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This booklet was compiled and edited by Linda Starr Cover Art by Andy Komensky Back Cover Art by Gary Davis

Reviewers: Carol Belski, Stephen Fleming, and Pete and Karen Lindsley

Published by Southwestern Region of the NSS May 2012

© 2012 Southwestern Region of the NSS Contents

Page

Introductory Message ………………………………………………………………………. 4 E-mail Letters from Lee Skinner……………………………………………………………. 4 SWR Member Organizations……………………………………………………………….. 5 SWR Members as Directors of the NSS Board of Governors……………………………… 5 50th Anniversary Planning Committee ……………………………………………………... 5 Letter from National Cave and Karst Research Institute …………………………………... 6 Grotto Reports 7 Gypsy Underground ………………………………………………………………… 8 21 Years, Hondo Grotto…………………………………………………………….. 9 Lubbock Area Grotto ……………………………………………………………….. 10 Mesilla Valley Grotto (MVG) History, 1986 – 2012 ………………………………. 11 New Mexico Tech Caving Club ……………………...…..………………………… 13 Pajarito Grotto Is 24 Years Old …………………………………………………….. 15 Pecos Valley Grotto ………………………………………………………………… 18 Permian Basin Speleological Society ………………………………………………. 20 Sandia Grotto, A Short History and Influences on Me …………………………….. 22 More on Sandia Grotto …….….…………………………………………………….. 26 White Sands Grotto …………………………………………………………………. 29 Jeff Lory, Past SWR Chairman ……...……………………………………………………… 30 Letter from Current SWR Chair, 2012 ……………………………………………………… 30 SWR and NSS Project Reports ……………………………………………………………… 31 Big Manhole Dig ……………………………………………………………………. 32 Dry Cave Project, 2005 to 2012 …………………………………………………….. 34 El MaP: A Sandia Grotto Project to Study and Inventory Caves of El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area ……………………………………. 37 Fort Stanton Study Project (FSCSP) ……………………………………………….. 38 GypKaP – Gypsum Karst Project ………….……………………………………….. 39 High Guads Restoration Project (HGRP) …………………………………………... 41 Some Historical Anecdotes The Discovery – and Rediscovery – of Sentinel Caverns …………………………... 42 Lincoln Caverns ……………………………………………………………………... 47 Following Jim White’s Footsteps …………………………………………………… 50 Still Tracking Jim White ……………………………………………………………. 54 Discovery of Nudnick and Andy’s Caves ...………………………………………… 56 Cave Science Articles New Mexico Bat Work, 1994-2012 ………………………………………………... 61 Searching for Intraterrestrials: The Microbial World of Caves ……………………. 70

2 Contents continued Page The Rich Scientific Potential of Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area ………………………………………………………………… 74 Memorials: In Regard for SWR Cavers of the Past ………………………………………….. 76 NSS Award Recognition ……………………………………………………………………... 89 SWR Honorary Members …………………………………………………………………….. 91 The Wuss Walker Award …….………………………………………………………………. 92 Southwestern Region Members and Associates, 1962-2012…………………………………. 99 A Little Something by Ells Rolfs …………………………………………………………….. 112

Cartoon art by Mike Bilbo, 2011

This entire publication is copyrighted by the Southwestern Region (SWR) of the National Speleological Society.

Contributors of stories, artwork, photographs and other materials contained herein retain full copyright with respect to their work.

No commercial use of any portion of this publication may be made without the written consent of the SWR and the additional consent of any affected contributor.

3 In light of the 50th anniversary, two documents of historical interest have been posted to the SWR website. These are in a private directory E-mail letters from Lee Skinner and are not indexed on the site, so you have to use the links below. I was one of the founders and the first chairman of the SWR. Has it really been 50

years? The first is the 25th anniversary booklet (58 I was also a founder of both the White Sands pages). and El Paso grottoes. When founded, the White http://www.caves.org/region/swr/docs/25th­1962­ Sands Grotto had members in El Paso, 1987.PDF Alamogordo and Las Cruces. Later, the El Paso Grotto broke away from White Sands. This document was produced in an era when At the first meeting of the SWR, we decided privacy information was less easily found (and to have regional meetings four times a year, and less worried about) and it contained names, it's been that way ever since. addresses and phone numbers. After 25 years I think that the first regional was in the there likely are only a handful that still are Guads. At that time, I was a Spec 5 in the U.S. accurate. However, in the interest of keeping Army at Fort Bliss. unnecessary personal information off the Do you realize that in 1962 there were only internet, all addresses and phone numbers were three known caves of any size in the High removed from wherever they were associated Guads: Cottonwood, Hidden, and Black. with an individual's name. --Lee

If you have never seen this document before, it Just a reminder: Tuesday, August 9, marks is interesting reading. Thanks go to Jennifer both the 49th anniversary of the discovery of Foote for getting it posted very quickly after the Heinz Schwinge Hall and the 43rd anniversary scrubbing was done. of the discovery of Lincoln Caverns. I can't believe time flies so fast! My The second document is a listing of all SWR memories of seeing these areas for the first time officers, meeting sites, and birth/death dates of are as vivid as if I'd been there only last month. grottos. This document contained no privacy --Lee Skinner materials. It covers the SWR from inception in 1962 through 2010 (10 pages). http://www.caves.org/region/swr/docs/ officers­meetings1962­2010.pdf

By Stephen Fleming Director, 50th Anniversary Committee

Ken Streicher and Lee Skinner, 1963. Photo courtesy of Doug Rhodes.

4 SW R Member O rganizations

Escabrosa G rotto, PO Box 3634, Tucson, AZ 85722, [email protected] Guadalupe G rotto, PO Box 1229, Carlsbad, NM 88221, [email protected] Gypsy Underground Grotto, c/o K. Nielsen, 194 South Fork Rd., Durango, CO, [email protected] Hondo G rotto, 1816 Orchard, Roswell, NM 88201, Frank Everitt, [email protected], [email protected] Lubbock A rea G rotto, 3403-89th St., Lubbock, TX 79423, Brian Alger, [email protected] Mesilla Valley G rotto, 528 Melendres, Las Cruces, NM 88009, [email protected] New Mexico Tech Student Grotto, Dept E&ES, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801, Jane Overton, [email protected] Pecos Valley G rotto, 1825 Mission, Carlsbad, NM 88220, [email protected] Permian Basin Speleological Society, PO Box 1326, Sonora, TX 76950, [email protected] Pajarito G rotto, c/o James Hunter, PO Box 751, Los Alamos, NM 87544, [email protected] Sandia G rotto, Student Activities Box 192, MSC 03 2210, 1 Univ. of NM, Albuquerque, NM 87131- 001, [email protected] Sierra Blanca G rotto, PO Box 1721, Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346-1721, Paul Dunlap, [email protected] White Sands G rotto, c/o Carol Belski, 408 Southern Sky, Carlsbad, NM 88220, [email protected]

th 50 Anniversary SW R Members as Directors Planning Committee: of the NSS Board of Governors Carol Belski Mike Bilbo Dave Belski (1989-1992), (1993-1996), Stephen Fleming (1996-1999) Kathy Peerman Dwight E. Deal (1967-1968), (1971-1974, Wayne Walker (1974-1977) Additional significant planning help from: Stephen Fleming (1998-2001) Jennifer Foote, Blake Jordan, Pete Lindsley, Jennifer Foote (2008-2011) Kevin Lorms, Peg Sorensen, Linda Starr, Jim Goodbar (1987-1990) Aaron Stockton … Alan Hill (1969-1970) (1970-1973) …and the entire membership for helping David Jagnow (2000-2002) to complete the Fort Stanton historic building Mark Joop (2008-2011) balcony renovation project. Don R. Martin (1977-1978) Bill Yett (1994-1996) Thanks also to the State of New Mexico, Department of Cultural Affairs Monument Division, Fort Stanton State Monument for allowing use of their facilities for our 50th Anniversary celebration.

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6

G rotto Reports

7 Gypsy Underground G rotto

By Evelyn Townsend (aka E.T.)

The Gypsy Underground Grotto (GUG) was just an idea that started in 1998 at the Filer, Idaho, NSS Convention by a group of cavers from many different locations. The idea was to form a community of traveling cavers that was based on people and not their location – be it state, country or other locale. So in February, 1999, the GUG officially became the first traveling grotto in the NSS membership, with a charter membership of 25 people. At present the membership is more than 100 people with over 90 percent of them being NSS members. We communicate electronically via email and a onelist, and we meet at regional events and NSS conventions. We contact one another and go caving where we can and/or at specific events. One of our projects that has been going for long term is the Big Bend Karst Project (BIBEKaP). This was started in 1998 by Stephen Fleming, Steve Peerman and Keith Heuss as co- investigators. In 2007, Evelyn Townsend (ET) and Hank Boudinot took over the project as co- investigators. BIBEKaP is a registered National Park Service permitted study project to locate and document caves in Big Bend National Park. The GUG caver membership supporting this project is over 99 percent. Many of the Gypsys work on other projects such as the Fort Stanton Cave Study Project. Since many of our members are from the Southwest, the GUG petitioned to become a member of the Southwest Region (SWR) in December, 2010. In March of 2011 the GUG hosted their first SWR event at Fluorite Ridge near Deming, New Mexico. As one of the newer members of SWR, we hope to continue our participation in SWR activities in the near and far future.

8

50 Years for the Southwest Region

21 years for the Hondo

G rotto

By F rank Eve ritt

With strong organizational support from Jerry Ballard and Mike Bilbo, Roswell Field Office of the BLM, the Hondo Grotto formed and achieved official status with NSS in the fall of 1990. The charter members, included: Chuck Bassett, Cal Currier, Rick Reynolds, Joe Switzer, Tom Garlinger, Frank Everitt, Debbie Griffin, Ed Wooten, Jim Cox, Don Becker, Ronnie Cahoon, Reece White, John Young and others. Jimmy Worrell with Tim and Sonya Boyd They were active cavers who in Torgac. Photo by Frank Everitt. pursued underground activities in caves managed by the BLM, Forest Service, National Park Service and private ownership in southeastern NM and Texas. Over a short period of time, grotto members shifted their activities from ridge walking and exploration to project caving. Over the past 20 years, we donated thousands of hours in areas of education, exploration, mapping, preservation, restoration and rescue planning.

Barbe Barker on a return trip from Snowy River, via Priority 7 dig. Photo from Frank Everitt.

9 project involving Lubbock Area G rotto cave management and work with the Lubbock Area Grotto (LAG) BLM, National obtained Charter Number G-317 on January Forest Service and 28, 1986 from the National Speleological National Parks Society. The founding members of the Service. Since its caving family included Jeff Thom, Don inception, LAG has Horton, Victor Polyak, John Polyak, Jeff participated in surveying the following and Marcia Steele, Edward Hudgeons, caves: Sinkhole Flats, River Styx Cave, Dry Noble Stidham, and April MacDowell. Cave, Endless Cave and Carlsbad Caverns. Evolution of the club came when Restoration work has been done in many Noble wrote a letter to Bill Elliott, Texas Guadalupe Mountains caves. Speleological Association (TSA), inquiring as to his knowledge of other cavers in the 2012 Office rs Lubbock area. Mr. Elliott responded with Chairman: Derek Smith Victor’s name and address. A phone call Vice-Chairman: Lee Ann Dean from Noble to Victor quickly netted enough Conservation: Dan Rhoads interest to have an initial meeting and, Safety: Michael White luckily, the beginning of a grotto. None of Secretary: Tammy Tucker the original members remain active in the Treasurer: Brian Alger area (and Noble Stidham passed away). However, the grotto numbers currently around 20 members.

Chucky: A virgin cave in Carta Valley, TX. Initial trip with landowners and caver children. Photo by Lee Ann Dean.

LAG in Endless Cave, NM. Photo by Lee Ann Dean.

LAG takes much pride in the fact that all of its members are active in one form Annual Girl’s or another in most of the LAG activities. Only Trip, Most members participate in at least one Christmas Tree activity per month. The majority of the club Cave. Top: activities center on exploration and Whitney, Lee Ann, Tammy; surveying of new caves. Contributions to the Bottom: Jamie, total survey include membership expertise in Amy, Susan. geology and biology. LAG members are Photo by Lee eager to participate in any conservation Ann Dean.

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Mesilla Valley G rotto (M V G) MVG T‐shirt design History of M V G, 1986-2012

By K athy and Steve Peerman Some of Since 1986, the Mesilla Valley Grotto the accomplish- has continued to be a strong grotto in Southern ments that our New Mexico. grotto has In the early ’80s, we became involved achieved in the with Search and Rescue. We were involved in last 25 years three major mine rescues in our area and one since 1987: rescue in Caballo Cave. Our grotto became a - We worked with BLM in many cave recognized Search and Rescue team, and we work projects in our state. were able to procure our own equipment for the - We maintained having Thanksgiving grotto. One of our team members, Bob Rodgers trips to the Guads until the late ’90s. is now the state coordinator for NM Search and - We got involved in surveying Rescue and is the Southwestern representative Chirichahua Crystal Cave in for the National Cave Rescue Commission. Arizona. Also, we continue to do many cave trips - We carry out ropework sessions for that involve recreation, survey and projects. our new members and practice for Since we are near New Mexico State all. With new equipment, we need to University, we draw members from here and continue this training. have had recreation and training cave trips to the Many of our new members got involved Black Range. Our grotto was involved with with the Big Manhole Dig Project and this GypKaP (Gypsum Karst Project) for over 10 persists today. Breakthrough is imminent! years. This was a good project for getting new Numerous cleanup projects were members involved in caving, surveying and accomplished in several caves during these 25 project caving. years. Black Range caves remain our training The caving world as we knew it back in ground, and we hosted a couple regional clean- the ’70s began to change in the late ’80s. With up projects there. many restrictions coming from the Bureau of In the ’90s we became involved with Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, we trips to Arizona caves, such as Onyx, as well as saw recreational caving become more difficult. El Malpais and Carlsbad area caves. We had Project caving is now the norm and MVG several trips to Slaughter Canyon Cave to continues to participate. improve the trails there. Each year, we host Many of our members choose to SWR Regionals. Our schedules were full of continue caving either with our group or they caving trips, ridge-walking and vertical have moved into other states and caved with practices each month. new grottos. Our grotto was one of the most We are an extremely active grotto, with active grottos in the state, and today we are a trips all over New Mexico. In 2006, we hosted a confident group of cavers. Quite a few senior joint ARA/SWR Regional at Chiricahua Crystal cavers belong to MVG, but we continue to work Cave. at bringing in more young cavers to carry on our legacy.

