COVER:
TOP PHOTO Matt Patrick and Chris Hass of Troop 138 of Mesquite posing by
one of the trashpiles started Earth Day weekend. This particular pile was
overflowing by the end of the day. Photo by Mark Alman of the DFW Grotto.
LOWER PHOTO -
Richard Hass of Troop 138 of Mesquite striking an "American Gothic" pose
deep down in New Orleans Cave. Earth Day 1998. Photo by Mark Alman of the
DFW Grotto.
About "The OZTOTL Caver"
The OZTOTL Caver is a monthly publication of the Dallas/Fort Worth (D/FW) Grotto of the National Speleological Society. The publication is free to D/FW Grotto members. Subscription rate is $10 per year for non-members. Visitors are sent three free issues after their first visit. After that, subscription is required to continue receiving The OZTOTL Caver.
COPYRIGHT © 1998 Dallas/Fort Worth Grotto. Internal organizations of the National Speleological Society may reprint any item first appearing in The OZTOTL Caver as long as proper credit is given and a copy of the newsletter containing the reprinted material is mailed to the editor. Other organizations should contact the editor before reprinting The OZTOTL Caver material.
The opinions and methods expressed in this publication are solely those of the respective authors, and not of the Dallas/Fort Worth Grotto or the National Speleological Society. The Dallas/Fort Worth Grotto and the National Speleological Society do not endorse, guarantee, or otherwise certify any such opinions or methods in any application or usage.
SUBMISSIONS and DEADLINES: Articles, announcements, artwork, photos, and material for publication are welcomed. All submissions must be submitted to the editor by the 2nd Wednesday of the month of desired publication. The editor reserves the right to edit inappropriate material, errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation, and to edit for clarity. In the event of significant changes the author(s) will be given an opportunity to review changes prior to publication.
EXCHANGES: The Dallas/Fort Worth Grotto will exchange newsletters with other grottos at the Grotto's discretion. Contact the D/FW Grotto editor for further information.
MAILING: The editor is not responsible for lost or mis-directed newsletters caused by failure to notify editor in writing of address changes by the 2nd Wednesday of the month after address change.
Texas & Northern New Mexico
- CAVE RESCUE Call Collect (512) 686-0234
National Speleological Society NSS
$30/year Cave Avenue
Huntsville, Al 35810
Texas Cave Management Association
Regular- $100 P.O. Box 202853
Payable in (4) $25 installments Austin, TX 78720-2853
Keeper of the Grotto Carbide
Pete Lindsley (972) 727-2497 or e-mail: lindsley@mcopn.dseg.ti.com
Meeting Location
A backpacking/climbing/caving store, Recreational Equipment Inc., is the meeting site for the Dallas-Fort Worth Grotto. The address is 4515 LBJ Freeway, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244. The phone number is (972) 490-5989.
REI is located just west of the intersection of the Dallas North Tollway and the LBJ Freeway. To get there from Fort Worth and the mid-cities, take I-30, 183 or any east-west artery to Dallas and get on Stemmons Expressway (I-35), then follow it north and then turn east on 635 instead of continuing north toward Lewisville and Denton.
Take the North Dallas Tollway-Dallas Parkway exit (the Galleria and its twin towers are visible on the left or north as you exit.) Make a left on the overhead ramps, cross over 635 and make a left (or U-turn) to go back on the I-635 West service road. Stay on the service road, go through the light at Welch Road and REI is on the immediate right. If you get to Midway Road, you've gone too far.
From downtown Dallas, go north on the tollway, crossing over 635 and make the left to go west on LBJ. Then stay on the service road and watch for REI past Welch Road.
The REI store closes at 9 p.m. A climbing wall and shopping are available at the store before the meeting. If cavers want to get some climbing practice in, it's advisable to come around 5:30 p.m. The line forms quickly and early.
The REI store is the company's second largest in the country. REI stands for Recreational Equipment Inc. The Seattle-based cooperative sells climbing (and caving) hardware, rope and yes ... even carbide lamps.
The national retailer of outdoor gear and clothing for muscle-powered recreation employs several grotto members!
