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has decided to start charging cavers a fee to utilize BLM administered caves in the West. (New Mexico for openers)
This fee has yet to be determined but my information has it that it will be substantial. The cavers in the west need to communicate with their elected officials, NSS and/or CRF and express their concerns about this upcoming policy.
Local government officials, (BLM) are being pushed into the implementation of this policy, apparently by edict from Washington D.C. The cavers who utilize BLM administered caves need to be made aware that if this projected policy is not stopped, we will be paying, at least twice (taxes plus fees), for the privilege of using public land which, of course, you know we own. Conversations with Cave Managers within the BLM in New Mexico confirm that a fee is being considered to use these BLM administered caves and it will be sooner not later. The fee will include an application for permit fee (non-refundable, even if the permit is not granted!) plus a per capita user fee of rather large proportions. As I see it, this simply adds to the bureaucracy, and in order to cover the pay checks of the people required to do the necessary accounting (in triplicate, to be sure), the fees must be relatively astronomical. They certinly do not have the personnel to accomplish this task right now.I am posting this message, not as a member of the Board of Governors of the NSS but as a concerned caver who utilizes BLM administered caves in the west. I intend to continue this fight to overturn the pending policy in any means that I can. I will seek membership in the NSS ad hoc committee that has been set up to study this recent event. I feel strongly that this is wrong and every caver should notify BLM of their opinion. I will welcome any response from fellow disgruntled cavers and I will see to it that any correspondence to me will be delivered to the proper BLM office. There are several Official malling addresses you can send your responses to:
William C. Calkins
State Director
Bureau of Land Management
P. O. Box 27115
Sante Fe, NM 87505
Jim Goodbar
Recreation Specialist
Bureau of Land Management
Carlsbad District
P. O. Box 1498
Carlsbad, NM 88220
Mike Bilbo
Recreation Specialist
Bureau of Land Management
Roswell Resourse Area
P. O. Drawer 1857
Roswell, NM 88202-1857
S.W. MARLATT
marlatt@neit.cgd.ucar.edu
Chet Hedden writes in #4975:
>On Mon, 21 Nov 1994, (Dave) Belski wrote:
"The cavers who utilize BLM administered caves need to be made aware that if this projected policy is not stopped, we will be paying, at least twice (taxes plus fees), for the privilege of using public land which, of course, you know we own."
Dave, everyone in the country pays taxes, but only a few "use" caves under public land. National parks already charge user fees, yet the same argument could be made--i.e., that the parks are "owned" by the taxpayers. Such "ownership," however does not give everyone unlimited rights to plunder (or even to visit) caves or other features of national parks. Publicly owned lands must be managed if they are to remain "public." As everyone already knows, caves in national parks (with a few >exceptions) are not available free, nor, in most cases, *available* at all, except to a few privileged groups who suck up to park officials. Why should the Bureau of Land Management operate differently than, say, Mammoth Cave National Park? This argument makes sense only if the managing agency is directly involved in managing the caves in question. In general, BLM and Forest Service lands have been effectively unregulated as far as casual recreational visitation is concerned, in contrast to Park Service land. Why should caving be managed differently than, say, backpacking? (This is an open question - there are a number of reasons why it should). While some management may seem inevitable, for much of BLM and USFS land, I see no benefit from any direct management - in fact, in most cases, I would prefer that the federal land managers remain unaware of the details of the caves on their lands. When direct impact to such caves becomes a problem - either from use or from an outside impact such as timbering or mining, then land managers may need to be brought into the picture. Until such times, low profile practices are much more effective. To suggest that it is logical and desirable for the BLM to start charging fees for any and all caving on BLM land seems at the least premature. Enough for now.
LOUISE HOSE
ldhose@uccs.edu
We must learn the circumstances of the present and proposed fees before we can make intelligent responses, I believe. One of my main concerns is how the fees will be used. Will the fees be funnelled directly into the U.S. general fund to provide for the military and all other federal programs? (Last I knew, National Park entry fees do/did exactly that, although Golden Eagle pass money went to the Park Service.) Or, will the cost of administration be more that the amount collected? Or, will the money be used to manage and protect caves? If the money will be directed towards someone's idea of protecting caves, we probably have a much more debatable issue.
It is my gut-feeling that very few cavers would support fees for caving to support the U.S. general fund. Arguments comparing fees for the profit-making exploitation of minerals and lumber with non-profit recreation fees (even though the damages from the activity is often permanent) is not going to fly with clear-headed thinkers. But, fees charged to those who impact the caves (and we all do) and used to protect the caves are a different matter.