11 Our caving had slowed down a bit in Some of the usual activities our 2007 as our membership tended to collect grotto took part in were the Electric Light cavers as college students; however, when these Parade, some community fairs, some students graduated, they moved on. Recreational members made presentations to school kids, caving was what many students were looking organized caving trips for the City of Las for, and with caving changing to project- Cruces Natural History Museum, and for the oriented trips, we did not hold onto many of Mesilla Valley Christian those students. School. We have a White Elephant Recently, we discovered a significant Christmas party every year. cave, “Columbus Cave” in the Tres Hermanas On March 15, 2012, Mesilla Valley Mountains of southwest New Mexico. Grotto celebrated 40 years of adventure for many cavers in Las Cruces.

Official MVG photo, 2012.

12 New Mexico Tech Caving Club

By Aaron Hicks time. He and his wife were originally from West Virginia, IIRC. Bob had two young kids (about Ricki Sheldon and I co-founded the New 9 and 12) at the time; we were going to go Mexico Tech Caving Club in 1997 or 1998. caving at Tres Ninos, and there was a huge, Ricki was the one who saw the need for gorgeous rattlesnake right in the entrance. Bob a club, and started putting signs up; I saw a need was about to step on it, and – I'll tell you, I've for meeting the redhead (Ricki) who was putting never seen a 200-pound man levitate before. It the signs up. was amazing. I'd been a caver on and off since I was a kid in western Pennsylvania, combined with a BS in geology and grad school in low- temperature geochem at Tech. Of course, when I came out here to Arizona, Rich Bohman immediately recognized the pack of reprobates with which I had been caving "back home" Now, his two girls – living in New since he'd picked up the bug while in school in Mexico – had never seen a rattler, or heard one. Pittsburgh. Don McPheeters (one of the core group of I remember distinctly about 14 of us cavers, and an ex-state trooper) thought it would showing up at a Fort Stanton cleanup. Someone be a good idea that the kids hear what a pissed was wailing about there not being enough off rattlesnake sounded like, and Bob and the manpower to haul water though Hell Hole, and others agreed. He picked up a rock just big wondering just what it took to make "these enough to do the job, and tossed it, hitting the people" happy, what with us skinny white boys thing smack in the back. Everyone was a good hauling so many jugs without complaint. distance away, but the kids were terrified. The We mapped the huge, whopping caves snake retreated further in, and we decided to of Socorro (all 12 feet of them, or whatever), skip Tres Ninos that day. I distinctly recall the and did several clean-ups in the Valley of Fires. rattler had spectacular black coloration – just We pulled a parachute (!) out of one pit. I think jet-black diamonds on its back. Probably, it was on one day we filled something like 12 trash a local adaptation to the lava fields. bags. Deidre Hirschfeld was our advisor at the Plus, we got in lots of rope training – time I left. She was also a scoutmaster for Girl both for our core group (including extensive Scouts, and we took several of them on trips. rescue training), and training our members and The most memorable was a High Guads trip; I students. Tech has a great climbing wall that got lost trying to find Gunsight (which, was ideal for teaching that sort of thing in embarrassingly enough, I'd been to before). The terms of the basics, then Box Canyon is next morning, we woke up to 6-8" of wet snow, about perfect for teaching in a semi-wild and decided to go back home. By the time we environment. We were blessed with the got down, of course, there was no snow there. It State Fire Academy right there in Socorro, along was typical Guads weather. with the administration (see below) being Meetings ran four to 20 people, favorable to us. depending upon the time of the year. Our core Bob Treacy (at the NRAO, now in Green group did a lot of rescue training; because the Bank, WV, I think it is) was our advisor at the State Fire Academy director (John Standefer)

13

was also a caver, we were allowed to participate (Editor: David Hunter did take over the NM in training there at the Academy in Socorro. In Tech Caving Club. The club’s contact is now fact, the four of us that made it through Rope Aaron Curtis. Aaron Curtis did not respond to Rescue III comprised a full one-third of the requests for material and Aaron Hicks did. class – the first Rope III class ever held at the I asked Aaron what he’s doing for academy. caving now.) Similarly, John allowed us to use the Well, since Arizona doesn't have any facilities there for the meet-and-greet when the caves (!), not much. I've made it to a couple of Tech Cave Club held the first NCRC weekender Big Manhole digs, and helped out one of our course; I distinctly recall some grumbling by members with his cave radio work in Carlsbad. class attendees that there was no alcohol I'd like to get out more, but given that there is involved, and I think they had their own, smaller just a spectacular amount of work that can be shindig down in the bosque. We organized a done without even leaving the state – and how I second NCRC weekender a year later. have a lot of obligations in rare plant research Best as I know, it was David Hunter who that keeps me tied to the lab, long-ish trips took over after I left; I don’t know too much really aren't necessary, you know. about the details, to be honest. He’d be a better Currently I'm with Central Arizona source of info than I. Grotto, as vice president. I'd say the group is just about as strong --AJ Hicks, Chandler, AZ as ever.

14 Paja rito G rotto Is 24 Years Old

By John Lyles before this second meeting, a “spelunker” died from a fall in nearby Buckman Cave. This event Pajarito Grotto (PG) originated on the reinforced the education and training aspect of Pajarito Plateau in Los Alamos, NM, in PG’s mission. At the third meeting, mention February, 1988. The first meeting was attended was made of the rumor of an unnamed by David and Becky Jagnow, Jim Sturrock and sink/drain near a creek, SE of Gallina Cave in Thelma Leonard, Ronald Creel, Bill and Emily Rio Arriba County. This notion played a major Johnson, Dave Logan, Scott Maxham and Frank role in PG’s activities, as will be explained later. Succardi. Objectives were, as with many caving By the fourth meeting, Lechuguilla Cave clubs, to educate and train new cavers in safe was up to 16 miles, and 1,414 feet deep. Pajarito techniques, vertical caving, conservation, Grotto elected its first chairman (Bill Johnson) exploration and mapping of caves. The focus and secretary/treasurer (David Jagnow). The was on nearby caves in northern NM, as well as grotto selected a name, after the suggested the deluxe caves of the southern parts of the names – Sangre de Cristo Grotto, Los Alamos state. The confluence of national laboratory Grotto, and Critical Mass Grotto – were voted technical people, regional and Santa Fe cavers down. made a unique membership, different from the The first vertical training was held in university makeup of other clubs. Original White Rock and the first Rio Resumidero ridge- members Logan and Jagnow were involved in walking was led by Jim Sturrock and Thelma the Lechuguilla Cave Project, established in Leonard. They scouted and found a swallet 1987. taking water near the Resumidero Creek on June At the next meeting, Japanese caver 11. By summer, Dave Hanna had joined the Kazuhiro Tanaka joined the club. A few days group, along with Bill Heath and Nancy Lamb of Taos. In November, BLM employee Mike Bilbo and his wife Barbara joined the new grotto. In 1989, Rob Hawley of Taos Herb Company joined. The grotto had three focus projects: remapping Gallina Cave, and mapping Buckman Cave and Falling Rock Cave. Due to the sensitive nature of the latter (sketchy landowner relations), a gate was designed and fabricated by Jim Sturrock. Bill McIntosh, Lisa Ferrante, Mary Carress, Joe Freshette, Dave Mapes and a few others were among the new PG members in the coming year. Windy Passages , the grotto Lechuguilla Project leaders, 1987. L to R (top): Dave Jagnow, Buddy newsletter, ran for about eight years until Lane, Gary Petrie, Miles Hecker; (bottom) Rick Bridges, Pat it was decided it was better to contribute Kambesis, John Patterson. Photo by Dave Jagnow, October 7, 1989. to one regional news source,

15 Southwestern Cavers, published by the science trips into Lechuguilla, to collect water Southwestern Region through its members, for his Lab-sponsored research. This initiated a Carol and Dave Belski. new phase of concerted project caving by PG Pajarito Grotto now had an annual members, which has continued today. tradition of ridge-walking around Rito Lechuguilla Cave Project had been Resumidero, even having T-shirts printed for replaced by the more democratic Lechuguilla the participants. However, no significant new Exploration and Research Network (LEARN). caves were found here, but Dos Ojos Cave was John got hooked into surveying in Lechuguilla discovered up-mountain from Gallina Cave to with LEARN, as well as participating in Cave the south. Research Foundation (CRF) projects at Carlsbad Over the next several years, a further Caverns in the New Mexico Room. First, it was influx of experienced cavers joined the grotto, survey with Brian Holcomb, then restoration most having relocated from “out East” to work with Lois Bergthold (Manno), and finally taking at the two National Labs: Hillary Minich, Steve on a project to remove the old ladders and and Nancy Attaway, and John Ganter (and by catwalks leading to the New Mexico Room in 1992, John Lyles). They were active in 1996. surveying Gallina Cave and in the Lechuguilla John resurveyed the Wonderland portion Cave Project. When Lyles moved to town, he of Cottonwood Cave, leading many survey was steamrollered into being chairman of the teams into the intricacies of that wonderful area. thriving grotto in February of ’92. Another The grotto was branching out into caving Lechuguilla caver, David Modisette, joined the projects in the Guadalupes (Guads), GypKaP, grotto. The grotto worked on various on BLM projects (Big Manhole), and at campaigns, such as protesting the sale of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. speleothems at rock shows in Arizona, fighting In 1997, Bill Heath and John Lyles some government agencies against cave-for-pay began to study the Resumidero swallet hole schemes, and taking on new projects in GypKaP again. A small crack was taking water, but they (Gypsum Karst Project) country. didn’t dig it open. John Lyles and Margaret Tafoya found About this time, John led LEARN a crawl-in entrance off the Corn Ranch road, expeditions into Lechuguilla Cave, and he named it Zalea Cave (for the dead sheep’s hide), determined that it was not so difficult to and began surveying with Sandia Grotto cavers Brian Holcomb, Cal Currier, and other grotto members, for one-half mile to where it connected to the Sparks trash pits along the road to Torgac Cave. Eventually, they convinced GypKaP managers to add the Sparks-Zalea system and Topaz caves to GypKaP Report No. 3, although they hadn’t been formally mapped by members of GypKaP. This would Lois Manno change soon enough. and John Lyles By 1993, the grotto had over 35 doing members, 24 of which were NSS members. restoration A chance meeting in a Pojoaque parking work in the lot connected John Lyles with Jake Turin, New Mexico another experienced Lechuguilla Cave surveyor Room. Photo by Pete Jones. and cave scientist. Jake led a number of small

16 discover new locales if he took advantage of his teams that have since surveyed and pushed small size and pushed tight holes. Snowy River and the Metro for miles. Grotto In 1998, David Jagnow kicked off the caver James Hunter has demonstrated his first camp of the High Guads Restoration exceptional climbing skills in Lechuguilla Cave Project at Texas Camp up on top of Three Mile and upper passages discovered along Snowy Hill, starting a long-running tradition that River as well. continues today and brings the U.S. Forest In 2005, grotto cavers – John Lyles, Jim Service thousands of hours and dollars of Sturrock, Aaron Stockton and Mark Minton – volunteer effort. finally returned to the Resumidero swallet, and The grotto began to meet at the Santa Fe dug into a most challenging small cave, Baking Company with owner Mike Roy for a Thunderhole. It has been mapped to about 1000 while, and then reverted back to members’ feet, and continues to be pushed. homes for monthly meetings. Jennifer Foote Grotto members have also led expedi- relocated to Los Alamos and became the next tions to Belize, assisting archeologists to map leader of the High Guads Restoration Project and discover caves with Maya relics. (HGRP), as well as leading bat counts in BLM Our grotto continues to bring together an caves. It wasn’t long before she, too, became interesting mix of cavers of all ages and hooked on Lechuguilla Cave exploration and vocations. The latest roster has 33 members; mapping. John Ganter briefly rejoined the PG in most are also NSS members. Several PG cavers the first years of the 21st century. Together with have also chaired the Southwestern Region, and Lyles and Robin Gurule, they hiked over much two were elected to the NSS Board of of the countryside between Resumidero and Governors. Pajarito Grotto continues to have an Gallina caves, not finding much in the way of active core of cavers who participate in major new cave entrances. They completed the survey survey projects, digs, restoration and and pushing/digging of Dos Ojos, with a small organization in the region. team in several trips. In 2001, Peter Bosted and Ray Keeler invited John Lyles on their Lechuguilla Cave expedition, the first of what became an annual expedition co-led by John and Peter for a decade. Over the last decade, ‘Labbies’ – Brian Kendrick, James Hunter, Jen Foote and John Lyles – have continued to participate in the survey of this immense cave on numerous private expeditions in all three branches of the cave. For example, John claims to have participated in 32 survey expeditions, and surveyed over 33,000 feet in the cave. Things got even more interesting in 2003. Snowy River was discovered at Fort Pajarito cavers after a fun trip through San Geronimo Maze Cave near Las Vegas, NM, in 2001. (L to R): Stanton Cave, by a dedicated team of regional Jen Foote, Robin Gurule, Myles Gurule (helmet), diggers. The grotto was not active initially, but unidentified guy, Mark Minton’s dog, Alexander quickly the core team (Kendrick, Foote and Kendrick, Rod McGrady, Mark Minton (rear), Brian Lyles) of active cavers joined the many survey Kendrick (front), John McIntyre. Photo by John Lyles.

17 Pecos Valley G rotto  Surveyed and explored Parks' Ranch Cave;

 Started the examination of the By Phyllis Boneau vicinity north of Roswell (GypKaP)

for caves. The Pecos Valley Grotto (PVG) was

originally organized in Roswell, NM, by The PVG was continued as an active Chuck Carrara in 1958. It was the first caving grotto and included many members grotto in New Mexico. Chuck also from Walker Air Force Base in Roswell. organized the Sandia Grotto the same year When the base closed in 1967, the grotto and submitted the paperwork for both went dormant for approximately 10 years, grottos to the NSS at the same time. The but some caving continued during this time paperwork for the Sandia Grotto was period. processed first and it has a lower grotto Then, the grotto was reactivated in number than the PVG. Charter members of Carlsbad in 1977 as an alternative to the the PVG were: Chester Carrara, Guadalupe Grotto. Rebirth members were: Dave Roy Jones, E. Summers, John Barrick, Belski, Carol Belski (Secretary), Gail Belski, Calvin Patterson, Chris Henry, Larry Andy Belski, Stephen Fleming (Chairman), Carrara (deceased), Andy Komensky, Jack Buzz Hummell, C. “Slim” Baxter, and Tom Locke, and Andrew Anderson. Bemis. Two other individuals were active During the 1980s and ’90s, PVG but not listed as charter members: Joe members accomplished the following: Wilson (deceased) and Chuck Carrara.  Survey and exploration of During the 1960s, and the ’70s, the Yellowjacket Cave; PVG members were active in the Guadalupe  Extention of the survey of Cave of Mountains and participated in the following the Madonna; activities:  Made Guadzilla a familiar sight in  The discovery and exploration of the the High Guads; Cave of the Madonna;  Pursued exploration and survey in  The rediscovery of Pink Dragon Lechuguilla; Cave;  Participation in many photographic  The discovery of Pink Panther Cave; ventures as sherpas and stars, such as  The discovery of Damn Cave; climbing the rope to the Spirit  Help to push Cottonwood Cave World; beyond the Second Parallel Passage  Were instrumental in the formation and early exploration of of the High Guads Restoration Wonderland; Project (HGRP);  Extensive exploration of Russell's  Helped formulate and execute cave Crawl and other parts of Fort Stanton rescue operations; Cave;  Participation in GypKaP;  Discovered Old Yellowstone Cave;  Participation in the Big Manhole Dig  Discovered and explored several Project; caves in the Tinnie locale;  Participation in the Fort Stanton  Helped in the exploration of Torgac Cave Study Project; Cave;

18  Preservation and maintenance of Lost Cave. Our caving has diverged from mostly

Since 2000, members have been exploration to recreational caving, re- involved through: locating less familiar caves, restoration, guiding, and introducing new cavers to the  Extensive exploration and underground experience. documentation of caves in the We look forward to 50 more years of Gypsum fields of Eddy County; caving adventures.  Relocation and initial survey of The PVG meets monthly on the third Pinon Cave in the Sacramento Thursday of the month at the National Cave Mountains; and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) in  Continued contribution to the Fort Carlsbad, NM. Stanton Cave Study Project, the Big 2012 Officers are: President: Phyllis Manhole Dig Project, and HGRP; Boneau; Vice Pres: Karen Perry; Treasurer:  Participation in the resurvey of Dry Clay Gates; Secretary: Mark Bulman; Public Cave; Relations: Bill Weston.  Participation in Cave Research Foundation (CRF) trips at Carlsbad Caverns National Park;  Taught a cave survey and cartography class in Lost Cave.

