We've recently received some good news! The low-lifes who were convicted of vandalizing Floyd Collins' Crystal Cave have been hit with some prison time for their deeds. One of the perpetrators earned 33 months in federal prison, three years probation and 550 hours of community service. His two "helpers" each were given 21 months each in federal prison, three years of probation and 500 hours of community service. There is bad news as well. "Cave trashers" are rarely apprehended. These folks were exceptions. And, of course, that portion of Crystal that they worked on is now spoiled for all eternity. As one who was lucky enough to see its wonders before this happened, I grieve, indeed. And I realize that the above sentences are about the most that we can expect. MY recommendation: take them to the next MVOR and introduce them to the gang at the bonfire, and tell them that the police will be back to pick up the pieces (if any) in the morning!
Our star is rising! At the recent Blackball Mine gating project, the NNG garnered high praise from representatives of Bat Conservation International and the Illinois Department of Conservation. They were very appreciative of the fact that the NNGr's who participated in the week's labor brought to the table a broad spectrum of talents and knowledge, and were willing to work hard to help bring this important project to completion in a shorter time period than had been planned. Good job, NNG! Our special thanks are due to Don Coons, who initiated the Blackball mapping project as a first task for a fledgling grotto, and to president John Marquart, whose organizational expertise and diplomatic skills brought these various organizations together to bring this project to fruition. A copy of a letter from State Biologist Bill Glass is included in this issue. We can be proud!
Calling all Cave Babes! Cave Babe T-shirts can be ordered through Linda Bundy. This year's shirt reads, "CAVE BABE, SWEET AND DIRTY AT THE SAME TIME. DON'T PUSH ME!!! Order forms are available from Marty Jacobs, or you may mail your order to: Linda Bundy, 499 Young Street, Franklin, IN 46131, or call (317) 736-8841. Price: $10.00 (S-XL) or $11.00 for larger sizes, plus $1.50 for shipping and handling. If you are participating in the NSS Field Camp at Mammoth in August and want to just pick up your shirt from Linda at that time, let her know when you order, and you can omit the shipping charge. This year's color is forest green.
Treasurer Julie Angel is in the process of securing a grotto bank account. After nearly five years of keeping the treasury in a cigar box (so to speak), I guess it's about time. We're still growing [sigh]. The final pebble was the fact that the State of Illinois is going to reimburse (at least partially) those who participated in the Blackball gating project for their motel rooms. The check must be made out to the grotto, which means that we finally had to get around to getting a bank account. I understand that this account will not cost us anything, except the price of the blank checks.
I understand that we will be getting our grotto patches at this meeting! We ordered some extras, so bring your checkbooks if you haven't already ordered.
Brian Valentine's new email address is: brianv@comply1.com The NNG home page will also have a new address, but it's not yet available.
IN THIS ISSUE:
JO SCHAPER recounts her experiences with rockshops selling speleothems.
NORM ROGERS fills us in on the BBM gating project.
BRIAN ROEBUCK describes his encounter with bad air in a cave.
LARA STORM tells us about the Advanced Cave Exploration course that she took through Western Kentucky University.
Lara also reports on her exploration of Bird's Eye Cave.
MARTY JACOBS reports on her trip to Click's Cave.
TONJA FRAZER talks about the Illinois RiverWatch Network. She also reports on the most recent trip to Blackball
and Zimmerman Mines.
By special request, we've also for the first time included guidelines for submission of articles to the NNN. We want to make it as easy as possible. Thanks to all of the above for contributing to this issue.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION:
The Near Normal grotto meets the fourth friday of each month (with variances around holidays, check the three-month calendar on the inside front cover of each newsletter). The NEAR NORMAL NEWS is issued six times per year; January, March, May, July, September, and November. Articles submitted for the NEWS should be RECEIVED by friday, two weeks before the meeting, (or by sunday, at least, with advance arrangement).
ARTICLE FORMAT:
Articles may be submitted in many forms: They may be handwritten, typed or on computer disk. Since I will have to retype any handwritten or typed submissions, please get them to me as far in advance of the deadline as possible. Articles on computer disk should be either WordPerfect 5.1 (or lower), or plain vanilla ASCII (DOS-text).