A prepared statement from the company says REI has supported outdoor conservation efforts since 1976. The company's corporate contributions program is designed to assist in the protection of public lands, rivers and trails nationwide. And REI takes an active role in the communities it serves with service projects for outdoor recreational opportunities.
CHAIRMAN David McClung (972) 594-1183
NSS# 29384RE
E-mail: cavers@gte.net
VICE-CHAIRPERSON Jerri Pearson (972) 843-8029
NSS# 43381RE
E-mail: pearsons@ix.netcom.com
SECRETARY Mike Pearson (972) 843-8029
NSS# 31572RE
22014 C.R. 850
Farmersville, TX 75442
EDITOR Mark Alman (972) 279-2386
NSS# 43400RE
3132 Emily Drive
Mesquite, TX 75150
E-mail: alman@bigfoot.com, cavers@msn.com, or dfwgrotto@geocities.com.
TREASURER Barbe Barker (972) 594-1183
NSS# 33397RE
LIBRARIAN & QUARTERMASTER Mark Alman 972-279-2386 See above address & email info.
The "Unofficial" DFW Grotto Homepage - (Mark's)
http://geocities.datacellar.net/Yosemite/Rapids/1854/ (you found it, obviously!!)
The "Official" DFW Grotto Homepage - (Mike's)
http://www2.netcom.com/~pearsons/dfw.htm
Next Meeting
The meeting time and date is 7 p.m., May 27th, 1998. The program will be about the ongoing and upcoming Mystic Cave Project and will be given by Dave "Cave" and Woodrow Thomas.
If you need carbide, contact Pete Lindsley (972) 727-2497 or e-mail: lindsley@mcopn.dseg.ti.com and place your order for delivery at the meeting. Join us afterwards for the grotto social hour at Taco Cabana at Josey Lane & LBJ.
If you do not see a trip listed, but wish to participate, call some of the previous trip leaders to find out if a last minute trip is in the making. Many participants call trip leaders about possible upcoming trips; it is rarer to see trip leaders phoning potential participants.
It is a truism in the Dallas/Ft. Worth grotto that many trips are planned at the social hour at Taco Cabana after the meetings. Count on spending the hours from 9:00 to 11:00 hearing about previous trips and planning new ones.
Upcoming Events
— May —
May 15-17 - Marneldo Ranch. Contact: Jim Kennedy 443-8198 or email at: jkennedy@batcon.org.
16 May - 3rd Annual Management Workshop on Mexican Free-tailed Bats. Sponsored by Bat Conservation International and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Registration deadline May 8th. Contact Pat Morton at patricia.morton@tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.
May 22-24 - Stiver Ranch. Contact: Jim Kennedy 443-8198 or email at: jkennedy@batcon.org.
May 22-25 - Langtry Caving Trip. Three caves will be open: (1) Big Tree; (2) Emerald Sink; and (3) Quarry. Because of the landowner requirements, there will be a $25 fee per person. Contact David Locklear at 713-880-8558 - Home, 713-688-4544 - Work, or locklear@accesscomm.net
23-25 May – Carlsbad Cavern CRF *-, New Mexico. Barbe Barker (972) 594-1183 or e-mail: cavers@gte.net. CANCELLED!
May 30 - Honey Creek. Come see the longest cave in Texas, and add to the survey if you think you’re up to it! Bring your vertical gear and be prepared for a 142-foot rappel/ascent down and up the shaft entrance ... we don’t know if the ‘Honey Creek Elevator’ will be in operation. This is a water cave ... stow your gear accordingly and bring your wet suit. Contact Kurt Menking for trip details and directions at kmenking@bcad.org.
— June —
June 8-12 - Cave Gating Workshop, Gregory Cave, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Sponsored by BCI, USFWS, and NPS. Gate design, construction techniques, placement, maintenance, monitoring, and alternatives will be discussed and practiced with emphasis on building a state-of-the-art modern minimum-airflow-disturbing bat-friendly gate on an endangered Gray Bat cave. Contact Jim Kennedy at 512-327-9721 for more information or email: jkennedy@batcon.org.