Cavers from Pecos Valley Grotto outside of Cottonwood Cave, before a trip to the Second Parallel Passage, 6‐24‐07. Photo by Bill Weston (far right).

19

Permian Basin Speleological Society

By Jacqui Thomas

The Permian Basin Speleological Society (PBSS) was formed by Tony Grieco and Bill Bentley in September, 1983, with a membership of 30 people, mostly cavers, soon to be referring to themselves as “spylunks.” (The origin of the name is at Speleological Society and was accepted into best mysterious.) the Southwestern Region of the NSS in February, 1985. The first newsletter, for November- December 1983, was simply called Newsletter Number One. In January, 1984, the PBSS started publishing a monthly newsletter, the SPYLUNK. Although the newsletter became The Hole News, then became a primarily online publication available to anyone, the goal continues to be monthly issues. In the 1980s and early 1990s, PBSS partnered with the Permian Basin Outing Club, and they shared many members. In the intervening years PBSS, as a grotto, has been involved in restoration

“Let’s start a club!” projects and rock hauls at Carlsbad Caverns, The Hill Brothers and Bill Bentley, pre‐PBSS and members have participated in Cave Research The first meeting was held Friday, Foundation September 2, 1983, in the Flame Room of projects, also at the Energas building. “Topics of discussion: Carlsbad, and trip planning, voting for club officers, set up activities of the permanent dates for meetings, landowner- Southwestern caver relations, new discoveries, picture Region such as the showing, and general caver style ongoing Fort socializing.” (The iconic artistry of the Stanton Project and invitation to the first PBSS meeting can be the dig at Big seen at Manhole. PBSS has hosted SWR gatherings, http://www.caver.net/pbss/holenews/pbss9- the first being the Bat Cave Blowout and 83.pdf.) Summer Regional in 1985 and most recently In March, 1984, the PBSS was the 2008 SWR Winter Technical chartered as the 300th grotto of the National Conference.

20 PBSS currently is in charge of the Five Mouth Cave Project, which is primarily (but not solely), a dig into a long-known and always silted-in (some years more than others) cave southeast of Sonora, Texas. PBSS generally has about 30 members, mostly cavers. The Grotto continues to meet monthly, for many years at Murray’s Delicatessen in Midland, where topics of discussion include trip planning, landowner-caver relations, new discoveries, picture showing, and general caver-style socializing. 2012 officers are: President, Matthew Ormsby; Vice President, Patrick PBSS and friends, Carlsbad Caverns Rock Haul, Ray; Treasurer, Walter Feaster; Secretary, November 2009. Jacqui Thomas.

Walter Feaster and Kelly Long at Five Mouth Cave.

From the Archives…Carlsbad Caverns Rock Haul—might even be the first of many.

21

Sandia Grotto members help with cleanup at El Malpais National Monument, May Day, 1999.

Sa ndia G rotto: A Short History and Influences on Me

By Blake Jordan

The Sandia Grotto was officially started National Speleological Society in accordance in 1958 with the creation of its constitution with the NSS Constitution and Bylaws. around October 1958. When the grotto started it Since 1958, the Constitution and Bylaws had three classes of members: Regular, went through a series of changes and the Associate and Honorary. In the section on the documents continue to change to fit the constitution relating to organization purpose is membership needs. The Sandia Grotto (SG) has the statement: “The purpose of this Grotto shall currently changed its officers to Chairman, be to further the study, conservation, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. There exploration, and knowledge of caves in New has not been a faculty advisor for many years Mexico and to promote safety in cave because the grotto is no longer associated with exploration. the University of New Mexico, as it was during Officers included Regular – Chairman, its founding. The Secretary-Treasurer positions First Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, were combined until 2001, when it was Secretary-Treasurer and a Faculty Advisor. officially split into separate offices because it Other offices consisted of Editor of the appeared that there was an increase in workload Underground Experience, committee chairmen, for the Secretary-Treasurer. Other committees and Executive Chairman. It was also stated in presently include Keeper of the Grotto Rope, the constitution that the Sandia Grotto would be Keeper of the Grotto Instruments, Librarian and a member of the Southwestern Region (SWR) Editor of the Third Source, as the grotto and Regular members may have the grotto newsletter has been named for almost 30 years. secretary apply for their membership in the (The first source [of information on caves] is the SWR. The Sandia Grotto was chartered with the NSS; the second source is the SWR.) Over the

22 years, various committee chairs were Brian Galbraith was a member of the SG established for miscellaneous purposes (i.e., before I joined in 1997. It was he who membership, conservation, etc.). introduced me to the grotto. The first time I met The Sandia Grotto has been involved Brian was at one of the GypKaP weekends. (As with many projects throughout the years with a side note, I was introduced to the GypKaP by grotto cavers exploring and surveying in many my friends, Fred Ettleman and Psyche Read.) parts of New Mexico. Some of those places are: Brian strongly suggested that I join the Sandia the Black Range, Carlsbad Caverns, Lechuguilla Grotto. After about six months of attending Cave, the GypKaP (Gypsum Karst Project), meetings, I joined. From then on, Brian took me Cooper-Ellis Cave, the Pronoun Cave Complex, on many of his caving adventures. At GypKaP the Guadalupe Mountains (including High each time there was a trip, I learned survey and Guads Restoration), Fort Stanton Cave and the mapping techniques. Through it all, Brian was digs and study project associated with it, the there. Armendariz Ranch, Petroglyph National With other projects and surveys, Monument and the ElMaP (El Malpais Project including at caves in the High Guads and Fort at El Malpais National Monument). Sandia Stanton Cave, Brian led the way. I accompanied Grotto is currently the Cibola Ranger District of him once to the High Guads, where he was the U.S. Forest Service’s steward for Sandia speaking to Ransom Turner, the Forest Ranger (Man) Cave, responsible for monitoring and in charge of the caves in the Guadalupe Ranger cleaning the cave and its surrounding area. District. Brian was planning to do an impact Members of the Sandia Grotto have study on Hell Below Cave, but his heart attack participated and supported cave exploration in took him away from caving progressively, and the locales stated above. I will not name them he never went back to Hell Below to start this all, but I will mention several who have study. influenced me in the 20 years since I started We also went to the El Malpais many caving. These important mentors are Brian times before the ElMaP (survey and Galbraith, Dan Montoya, Dave Milligan, Jeff documentation project for the El Malpais Forbes, Victor Polyak, Paula Provencio, Linda National Monument) started. Accompanying us Starr, Sharon Chong, and Warren (Doc) Lewis. on our many adventures out onto the lava looking for caves was Dave Milligan. The three of us and Harry Marinakis went to La Manchanita Cave (aka Candalaria Ice Cave) several times to

Grotto cavers at the entrance of Candalaria Ice Cave, on private land at El Malpais National Monument.

23 photograph the ice formations. Later, Brian led the grotto here for cave trips, and on one of these trips Dan Montoya drew a fabulous map of this cave and presented it to the landowner. We went often to Candelaria Ice Cave to monitor and document the ice formations. The Cooper-Ellis Cave in the Sandia Mountains was also documented by Brian and me. It was Brian who organized the grotto trip to the Pronoun Cave Complex for a ladder extraction from Whut Cave. Brian and I also did the first video monitoring of Torgac Cave. Dave Milligan, Brian and I organized a grotto Sandia Prep. students and chaperones on a trip to cleanup trip to Pankey’s Crater or also known as McKittrick Hill caves. Photo by Blake Jordan. Yo-Yo Pit near Santa Fe. Brian also worked in After a couple years, I suggested that Fort Stanton for a couple of years aiding his Dan rekindle the project. I became the inventory daughter Rose to collect water samples for person and we asked another grotto member to science fair-related studies. (Other grotto cavers, serve as back-sight instrument person. This including Diana Northup and Paula Provencio project started again with Sam Bono being the advised and helped Rose with this work.) We second instrument person. John Riley replaced also went to Lincoln Caverns in Fort Stanton Sam and Kevin Lorms added a turn once or Cave to continue work on some digs in the back, twice. Finally, Knutt Peterson filled the spot to as well as a photo-monitoring project. Grotto the end of the resurvey. Dan Montoya passed members joined Brian and me as we led caving away in 2011 due to a vehicle’s driver falling trips for Sandia Preparatory School’s outdoor asleep at the wheel on Tramway Road, striking program, including trips to McKittrick Hill, him on his bicycle. He died with multiple organ Alabaster and Fort Stanton caves. Since Brian failure at 54 years old. The entire grotto misses died in his sleep, he has been missed by all the massive impacts that Dan added to our members of the grotto. He was a great mentor grotto and regional efforts. and I miss going to the caves with him. One of thee seasoned cavers that I met at Another member of Sandia Grotto who Sandia Grotto meetings was Warren “Doc” impacted my caving was Dan Montoya. He Lewis. Am extremely knowledgeable person, he refined my skills and that of other members had studied the Great Saltpeter Cave. As he interested in mapping and surveying caves. Our aged and could no longer drive late at night to training was in Whut Cave in the Pronouns. Dan grotto meetings, I gave him a ride from his was a frequent participant at the GypKaP, home in a retirement community. Other grotto mainly sketching for the project. He was also cavers also filled in for this job as well. I was the main surveyor working with Victor Polyak the editor of the Third Source at the time and for the ElMaP. A select team of SG members was looking for songs and poetry to include in were led by Dan to Carlsbad Caverns to the newsletter. He let me borrow his cave ballad resurvey the F-Fissure in the New Section. The books so I could reprint from some of their first team consisted of Dan, his wife Deb contents. Doc passed away in his seasoned Rivera, Doug Warner and Jennie McDonough. years, but is remembered through the passing of Doug Warner moved to Bozeman, his incredible cave knowledge and access to his Montana and the project was put into hiatus. cave library.

24 I have also caved with Linda Starr at and the ElMaP. They led the El Malpais Project Fort Stanton Cave, the GypKaP, and the ElMaP. until recently, and passed the baton to me. She has been in the grotto for almost four Sharon Chong had been the dedicated grotto decades and still continues as an active treasurer for many years before I joined and she supporter of the grotto. Some of the original occupied this position for 10 years. Her love of people in the grotto are still around and active in caves and mushroom hunting led me to my caving; they are: John Corcoran, Lee Skinner, fondness for both of these activities as well. John McLean, Carol Hill, Alan Hill, Duke In the present day, the Sandia Grotto has McMullan, and Dave Jagnow. An immeasurable shown to be a major factor in the goals of the amount of survey and exploration was done by Southwestern Region of the NSS in the Robbie Babb. Jeff Forbes went out to the exploration, conservation, and documentation of Armendariz Ranch and studied the geology and New Mexico’s caves, karst and pseudo-karst. the karst there. Jeff also was an active The grotto celebrated its 50th anniversary four participant in the GypKaP as a surveyor and years ago with a banquet, attended by about 75 geologist. Victor Polyak and Paula Provencio past and current members. were participants of the GypKaP, Fort Stanton

A caver waits at the bottom

of the rope in Brewers Pit,

El Malpais National Monument. Photo by Blake Jordan.

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More on Sandia G rotto

By Linda Starr

Our Sandia Grotto (SG) meeting locations changed over the years between the ’86 SWR booklet and this one. In ’87, meetings were at Godfather’s Pizza. Many trip reports were given on Lechuguilla discoveries. The annual grotto auction proceeds went to NCRC- SWR for an equipment cache. Grotto members were also active with Big Manhole digging and GypKaP as these projects were started. At a Early Sandia Grotto trip to Cottonwood Cave. Bobby grotto-hosted regional in the El Malpais over Truckey, Tom Poynor, John Corcoran, John French, Katy Memorial Day weekend, it snowed! Bruce C assel‐Smith, John Hooker. Photo by Dick Meleski. Baker and Linda Starr were interviewed for an In the 1990s the grotto had a patch that article that appeared in the Albuquerque we referred to as the “Ken and Barbi” design, Journal, titled “Cave Crave.” In 1989, we had later modified to the inverse Zia symbol some of the first reconnaissance trips at the surrounded by our motto Sigue y Sigue (It goes Pronoun Cave Complex; one trip found a sign in and it goes) below, which is our current grotto Whut Cave: “Surveyed and Explored by NM patch. Lee Skinner led Sandia Mountain trips to Spelunking Asso.” A meeting presentation was a dig at Cueva del LeeRay – a small, blowing given by Rick Smart, NM Natural History cave that was enlarged but is probably filled in Museum Director, who had done some science again. The grotto demonstrated caving work in Whut Cave. This was the first year of techniques at an REI caving clinic, which never production of our new newsletter, titled “The merited any new caver interest. When the Soviet Third Source,” with Duke McMullan as editor. cavers (Ukrainians mostly) were traveling in Grotto members helped with the rescue of NM as part of a national tour, SG led a trip to Emily Mobley, who fell in Lechuguilla, forever Braided Cave in El Malpais (now a National known as Emily’s Spring Break. The Monument) and a party was held at Doug and Lechuguilla Precision Survey was led by former Glenda Rhodes’ Adobe Press, where the NSS grotto members Jim Hardy, Robbie Babb and News was then printed. In 1991, Third Source John Corcoran. Former grotto member Dave editors Bill Rook and Susan Walters were Jagnow gave U.S. Senate testimony against married at the foot of Goliath in Cottonwood commercialization of Lechuguilla Cave. Mike Cave in a candlelit ceremony attended by a Reid’s equipment store sold carbide for 80¢/lb. caver mob. Bill had also built a grotto The grotto also built and donated a gate at squeezebox, modeled after the Belski Box. We Lechuguilla Cave, including a sign with the Zia adopted the business card design by John symbol and referring to the Underland of Walker. Linda Starr and son Dylan placed in Enchantment.