But, we also need to not accept the flag of cave conservation as holy. Perhaps the envisioned use of the fees is to build roads closer to the caves, gate them, and limit access to cave-for-pay groups only. Some folks call that a move towards conservation. Higher costs, great control, less damage. But, does the NSS want to support such a trend? What the NSS is presently doing is investigating what is going on and considering the impact of these issues. Bill Yett in Carlsbad, NM is chair the Ad Hoc Committee. If you have data or well-thoughout opinions on the issue, you would be wise to address them to him. His address (I believe) is in the NSS Members Manual.
JOHN GOOKIN
john_gookin@nols.edu
I contacted a WY BLM Cave Manager who's a good friend (and a level-headed speleophile) and I asked him whether he anticipated a fee to ever be charged for cave permits. He said "Not on my shift. I'd expect it to be coming along eventually, but not in the forseeable future."I don't want cave management to move towards total user fee support. Imagine the pressures to open caves to the masses if the managers' continued employment depended on visitor numbers? It'd be the 1920's cave wars all over again, but the feds would putting the billboards up instead of the Collins family.I do want the federal government to be fiscally responsible, and that includes having user fees kept in the management area where they are collected. (Historically, most federal user fees have gone to a general fund in DC.) It also means balancing the budget and it is plain stupid that we continue to write bad checks. The feds are getting pressure to charge fees for services, and I think that is reasonable, if it means they'll balance the budget.My concern is not that I might have to pay $ to cave; it is that in 20 years economics could easily lead to the demise of many caves.
ANDY WADDINGTON
andy@pennine.demon.co.uk
Chet Hedden says in #4975, in response to Belski's warning of the possibility of BLM charging for access to caves on land they control:
"National parks already charge user fees, yet the same argument could be made - ie. that they are "owned" by the taxpayers..."
National Parks charge for the use of facilities which involve marginal costs,such as the provision of services or the maintenance of roads. They do not in general charge for what is provided by nature at no cost to the NPS. As I have understood it (from literature printed by the NPS as well as other sources), the National Parks system is specifically intended not to discriminate for or against users on grounds of their wealth. This is why Backcountry use permits are free, not just to US citizens, but also to visitors from other countries (such as myself). The purpose of the permit system is to monitor usage (in all cases) and to limit usage (in some areas). A certain proportion of permits are available for advance booking, while the rest are issued 'first-come, first-served' on the day. In my experience with several National Parks (in the west), the system works very well, and is as fair as possible to all concerned (permits issued through concession companies such as river-rafting outfits are another thing entirely - one I belive the NPS is saddled with for historical reasons and would really prefer to be rid of). On the premise that wilderness, whether above or below ground, must be managed if it to be preserved, no-one can seriously object to a permit system for either visitation monitoring or regulation, as required. However, to charge for such permits would be highly discriminatory, and is certainly to be resisted as the 'thin end of the wedge'. The NPS are pretty hard-pushed for money, but they manage to absorb the administration costs of their permits, as do all the National Forests which I have visited. Why should the BLM be different? As an outsider who quite admires North America's wealth of wilderness and the generally fair access which seems to be available, I sympathise strongly with anyone who seeks to object to BLM charging anything more than the cost of administration, for permits to cave. The only reliable way to stop this is to object to any charge at all. Once the principle of charging is established, it is a much smaller step to ramp up the charge ahead of costs, until the enterprise becomes profit-making. Is caving-for-BLM's-profit a safe way to preserve underground wilderness?
ROGER HALEY
rog@caverock.b24a.ingr.com
In the sprit of following the thread on the BLM charging caving fees for caves on their lands, Tim Schafstall posted in C-D 4999 that according to Climbing Magazine The NPS is charging $150 permits to climb MT. Foraker and Mt. Denali and $15 to climb Mt. Rainier. Back in the early 70'S, to the best of my memory, there were no fees whene I was on Denali or at Acongagua [Argentina] where I did a snowmobile assisted solo climb. Now, to get a permit to climb at Acongagua requires $1,000 per climber. I have heard of new laws in Mexico requiring Mexican nationals to be present before a foreign caver can enter a cave. If history repeats itself, 20 years form now, will all the major caves of the world require $ for permits to enter???
The following are the current climbing fees for climbs in the countries of the Himalayan Mts. The source is SUMMIT Magazine Fall/Winter 1994-95.