5 -7 June - Marneldo Ranch. Contact: Jim Kennedy 443-8198 or email at jkennedy@batcon.org.
26-28 June - Powell's Cave Project. Contact: Terry Holsinger 512-443-4241 or email at: trhli@sprynet.com
27-28 June – GYPKAP-, New Mexico. Contact Joli or Chris Lee at 505-585-8406 or jclee@wazoo.com.
— August —
3-7 August – NSS Convention -, Sewanee, Tennessee. Contact William
Shrewsbury at 423-886-3296 or nss98@caves.org.
—September —
23-25 September – International Geological Correlation Program, Project 379: "Karst Processes and the Global Carbon Cycle" -, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Contact Chris Groves at 502-745-5974 or email: chris.groves@wku.edu or Joe Meiman at 502-749-2508 or email: jbmeiman@scrtc.blue.net.
11-13 September -- Colorado Bend State Park Project. Contact Dale Barnard @ 512-452-5709 or e-mail: barnard@fc.net, Terry Holsinger @ 512-443-4241 or trhli@sprynet.com, or Butch Fralia @ 817-346-2039.
26 September - Carlsbad Bat Appreciation Day, Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Contact Rick LoBello for more information. Email: rick_lobello@nps.gov
—October —
9-11 October -- Colorado Bend State Park Project. Contact Dale Barnard @ 512-452-5709 or e-mail: barnard@fc.net, Terry Holsinger @ 512-443-4241 or trhli@sprynet.com, or Butch Fralia @ 817-346-2039.
16-18 October - Texas Cavers Reunion. Tentative ... site not set yet. Contact Gill Ediger at 512-441-0050 for more information.
October 23-25 - TSA Powell's Cave Project. Contact: Terry Holsinger 512-443-4241 or email at: trhli@sprynet.com
—November —
13-15 November -- Colorado Bend State Park Project. Contact Dale Barnard @ 512-452-5709 or e-mail: barnard@fc.net, Terry Holsinger @ 512-443-4241 or trhli@sprynet.com, or Butch Fralia @ 817-346-2039.
—December —
11-13 December -- Colorado Bend State Park Project. Contact
Dale Barnard @ 512-452-5709 or e-mail: barnard@fc.net, Terry Holsinger
@ 512-443-4241 or trhli@sprynet.com, or Butch Fralia @ 817-346-2039.
* CRF is the Cave Research Foundation. Contact the Project Manager/Director for more information about joining a CRF project.
Meeting was called to order by Dave "Cave" at 7:15 P.M.
Cave trip reports were given by Chris Buntenbah and Tony and Richard Sultana on trips to Colorado Bend on the ongoing TSA Project going on there. Mike Pearson reported on a recent Scout Troop he and Pete Lindsley escorted thru River Styx in OK. They checked out some wet passage in wetsuits and also performed some graffiti removal. Chris Buntenbah told about the TSS Photo Workshop at Cave Without A Name held March 28th.
Old Business concerned the issue of dues (GET THEM IN!!) and that the Grotto will begin having quarterly meetings. Officers will attend (see above "Who's Who"). Treasurer's Report stated that the Grotto account stood at approx. $1100 and more dues and T-shirt money was collected that night. Mike Pearson submitted expenses for the newsletter from May 1997 to Dec. 1997, the last month he did it. Mark Alman submitted expenses for March and April 1998.
The Grotto approved the purchase (if still available) of two 400' spools of 11mm rope from Guadalupe Mountain Outfitters for $422.50. The first spool is already sold. Get your orders in to Dave.
It was suggested that whomever in the Grotto wishes to receive the newsletter by email, to let Mark know and he will send it to you.
Dave reported on the Rites of Spring Party April 18th. Two dozen people attended from the DFW and Maverick Grottos. Hot tub and portable sauna worked great and Russell Hill brought 20 lbs. of emu for fajitas. After much discussion, it was decided that the attendees would reimburse Russell for the meat instead of the Grotto.
Finally, Dave gave reports on the Texas Trash-Off April 4th, in which Pete, Dave, Mark and Andrew Alman, and Brian Pate collected 20 bags of trash. Good job! The TSA Convention and Earth Day activities at CBSP April 25th were also discussed.