METHODS OF SUBMISSION:
Co-Editor Brian Braye handles all GRAPHICS and layout. Any photographs, maps or lists which need to be scanned into the computer may be sent directly to him at 1503 S. Madison, Bloomington, IL 61701
I function primarily as COPY editor. Any articles, on paper or on disk may be mailed to me at 813 W. Washington, Bloomington, IL 61701, or emailed to jjacobs@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Of course, any emailed files must be in plain old ASCII.
STYLE:
SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES: Although this is not a technical journal, any articles addressing technical or scientific issues should hold to a high standard of experiment and proof, citing references where appropriate.
TRIP REPORTS: Some of our members cave frequently, some less frequently. Others have retired to their armchairs. It is my belief that trip reports should be written in an informal, personal nature, recounting the experiences and feelings of a caving trip, so that members who did not participate can "crawl along" with the author and enjoy the trip vicariously. Humorous anecdotes are encouraged, but include nothing mean-spirited which would embarrass anyone or hurt their feelings.
The meeting was called to order by President, John Marquart at 7:13pm. Members in attendance were: Beth Reinke, Julie Angel, Tonja Fraser, Len Storm, Lara Storm, Mark Valentine, Brian Valentine, D.C. Young, John Marquart, John Walther and Norm Rogers. Guests in attendance were: Danny Wahlfeldt, Randy Wahlfeldt and Michelle Keyster.
OFFICER REPORTS: Secretary, Jim Jacobs was absent, so the minutes of the May meeting were not read. They will appear in the next issue of the Near Normal News (NNN). Treasurer Julie Angel reported that we have $250.03 in the Treasury. Julie encouraged those who haven't paid their dues to do so. Several ideas for raising further funds for the Treasury were discussed: 1) Monies from the sale of surplus NNG patches from our recent order will be straight profit for the grotto 2) Tonja will look into producing a NNG Calendar from some of our favorite pictures 3) Brain Valentine mentioned that a company that sells advertising on the WWW will pay 3/4 cents per unique hit on our WWW Homepage.
TRIP REPORTS: Lara Storm reported on "Bird's Eye Cave". The cave was shown to several NNG members participating in the Blackball Mine project by local resident, Larry Bird. The cave is on a hillside near the Blackball Mine and pinches off to a narrow tube (Lara's Delight) shortly after the entrance. Lara carried a tape measure 50 feet down the tube which is approximately one cubic Lara in diameter. John Marquart will submit a cave discovery form and map to the Illinois Speleological Survey. John Marquart reported on the recently completed Blackball Mine gating project. The project took just under 2 weeks to complete. Bill Glass (Illinois Department of Natural Resources) and Roy Powers (project engineer) spoke very highly of the help provided by the NNG and commented that the project would have taken 2 months to complete without our help. The State of Illinois will be reimbursing the grotto for hotel bills accumulated during the project. Julie will coordinate disbursement of the payment. A next step our grotto may want to consider is further temperature monitoring of the mine. Further details on the project and comments from Bill Glass will be published in the next NNN. Tonja Frasier reported on a trip to Click's Cave in Indiana. It was cold and wet in the cave, but there were beautiful formations. Tonja exchanged names and addresses with the landowners for possible future visits. Lara Storm reported on the Western KY University "Advanced Cave Exploration Class" that she took at Mammouth Cave. She has a notebook of class notes and materials if anyone wants to see it. Guests, Randy and Danny Wahlfeldt reported on a recent trip to Illinois Caverns.
OLD BUSINESS: Submissions for the next NNN are due by July 12. It was suggested that postcard reminders of upcoming
NNG meetings be sent to in-state, non-email members for special meetings only. The officers will decide what constitutes
a "special meeting". Brian Valentine reported that the address of our Homepage will be changing as his
employer is changing Web providers. He will keep us posted on the new address. Brian Braye reported (via John Marquart)
that the NNG patches have arrived and look great! Julie Angel reported on tentative programs for our upcoming meetings:
July - Slide show by Don Coons
Aug - Bring your favorite pictures for a NNG Calendar
Sep - Climbing and rappelling at Upper Limits climbing gym
Oct - Sam Panno, IL Geological Survey will talk about his Water Quality Sinkhole Plain Research
NEW BUSINESS: Julie Angel has obtained a Tax ID number for the grotto. She will look into setting up a grotto checking account. The fee to obtain "non-profit" status from the IRS is $150. After conversations with Evelyn Bradshaw (NSS Internal Organizations), John and Julie suggest that the grotto produce some standard waivers of liability for NNG Membership and trips. John will try to find some sample waiver forms which were supposedly sent to us by NSS when the NNG was formed.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: There will be a trip to Blackball Mine on Sat July 13 to remark survey markings and assess the status of the temperature monitoring of the mine. Meet at 9am at the Racetrack. The next Keller Cave Cleanup is July 20-21. Camping will be provided at Krueger Cave (near IL Caverns). The July meeting will be on Friday July 26th. Meeting closed 8:40pm.