[For brevity's sake, I have condensed the information that Mr. Haley provided in chart form for each country mentioned-Ed.]
BHUTAN (regulated by the Bhutan Mountaineering Association)
Fees range from $10,000 to $25,000 per expedition, depending on the height of the mountain, and the route used. An expedition must also deposit $5,000 [refundable] for helicopter-rescue facilities.
CHINA and TIBET (regulated by the Chinese Mountaineering Association) Fees range from $1,350 (6,000 metres) to $5,000 for Everest. These fees are per person.
INDIA (Regulated by the India Mountaineering Association)
Fees range from $900 per person (6,000 metres) to $1,800 for a mountain 7,000 metres or more.
NEPAL (regulated by the Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Mountaineering Division) Fees per expedition can go from $1,000 for a climb below 6,500 metres to $50,000 for an Everest party of seven. Extra Everest climbers will cost $10,000 each. There is a 3 year waiting list for Everest. Due to the high costs of Everest there is a large backlog of applications for 8,000m+ climbs.
PAKISTAN (regulated by Goverment of Pakistan Tourism Division)
From $1,200 to $9,000 each for a party of five. Additional members cost extra.
All of the above prices are in US dollars, and they don't take American Express!!!!!!!!
Patricia Kambesis
In answer to Bill Frantz's questions on food for multi-day caving trips (underground camps). My criteria for what to take on a multi-day cave trip (cave camp) is based on the duration of the trip rather than whether the cave is wet, dry, cold or warm. I generally do not worry about calories per day, but I am concerned about the weight of the portions.
My foodstuff ends up weighing about 12-14 oz per day on 2-4 day camps and 16-18 oz./day on longer trips. Whether I lose weight on the trip depends on the intensity of underground activity and the duration of the trip. I don't notice much difference on a 2-3 day Lech camp (I drink lots of water, so dehydration is not a problem for me). But I did lose 5 lbs after spending 9 days underground in Cheve - it was not from dehydration.
Following is a menu guide based on what I've taken for cave camping anywhere from underground camps in Lechuguilla to deep Mexico caves. The portions will vary from person to person.
For a 2-4 day camp: I consider freeze-dried to be the staple for underground camps. It is light-weight, and comes in a variety of flavor choices-if you're into that. As a guideline for how much freeze-dried to take, 7 oz/underground day is a reasonable amount. That's a little over two standard freeze-dried packages/day - that's your dinner. (I can't eat that much, 4.5 oz works for me, I'm 5 ft. tall and weight 108 lbs). The freeze-dried can be supplemented with powdered-not flaked potatoes (powdered potatoes are denser than flakes and a little goes a loooong way). If you feel that your portion of freeze-dried is not enough, try adding a couple of tablespoons of this stuff-it will definitely add more volume to your meal. Or make the potatoes separately, add a little more water to the freeze-dried meal and then pour it over the potatoes. By the way, you have to be careful with how much powdered potatoes you use because the stuff really expands when it is hydrated. Another good meal stretcher is couscous used same as the powdered potatoes. To spice things up, I like to add some cayenne pepper to the freeze-dried; it makes the meal more interesting and if you add enough will even warm you up a bit more.
For breakfast, oatmeal or couscous is a good choice (5 oz dry for average size folks - I do 3 oz). Add fruit and nuts to either for a yummy breakfast. To give it a little more substance and richer taste, add powdered milk. I also like to put in some cinnamon (and sometimes powdered cloves) to make it taste even better. For convenience on some trips, I've blown off the breakfast selection and just took another package of freeze-dried. In addition to the above, its also nice to have something hot to drink. Good choices are hot chocolate (with some extra powdered milk added), hot tea, spiced cider or jello (just add hot water and drink). Some folks like to take coffee. For 5 or more days: Again, the staple is freeze-dried with potatoes/couscous as above, with a little more emphasis on variety i.e. instead of all freeze-dried (which is the easiest and most convenient for me on 2-4 day trips) I do bring oatmeal/or couscous for breakfast. To supplement the freeze-dried dinners I like to bring either canned chicken or tuna (the small 3.5 oz cans). Since cans really add quickly to the weight of one's camp duff, I limit the cans to 1 can per 2 days i.e. eat one every other day. The longest camp I've ever done is 9 days and 2 cans were OK. You'd really have to reconsider the canned stuff on camps of longer duration-remember, the ounces do add up. As a special added indulgent desert treat for one special day at camp, a boxed cheesecake is wonderful (this is group gear by the way). The extra weight is worth it from a morale standpoint. One of those boxes will feed and satiate 5 cavers who are starting to feel the inklings of entrance fever.