26 their age groups for the 30-m rope climb at the Colorado, NSS Convention. The grotto took 1st NSS’s 50-year Anniversary convention in place and many members won additional Cobleskill, NY. During the cold, winter months, vertical awards individually. Several grotto grotto members X-country skied together on members had photo entries at the NM State Fair. numerous trips. By ’97 the grotto meetings moved to the UNM In the years ’92 to ’94, meetings were Law School, where our meetings remained for a held at the John Marshall Community Center. decade. SG began a $2,500 contract project at Sam Bono documented caver viewpoints about Petroglyph National Monument to map and the UFO sighting at GypKaP. In ’93, a Kids document lava tubes. The new Sigue y Sigue Caving Trip to Alabaster Cave was held for the logo was used in the Third Source, which next-generation of cavers. Arlin Pound and briefly became the S.G. Minimalist for two Sherry Ashberger entertained with their music months, edited by Esty McLane (Pape). Grotto repertoire skills during a regional at the dues increased in 1998 to $10, and Blake Jordan Pronouns. Whut and Which caves (Pronouns) took over as Third Source editor with an were listed as “significant caves” in compliance original art piece on each cover. Victor Polyak with the new Federal Caves Resource Protection and Paula Provencio published a report in Act. A summer party at the Galbraith residence Science, where Victor dated Carlsbad Caverns followed a grotto vertical clinic at Big Rock off to be 4,000,000 years old. Stephen Fleming won of South 14 (now NM 337). Jeff Forbes placed election to the NSS Board of Governors, adding 2nd at the NSS Convention vertical contest for another western voice (other than Dave Belski) 30 m knots. We hosted regionals at Fort Stanton for NSS decisions. Aaron Birenboim initiated and El Malpais. YoYo Pit was surveyed by Jeff the first grotto web page. A new grotto member Forbes and Deb Harrison in 1995. Bat houses from the East, John Ganter, surveyed Ladrone were built at Dick DesJardins’ home. (Riley) Cave. Rose Galbraith’s second Science Forbes/Harrison started a large project to Fair project (re E. coli bacteria found in Fort document caves on the Armendaris Ranch in the Stanton Cave pools) received regional awards. Fra Cristobal Range. On one trip in 1995, 11- In September, we celebrated the grotto’s 40th year-old Dylan Starr-Jenkinson provided Anniversary at the National Atomic Museum. guidance to novice cavers at the second entrance Dues increased once again in 1999 to $12 drop into Buckman’s Cave near Santa Fe. The (thankfully, they have remained so). Another SWR Winter Tech was held near the Tijeras caver wedding was held outside the entrance of Ranger Station at a YMCA camp, and SG Fort Stanton Cave for Paula and Victor. presented a one-act play written and directed by Pam Wadsworth, titled “Somewhere Over the Guano.” Women-only caving rituals were led by Lynn Lazelle, Cathy Dahms and Linda Starr at Alabaster Cave with a food feast, chanting, music, and prose/poetry readings in the “Altar Room.” Paula Provencio and Brian Galbraith began a mineral survey in 1996 at Fort Stanton Cave. On winter evenings, grotto vertical practices were held at the Starr casita with the rope going through a pulley attached to a ceiling beam. Grotto cavers decided to start preparing Sandia Grotto trip in May 2009 to Candelaria Ice Cave. for a 100-m rope climbing medley at the Salida, Photo by Carol Lucero.

27 The 2000 millenium was ushered in by a Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute small group climb of Cabezon Peak. The grotto through the City Parks and Recreation donated to the Fred Wefer (recently deceased Department, Outdoor Rec. Section for youths NSS President) Memorial Fund. Former 11-17 in 2005, Linda Starr and Rose Galbraith member, Jackie Burgess and husband Harry led a trip to Alabaster Cave. Rose and Linda founded Guadalupe Mountain Outfitters, also presented a program to the New Mexico providing regional members with caving, rescue Mountain Club. Grotto member Alan Blazek and outdoor equipment. Summer pool parties won an NSS award for the best internal were held at the O’Connell’s home. John Ganter organization web site two years in a row. Alan won NSS photo salon awards at convention and also designed a handsome banner in 2010 that Doc Lewis had an article in the NSS News, on the grotto is proud to display. bad air in caves. An NSS Board of Governors An effort to host an NSS Convention in meeting in 2001 was hosted by the grotto and 60 New Mexico for 2011 was presented as a bid at cavers attended the evening banquet. The grotto an NSS Board of Governors Meeting in Tucson, conferred its first Honorary Award to Lee AZ in 2007. After preliminary planning, visiting Skinner. This year, SG began a routine of facilities at NM Tech in Socorro, locating a support for budding cave scientists with a supportive rancher for a campground, attending student prize of a $100 savings bond for a meetings with SWR to gain their support, a project relating to caves and karst studies. The BOG vote was held at the NSS Convention in winning student presents their project to the Marengo, Indiana, where we went up against an membership at a grotto meeting. Paula and opposing bid for a convention in Colorado. The Victor discovered a new cave mineral, called vote was 8 for CO and 6 for NM – a close call. comet cone, in Fort Stanton Cave’s Bat Cave. We were asked to consider a future bid, which Women grotto members demonstrated vertical we processed through the SWR in 2009-’10, but caving techniques and spoke about caves and we failed to win broad regional support for the caving at the NM Museum of Natural History idea. and Science in the Atrium before showings of SG has been working with the Zia Tribal “Journey into Amazing Caves.” The grotto Government for permission to visit Alabaster produced a new, glossy color brochure for this Cave and surrounding pueblo territory. We occasion. Our first El Malpais Project (ElMaP) hosted a 2008 Labor Day regional at the Sandia trip was held in February, 2002. Peg Sorensen Ski Basin with opportunities for caving in the presented a “Project Underground” workshop Sandias. In September 2008, the grotto for teachers with grotto and regional members celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Several grotto present. Several members assisted with a rescue of a boy scout who had fallen in the Trophy Room at Fort Stanton. Our Sigue y Sigue logo had now become a vehicle bumper sticker. At the Priority Seven dig in Fort Stanton Cave, in September, 2003, former grotto member John McLean and others broke through into the passage dubbed “Snowy River.” Grotto members helped install a gate in the area. During this same year we conducted a clean-up of Sandia (Man) Cave. SG adopted this cave as an annual project for the local U.S. Forest Service district. Following a presentation to the

28 members attended pre- and post-convention celebrated. Shortly after this, we lost another field trips at the International Congress of prominent SWR and grotto caver, Dan Grottos meeting in Kerrville, Texas. The SG Montoya, to an accidental bike collision. Grotto probably hit a record attendance at the 2011 activities have diminished, partially due to Colorado NSS Convention in Glenwood WNS-related cave closures. We have recently Springs. explored the Lybrook Badlands pseudokarst During 2011 and 2012 so far, the grotto near Chaco Canyon, finding and surveying one meetings have been moved from one place to small cave, and hope to return annually. Finally, another, with the Law School location not the grotto is planning to host the 2012 fall panning out. SG hosted the Spring 2011 NSS weekend SWR gathering in the Zuni Mountains BOG meeting in Albuquerque, where the 20th near El Morro National Monument for ridge- Anniversary of Emily’s Spring Break was walking and recovery of lost cave sites.

White Sands G rotto

History – 1962 to 2011

By Carol Belski

White Sands Grotto was originally Lesser Guads Gimp Grotto (LGGG), chartered in 1962 at Holloman AFB with two Lechuguilla Cave, and the Big Manhole Project. districts: Holloman AFB and El Paso. It We have worked with the Forest Service remained active until 1978 with the HAFB on cave locations in several canyons of the address. (El Paso apparently broke off in 1963 Lincoln National Forest, with the Bureau of and stayed active until 1965, then was Land Management on gypsum cave locations, reinstalled and remained active until 1972. El conducted multiple cave mapping sessions, and Pasoans into Caving [EPIC] was chartered with have had a lot of fun together throughout the the NSS in 1979 until 1982). years. The White Sands Grotto was reactivated in 1992 with Alamogordo as the address, and reports to the NSS were generated through 1995. Somehow, the reports lapsed in the NSS We sincerely regret that records until 1999, though the members reports for Escabrosa, Guadalupe and remained active during this time. In 1999, the Sierra Blanca grottos were not address changed to Carlsbad and has remained included in this document. These there since. reports were never submitted. - Editor Activities have included project participation at GypKaP, Fort Stanton Cave,

29

Jeff Lory – Past SW R the 1993 Spring Regional. At the Memorial Day Chairman Weekend regional, the SWR looked for caves within a 300 ft buffer on either side of the In December of 1992, I was elected to be highway right-of-way through the Valley of Fires lava beds west of Carrizozo. Chairman of the Southwestern Region. The Region received the Conservation Award from I do recall my four-year term as Secretary- the NSS at the 1993 Convention in Pendleton, Treasurer for SWR to be one of the last times Oregon. That Fall, the Bureau of Land this office was combined. I believe Dave Belski Management, the National Park Service, and the succeeded me, but I highly recommended that Forest Service hosted the National Cave the office be split into separate duties when I Management Symposium in Carlsbad. The left the position. Shortly thereafter in the SWR helped attendees visit some of the caves at following year, after a By-Laws change, the McKittrick Hill, as well as participate in the office was split out and has remained so today. symposium. As for caving, I recall the Region helping to (Editor: Jeff was the only past chairman to map Palomas Creek Cave at Hermosa, NM, for submit a story for this publication.)

Letter from Current SW R Chairman, 2012

I find it ironic that my first introduction the map to that last one is still pending. to the Southwestern Region was right here at At a regional in Carlsbad about 10 years Fort Stanton, also the “birthplace” of the SWR ago, Donald Davis, noting that I was by far the itself. youngest in attendance, asked me an odd It was somewhere in the mid- to late- question: “As I look around the room, I can’t ’90s. I had not been caving long, but was help but wonder, what are you going to do when already hooked. So, naturally, when I was told we all die?” I chuckled to myself. Since then, I that I should go to the “Regional” at Fort have developed an answer. As cliché as it is, I Stanton Cave, my interest was elevated. I was find it no more true in any realm as I do in the assured that this cave was one of the biggest and world of caving. To Donald, I say, legends best around – a true great in the eyes of many a never die. caver. And it did prove to be true! I am fortunate to be the current chairman The cave is amazing, but what I found of an organization that is made up of so many even more astounding was the dedication, the pioneers and legends of something that I hold so camaraderie, and the friendships I would dear to me. Although Fort Stanton Cave drew discover from that weekend on. I would meet me to my first Regional, you have drawn me to people that I had only known from name: names each one since. that appeared on maps of some of the greatest Here’s to 50 years of caving in the caves in the world, names like “Stucklen Hall,” Southwest, and more importantly, 50 years of “Skinner’s Attic,” “Meador Pincher,” and friendship. “Belski’s 526,” to name a few. Oh, by the way, --Aaron J Stockton

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SW R/NSS

Projects

and

Historical

Anecdotes

Photos by Peter Jones

Clockwise fr. Top: Helictites in YO Acres; Glenn Malliet in Near East, Lechuguilla; Bell Canopy, Three Fingers; 24” tall helictites in the Chocolate High, Carlsbad Caverns; Goliath, Cottonwood; Cavernacle columns, Virgin Cave; Tom Meador by guano hopper in Lechuguilla’s entrance, taken in 1971; Rappelling into Gunsight Cave; Pearlsian Gulf area pearls, Lech.; Val Hildreth‐ Werker, White Xmas Tree Room, Lech.; Temple of Fiery Cave God, Three Fingers Cave. 3131 Big Manhole Dig

By Steve Peerman

The Big Manhole Cave digging project started in 1988 as a result of the breakthrough in 1986 at Lechuguilla Cave. (The actual, proper One chamber that we excavated was called the name is Manhole Cave, but to contrast it with Anxiety Chamber because it had several large Little Manhole Cave, people have used the breakdown boulders that seemed as if they adjective Big so much that it's almost always could fall at any moment. Eventually, we ended referred to that way.) After the initial explora- this dig in a room called Bridges' Bypass. We tion of Lechuguilla, Rick Bridges was looking had lost the air and there was no obvious way for other caves where a similar breakthrough to continue. might be possible. It was known that Big In about 1991, Bill, Jeff and I were Manhole Cave blew a lot air out through cracks sharing the management of the dig. We called in the breakdown, so he started a project there, Bill the Dig Foreman because of his con- with a permit from the Bureau of Land Man- struction experience. Jeff and I handled the agement given to the Lechuguilla Cave Project. management of the people including recruiting Jeff Lory got involved with the dig fairly and contacting them. Many SWR folks had been early on. The initial dig was high up on the helping us out with the dig, some coming back breakdown slope. The dig went about 10 feet repeatedly, following that air. However, losing into the breakdown and broke out into a large the air at Bridges’ Bypass and having to go room. Unfortunately, the room that they broke through the Anxiety Chamber was causing a lot into was the same room that they had started in. of people to back out. We decided to start a new The next effort was to dig down at the dig. Slim Baxter doused the edge of the clay bottom of the breakdown slope in the clay floor. floor and suggested a point pretty close to the Rick also asked Bill Yett, who at the time lived center of the south wall of the chamber. in Denver, to head up the dig effort, as he was a This dig went down much farther to the contractor with a lot of experience in digging flowstone floor and required wooden shoring. and shoring construction. A site was chosen on Bill Yett demonstrated how to assemble shoring the eastern side of the clay floor, and the clay panels and put them in place as we were digging was excavated about three feet down to the down. It ended up being around 10 feet down to flowstone covering the breakdown. Breaking the flowstone. When we got there, we followed through the flowstone was relatively difficult the flowstone surface down and under the edge but eventually an opening about two feet by one of the room and all the way to a wall recessed and one-half feet was made, and some of the about 15 feet farther, under the southern edge of breakdown underneath was excavated. This the chamber. At this point we turned right and opening captured almost all the air that had been followed the wall to the right, staying just under coming out through the various cracks in the the ceiling. This area was now clay-filled but upper breakdown slope. had once been air-filled passage because the About this time, in early 1989, I got wall was covered in flowstone and the ceiling involved. This dig ended up being called the had stalactites and soda straws. The dig came to “Breakdown Dig.” We followed the air down be called the “Clay Dig.” We continued digging through the breakdown. The route got further horizontally, looking for a break in the wall, all complicated, requiring more cavers to the time having air coming from the floor and/or maneuver buckets through the complex route. back wall in numerous places.