After the meeting, Michelle Keyster from Heartland Community College gave a presentation on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois RiverWatch Network, a network of citizens that help monitor, protect and restore our state's rivers and streams.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Reinke, Vice President.
The first NNG "Cave Babes" trip was such a hit that plans were soon made for an encore. I contacted Linda Bundy in Indiana, and she enthusiastically agreed to arrange for us to visit Click's Cave, near Salem Indiana. Jim and I had visited this cave last summer with Linda and Larry, and had a great time, and I had always wanted to return. I was sure that others in our group would enjoy it as well.
The original plan was to visit Buckner's on friday, stay overnight at a motel in Bedford, and do Click's the next day, but it turned out that only Tonja Frazer and I could go on that particular weekend. The plan was changed to just a one-cave trip; Click's. Since there were only two of us, Linda offered to let us stay in their new camper trailer to save the cost of the motel. They had been experiencing a lot of rain, just as we had, so they kept close tabs on the condition of the cave. Linda had a backup cave ready in case Click's should be too wet.
We started out around 6:30pm friday evening, and arrived at the Bundy's house in Franklin, IN around 9:30 without incident. We spent the rest of the evening chatting and making plans for the next day.
After a hearty breakfast, we headed south toward Salem. Since Linda and Larry were involved in the survey and gating of this cave, we had no trouble finding it. Before entering the cave, we met Violet and Larry, the amiable property owners.
We happily geared up, anticipating a fun trip. The trip down the slope leading to the entrance was quite muddy. Larry, anticipating that his help might be needed had come along on the trip. Sure enough, the gate was partially blocked by mud that had flowed down the sinkhole, and it took a lot of digging, mostly by Larry, to free the gate enough that we could get it open. The gate is at one end of a crevice at the bottom of the sinkhole, and you have to climb down an old car frame to get to a ledge. Once you're past the gate, you have to scoot sideways on the ledge, and find the foothold which allows you to climb down a seven foot drop. Once you know where the foothold is, it is easy, but it's a little scary the first time. After reaching the bottom of the climb, Tonja realized that she had left her loaded camera in the car. We decided not to go back after it, so that we would have a good excuse to visit Click's again.
The last visit, we had basically followed the old tourist trail, but this time, Linda wanted to take a different route in order to show us a formation called "Neptune's Cups". These are some bowl-shaped rimstone formations, and are quite impressive. We had to do a bit of crawling this time, but not much. We continued about a half hour beyond the cups to the point where the passage ends in breakdown. Along the way we were lucky enough to see some salmon-colored salamanders a number of white crawfish. We backtracked to the entrance area, and started on the old tourist trail, which primarily follows the stream. There are many places in this cave where old auto frames were used to support wooden bridges which have long since rotted away. Now, Click's presents the visitor with multiple choices along each route. There are usually one or two high levels to follow in addition to staying at stream level. Sometimes you are forced up high, then have to go back down. Since the stream was much higher than on our last trip, we often had to choose from the higher routes where last time we just waded the stream. At one point, it was necessary to climb to a higher level to continue the trip. Larry, being 6 ft. 4, had no problem, and Tonja made it as well. Linda and I wanted to see if we could find an alternative to the climb, so we looked around. Linda found a spot where she could climb easily, but she was forced to then do a belly crawl over a very large bolder. As she was negotiating the crawl, I could see that it teetered a little. Larry then offered to give me a hand getting over a crevice up to the higher level so that I could avoid the tipsy bolder. One good heave from Larry's strong arms, and I was up and over.