Mike Pearson reported that his cousin and son of James Loftin (TCMA and Bexar Grotto), Scott Loftin, was burned over 26% of his body recently, mainly on his back. He is now receiving skin grafts at a San Antonio hospital.
The Program consisted of slides from Troy Shelton's Christmas trip to Bustamante and the Grotto Christmas Party, plus a revealing shot of Dave relaxing ala natural at home with his dogs. Dave, Playgirl pays well $$ for pix like that!!
Richard Sultana was nominated for membership in the Grotto and was whole-heartedly voted in. Way to go, Richard, and welcome aboard!
The meeting concluded at 8:50 upon which we descended upon Taco Cabana for Mexicali caliente and cerveza frio!
Activities and Projects
Honey Creek- Mark Minton, 512-847-7422.
Carlsbat Cavers- Phyllis Weston, (505) 887-6790 Restoration, Educational Programs, Off trail cave trips during busy holiday periods.
Carlsbad Caverns CRF - Contact Barbe Barker @ 972-594-1183 or e-mail: cavers@gte.net
Fitton Cave Survey - Pete Lindsley (972) 727-2497 or e-mail:
lindsley@mcopn.dseg.ti.com
Madonna Survey Trips- Mike Huber (505) 887-6065
Mystic Cave Survey - Woodrow Thomas (903) 395-4431 or e-mail: wwthomas@tenet.edu
Government Canyon Karst Project - Dan Sharon (dansharon@prodigy.net) or Marvin Miller (marvm66@juno.com)
Colorado Bend State Park- Jim Kennedy 512-443-8198 or jkennedy@batcon.org,
Terry Holsinger @ 512-443-4241, trhli@sprynet.com, or Dale Barnard email:
barnard@flash.net
Powell's Cave Survey - Terry Holsinger (512) 443-4241 or trhli@sprynet.com.
Whirlpool and Lost Oasis (TCMA caves) - Contact Nico Hauwert
(512) 282-8441
Robber Baron (TCMA cave) - Contact James Loftin (210) 731-9392
Amazing Maze & 0-9 Well (TCMA caves) - Walter Feaster (915)
559-3297
New TSA Trips and Projects – Marneldo Ranch – Uvalde County
Stiver Ranch – Kimble County
Creek Ranch – Bandera County
Precipico – Bustamante, N.L.
Palmito Clean up - Bustamante, N.L.
SCIENTISTS ESTABLISH AGE OF CARLSBAD CAVERNS
For the first time, scientists have established the age of the Carlsbad Caverns, spectacular natural limestone cave that is a national park in eastern New Mexico. The caves are 3.9 to 4 million years old and were carved out of ancient limestone by the slow drip of water enriched with sulfuric acid, geologist Victor Polyak said on Thursday.
A report on the study will be published today in the journal SCIENCE.
Polyak said he and his colleagues were able to establish when the Carlsbad Caverns were carved by age-dating alunite, a clay mineral formed as acidic water cuts its way through the limestone. Formation of Carlsbad and other nearby limestone caves occurred as the Guadalupe Mountains, a spur of the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico and Far Western Texas, was lifted up.
Starting about 12 million years ago, said Polyak, the water table dropped in the limestone formation, possibly due to the mountains rising. The retreating water dissolved away the soft rock and formed the underground cavities, some of which stretch for miles. Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, probably provided the chemistry needed to dissolve the limestone and make the caves, said Polyak.
The oil and gas, he said, migrated from deep beneath the Earth and collected under a cap of stone. Bacteria invaded the reservoir and fed on the oil and gas, he added. A byproduct from this was hydrogen sulfide gas which was chemically changed into sulfuric acid dissolved in the ground water. As this acid mixture trickled through the limestone, it cut away cavities that grew and grew over millions of years, Polyak said.
Congratulations to Victor, Paula Provencio (both regional cavers) and their co-authors on publishing their work. They used 40Ar/39Ar dating of Alunite from the Big Room in Carlsbad Cavern, from Lechuguilla Cave, and from 3 other caves in the Guadalupes for their study.