32 While we were doing this, we filled in going back into the breakdown pile this time! the breakdown dig by dumping the spoils from We didn't want to have another “Anxiety it back into the hole we had cut through the Chamber.” While we were conducting the flowstone until it filled up. Then, we covered Philbert dig, we spread the big piles of clay the hole with concrete. We also distributed the around the floor of the entrance chamber and remaining pieces of breakdown around the room raised the level of the entire clay floor about one so that there was no spoils pile left from the to two feet. breakdown dig. Meanwhile, the excavations As we continued digging, we found a from the clay dig accumulated into two large bone cache, i.e. a spot where there were a piles of clay. quantity of animal bones in the breakdown. We The clay dig was much more organized figured out a way to avoid disturbing the bone and technical than the breakdown dig. We used cache and went under it. Ultimately, we broke a windlass to move buckets on a track along the into a fissure passage that looked somewhat horizontal passage at the bottom. A haul line familiar. Once we dug into it, we realized that it was used to pull buckets up the vertical shaft. was the lower section of the breakdown dig. We Oftentimes the haul line was attached to a had connected to our old dig! “mule,” a caver whose sole task was to walk About this same time, the BLM decided away from the shaft pulling the rope with the to shut down the dig, while a paleontological bucket up the shaft. We had a number of defined inventory was done of the bones in the clay and tasks, such as scraping the buckets. Since we in the bone cache that we found. Dr. Art Harris were bringing up relatively moist clay, it tended of University of Texas, El Paso, along with to stick to the buckets, so the buckets had to be some graduate student, and other cavers, scraped out each time. We were making great collected a number of bones and wrote a report progress on the clay dig, sometimes as much as about what was found. 10 feet in a weekend. Eventually, it petered out The dig remained closed for a number of in some tight crawlways. Still, we had gone years until Memorial Day, 1999, when a new about 100 feet horizontally. dig was started by Jim Goodbar, again over at the eastern end of the clay floor. This time, we were going to follow an east-west joint that was apparent in the ceiling and walls of the entrance chamber. It ended up going down beside the breakdown dig. In fact, the concrete plug, which we had put into the flowstone opening of the breakdown dig, forms part of the edge of the current flowstone opening into this dig. We decided to try going left at the All of the earlier dig efforts were under a bottom, rather than right. This ended up back in permit by the Lechuguilla Cave Project (LCP). the breakdown. The dig was named the Philbert By the time of this new dig, the LCP was dig. Philbert was the name of a small stalagmite defunct, and the management of the dig was at the bottom of the dig shaft that got broken off theoretically controlled by BLM. However, it accidentally when a full bucket dumped its load. was more practically being done by various (At one regional, there was a famous trial about cavers – Stephen Fleming being the project who killed Phabulous Philbert, but that's a manager for a time, and then myself. This dig, whole 'nother story.) The Philbert Dig was which never did acquire a name any more promising. We seemed to have captured all the identifiable than the “current dig,” followed the air and we followed this air along the wall. No eastern wall down through the breakdown, then

33 turned and followed the south wall to the west. narrow cracks in the southern wall. At one point, we won permission from BLM to John McLean did some resistivity use power tools, and we started using a surveys in the area showing that there should be generator and hammer drills. This sped up our several significant voids to the south. However, progress significantly. digging to the south was not going to be easy. In due course, this dig connected to the There was no obvious route, and digging into same fissure that the Philbert dig had connected the bedrock wall would be slow going. to, though at the opposite end. On the other This is where I turned over management hand, it continued much lower. At one point, of the dig to Aaron Stockton. With all the work about 130 feet below the surface, we had the that has gone into Big Manhole Cave, it still feeling that we had found the “bottom,” i.e., we remains promising. Remember, “Breakthrough had found a bedrock floor underneath the is imminent!” breakdown. The air seemed to come from

Dry Cave Project 2005-2012

By Stan Allison & Aaron Stockton More importantly, how would Aaron Stockton and I find our way back to the entrance from the January 8, 2005. Passages went left, Chamber of the Vanishing Floor if right, up and down with no end in sight. Many something happened to our fearless leader Jim of the passages did not appear to have any walls. Goodbar? They were three- to four-foot-high, horizontal I had years of experience in the mega- voids following bedding planes into what mazes of Wind and Jewel Caves, but foot for seemed like infinity with only scattered bedrock foot, Dry Cave equaled them in complexity. columns to suffice as walls. How were we Even Jim, with years of experience in Dry Cave supposed to survey passages with no walls? was unsure of the proper route at some of the

Stan Allison in Skinner’s Attic. Photo by Gosia Allison-Kosior.

34 most confusing junctions. Fortunately, as this crazy, mazy cave. Approximately five overwhelmed as we were, we had no real clue miles of this survey has been in virgin cave as to the extensiveness of the cave. If we had, discovered since 2005. we might not have started surveying that day. The most significant discovery was Our project motto which began on that first made on January 15, 2006 by Aaron and day of survey was, “baby steps.” Even the most Jennifer Foote. After a long trip the previous complex cave is surveyed one shot at day, they decided to look at a blowing dig less a time. than 200 feet from the entrance. Aaron Dry Cave survey, cartography and managed to worm and dig his way through 40 documentation began in 1933, but it didn’t feet of what he called the Thinley Canal, to pop really take off until the 1960s and ’70s. By the up into the Azotea Rotunda. They were off and early 1980s survey, cartography and exploration running! Well, actually they were off and had ceased, except for a few minor hiccups of crawling, but it was all virgin. activity. In early 2005, Aaron and I submitted a Extensive walking passages, such as proposal to Jim Goodbar, National BLM Cave McKittrick Avenue, soon returned to belly and Karst Coordinator, to begin a total resurvey crawl mazes, such as Endellite Blues, and of Dry Cave. Our proposal involved completely hands-and-knees crawling mazes, such as resurveying the cave to modern standards, the Sock Monster Maze. This breakthrough, performing a resource inventory, and drafting a named the McKittrick Avenue Section, has map of the cave as we surveyed using Walls and resulted in over three miles of survey with many Illustrator software. small leads remaining. The McKittrick Avenue Section significantly extended the footprint of Dry Cave discovery. Dry Cave is a complex cave and extensive enough that we don’t expect to finish exploration and survey in our lifetimes. Many more miles of virgin and pre-explored cave await surveyors who are tolerant of surveying hot, crawly and complex maze passages.

Stan Allison, Gosia Allison‐Kosior, Aaron Stockton and Jennifer Foote. Survey at 10 miles, 9‐14‐07. Photo by Gosia Allison‐Kosior.

Since 2005, we have surveyed well over In the quest to see how long this little 11 miles of cave, making Dry Cave the fourth cave really is, hopefully, the survey notes, longest cave in New Mexico. I have drafted inventory notes, trip reports, photographs and over 11 miles of cave in iIllustrator. The maps that we are creating in this effort to process, called round-tripping, would adjust the document Dry Cave will aid the next generation cave map to the lineplot as it changed. Having of explorers. an up-to-date map of this incredibly complex We would like to thank the many cave made it possible for us to make sense of explorers and surveyors who worked in Dry

35 Cave prior to 2005. Their maps and documentation have greatly assisted us in our efforts. David McKenzie’s Walls soft- ware and technical support with the round- tripping process has made working on such a complex maze cave map much easier. The project would not have been possible without the permission and support of Jim Goodbar and the BLM. Also, we want to thank the following 57 people with sore knees and elbows who have contributed to the 2005- 2012 Dry Cave Project. Listed in order of survey length: Stan Allison-9.7 miles, Gosia Allison- An example of one of the six levels Kosior-3.9 miles, Aaron of Dry Cave, drafted by Stan Allison. Stockton -3.4 miles, Jennifer Foote-1.7 miles, Shawn Thomas-1.3 miles, Kelly Mathis-0.9 miles, Jon Mackey-0.7 miles, Brian Kendrick- 0.6 miles, Paul Burger-0.6 miles, Sarah Arpin- M. Smith, Chris Amidon, Kyle Rybacki, Haley 0.5 miles, Loren Reinhold-0.5 miles, Phyllis Woods, Dan Austin, Amber Nelson, Scott Boneau-0.5 miles, Jon Jasper, James Hunter, Sievertsen, John Waller, Dave Levy, Rich Jim Burke, Susan Herpin, Andy Armstrong, Bohman, Allen Wright, Ray Keeler, Bern Bonny Armstrong, Michael Rasbury, Ian Szukalski, Joerg Haussmann, Jason Walz, Art McMillan, Max Wisshak, Pat Cicero, David De Palmer, Peg Palmer, Michael Queen, Laura Roest, Christy Moerbe, David Kohuth, Joel Fritz, Kate Despain, Marcin Zielinski, Brandon Despain, Mouser Williams, Shannon Taylor, Mark Tracy, Lewis Land, Andy Eby, Kupersmith, Eddie Baker, Jos Burgers, Stephen Dave Gose, and Tom Miller.

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ElMaP: A Sandia G rotto Project to Study and Inventory Caves of El Malpais Natio nal

Monument and Conservation A rea, New Mexico

By Victor Polyak and Paula Provencio reviewed, modified, and signed every five years. Big Skylight Cave, El Malpais National Monument and One MOU was renewed in 2007, and Dan El Malpais National Conservation Area, established in 1988, Montoya helped co-manage the project. Monument. Photo encompass numerous young basaltic lava flows Recently, White-Nose Syndrome along by Linda Starr. of the Zuni-Bandera volcanic field on the with other issues, has postponed the ElMaP, and southeastern margin of the Colorado Plateau in all caves are closed on the Monument at this northwestern New Mexico, south of the city of time. Early 2011 was the last trip. Since then, Grants. Seven of these lava flows (Bandera, two meetings with Monument representatives Twin Craters-La Tetera, Hoya de Cibola, El have given the Sandia Grotto reassurance that Calderon, Cerro Encierro, Cerro Rendija, and the project will continue in mid- to late-2012 or McCartys) are relatively young (from 5,000 to by 2013. <200,000 years old). They exhibit well-defined Project trips are usually one-day field lava tube systems, with significant and trips about eight times a year. In nine years, the remarkable lava tube caves. Most of these caves Sandia Grotto has prepared and submitted more are within the jurisdiction of the Monument and than 50 “initial reports” (~50 caves) and ~50 Conservation Area, and some are open to the trip reports. These reports include a map of each public. Additional information can be obtained cave and a cave resource inventory along with from the Monument. photographic documentation. ElMaP (El Malpais Project) officially Most of the caves open to the public started in 2002 via a Memorandum of were worked on first. These caves include Big Understanding (MOU) between the Monument Skylight and Four Windows caves in the and Sandia Grotto; this MOU was to be Bandera flow, Braided Cave in the Hoya de Cibola flow, and Junction and Xenolith caves in the El Calderon flow. The project is about one-sixth finished. The longest cave in the Monument is just at one mile, and the deepest is around 30 meters. One of the tallest lava stalagmites in the country is located in the Monument, and a variety of ice speleothems are “re-created” each year. All of these caves contain precious geological, biological, and cultural resources.

Big Skylight Cave, El Malpais National Monument. Photo by Linda Starr.

37

F ort Stanton Cave Study Project – FSCSP

By Steve Peerman

The Fort Stanton Cave Study Project third-longest cave in the state and is notable (FSCSP) is a long-term and ongoing project because of the discovery in 2001 of the Snowy operating under a Volunteer Services River passage. This passage is floored with a Agreement with the Bureau of Land white calcite deposit regarded by many as the Management (BLM). The project sponsors longest continuous cave formation in the world three, nine-day expeditions yearly. It is the at 6+ miles, with no end in sight. policy of the FSCSP to be fully open to all In 2009, the area around Fort Stanton individuals interested in furthering the goals of Cave was designated as a National the project. The Fort Stanton Cave Study Project Conservation Area (NCA) with more than is a private, non-profit organization. 25,000 acres in order to protect this valuable In addition to exploration, survey and resource. The new NCA, managed by the mapping projects, some of the current activities Roswell Office of the BLM, is known as the include working closely with the BLM in Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National establishing up-to-date WNS bat protocols, Conservation Area with its centerpiece being working with bat biologists to monitor the bat Fort Stanton Cave and its associated karst population, supporting other scientists doing system. Our focus is continued documentation research in such areas as cave hydrology, and protection of this unique cave and karst microbiology, human impact monitoring, and system. The information that we gather assists paleoclimatology. Moreover, we are developing the BLM to better understand the cave and karst a photography- and survey-based computer resources, manage them, and protect the area. simulation/visualization of restricted access For additional information, including portions of the cave system. This program, future expeditions, please visit our web site at known as Caver Quest, uses an avatar to http://FSCSP.org/. If you wish to join us on one explore the accurately rendered passages. Other of our activities, please contact Steve Peerman, activities include digging projects, historical our Project Director, at documentation and surface geophysical studies. [email protected]. Fort Stanton Cave, an extensive limestone cave in central New Mexico, is the

38

Normal morning orientation session at GypKaP. Photo by Blake Jordan.

Gyp K aP – Gypsum K arst Project of New Mexico

By Blake N. Jordan

The Southwestern Region sponsors nothing was known of the subsurface features the New Mexico Gypsum Karst Project or resources of the region; the project has (GypKaP), an NSS Project to further the taken a leadership role in documenting New knowledge of the gypsum caves and karst Mexico gypsum karst. lands in New Mexico. This project is the There have been five project directors largest of its kind in the United States, and since the beginning. Dave Belski was Project has drawn cavers from as far away as New Director from 1987 to 1993. Steve Peerman Hampshire, Italy, and even the Ukraine to its followed from 1994 to 1997. After that Chris project weekends. and Joli Lee picked up the year of 1998. The GypKaP project began in 1987 Dave Belski became acting director from for the purpose of exploring, mapping, 1999 to 2000. John Ganter was the Project studying, and understanding one of the Leader for 2001. Blake Jordan is the current largest, least-explored and least-understood Project Director and he started in 2002 and karst regions in the United States. Most of the through 2012, taking the year of 2011 off. GypKaP study area is located on (under) There have been 98 Trips or Event Weekends private land in New Mexico, and land access since the start. I started with Trip #60 in 2002 entry to those caves is prohibited except and ended with Trip #98 in 2010. during specific (landowner-approved) project High-quality landowner relations are weekends. There are caves on Bureau of required when setting up trips or events for Land Management (BLM), state-owned and the GypKaP. Participants often need to cross private lands. private property to get to the caves. The Since the inception of the project on landowners lease the property from BLM or March 15-16, 1987, over 180,000 feet of the state to graze livestock. The area is cave survey has been completed and more speckled with state, BLM, and private land than 150 new caves discovered and added to and the landowners may become protective the New Mexico Cave Inventory. There have (if they are not notified in advance of trips or been three GypKaP project reports that have events by the Project Director). been published, including maps, narratives, Once a relationship has been geological, biological, and hydrological established, the Project Director makes sure studies. When the project began, virtually that all is well on the ranches so the cavers

39 can enjoy the area without much hassle. We and there is often mud and organic debris on are invited guests and must abide by routines the ceilings. The cave can be very muddy, that have been set up by prior Project but the surface is bone dry. So, extra caution Directors. is taken when the Project Director sets up the trip to watch for expected weather in the area over the weekend.