We followed the stream, but at a higher level, for a little while at least. We were later forced back down into the water, and it was quite cold! And this trip, the water sometimes went well above my waist. This cave is susceptible to flooding, but Larry and Linda know how to gauge the safe water level in the cave by checking levels at an old mill nearby. As we went further back in the passage, we could both hear and feel a rumble. As we drew closer, the noise became quite loud, and we came upon a very impressive waterfall, which was only about 3-4 ft. tall, but the water was spilling over it with a lot of force, and a great roar!
We made our way across the top of the waterfall, and scooted across to another area where we could make our way over one of the car frames to the other side. We follow the stream from there for quite a ways, until the ceiling got too low. By now, we were very cold and wet, and not wanting to risk hypothermia, we decided it was time to turn back.
Reaching the point where we had changed levels on the way in, we were now faced with a decision: Do we want to climb down or risk jumping the crevice? After a brief discussion, Larry offered to climb down first and assist the rest by spotting footholds and guiding our feet, and assisting with the final short drop. From there, it was a short walk to the entrance, the short climb,and we were out. That climb is a lot easier going up, when you can see the footholds.
After we changed our clothes, we had a very nice visit with the landowners. When we left, we all had smiles on our faces, and an invitation to return.
Tonja and I would like to thank Larry and Linda for arranging our visit, and for their hospitality. Good friends are forever!
The events leading up to the gating project at the BlackBall mine have been well documented in previous issues of the NEWS. To mention individual's names and their roles in the project would be unfair because of all the "behind the scene" work done by so many for the past three years. Suffice it to say that this project was a huge success due to the joint effort by so many members of the grotto, the State of Illinois, and Bat Conservation International.
During the two week project, some very impressive obstacles were recognized and overcome. The first of which was how to get several tons of steel from the highway, a mile through the woods, to the entrance of the mine. The rains, which turned the only road into an impassible quagmire, failed to dampen the spirit of determination possessed by those who took time away from home and family for the cause of bat conservation. The road was so bad at times that only farm tractors could navigate. The winch mounted to the front of a state truck was well used, pulling vehicles from the mud.
Trees which had fallen across the trails had to be cut and moved to the side to make way for pieces of angle iron, some up to thirty feet long and weighing over 600 pounds. A special dolly was made to help transport the material along paths through the woods and into the mine. Welding cable had to be strung through the weeds and along trails because the welding machines could not get close enough to the work sites. At one point the cables were strung down an air shaft from the surface and suspended from special frames to keep them out of water that had pooled in the mine.
Workers fought legions of mosquitos, ticks, and a pack of inbred-mongrel dogs to get the work completed. In spite of all these obstacles, there was no complaining. A feeling of co-operation and good cheer was always present. Throughout the project, when a worker began to tire, another would offer a joke or a fun caving experience, spirits would be lifted, and the work would continue. As quickly as the steel could be delivered to the mine entrance, volunteers began fabrication the gates.
The first one covered a small entrance, five feet high and fifteen feet wide. Rocks, varying in size from pebbles to ten pounds, were dug from the floor of the entrance to provide a level base on which to build the gate. Steel haulers transported the angle iron to the work site. Stiffeners were welded into four inch angle iron at the base of the hill below the entrance. After being cut to the proper length, all pieces had to be hand-carried up to the mine entrance. Welders, standing under a constant dripping from the roof of the mine, welded the pieces into place. Slowly, the first gate was completed. It took three days. The process was repeated on the second entrance which was larger, farther from the road, and obviously took longer to build. When the two entrances were completed, workers were not allowed to rest upon their laurels. Work immediately began on the first of two gates inside the mine.
If one were to stand back and observe the entire project he would have to be impressed that thirty-some people, unfamiliar with one another, could accomplish what was done in that two weeks. There never was a clash of personalities or egos. Co-operation was the theme of the project. No one was assigned a particular task or job by a boss or over-seer. Each worker just did what needed to be done at the time.
When the second Friday came and the project was complete, it was difficult for the workers to say goodbye. Friendships that would last a while and memories that would last a lifetime had been formed. More than just gates had been built during those two weeks at the Black Ball Mine. All who were involved with the project agreed that it would have been near impossible to complete without the help of the members of the Near Normal Grotto.
Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's back to the mine I go! On Saturday, July 13th, I met up with Leonard and Lara Storm, Norm Rogers and his brother, Don Coons, John Marquart, Julie Angel, and our newest members, Randy and Danny Wahlfeldt, and Larry Bird. We met at the race track outside of Utica, and divided into groups. The majority went into Zimmerman Mine to attempt to locate station markers. As far as I know, they found some markers that were on the walls, but didn't have much luck with those that had been on the floor. John Marquart has more information on this. Don, Leonard and I went into Blackball to do a leveling survey. I am most definitely the wrong person to explain this process, but it involved using a length of plastic tube, water and some yardsticks to determine the gradient within the mine.
While we were there, we checked on the gates that had been erected. They were all in good condition, and seemed to be getting the job done. We also noticed some bat droppings on the lower bars of the smaller outside gate, which is a good indication that the bats are using this entrance frequently. This is a good sign!
Don, Leonard and I made it over to Zimmerman, and there I saw my first live bat colony. It gave me goosebumps! I could have stayed and watched all day! I was told they were a bachelor colony, and that they consistently roost in the same area. I'm going back there for sure! I also found my own little Eden outside the mine, a lovely spot I want to visit again when I have more time.
Next, we headed to Duffy's in Utica for some over-priced lunch served to us by an extremely grumpy waitress. She must not be too concerned with repeat customers! After filling up, we headed over to Starved Rock to visit Council Bluff. It's definitely a beautiful spot. Cave? I'm not so sure!
I recently discovered an organization called the Illinois RiverWatch Network. They ar an AmeriCorps National Service program that is organized and run by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. They have several offices located throughout the state, including one at Heartland Community College in Bloomington. The staff consists of full and part time employees, usually students, whose job consists of monitoring Illinois streams and rivers, and giving presentations to schools and other organizations like the NNG. These presentations are given in order to inform citizens about the program, and to attempt to recruit volunteers. They hooked me for sure!
Each monitoring trip follows a fairly detailed routine which includes measuring air and water temperature, stream width, depth, and velocity, plant and animal life in the area, and land usage. The most important part is the collection of insect samples. The insects are classified by their tolerance to pollutants and toxins. The classes range from I, in which the insects require very health conditions to survive, and IV, in which the insects could basically survive in raw sewage. These samples are collected, labeled, entered into a computer system and then sent on to the state. The state then studies this information and compiles it into a year-to-year study.
My first monitoring experience was in Sugar Creek in Bloomington. This stream received a "fair" rating. Mostly class IV insects were found. My second experience was in the Little Mackinaw River outside of Mackinaw. This stream received a much higher rating. We found an abundance of insects that are in the class I group, including Mayflies and Caddisflies.
These trips don't take much time, and are SO educational. I have learned a great deal and I am submitting my application this fall to become an intern for the program next year. I think most of you readers would find this very interesting! After all, stream health affects cave health, and it's a lot of fun! If you are interested, you can get in touch with me at TonjaF@gawain.hcc.cc.il.us or the IRWN at (309) 888-4148. Come on, give it a try. The rivers need us!
As we began to rig to a handy tree, we started our customary survey and began to don our vertical gear. The heat being nearly unbearable, we hastily got underground and began to cool off. The room at the bottom of the first drop sloped steeply into a small hole into which our smallest cavers (Keith and Matt) quickly surveyed. I, being a little healthier of build,tried to modify the opening to avoid ripping ALL of my clothing off to get through. It was also difficult to avoid rolling loose rock down upon the two mini-cavers in the small room below.
Ron and Don brought up the rear, with Ron taking notes and Don sketching.
After the opening was properly modified, I squeezed into the small room which also steeply sloped into an even smaller hole. This smaller hole led downwards into a 25-foot pit. We stopped our survey here, carefully crawling over each other and attempting to drop the rest of our 80-foot rope to the bottom of the second drop. As HR3 luck would have it, we had miscalculated the distance between the two drops and had rigged it too short!
It was at about this time I began to feel strangely uneasy in this cave. I actually volunteered to climb out into the heat and re-rig the rope, even though it meant climbing up out of the room I was in and then up the rope. I should mention that I am not a fast climber, and I was also not the nearest person to the top by any means at this point. Since Don was the closest, he decided to quickly climb and re-rig the rope which he accomplished in about 1/100th of the time I could have done it.