Join the new Caver Mail List !!
Submitted by: George Veni - TSA and TSS
Most cavers subscribe to the Cavers' Digest, a forum
for the quick exchange of caving information. Tom White has started something
similar for Texas caving. This will be a great way to widely distribute
announcements and other info. It will be announced in the TSA Activities
Newsletter, but Tom said he'd appreciate me helping to spread the word
so here it is.
Following is the announcement I saw on the Bexar Grotto web page where I first learned about the mailing list. (You can check out the new grotto web site at http://www.caves.org/grotto/bexar ) It contains all you need to know to join (no cost). This mailing list will be a great service to Texas cavers if only we sign up and use it.
"Tom White has started a Texas Caver Mail List. A mail list is an automatic email forwarder ... you send a message to the mail list and it sends it to rest of the members! Mail lists are great tools to communicate quickly with a large group of people. I encourage all Texas cavers on the Internet to join. It’s a quick simple way to keep in touch with the rest of the cavers in Texas.
The list is for the use and enjoyment of all folks who are interested in
Texas caving. Some message topics might be ....
Meeting and trip announcements
Trip reports
Cave geology/biology
Equipment/techniques
Social activities
Caving gear for sale/want to buy
Anecdotes and tall tales
Just send an email to majordomo@mailing-list.net ... don’t enter a subject ... in the body of the message enter ‘subscribe cavetex’."
Earth Day 1998 - Colorado Bend State Park
Friday, April 24th to Sunday, April 26th
Personnel: Mark Alman (DFW Grotto, Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 138)
Chris Hass (Junior Asst. Scoutmaster Troop 138, Mesquite)
Richard Hass (Troop 138, Mesquite)
Matt Patrick (Troop 138, Mesquite)
Robert Swanner (Troop 138, Mesquite)
The guys and I met at the Troop 138 Scout Hut in Mesquite and actually departed at the correct time! This is mind-boggling, considering we usually get off anywhere between 30-60 minutes after we tell the boys when we would like to leave. We arrived at the Cavers' Cave at CBSP having seen very few critters on the way in (highly unusual) and fighting the last hour to listen to the Stars playoff game after the reception started breaking up (they won).
Dale Barnard and Christie Quintana were there, as were the Heuss's and several cavers with their families from the NTSS. We set up the tents in areas that weren't too exposed to the gusty winds and visited for a while before hitting the ol' fart sack.
(Richard Hass extricating himself from the Dreaded Man-Eating Squeezebox.)
Upon waking up Sat. morning after sleeping into a delicious 8am, we
stumbled out of the tents and truck (in my case!) and got coffee and breakfast
going. We then converged on the Conference Center, near Gorman Falls, to
check on the goings-on and to see what Dale had in mind for us to do. Dale
was out flagging the routes to the "before" cave, New Orleans, and the
"after" cave, Icebox.
(Robert Swanner entering the Infamous NTSS Squeezebox. Photos by Mark
Alman)
New Orleans Cave still contains a large amount of trash with no end in sight. Clearly, this cave most needs cleaning in the park. On a previous trip, I led a larger group of scouts to finish the clean up on Ice Box Cave.
Before starting the work, the boys decided to check
out the squeezebox that the NTSS had setup. The best height was by Robert
and Richard at 8", but I only managed 9" (I'm working on it!). We also
hiked down to Gorman Falls while we were waiting and saw a pretty good
size herd of feral goats along the trail. Dale returned shortly after and
told us what the itinerary was and when they had the restoration tours
planned, 12 noon, 2pm, and at 4pm. We loaded up and headed out to New Orleans
Cave.
(Dale Barnard of the TSA leading one of the Cave Restoration Tour groups.)
We hauled all of our equipment to the cave and lowered
our extension ladder down the 12-foot drop. Robert and Richard descended
and then rapidly came back up after reporting wasps in the cave. The wasps
turned out to be a product of over-active imaginations and were actually
cave crickets! After some reassurance from me, they hauled the shovels
on down and we rigged the pulley system up top and promptly started removing
the trash and "glassy-dirt" from the cave. We observed a large 6" centipede
that was black with orange legs. Dale stated that he thought they stung
and was curious as to what the sting felt like. I pointed out the tree
under which he had disappeared and told him to have at it and let me know!