(L to R) Ira Sanders, Liz Galbraith, Rose Galbraith‐Sanders surveying in typical serpentine, muddy and crawl‐space‐high gypsum passage.

Out at the GypKaP, the caves are The Gypsum Karst Project has been mainly composed of gypsum rock strata and going on for 25 years with a couple pauses so sometimes combined or capped with that we might refresh ourselves from caving dolomite. The karst formations are unique to in the gypsum plains. These high, windy caves formed in gypsum. They include: Llano Estacado (tall grass prairie) plains serpentine passages, shields, domes, sewers, stretch from Vaughn (northern edge) to the small stalactites, gypsum flowers, popcorn, Texas border (southern extent) and from aragonite, and sometimes flowstone. Gypsum Corona (western side) to across the Pecos comes in many different colors including River (eastern rim). The gypsum plain black, brown, rust, white, gray, yellow, extends for several hundred square miles. orange and red. These colors are caused by There have been over 170 caves found and impurities that seep into the gypsum bedrock. most have been surveyed, but still many Frequently, we see “chicken wire” gypsum, more miles of unknown areas remain that which is a white bed with black cross will need ridgewalking. Some caves still have patterns that look like wire fencing used for survey remaining to be completed. Other housing chickens. Some caves have red caves need further exploration. bands in the gypsum, referred to as The GypKaP will continue to have bloodstone. Several caves have a solid black three to five weekend trips a year to layer of gypsum under or on top of white or ridgewalk, explore, survey and document chicken wire gypsum. Most of these caves do gypsum caves in this exciting and little not have any typical cave formations known part of New Mexico. (stalagmites) due to their solutional character. A few can be delightfully surprising. Each time it rains in the area, the caves have an extreme potential to flood all the way to the surface. It can get very muddy

40

High Guads Restoration Project – H G RP

By Jennifer Foote to 2002, and Jennifer Foote started to help The High Guads Restoration Project run the Project in 2002, taking it over in (HGRP) was founded in 1998 after SWR and 2005. We have worked with a rotating mix of ARA cavers worked out an agreement with USFS cave specialists including Ransom Region 3 of the Forest Service to replace the Turner, Aaron Stockton, Deanna Younger, fee demo proposal with volunteer work. and now Jason Walz. HGRP performs tasks such as cave Over the past thirteen years the restoration, trail maintenance, monitoring, Project has contributed over a half million science, survey, rescue pre-planning, and trip dollars of volunteer value. We have taught leader training in the Lincoln National Forest, restoration and conservation skills to Guadalupe Ranger District. numerous groups and individuals and helped Dave Jagnow ran the Project in 1999- keep world-class caves open to recreational 2000. Susan Herpin was in charge from 2000 caving.

Phyllis Boneau cleaning

rimstone formations in Virgin Cave. Photo by J. Foote.

41

Some Historica l Anecdotes

The Discovery – and Rediscover y –

Of Sentinel Caverns By Jim Evatt Photographs by Pete Lindsley all of Carlsbad. The Beginning – The Hesch-Pinson- Seth was intimately familiar with the McCollaum Expedition ridges and canyons; his grazing responsibilities often brought him to this steep southeast side of Of the 300 or so known caves in the Guadalupe Ridge on horseback. Never before Guadalupe Mountains of southeast New had he explored with an expeditionary force of th Mexico, few were as enigmatic in the 20 ten others, from tenderfoot mountain trekkers to century as Sentinel Caverns. On a summer seasoned outdoorsmen, trudging behind. Saturday in 1938, a pack trip traversed the ridge Armed with only a compass and the between Black and Gunsight canyons southeast indefatigable memories of Seth and Walter, the of Guadalupe Ridge. The trip’s intent was to team located the yawning chasm entrance that locate and explore a pit cave whose entrance afternoon, six miles from their starting point, had been described by local rancher Seth with only a minimum of searching. The McCollaum. Interest in such an expedition was expedition halted at the high rocky rim of a apparently motivated by a hoped-for cave near-circular surface pit some 50 feet across – discovery that would rival the now-famous just where Seth told them it would be. Carlsbad Cavern. The adventure-based Seth’s team was thunderstruck both by exploration write-up, along with several shorter the entrance drop and by the yawning black cave-related articles, was the lead story of the maw at bottom that promised an unexplored September 18, 1938, The New Mexico Sentinel, cave. The team tied a 450-foot length of 5/8- a weekly Santa Fe-based newspaper, which inch manila rope to a large rock and cautiously partially financed the trip. The article and lowered their camera gear, bedrolls, food, and accompanying photographs filled the water on a v-line configuration 150 feet to the newspaper’s first seven pages with stories and floor of the entrance. Then, even more photographs of New Mexico’s newest cautiously, they picked their way down the steep subterranean wonder. rocky slopes and outcroppings to the lower lip The designated group leader was Bill of the entrance, 50 feet above the floor. They Hesch, a photographer for The New Mexico tied off another length of manila rope and Sentinel. Seth was the driving force behind the lowered themselves into virgin cave. development of the discovery trip. He was ably The hale and hearty “spelunkers” pushed assisted by 66 year-old Walter Pinson, a fellow several passages and rooms that branched from rancher and a U.S. Forest Service district ranger. the Big Room. The passages were well- The other eight members were Wyatt Davis of decorated with formations of varying shapes and Santa Fe and N. R. Thomas, Louis Blackburn, sizes, albeit dry and inactive. Often they Elmer Helper, Carl Montgomery, Lloyd completely precluded view of walls, ceiling and Haskins, Gerald Akins, and Leland Underwood, floor. Cave shields were numerous and very

42 impressive, as was the lonely, curious Big hole. It seemed to speak, a silent image of Room “Sentinel” stalagmite cluster that may formless words from a giant mouth. It gave me a have contributed to their naming the cave strange feeling that it was trying to lure me “Sentinel Caverns.” back. I want to go.” One lead near the Sentinel formation But over the next 26 years Sentinel appeared more promising than any other Caverns saw no human visitation. passage: a tall, narrow passage branching from the floor in a generally southeastern direction – 26 Years Later – the 1964 G roundwork That toward Hermit Cave. The team carefully Led to the Rediscovery climbed along the right wall to a dark opening about 50 feet away near the ceiling, passing During the early 1960s, there were over cave popcorn most of the way. To their several ridgewalking trips on Gunsight Ridge. immense credit they left no visible signs of These trips meant to relocate Sentinel Caverns. where they had traversed. The efforts at solving the Sentinel mystery were The passage continued after the dark spearheaded by Tom Meador and Bob Willis in opening, sloping slightly downward and ending the fall of 1964. Tom apparently located a short distance later at the lip of a black pit. reference to the original New Mexico Sentinel They estimated the pit to be nearly 40 feet wide, article at Carlsbad Caverns and told Willis about with openings extending above, below and it. Bob then researched the article at the across, with no apparent way to enter any of University of New Mexico, and the chase began them. A small rock was dropped into the pit. It in earnest. “crashed, boomed, roared, and echoed,” but Members of the Sandia Grotto, the returned no definitive sound that it had hit the Guadalupe Grotto, and the Dallas-Fort Worth bottom. Grotto failed to find it on one extensive search Nonplussed, Seth and his team members trip a few days later. After that blister-inducing were bent upon attempting to plumb the hole. trek to nowhere, Ken McCollaum, now manager They devised a makeshift manila rope cradle, of the McCollaum Ranch in Dark Canyon, secured Seth into it, and lowered him over the suggested to Bob Willis that Bob should talk to edge into nothingness. A hundred feet below his great-uncle Seth McCollaum, still alive and Seth reported back that he was resting on a living in Tucumcari. Bob wasted no time and, small ledge and, despite a bright beam from his dragging me along to keep him awake, drove to five-cell flashlight, detected nothing but Tucumcari the following Tuesday evening. We blackness below him. He reported, “It jumps off talked until almost midnight. Seth’s memory from here straight to hell!” and told them to pull belied his late 80s age, and he described in him up. The cave would not be “bottomed” on glowing recall the exact cave location as if his this trip. trip had occurred the day before. We returned to Tired, disappointed, yet somehow Albuquerque in the wee hours of Wednesday enthralled, the team exited the cave after three morning, tails between our legs. Bob days of exploration and packed out to Seth’s immediately scheduled another trip to Gunsight ranch house. Ridge the following weekend, utilizing most of Hesch’s final comment regarding the the same team that had recently searched for the exploration, as published in the New Mexico lost cave. Sentinel article: “Climbing out the last time I Late on the appointed Friday evening, stopped halfway up the cliff face and with my Pete Lindsley, Lee Skinner and Larry Register rope in my elbow looking back at that yawning (Dallas-Fort Worth Grotto), Bill Riley and Andy

43 Komensky (Guadalupe Grotto of Carlsbad), challenge. The safest opportunity to enter lay in Katy Cassels-Smith, Mike Hooker, Bob Willis a steep, knife-edged, limestone fin that dropped and Jim Evatt (Sandia Grotto of toward the lower rim. Gloves on, we cautiously Albuquerque) met at the usual campsite worked our way down the fin, often passing at the base of Three Mile Hill for yet packs down, then descending. It took nearly an another tedious ridge tromping. hour to wend our way a mere 151 feet. We discussed plans for the next day over the campfire. The next morning, we ascended Guadalupe Ridg, parking as usual at Deer Camp, aka Hunter’s Camp, at the head of Gunsight Ridge. Loaded with enough gear to outfit an idle-rich African safari, we departed enmasse down the ridge toting caving, hiking, camping and vertical packs – and plenty of rope. As troops say entering battle, “Confidence is high.” After about a mile of ridge-walk- ing, we broke off the top of the main ridge onto a secondary ridge. The actual search began in the same section of cliffs that we had searched unsuccessfully the Pete Lindsley photographs his own shadow ‐ and the previous trip. The search group split up vertical entrance drop into Sentinel Caverns. and scoured the cliffs, peering over the edges and praying for no gusts of wind. Bob Willis led our team out from the top of the cliff, and, with his long legs and the nimbleness of a mountain goat, quickly outdistanced the rest of us. He arrived 100 yards further than any of us along the cliff- top, at yet another semi-circular drop and cautiously peered down. Then, wildly dancing and gesticulating, he screamed “Cave Ho!” After 26 years and several futile search trips, lost Sentinel Caverns had again been found. The group hastily reassembled beside Bob, and with appropriate trepidation, Andy Komensky, Katy Cassels ‐Smith, Bob Willis, and Mike stuck an eyeball out over the edge. Yup! Cave! Hooker preparing for descent.(Pete Lindsley photo.)

Finding the entrance proved to be only half of the problem. Negotiating a safe way A “European climbing rig,” consisting of down to the lower lip of the pit was another rope and cable ladders, was assembled and all

44 nine of us descended, heel and toe, several on a gear and promptly photographed everything in safety belay, nearly 50 feet to the entrance floor sight. The rest of us scattered into small and the black void that invited us. After passages, cracks and crevices, hoping for announcing that our trusty carbide lamps were blowing air. The largest hole in the wall, about functioning with nine discernable “Whoomp!” five feet wide and twenty feet high or more, was sounds, we entered Sentinel Caverns. too large to detect air movement in. Bob Willis and others stuck their snoots into it; the ceiling The Revisitation rose, the passage continued into blackness, and the floor disappeared. “Aha!” we cried. “This The entrance passage curved downward must be McCollaum’s Bottomless Pit.” to a partially decorated room. There was The pit was merely a dry rimstone pool evidence of bat visitation, but no current about five feet across and 15 feet deep. This was colonies were noticed on this trip. However, we not McCollaum’s Bottomless Pit after all. We did find evidence of the 1938 visit by Seth entered the room beyond the pit: a well- McCollaum and his 10 intrepid explorer friends. decorated chamber with a popcorn-coated floor, Several unfired antique Press-25 and Press-50 right wall, and formations. The floor sloped flashbulbs were retrieved, along with some steeply up and to the right, toward a dark hole rusting food cans and a surprisingly intact 1938 about 30 feet above and maybe 50 feet back. If copy of the New Mexico Sentinel newspaper. this was the way to McCollaum’s professed Andy Komensky put the newspaper in his pack entrance to hell, it was extremely well and later gave it to the Park Service at Carlsbad camouflaged. There were absolutely no marks Caverns for their files. Lee pulled a pad out of in the popcorn whatsoever to indicate that his pack and began sketching the cave. someone had trod here before. We chose not to Excitement reigned; no one thought initiate such a marked path, and we were not about the element of time until somebody prepared to do a long drop. Too, it was already commented that it was already after 2 o’clock in approaching dusk outside and most of us – the the afternoon. We sat down, pulled lunch from New Mexico contingent – were not prepared to our packs and refueled ourselves for the journey spend the night in the cave. We agreed that the ahead. It was to be the last meal for nearly a full popcorn climb and the real McCollaum’s day. Bottomless Pit would still be there another day, Below the entrance chamber was a and returned to the Big Room. tall opening between formation columns that afforded the best chance for deeper penetration. Through that stone gateway and another 100 feet of passage was a much larger room, the “Big Room” that had been described in the New Mexico Sentinel article 26 years earlier. The room was about 100 feet in diameter with a ceiling 50 ft or more, flat-floored, with a tiny pit in the center. Many going leads were visible in the well- decorated walls, and several large, impressive shields festooned the walls Larry Register photographs shields and other and floor area. Pete unloaded his bulky camera pretties in the Big Room. (Pete Lindsley photo.)