We were then ready to send Keith down the last drop, a tight crack that even he had difficulty with. As Keith reached for his carbide lamp to blow it out temporarily, it self-extinguished. We all thought this odd at the time. I remember the flame being a little dull, but I thought he was low on carbide or whatever. Keith panted hard through the crack and descended to the bottom. I got in position for a pure vertical shot over the crack. I knew at this point that I could NEVER fit through the hole and take survey readings! I actually wondered why I had gotten myself into such an awful cave, and had serious doubts about my ability to get out unaided! I was getting quite panicky and finally told everyone I HAD to leave! As I struggled up through the near vertical hole into the first room, I had great difficulty keeping my breath. I remarked to Don and Ron that I was WAY out of shape...
I finally got out of the hole, and while on-rope I noticed that I was still breathing fairly hard. I went about 15 feet up and began to breath like a fish out of water! I was the slowest climber in the world and frequently rested on my way up. I felt hot way before reaching the outside heat, but finally made it out and got off rope. At this point I decided to get going and head home, since my wife Lynn was expecting me home early. Ron, Don, Keith and Matt were still down below, finishing the survey.
Later, Don called me that night to tell me what happened afterwards. As Don entered the small second room, he quickly noticed the smallness of the entrance to the second drop. After getting on-rope and trying out the hole for size, he thought he could squeeze through going down, but coming out was questionable.
Keith reported from down below that the crawlway ended after about 15 feet, so only a single shot was required. Don told Keith to take a few quick measurements, and he would sketch in the last 15 feet of crawl at the bottom.
At about this time Ron had started down the tight hole between the two drops, and he noticed that his carbide flame was very dim. Ron and Don had noticed problems with Ron's light in the first room, and Ron had given his caplamp a tip reaming and fresh carbide. While in the hole, he also noticed his heavy breathing. Finally it dawned on him that there could be bad air in this cave! Ron announced his suspicions to everyone below. Keith, who had been sitting/resting at the bottom of the cave for almost an hour, noticed his rapid breathing and stood up. He said he felt a little better after a few breaths. He noted that his hands were shaking as he donned his vertical gear to begin his ascent. He described the 25-foot climb to be as tiring as climbing 150 feet in good air! All the other cavers also noticed increased anxiety and heavy breathing. Ron climbed out of the cave, and Matt started up the tight hole between the drops. Don stayed at the entrance of the second drop until Keith was up, then they quickly derigged and made their way up to the first room. Once there, Don climbed up after Matt, and Keith finally started up last. Like myself, they were all happy to be out of that cave! Everyone agreed that hot good air was MUCH better than cold bad air!
When I had arrived home, I told my wife Lynn (who didn't go this trip) how I REALLY didn't enjoy the trip! It wasn't until after Don called that evening that I understood why. I was GLAD to hear that I wasn't losing my love for caving and that I really wasn't in as bad a physical condition as I was led to believe! It was difficult for me to understand my sudden anxiety about this cave until Don called. I had even considered quitting caving if I was affected like this again. Now I know better, and through this story maybe some others out there will recognize the symptoms early enough to keep out of danger and enjoy their trips.
In retrospect, we really didn't pay attention to the symptoms. They were all there: The trouble with the carbide lights, the heightened anxiety as we got deeper into the cave, the rapid breathing, the trouble with maneuvering through the cave...Both Ron and Don had been in bad air caves before, but they were both in the upper first room where the air was the best, and didn't notice the effects until they were down in the lower level.
One possible reason why we didn't notice the signs earlier was that the cave could have contained barely enough oxygen in the beginning, and was replaced by the exhaled carbon dioxide of five cavers in a small area.
There is one more cave awaiting our inspection on the far side of the jungle filled hill. It is supposed to be horizontal and free from the possibility of bad air. We'll see about that later! Anyway, I'll be packing a BIC from now on in new caves! Amen.
My thanks to Mr. Don Lance who not only got me into this situation in the first place but also edited this story and filled in some of the gory details!