No takers.
(Part of the original New Orleans Cave Restoration trashpile. Photo
from Feb. 1998)
Dale brought around the first tour at 12:15. Just one visitor, Barry, from the Bexar Grotto attended, as well as Keith Heuss, who took pictures. Barry went down into the cave to see what the Scouts had been up to and even filled a bucket to help out. They then proceeded to take a look at Icebox Cave. Shortly afterward, we returned to the conference center for lunch.
(A dumb-founded Robert Swanner of Troop 138 in New Orleans Cave.)
A couple of the Scouts tried their hands at vertical climbing. Richard Hass got stuck at the top, as the belayer didn't have enough slack in order to lower him. After another caver went up the adjoining rope to swap out his ascenders, he managed to lower himself. We then proceeded back to New Orleans in anticipation of the next tour.
(Another group of adventuresome souls from the Earth Day Restoration
Tour.)
(The entrance to New Orleans Cave. Photo by Mark Alman, February 1998.)
This tour group consisted of 14 people, including several kids. The bulk of them donned helmets and excitedly descended into the depths to check out our progress. All were very interested in our work and asked a lot of good questions. Dale did a great job of explaining how the cave had become trashed and what effect this had on the environment and why we were cleaning it out.
We continued with the clean up through the afternoon until after the 4:00 tour. The 4:00 tour came through with 10 or 12 people. We finally loaded up all of the equipment and stopped by the campsite to unload and to stoke up the fire for supper. Three of the boys and I headed down to the river for a quick dip to wash the cave dirt and grime off.
We gathered around the fire to bake our 'taters and cook supper and rest up in anticipation of a hike down to Gorman Cave. We headed down about 8pm. Upon arriving at the cave, we were greeted by a mass exodus of bats from the cave departing for their nightly feeding--A VERY IMPRESSIVE sight and one that I had never observed. Prior visits to Gorman were during the winter when the bats were still in Mexico after having migrated.
We headed on into the cave and still observed much bat activity. I tried to get some pix, but I'll have to wait and see how they turned out. The boys checked out the formations and passageways on the way in. The cave seemed fairly dry in contrast to our last visit in March. The air was getting progressively worse, due to the guano, and we finally had to turn back before the Big Room. The bad air was most likely due to the large bat roost on the ceiling. On the trip we made in March, we had made it all the way to the gate.
We made it back to the Conference Center about 10pm and watched the remainder of Keith's slides. We bought Earth Day T-shirts and then headed back to the campsite at which time all but Richard and I hit the tents. We sat around the fire and visited with Dale and Christie and the folks from Wichita Falls.
Dale entertained us with his superb guitar playing and self-penned songs while the margaritas flowed. I tried to enjoy the fellowship of other cavers and the music in the air as long as I could keep my eyes open. I managed to make it for a short while before collapsing into our sleeping bags at 11:15.
We awoke very slowly Sunday morning and grabbed a quick breakfast, tore down our camp, and bid Dale and the Gang adios until the Fall. We arrived back in Mesquite at the punctual time of 1pm. It was rather a quiet trip back for me since all of the Scouts slept! No such luck for their Assistant Scoutmaster, but a great time was still had by all.
A lot more guys up here have indicated wanting to come back next year to lead the cave clean-up effort at the park and we should have a much larger group next year! Looking forward to it.
1997 Speleo Digest Available in June
Over 300 articles written by nearly 200 authors from across the United States are included in this Speleo Digest. With topics like aerial ridgewalking, caving for bones in Jamaica, or wondering what it's like caving with Stephen King, this book won't cure your addiction to cracks - it will only make it worse. The 1997 Speleo Digest even provides revealing social commentary:
If you have friends who have toured the country and stayed at a caver's home every night, or who sift the good carbide from what others have left after changing carbide, you probably know a Tight-Assed Caver. You know the ones - they dig the used tires out of sinkholes and take them home to put on their cars.