45 Lee was busily sketching after pushing a that are easier to find and enter. McCollaum’s few dead-end leads. What he didn’t personally Bottomless Pit, beyond the high popcorn- investigate he drew from the descriptions of encrusted lead, has been dropped 250 feet to its others. Someone remarked that the way back to floor, yielding a bat colony but little additional the ridge top would be much easier with some passage. light. Begrudgingly, after no more than two After several arduous bolting weekends, hours in the rediscovered wonder – a lot less the passage beyond the pit was entered. It than the three days that Seth and his friends had proved to be another disappointment. Attempts spent there – we headed out. We vowed to heed have been made to bolt a route up the pit’s Bill Hesch’s parting words, to return soon to the dome, but it appeared to pinch out above, and cave and the siren that beckoned us, too, back. the project has been abandoned. Reportedly, a smoke test was performed many years ago in Sentinel to test whether a connection could be made to the main room’s high lead in Hermit Cave. It isn’t clear whether it was successful or not, as the rumor mill has reported both possible outcomes. Who performed the test, if in fact it was performed at all, is still a mystery. This recollection of the rediscovery trip, and the events that led to it, draws a lot from 47- year old memories. The event was not well- documented at the time. A brief article by Mike Hooker, that appeared in the Southwestern

Cavers newsletter shortly after the trip, was the only written document found. The writer Lee Skinner admires a bell canopy in Sentinel. (Pete Lindsley photo) gratefully acknowledges the input and corrections made by Pete Lindsley, Lee Skinner, We didn’t make it to camp until nearly and Andy Komensky. midnight, but we slept well those few remaining Sentinel remains one of the most hours. mysterious caves of the Guadalupes: hard to The next morning, we left a message at find, harder to get to, and harder yet to plumb its Ken’s ranch that we had finally relocated his depths. Yet, it has earned its place in Southwest great-uncle’s cave, and headed back to our cave lore as both a legend and a success story, respective cities. On Monday, Bob called Seth starting in 1938 with a curious itch for discovery McCollaum and thanked him, explaining our and exploration begun by a hardscrabble rancher trials and tribulations of the eventful Saturday. named Seth McCollaum. Our collective hat is off to you Seth – you embody the now infamous Epilogue phrase of the late Tom Zannes; may “The Spirit Several trips have been made to Sentinel of Exploration” never die. Caverns since then, yet it remains less-visited and more pristine than many of the frequently- Text © 2012 by Jim Evatt trod, often-vandalized caves of the Guadalupes Photos © Pete Lindsley

46 100 ft long and strong airflow often blew out Lincoln Caverns our carbide lamps. Numerous, small air pockets had been encountered as the burrow continued By Lee H. Skinner following strong airflow. Robbie broke into the seventh air pocket, a rather large one with white When I first visited Fort Stanton Cave in gypsum and flowstone; he named it the Snow 1961, the cave already had over five miles of White Seventh Dwarf Room. known passageways. The largest rooms were in We already had a name for the new area the farthest reaches of the cave in an area just beyond our eventual breakthrough: Lincoln known as The New Section, which had been Caverns. References to the soon-to-be- discovered in 1956. The cave was heading into discovered Lincoln Caverns were mentioned in the heart of a large ridge between the Rio the March 1965 issue of Southwestern Cavers Bonito and the Rio Ruidoso. A high part of this by Dwight Deal ("Lee and the rest of the Fort ridge overlooked the town of Lincoln. As the Stanton-philes will probably push through and topographic maps showed no name for this end up discovering Lincoln Caverns.") and in ridge, I started calling it Lincoln Ridge, and had the September 1965 issue by Don Harper visions of much larger cave under it, like the ("...this refers to the not-yet-discovered Lincoln large ridges of the Mammoth Cave National Caverns."), although Don Harper expected Park in Kentucky. If only we could find this Lincoln Caverns to be discovered beyond larger cave! I had been a seasonal tour leader at Russell's Crawl. Mammoth Cave in 1960, and Fort Stanton Cave reminded me a lot of the long passages in New Digs Mammoth Cave. On one digging trip with me in 1963, Cold, Blowing Air Donald Davis was digging in the Burrow, and a large rock from the roof fell on him, pinning On a trip into the cave in 1962, I was him in place. Doug Rhodes helped to rescue resting and eating lunch at the end of Gypsum him. Donald was a bit uneasy about digging Passage in the New Section. Gypsum Passage after that incident, but he noticed air coming has some especially nice but small gypsum from the upper right side of Gypsum Passage, flowers. I was sitting on a mixture of mud and where it encountered the terminal breakdown. loose gravel on the left side of the passage next Not wanting to go back again into the Burrow, to the terminus. Gradually, I became aware that Donald started a second dig. On August 4, 1963, my buttocks were getting quite cold compared as he dug upward into a chimney, he was careful to the rest of my body. Placing my hands down to avoid all of the falling debris as he shook and on the floor, where I had been sitting, I felt a twisted a metal pole in the direction that the air current of cold air escaping from the gravel was coming from. rubble. I then started my first dig in Fort Stanton Suddenly, I heard a loud noise from Cave – a dig that would consume seven years falling rock raining down on Donald's helmet. and over 100 digging trips by various cavers. Donald and I then gazed upward into a large I was the leader on many of these digs room. Almost ellipsoidal in shape, it lay above through 1966. A young caver, Robbie Babb, the breakdown that Robbie and I were skirting was also drawn to the dig, and he led many trips below. We named it the Davis Chamber. In the there. The dig had become a long tunnel following months, several attempts were made alongside the breakdown, and it had been given to dig downward at the far end of the chamber. the name Babb's Burrow. It was already over However, the rock was cemented with

47 travertine, and little progress was made. The Shortly thereafter, Dennis pulled himself Burrow then seemed the best way to continue. up onto the floor of an immense walking I moved to Dallas to work for Texas passage. Elbert Bassham, Chuck Ridpath and I Instruments in 1964, but I continued making a soon followed. This was a thrill that ended lot of trips to Fort Stanton to help with the digs. seven years of hard work by many cavers. We I recruited Pete Lindsley, Norman Robertson, were standing in Lincoln Caverns. The lights David Ince and Jim Goodbar to help. (Jim was from our carbide lamps were the first photons to only 14, but he was an enthusiastic caver with touch these walls. parents who were also cavers.) In 1965, Pete detected airflow in the large breakdown at the end of Sand Passage. Not far from Gypsum Passage, which probably headed into the same general direction, this was another dig requiring movement up through large boulders. We resorted to dynamite to loosen keystones supporting some of the large Lee Skinner boulders, and found a pocket in the breakdown at columns called the Lindsley Chamber. in Lincoln Caverns. Key Cavers Move A round Photographer unknown

Robbie continued the Burrow dig when I moved to Minnesota in 1967 to work for Control Data Corporation. The dig was now turning difficult as much calcite cemented the rocks together. The plastic buckets had to be hauled out and back over a long distance. A few minutes later, we entered an As Robbie was leaving for a job in enormous room. It had a breakdown floor and a Washington state in 1968, I managed to get a high sculptured dome. Later, we named it transfer back to the southwest. I then resumed Chuck's Dome, as we labeled each feature of leading the dig trips. On Memorial Day our new findings for a member in the discovery weekend, 1969, a marathon of weekends led to party. As I stood in awe looking around the further work at Babb's Burrow. Starting from room, Elbert Bassham continued across the that first weekend, we dug in the Burrow every room. He descended into another smaller Friday and Saturday for eight hours each day, passage which we named Elbert's Alley. Finally, and the trip to the dig was over two hours from he reached a point where he would have to the entrance. As we diligently followed the break some stalactites to continue. To this day, airflow, the Burrow eventually turned upward. cavers have not gone beyond this partial formation blockage of the passage.

Breakthrough and Discoveries "Was this it?" I thought. Toward the left side of the room, there On August 9, 1969, Dennis Engle was was a slight rise in the floor. Hoping that digging through a slanting crack against the left something would be over here to explore, I wall. I was behind him. Suddenly, Dennis walked over the small pile of breakdown to exclaimed, "It's looking good. I think we may discover below me a large passage at the bottom break through." of a sandy slope. The slope dropped into a tall,

48 narrow passage termed Skinner's Pass. Now, we he found near Engle's Hill. Soon, he arrived in a were walking level in a tremendous passage wide room with stalactites on the ceiling with with 50-ft- high flowstone walls. We later coloring that alternated between light and dark designated this as Snake River, due to the way it circular stripes. This room became known as the twisted. A high lead on the right wall was Tiger Tail Room. climbed with a scaling mast a year or so later, but the lead did not go. Protection As the discoverers felt that we needed to protect our find until a gate was built for protection, no reports were published about the discovery in the caving newsletters. We disguised the entrance to Babb's Burrow with sheet-metal, and then covered that with gravel and dirt. A protective gate was eventually installed. To this day, special permits have been required to visit Lincoln Caverns. In 1976, Doug Rhodes, Linda Rhodes (Starr) and Cal Welbourn worked with the Roswell District of the Bureau of Land Management to study the feasibility of leasing Aragonite trees, 1969. Photographer unknown. the Lincoln Caverns section of Fort Stanton Cave to the National Speleological Society for Soon, we came to aragonite trees along management as an NSS Cave Preserve. the left wall. In the middle of the floor, there However, no agreement was ever reached. were three beautiful aragonite trees with straight "trunks" sprouting from a flowstone mound, covered with delicate branches. The largest one was about one foot high and 10 inches wide. Nothing like this had been observed in Fort Stanton Cave before. Sadly, these aragonite trees mysteriously disappeared sometime in the Sometime near 1980s. 2008, cavers As we continued, the passage dropped a observe Lincoln little and widened into substantial virgin Caverns borehole. We passed through areas filled with passage. velvet crusted flowstone, stalactites, stalagmites Unknown and columns, more beautiful than any other photographer. areas in Fort Stanton Cave. After about one-half mile, we reached a sizeable terminal breakdown, which we called Engle's Hill. When we left the cave that evening, we Postscript drove to Lincoln and called Don Sawyer at 2:00 The discovery of Lincoln Caverns has a.m. to report the achievement. Then, I called never been previously published in Donald Davis. Southwestern Cavers or Rocky Mountain We returned the following weekend. Caving because the discoverers were intent on Elbert Bassham pushed a small crawlway that secrecy as a management tool.

49 members, and then prussik climbing from a 30- Following Jim White’s ft tree on 3/8-inch manila loops and a 3/8-inch Footsteps Swiss seat. We also secured permission to borrow the grotto’s 87 feet of steel cable By Pete Lindsley ladders. Around Thanksgiving, 1961, we left Shortly after joining the NSS and the Bert’s house in Duncanville and headed for Dallas Fort Worth Grotto in 1960, several of us Carlsbad. As the youngest, Bob and I drew the were busy looking for caves. In 1961, we short straw most of the time for the third and discovered a plainly marked area on the fourth position on top of the gear packed in the Carlsbad Caverns, West USGS quadrangle in rather small Scout. the Guadalupe Mountains called “2000 Foot Cave.” We checked with the cavers in the Abilene Grotto and found out that location was only a shelter cave, and it most certainly was not 2000 feet deep. However, we also found out that Jim White likely found a nearby cave and was rumored to have been lowered into a deep cave with a similar name. Some of the other new DFWG members in the early ’60s included Katherine Goodbar, Bert (Gerald) Olsen, Larry Register and Roy Carpenter. Roy wasn’t much of a caver, but he (L‐R) Bob & Roy Carpenter, Bert Olsen at XT Ranch was an avid amateur archeologist and could spot entrance. Photo by P. Lindsley. an arrowhead from 30 feet away. Carpenter had some distant relatives that lived on the XT At sunup the next morning, we arrived at Ranch, heading towards El Paso just off the the XT Ranch gate and headed in to find Roy’s highway south of White City. He contacted relative, who was either the owner or the leasing them and found out that yes, they knew of a rancher in the flat lands below the Guads on the “deep hole.” It could be reached via ranch east side. We drove to the ranch house, talked access and a long hike up the hill to the top of about 30 minutes to our contact, drove another the Guadalupes, off the Ussery Trail, 15 minutes to the end of a faint road and started approximately two miles from the map’s hiking towards the bottom of the Ussery Trail. marked location. Bert and I had been worried about “the old In the fall of 1961, Roy Carpenter, Bert man,” but we soon found that we could not Olsen (both now deceased) and I decided to begin to keep up with him (even loading him look for Jim White’s 2000 Foot Cave. I was a down with the cable ladders), while the two of poor college student, Bert worked for the phone us cavers took turns with the 400 ft rope. company, and Roy was retired. Roy had an old At the bottom of the mountain, we red and white International Scout that would decided to cut the rope in half and continue with make the trip. Roy’s son Bob also came along 200 feet. Although the Ussery Trail was not for the hike. Bert and I decided to get ready to often used and hard to follow at times, it was descend a shaft and agreed to split the cost of a easier than just taking off up the mountain. 400-ft length of manila rope that we bought Once on the top of the hill, the trail headed west. from Sears. We practiced rappelling off Turner “Buck Knob” was just to our right. Following Falls in nearby Oklahoma with other grotto instructions, we looked for a vertical entrance.

50 a wide ledge below. This second stake, driven into the Capitan limestone, was tied to what we believed to be the top of Jim White’s wire ladder. Bert went down the 87 feet of cable ladders on belay from the ledge. He decided that the Jim White ladder next to our cable ladder was too risky and didn't touch it. At the bottom of the cable ladder, and almost out of belay rope, he looked almost straight down the rest of the drop to the floor. He could see some pebbles on the floor, but, of course, could not go further without climbing on the Jim White ladder. Bert estimated that it was about another 40 to 50 feet

to the floor. By this time, it was getting late. All (L‐R) Bob & Roy Carpenter, Bert Olsen at the bottom four of us hiked back to camp at the vehicle that of the Ussery Trail. Photo by P. Lindsley. night.

A carefully tossed rock down one possible hole seemed to drop over 100 feet. Another rock followed, and when we heard a distant “boom” after seconds of silence we knew we were in the right place. (The rancher also told us he had found a blowing hole in the canyon below Deep Hole. Later on another trip, we looked but never found that spot.) Heading into the cave, we saw that it opened up and dropped sharply down. We ventured down the slope following a steel cable tied to the wall and found an upper tie-off point in line with the yawning shaft. Securing the half-inch manila

to an iron stake at the top, we Bert Olsen at the bottom of the drop. Photo by carefully made P. Lindsley. our way down the giant funnel. We The next day, Roy and Bob went hiking looped the three elsewhere. Bert and I hiked back up to the cave, cable ladders over this time planning to re-rig the 200 feet of rope a second iron to the lower iron stake and rappel down to one stake driven into side of the wire ladder. We tied off the rope to the same iron stake to which the cable ladders Roy Carpenter on were secured. As Bert claimed the ticket to the ledge below the continue his journey of the previous day, he entrance of Deep reminded me it was only another 40 to 50 feet to Hole. Photo by P. the bottom. Over the edge he went, slowly Lindsley. rappelling as he passed the bottom of our cable

51 ladder. About 40 feet later he paused, and I yelled, “What’s down there?” He replied, “The floor isn’t any closer, and those pebbles seen yesterday now look like boulders!” Neither one of us had practiced changing over to prussik loops while on rappel. Fortun- ately, he had a few feet of rope on the bottom and made landfall before the rope ran out. Back home at Bert’s house, we unload the gear. Photo “OK, come on down,” he yelled, with a by P. Lindsley. giant echo almost obscuring the words as they came out of his mouth.

Bottom of the Jim White ladder. Photo by P. Lindsley.