The gating project at Blackball Mine was just beginning, and it was off to a good start. So naturally, when a local resident made mention of a cave in the area, we didn't feel too bad about taking off with him to check it out. The local, whose name is Larry Bird, led Beth Reinke, d.C. Young, Don Coons, John Marquart and I through the forest to a small ravine that slopes down to the edge of a stream (the second day, John, Norm Rogers and I went to survey). Struggling to keep our balance across the loose dirt, we made our way down the steep side of the ravine to find ourselves staring at an honest-to-goodness limestone cave! We didn't stare for long. Soon, we had each stepped down the leaf-filled slope at the entrance into the first room of the cave. The floor was uneven, and it dipped down a few more feet into the ground, forming a small rut that led to the lower level. The first people inside had to continue into the second room through a small squarish window before others could fit in behind. Going through the window, we came upon a pit no deeper than four feet. The problem was that we had to free our legs from the window before we could proceed, or we would end up going head-first into the pit.
So far, there are two leads in the cave. One is on a high level that exits as a tubular crawlway from the second room. The other begins at the bottom of the first room and goes underneath the window to connect with the shallow pit in the second room. From the pit, the lower crawlway heads in the same general direction as the tubular crawlway at the top of the pit.
While some were content to sit and watch, I decided to do some exploration. Once I was completely inside the second room, I was able to lay down inside the pit, all curled up, and stretch my body out into the passageway beneath. While the tubular crawlway is fairly clear of broken rocks, the lower crawlway is littered with them. After going several feet, I discovered that some large rocks ahead blocked the way. Unless these rocks could be moved, my search would be narrowed down to one lead. I wasn't disappointed yet, though. I quickly backed out of the belly crawl I had been in, eager to check out the more obvious of the two leads--the tube.
The tube is a neat little crawlway no bigger than a steering wheel in any one place. It seems to be divided into sections, each about 25 feet in length, that are separated in the middle by a tight spot. This midpoint in the crawlway requires you to raise your arms in order to go farther, but even this didn't work for Norm, the only other to attempt the crawl. The first time I went in the cave, I "turned back" shortly after this point, realizing that my hope of finding a place to turn around was not going to happen. Staring down the tube, I noted that it appeared to go on, while remaining the same do-able size--small, but cozy.
The next day, returning to the tube with renewed ambition, I again made my way fifty feet down the tube to the approximate area I had stopped the day before. It didn't take me long to discover that the continuation of the tube as a consistent size is a deception. It gets smaller. My helmet began to hit the ceiling more frequently than before, I decided to remove it. I realized that it was just as much of a burden to push it in front of me as it was to wear it. Not to mention that it blocked my view, making the gradually tightening tube even more uncomfortable to negotiate. I just wanted to make it to the bend up ahead to see what was around the corner. My curiosity was killing me! But unfortunately, my mental discomfort was hurting my curiosity just as badly. I began to realize that, should I get stuck, there were few who would be able to squeeze through the pinch in the middle of the crawlway to retrieve me. Though several people made mention of tying a rope to my feet as an alternative method of pulling me out, I vetoed this idea rather rapidly. For some strange reason, I just didn't think it would work.
After a little bit of surveying with John and Norm, I left the cave for the second time. For the next couple of days that I wa at Blackball Mine, I had intentions of going back to the tube and wearing a Maglight strapped to the side of my head (this may have solved all my problems). But after a hard day's work at the mine, I could never find the energy. To my delight, a return trip has been scheduled. I look forward to going back to the cave, which we named Bird's Eye Cave after Larry Bird, the man who led us to it. We, in turn, led him to become a new member of our grotto. I will return to the tube (which, oddly enough, we decided to call "Lara's Delight"), and I won't leave until I find the end (because, after all, I did promise John that I would find a larger entrance).
The discovery of Bird's Eye Cave at Pecumsaugan Creek - Blackball Mine Nature Preserve was particulary significant to some of us who had for years been hearing of a "rumored cave up Pecumsaugan Creek on its west side." Some of us had search for such a cave near creek level to no avail and concluded that no such cave exists. Limestone caves are virtually unheard of in this part of La Salle County, Illinois. A few sandstone shelters are known in the region, but no limestone caves. We now have an authentic phreatic tube in limestone which is apparently the "rumored cave." We had been looking in the wrong place. It is near the top of the bluff overlooking Pecumsaugan Creek, not near the stream level. Larry Bird, who pointed it out to us, says that there is another smaller cave in the bluff on the opposite side of the creek. We will check it out. We will be adding these caves to the cave files of the Illinois Speleological Society.