Eating away from camp: In addition to your camp food, you also need to take stuff for whatever activity you'll be doing from camp. Per 12-hour caving day, I like to take two candy bars, two granola-type bars and a small size zip-lock with a "trail-mix" made of dried fruit, nuts, granola-type breakfast cereal and some chocolate chips (did I mention that I'm a chocaholic?). Also I carry about 12-15 hard candies (my favorites are jolly ranchers, butterscotch or peppermints). For longer camps I include beef jerky.
Transport: Other very important considerations for underground food are weight, volume, and convenience of transport. Your camp food is only part of what you will be taking underground. In addition to other personal affects for sleeping and keeping warm there is group gear (stove/fuel, water containers, rope, survey gear and supplemental notes, bolt kit, maybe photo equipment - oh and that cheesecake). So, weight and volume is extremely important. Ounces and bulk really add up for me, so to streamline my foodsupplies I remove the aluminum foil wrappers from all the freeze-dried. I save the little plastic portion bags (minus the cardboard inserts) and dump the freeze-dried either into a large-size zip-lock for dry caves (double bag it and suck out all air) or for wetcaves, either triple-bag (ditto for air) or put it all into analgene bottle. I also repackage the oatmeal, couscous and any drink mixtures into ziplocks (again,triple-bag and suck air out). I do not make any great efforts to keep the different kinds of freeze-dried meals separate - though I do put all the chicken stuff together and all the beef-stuff together. I don't care if the rice, pasta or whatever are mixed up. For cooking, I put the plastic portion bag (remember I saved those) in my bowl and pour in freeze-dried (or oatmeal) and water. It saves having to clean the bowl or pan after every meal.
For longer camps where more food is required, you can run the freeze-dried through a salad shooter. This further reduces the volume and allows you to get more of it into an algene bottle. Of course all your meals look like mush but then, who cares - you're down there to explore and survey the cave, not to indulge in a gourmet food-fest.
The "Ky-Cavenet" e-mail distribution list is administered by the Central Kentucky Cave Survey at Western Kentucky University. The list's purpose is to foster communication among individuals interested in the cave resources of central Kentucky and to generally further the goals of the CKCS. The group is moderated to protect cave entrance information. The Central Kentucky Cave Survey is an internal organization of the National Speleological Society. The purpose of the CKCS is to act as a database for information concerning cave and karst features within the Barren River Area Development District. The Survey encourages karst data collection through provision of assistance, expertise, and special resources. Data in the CKCS collection is not in the public domain, and is distributed only in strict accordance to the constitution, rules, and bylaws of the CKCS. The group is available in digest or message by message form.
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Anmar Mirza
Bloomington Indiana Grotto
Sunday evening, around 11pm, I was awakened from my slumber by the State police. They were looking for a vehicle that belonged to two gentleman. They'd already checked the Garrison Chapel area and were pretty much out of ideas of where to look. I gave them a few ideas, then called Frank Lamm. Frank and I discussed the possibility of assisting the with the search, then decided that our realm of responsibility lay in the underground environment. I called a few other cavers to put them on standby and went back to sleep (my gear is always in my truck).
Monday afternoon, appr. 5:17pm I was called by Monroe Co. Sheriff, they'd found the vehicle off Duvall Rd. Reeves Cave! Frank Lamm, Dwight Hazen, and I arrived within minutes of each other and proceeded to evaluate the situation. Reeves is a little over 5 miles, and one of the more difficult in the county, in addition to being extremely wet. Frank and I proceeded to suit up and sort gear, I was going to be grunt and carry the pack this trip. Don Paquette arrived on scene and helped organize topside. The individuals we are looking for apparently do not have a high degree of caving experience. Kevin and Andy, 20 and 21.