From the earliest cave maps in the United States to the latest, for tips on terminology, for the lowdown on caving in other countries, for the best caving cartoons, for the latest theories on the genesis of formations, and for the best scoop on what is going on in the caving world today, get one before they're all gone.
Order yours today for only $19.00 plus $4.50 shipping from the NSS Office, 2813 Cave Avenue, Huntsville, Alabama, 35810, (256) 852-1300, nss@caves.org.
The 1996 Speleo Digest is also available
Cavers, Caves and Publicity - Is This You?!
Submitted by: Jo Schaper via "Caver's Digest"
After twelve years of caving, and hearing arguments ranging from "let's do public education" to "we have no caves to speak of" I've noticed some
interesting trends:
1. Public citizen interested in caves finds organized cavers and joins.
2. A new caver is created as he/she learns the ropes, techniques, and conservation methods, etc.
3. Caver specializes in some discipline--photography, a science, exploring, etc. after a couple of years, or drops out of caving entirely due to disillusion with group.
4. If caver stays, with acquired expertise, caver begins to think he/she is "better" than non-caver, and more deserving of cave access, caving perks, etc.
5. In the name of cave conservation, caver begins to be secretive of projects, cave locations, cave information, etc. Caver begins to justify giving new cavers a hard time before acceptance into the group, justifies even making caving groups hard to find.
6. Caver forgets that he/she was ever a non-caver, looking for information about caves.
This scenario disturbs me. Except in the case of cavers marrying cavers, the continuation of org. caving depends on cave access and an infusion of new people. Most caves do not belong to cavers; interaction with landowners, government and the public are crucial to the continuation of our activity.
Does this mean that I think we should promote caving? No. But hiding it under a rock is equally ridiculous and self-serving. The justification given is usually, "Caves can't take the traffic, we [the elite] need to keep the masses away from going in wild caves." This elitism at its worst even affects other cavers--i.e. "You're not good enough to be trusted with cave information even though you've paid your dues (both literally and figuratively)."
As someone who found cavers simply by chance because they were so well hidden, (although springs, caves and geology have been lifelong pursuits) and who has gotten much satisfaction out of contributions made to caves, research, conservation and the friendships of like minded people I've met, I find the "I'm a caver, but if you become one the caves will suffer," ideology a bit hard to take.
Send any comments pro/con to Jo Schaper (joschaper@aol.com) - Meramec Valley Grotto and to the "OZTOTL Caver" Editor at alman@bigfoot.com and I'll print them in the next issue!
When I first was elected to this position, it was one that I was (and still am) very excited about. I had lots of trip reports, pictures, and other ideas to display in the OZTOTL, and I think I have and, not to brag, but the newsletter looks very decent.
At that same time, I was promised a lot of trip reports, pictures, essays, from many cavers in the Grotto who have a much deeper and longer history of caving, recollections, and experiences than I could ever hope to obtain.
But, with the exception of Richard and Tony Sultana, the inputs have been slim to virtually NONE! Now, I can go ahead and keep publishing the trips and pictures I acquire, but I would rather have your inputs to give the OZTOTL a wider perspective and more variety.
This newsletter goes out to cavers all over the country, not just ones in Texas. I would hate for them to think that this is a publication for and about the Almans, but that seems to be the feeling that a lot of our readers are getting. One reads this newsletter and thinks to themselves, "Man, is that Alman yahoo the only guy who goes caving in that Grotto?! Dallas and Ft. Worth should surely have more cavers than that! That Grotto doesn't seem to have much other activity at all."
Is this the idea and image we want to convey to the NSS and the rest of the state and country? (Yes, several issues go to the NSS and the TSA every month.) Let's rectify this and set out RIGHT NOW to get those trip reports, pictures, comments, and whatever put on paper and get them into me. I have plenty of material I can use, but with the temps heating up and the caving slowing down with summer, some good stories, a beer, and A/C will make for some good reading. But I CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!!
EGADS!! There's a face only a Mother could love! Who says you don't see many strange and exotic lifeforms in caves. Yours truly at the bottom of New Orleans Cave. Earth Day 1998.Photo by Mark.