Western Kentucky University offers a variety of courses from which cave enthusiasts can choose if they are looking for a little bit of educational caving. Course choices range from highly scientific (Karst Hydrology, taught by Dr. Arthur N. Palmer) to highly strenuous (Speleology, taught by Roger Brucker). I recently participated in the Advanced Cave Exploration course offered by WKU, taught at Mammoth Cave by Richard Zopf and Dr. John Mylroie. It was a very worthwhile experience, and I highly recommend these courses to all our grotto members!
During this course, participants learned about exploration strategy. They had the option of spending a night in the cave, and also learned (or refreshed themselves on) the basics of ascending and rappelling. In addition, they got to take a turn at leading the group in exploration. They were encouraged to keep track of where they had been, so when they had to turn back, they would be able to retrace their steps. During the week, two 10 1/2 trips were taken-- one through Crystal and one through Mammoth. Other shorter trips were taken daily, and a reward caving trip was scheduled on Saturday for those who still had a little bit of energy.
For more information about the Karst Studies classes, you may write to Dr. Nicholas Crawford or Dr. Chris Groves at: Center for Cave and Karst Studies, Department of Geography and Geology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green Kentucky 42101-3576. You may also register online at http://www.wku.edu/www/geoweb/karst/ or call (502) 745-4555.
Jo posted this piece on the internet in response to the following query:
>Cave vandalism is also against the law in Missouri. But in my frequent travels around southern Missouri, I can't say that I know of any rock shops that sell speleothems. I have seen on occasion grave sites adorned with stalagmites that have been there for so many decades that you can hardly tell what they are. Does anyone else know of any use of speleothems outside of caves in the Ozarks?
Joel
Well, I read one vendor the riot act at a psychic fair last year. She was selling speleothems, from Missouri, even claimed they were from public land. Wasn't much I could do as the way the law is written, 1) you have to know where they came from and be able to go back into that cave and match them up--which realistically will only happen if you see them taken; and 2) if they are on private land, they have to be taken without the knowledge of the landowner. If the owner says it is ok and won't prosecute, a second party doesn't have a case. I ran through all this with Vineyard at the time. The lady was p.o.ed, because I took her card, then got the organizer of the psychic fair (a friend of mine) to talk to her. She said I was harassing her business. She was claiming the speleothems were aphrodisiacs! She also claimed to have read every law in the state of Missouri, and told me I was making the cave law up. I sent her a copy of the cave law, and no, she never found out who I was.
Rock show exhibitions even here in Mo., routinely sell speleothems from Indiana quarries,(yes, they really are) some stalactitic iron ore from Missouri caves, and aragonite as well as the usual Mexican onyx junk. If you don't personally know the details of the speleothem acquisition, it is your word against theirs, no more, no less. I've even seen speleothem collections on display with prize ribbons attached. Some mom & pop caves here (no names will be given) sell stuff from their caves-- it is within their legal right to do so. (The caves generally aren't so great, they are eking their living, and there isn't much point since, these people are Ozarkers, by gum, and no city gal is gonna change them.) And, of course, there are legitimate museum exhibits, though some might think speleothems out of caves are as out of place as dead Indian bones there. I have seen stalactites in Rocks of Missouri sets, being sold. (*Not* at Onondaga!) And dead bats in formaldehyde as paperweights.(Yuck). Oh, yes, cave rocks at fleamarkets, too. Several years ago Adam Marty found someone selling speleothems from their truck in Franklin County. He called the sheriff's office, and they pretty much laughed in his face. By the time the cops got there, the guy was gone, was the story I heard. I don't know of legit full time rockshops selling anything but Mexican junk, but where does speleothem start and "banded calcite" leave off? There is no doubt an under the counter trade in these things.
With all these instances, have I kept my mouth shut? Not really. But it is accomplishes nothing to shoot off your mouth as a self-righteous idiot. It might be better to befriend these folks, and gently show them the light, especially if what they are doing is legally ok, but morally questionable.
The Crystal Cave bust was a good start. But that was a pretty airtight case. We need such a precedent here.