At 6:07pm Frank L. and I entered the cave. I'm pretty much geared to finding one or both of them dead or in serious trouble, this cave can eat a novice. In a way I'm glad it's Frank and I going in, both of us have had quite a bit of experience dealing with deaths, not easy to deal with, but easier for us than for most civilians. We've also got a pretty high degree of experience with handling most situations we'll encounter. I'm hoping for the best. Within several hundred feet we found some clothing. We also tracked footprints. We noticed one distinct track that was on top of all others (tracks do not disappear in caves unless something happens to them) and it points into the cave. One of the jackets is a marlboro jacket and we see many marlboro butts on our way in. At one point a couple hundred yards in, we see the remains of several freshly killed bats. Not wanting to make a snap judgement, we decided to wait until we find these gentleman and have a "talk" with them. We followed the main passage and at appr. 6:45pm made voice contact. Moments later we found them, out of light and cold, but unhurt. Frank and I are both EMTs and evaluated their physical and mental ability to extricate themselves under their own power. Of course, no helmets, one light source each, and no training or experience to be in the environment they were. They'd found the place because a guy at an Amoco station told them where to find it. They also admitted to killing the bats. Not wanting to create a very unpleasant situation, we tabled it until we got outside.
We gave them water and food and several heat packs, and replaced the batteries in one of their lights and gave the other a cyalume stick. At appr. 7:00pm we started out of the cave. A few minutes later, Marek W. popped out of a crawlway. Backup is here. He's wearing polypros, kneepads and rubber boots. Obviously dressed to travel light and fast, but he still looks a little odd. We sent him out out to tell topside we've found them and to have them stand down the callout. At appr 7:37, we reached the entrance to the cave to much applause from the family and bystanders. What, no cheerleaders? Seems the family outnumbers the cavers. I'd told the sheriff to hold the family at the sheriffs office, oh well.
While the family was getting reacquainted, Frank and I pulled the owner of the cave over and let him know about the bats. Indiana cave protection law provides for the prosecution of vandals, but it's his call. He decided not to prosecute them. Instead, he's going to write them a letter letting them know that they are *not* welcome on his property. At this point we pretty much have to let it go, but it upsets us nonetheless.
This rescue had a very fast evolution. Time from initial callout to getting them out was less than 3 hours. It also strengthened our relationship with the various agencies. The county sheriff and the State Police have a better respect for our capabilities. It also helped shakedown our callout system. A couple of years ago I had the idea to have our local ham radio operators organize the callout, and it's paying off in spades. We have worked together enough to know what each group needs and expects, and it has easily cut off an hour or better from our response times.
Jim Jacobs
I wish that I had learned about caving when I was much younger. Most start this hobby while in their teens or their twenties. I was well into my forties before being smitten. Oh well, better late than never. Cave ho!
THE BEAUTY. The wonderful scenes found in caves cannot be seen above ground. While many people are able to view the wonders to be found in commercial caves, only a very few can go where we go. That makes it rather special to me. In some way, after a two hour trip to get to some remote place, I feel I've EARNED the special treat that I'm seeing in a way that a tourist trip can't match.
THE AWE OF THE SLOW PASSAGE OF TIME. We know that the earth is very, very old, and that the geological features that we see, both above and below ground were formed over millions of years, but in a cave, I get the feeling of being PART of this slow passage of time that I don't feel elsewhere. Just seeing the gorgeous formations that took many thousands of years to get to their present form, and knowing that they are still growing and changing is a thrill to me. Except for volcanos, most visible wonders of the above-ground world have been produced by erosion in some form. Even mountains, which are produced by pressures beneath the earth are carved to the form that we see by erosion. The caves that we visit are also produced by erosion, but the formations that we marvel at are an act of CREATION of a new and beautiful thing.
THE CHALLENGE. I will never climb the highest mountain, but accepting the challenge of a difficult cave is no less a victory. The first time I did the Buckner's crawlway, it took me over 50 minutes. I can now do it in 15-20. I have built my physical skills over the years, and it's given me a feeling of great satisfaction. The deep canyons and slick, inclined crawlways that would have been too difficult for me a few years back, are now just part of the trip, and present no obstacle. I can go up and down rope and feel confident about what I'm doing. Each time I learn a new canyoning or climbing move and can repeat it the next trip, I feel that I've grown just a little bit. I may be getting older, but I'm still getting better.
THE FUN OF SHARING. Both the shared comraderie of tackling a difficult cave with a group of experienced peers and the fun of introducing a new experience to a beginner and seeing the glow in their eyes when they realize what they've just seen and done for the first time are feelings to be savored. The pizza parties after the trip where we talk about the experiences that we've just shared are great fun. Making new friends through our caving experiences,and being able to share these experiences with my lady make it all worthwhile.
IT'S AN ADVENTURE. The thrill of the unknown! Go somewhere! Do something! Do something special that not just everybody can do. Beats the heck out of just vegging on the couch every weekend. I am a caver, and I love it!