The room seemed immense to us, much larger

than the previously visited Texas and Old chimney at Queen, NM, on return trip. Photo by P. Oklahoma caves. Lindsley. We landed on an enormous pile of The return trip was a few months later rocks that had fallen or had been thrown in over over the 1962 Easter holiday. This time we the years. No doubt there were deer, goat, elk or planned to drive in from Queen, on the other bear bones under some of this pile. With my side of Guadalupe Ridge. Bert had a new, green carbide light cranked up to a two-inch flame, I and white Scout. Roy Carpenter, Brooks could barely see the perimeter of the room, Snyder from Fort Worth and I went on the which widened out after passing the constriction return trip to Deep Hole. near the bottom of our cable ladders 100 ft above. We took a few pictures of some large formations and totem stalagmites and did a quick walk around the huge room. While I took a couple of final photos, Bert headed up the half-inch manila rope beside the wire ladder, composed of sotol sticks and three strands of twisted, smooth, paired fence wire. Our time was up. We pulled our rope and ladders out of the cave and headed back to camp, picking up the other 200 feet of rope on the way. The stories around the campfire that night of Deep Roy Carpenter on Ussery Trail near Deep Hole. Double Hole were somewhat exaggerated. Cave is visible across the canyon. Photo by P. Lindsley.

52 Again, we planned to rig our half-inch slightly better lighting than a few months manila besides Jim White’s ladder. On the trip before. This time I had a roll of the new, faster out Roy announced that he had a light and a Kodachrome II film plus seven Press #50 bulbs, helmet and was definitely going into the cave which were the size of a 100-watt light bulb. with us after carefully considering our The cave had some fine totems. We looked for a description of the questionable ladder. Roy was possible passage that might lead to the rumored our senior by 30+ years and there was no blowhole in the canyon outside. Satisfied that stopping his intentions. We set the three cable there were no obvious leads, our intrepid group ladders the same as before against the sharply did a final trek around the room at the bottom of sloping wall, ending about 100 feet above the the breakdown. While I took a few last pictures, floor below. Bert rappelled down about 10 feet Bert prusiked up the half-inch manila, and then into the free fall beside the Jim White ladder. he belayed Roy back up the old ladder. I think Again, he went slowly, checking out the rungs one or two sticks cracked on the way up, but (some were missing) and said it was okay for Roy did well. As they climbed back up the Roy to climb down. Bert landed at the bottom slope, a few pebbles were accidentally kicked about 187 feet below the second iron stake in loose. We ran for cover under the overhang as the ledge. Then, I belayed Carpenter as he their whistling announced “incoming!” I soon climbed slowly down our cable ladder before followed Brooks up the 200-ft rope, and we changing over to the Jim White ladder without made it to camp before nightfall. problems. Finally, Brooks and I rappelled down After the Deep Cave adventure, I made to join the other two. mention of the cave trip in the Texas Caver. Within a couple weeks, I got a letter from Bob Crisman, a ranger at Carlsbad Caverns and also a caver, claiming the cave was on National Park Service property and that I did not have permission to enter. So I quickly sent a letter of explanation (that the rancher at the bottom said it was on his land, and he gave us permission), and also apologized. I added that I would not go back to the cave without permission. But that was not my last trip to Deep Hole.

P.S. Roy Carpenter I would like to dedicate this story to and totems two of my caving friends who are no longer at bottom. Photo by P. exploring caves with us in this life: Bert Olsen Lindsley and Roy Carpenter. We had a great time together caving in the Guadalupe Mountains,

especially during those Golden Years of the By the time we made it down, Bert and 1960s. Roy had started looking at the formations with

53

Still T racking Jim White

By Pete Lindsley We next branched out and surveyed (re- surveyed) much of the rest of Carlsbad, Three years after the Deep Hole skillfully tying to a precision theodolite and adventure, I had been bitten by the “Guadalupe level survey already started by Tom Rohrer. Cave Bug” and continued trips to the high Although we heard stories of Jim White ladders Guads looking for more caves. By the mid-’60s, in other caves, we were content to survey it was no surprise that when Dallas and passage in Carlsbad. Quickly, we learned that Albuquerque cavers got a chance to get our feet this project was bigger than the drafting in the door to survey in Carlsbad Cavern, we machine/slide rule project that some of us were jumped at the opportunity. involved with at Powell's Cave, Texas. We Bob Willis and John Corcoran from enlisted the Albuquerque cavers that were Albuquerque joined George Yeary and me at taking a computer class, which had access to an Carlsbad Cavern with the survey assignment of IBM-360. Robbie Babb, John Corcoran and Jim the Lower Stream Passage, off the side of the Hardy wrote a Fortran code as a class lab Lunch Room, in support of John Thrailkill’s project, and CAVE1 was used to process all the geology thesis project. On that first trip, the four Carlsbad data for the next several years. cavers had four rangers watching us closely, Corcoran and Hardy later added the THEOD before they decided that we knew what we were routines and a sophisticated loop-closure doing and would take good care of the cave. analysis to process Rohrer's precision theodolite Carlsbad was the home of the famous Jim and level survey data. White, and I mentioned the previous trip to Next, we decided to upgrade our own Deep Hole. We found out that the Carlsbad surveying techniques and used tripod-mounted records called the shaft Deep Cave, but I found Bruntons with light and instrument heights. We no recent record of exploration. designed a new survey book to take additional After checking with George Bilbrey and data and improve our sketching methods at the other participants on the CRF trips into caves in same time. All benefited from Babbs’, Hardy's Mammoth Cave National Park, we knew what and Corcoran's attention to program details and would be required for proper permission and methods of closing both precision surveys and documentation for a National Park Service cave the less accurate Brunton surveys. Then on one project. We formed the Guadalupe Cave Survey of the GCS trips, we had so many cavers that we (GCS) and continued to survey in Carlsbad, decided to take another look at Deep Cave, and with emphasis on the Mystery Room. Bob survey it. Crisman was gone by that time and Phil Van The GCS survey crew was able to drive Cleave, our Chief Park Naturalist contact, liked around through Queen, up Three-Mile Hill, and what we were doing, and we enlisted additional partway out the Ussery Trail, just as we had surveyors. done on our second trip in 1962. This time, A trip or two later, Gary Matlock, a everyone was far more qualified for the vertical ranger at the Park, dug through a tight crawl work than on the first trips, and we made short (Matlock’s Pinch) and discovered the Sand work of the survey of the cave that day. The Jim Passage on the 400-ft level. A couple weekends White ladder was not in safe condition and we later, we returned to the cave and approximately didn't touch it. I'll always remember the sound 16 of us saw about half of the New Section. We of small stones kicked down by cavers above, as made plans to survey it all and tried to do so rocks came whizzing down that shaft. When we over the next several years.

54 heard the rocks coming – often before the call "ROCK!" – we ran like mad toward the wall so no one would get smacked with one. I always wondered if Jim White made it into Ogle Cave, halfway between Deep Cave and Carlsbad Cavern. In the late ’60s, we made several trips into the Slaughter Canyon caves, and we found that there was a very short wire ladder of the same style in Helen’s Cave, just below Ogle Cave. On one trip, we had driven Bob Willis gets into Slaughter Canyon and camped below on the ready for Rainbow canyon floor. People in camp included Lee Cave. Photo by P. Skinner, John Corcoran, Tom Meador and Bob Lindsley. Willis. Several of us decided to see if we could find Rainbow Cave, rumored to be in the big The next morning. most had to go home, blade of Capitan limestone some distance and Tom Meador said he was obviously too big toward the canyon mouth from Ogle (at which to fit down the tiny crack and would stay in time none of us had yet entered). We soon camp or go hiking that day. Bob Willis said he reached the entrance of Rainbow and began a would return and help check out the lead. Off survey leading down into the big room formed we went, this time better prepared with some between two parallel joints. At the end, there 7/16-inch Goldline rope. We climbed back up was an obvious lead up the wall. Gary Davis the wall to the slightly blowing lead, tied off the was the first person up the wall, and he rigged it rope and down I went, inches at a time because for the others. As John Corcoran recalls, after the fissure was coated with a sharp layer of cave several others tried and backed off the overhung coral, ripping shirts and drawing blood. wall, Gary did a solo layback, while the rest of Although it smelled like bats, I didn’t see a us were still surveying in the main cave. Then single bat in the fissure. Finally dropping out of we heard him screaming, “I did it!” the ceiling into a very large room, I landed on We found a tight fissure blowing foul the floor and let out a big “whoop” that echoed air, and dropped rocks echoed a long time. for seconds. Willis called down, “Is it virgin?” There was bound to be a large room just below “Yes!” I shouted back up as Bob started through the narrow, but virgin fissure. Alas, we down. And then, “Oh, no!” had no more rope. “What’s the matter?” called Bob. “It’s not virgin. I just found a signature.” Bob landed and spotted a wonderful Indian Head in eagle feathers drawn on the wall. It was obviously a large bat cave and we soon found evidence of guano mining. The large passage headed off into the blackness, almost exactly the same size as the entrance room of Rainbow Cave where we had just entered. There was a rusty overhead cable where guano miners installed a platform hanging from a pulley they used to haul out the guano. We found an

Tom Meador and Lee Skinner reading The Speleologist enamel-coated tin cup on a stalagmite collecting magazine, photo by P. Lindsley water from the drip far above, but we couldn’t

55 take a drink because it was cemented with good example of the ladder may be found today calcite to the stalagmite. Finally, we arrived at in front of the National Cave and Karst the bottom of a drop, which was about the same Research Institute (NCKRI) building in as in Deep Cave. But no Jim White ladder to Carlsbad, which features a bronze of Jim White allow us to climb back out into the sunlight. So, and his famous ladders. back we went to camp, where Lee suggested we name this new cave system: Rainbogle. P.S. Now the question is, “Did Jim White get I would like to dedicate this story to down the entrance of Ogle Cave?” some of my caving friends who are no longer In my opinion I think he did, probably exploring caves with us in this life: Robbie on a fence wire ladder just like the ladder that Babb, Bob Willis and Tom Meador. We had a we found in Deep Cave. I did not find his great time together caving in the Guadalupes, signature on the wall with many others, who especially during those Golden Years of were probably guano miners. But I’ll leave the the 1960s. answer to this question to future historians. A

Discovery of Nudnick and Andy’s Caves

How Bad Directions, Summer Heat and a Deer Carcass Led to the Discovery of Nudnik and Andy’s Cave

By Peter Jones

During the summer of 1969, my caving considered it to be our ultimate challenge to find partner Alan Malkiel and I spent a month and explore this beautiful cave that we had cutting our teeth on caving in the Guads. We heard so much about. Andy Komensky, who had made only one previous trip during the was our local contact and proprietor of spring of that same year and we were now Komensky’s Kaver Wayside on Pratt Street in determined to find every known cave and more Carlsbad, gave us a set of directions on where to that summer month. At the time, we had to find Three Fingers and various things to watch leave our vehicle at the bottom of Three Mile out for (the amphitheater-like curve, the three Hill and hike everywhere from our base camp finger rock structure) as markers that we were halfway between the Lookout Tower and Texas getting close to it. He also provided us with two Camp. We had to depend on the occasional maps: one, a hand-sketched version; the other, a passerby (and there were very few that hot July) dot on the topo map we carried with us to either give us a ride to a caving area or give everywhere. us their spare drinking water as they left. It On the day that we left our base camp on made us pretty tough, at least in our own minds, foot, we carried all our caving gear, sleeping if nothing else. bags, food and water on our backs and made the When we first arrived on the caving two mile hike out beyond Ussery Trail, sure that scene that year, Three Fingers was the newest we would find Three Fingers with no problem. and best cave discovery at the time. We How could we possibly fail? After all, we had

56 Katy Cassels and guidelines. What we found by going down this Sandy Renstrom spur was an interesting geologic formation: a (Deal), Three notch in the ridge, much like the one at the end Fingers Entrance, of White Mule Ridge. It appeared as though a ca. 1968. Photo courtesy of bulldozer had cut a squared-off gouge directly Andy Komensky. through the ridge line, perpendicular to its main trend. This cut seemed to line up perfectly with an enticing round hole on the far side’s sweeping curve of the main ridge trend. In fact, this seemed to be almost a mirror image of the amphitheather-like structure in front of the entrance to Three Fingers that had been described to us. Perhaps we had gone through some Twilight Zone, reverse cosmos space-time warp, and we were really at the entrance of our the maps. desired cave. Sensing that this was not the case, It was a blistering hot, cloudless summer the interesting hole on the far side was filed day in July when we arrived at the head of the away as a future lead. ridge down to Three Fingers. We dropped our We continued our descent and finally hit packs, pulled out the two maps we had and the canyon bottom. No Three Fingers Cave was realized to our dismay that there was a in sight, a daunting thought. The best way to discrepancy between the hand-drawn map and continue was to loop around the nose of the the dot on the topo map. How could this be? ridge that we had descended by, following the Andy was our caving mentor du jour and, canyon bottom and heading up the next surely, he could not have been mistaken with his drainage. This should lead us to the foot of the map directions! The sketch map showed that correct ridge. Meanwhile, our water supply was Three Fingers was on the first ridge that we dwindling and we still hadn’t found our encountered; the topo dot indicated that it was objective. on the next ridge over. At the mouth of a small, insignificant We decided that hauling our packs all the way side canyon, we took a rest in the shade. The down to the bottom of the ridge (there was no remainder of our meager water supply was disagreement in terms of the map locations) was nearly drained as we sat quietly, with thoughts a bad idea, so we pulled out our water bottles, of cool, clear waterfalls, abundant fresh drinking grabbed a bit of food and headed over to the water, tropical fruits growing all around and second ridge to begin the long descent to the voluptuous, frolicking young female natives. canyon bottom. Somewhere in the corner of our daydreaming As with most directions given by well- minds, we both heard what we thought was part meaning people, they are usually open to of the illusion – the sound of running water. “interpretation.” One person’s short drop can be “Do you hear that?” another’s bottomless canyon. Staying “to the “Yeah, it sounds like a waterfall.” left hand side of the ridge” to reach the canyon Had the heat taken its toll on us, and bottom to find Three Fingers meant going way were we in the last moments of delusion before off on a spur ridge to the left. Never mind that death scooped us into its dry, eternal hands? We we were on the entirely wrong ridge to begin were not quite that far gone yet, so we headed with, though we felt certain that we were headed up the side canyon in search of that wonderful in the right direction, following Andy’s sound.

57 The sound was accompanied by one of avoided that area so as not interfere with the fire the most wonderful sights we had ever seen: a fighters. With nothing better to do, thoughts of flowing cascade of cool, clear water in the the previous year’s lead on the second ridge middle of the dry, desolate Guads on a hot July over from Three Fingers came to mind. day. Immediately, we buried our heads in the We rode in luxury, in Tom’s Ford water and drank our fill to the point of Bronco over to the head of the ridge and started saturation. We had been saved! We had not yet the long descent to the spur ridge with the notch found Three Fingers, but we had found in it. From there, we crossed around the large, something else that was of equal worth or more. circular amphitheather-like structure to the The Cave Gods had been kind to us – or so we opening on the far side. Like many other thought. enticing leads in the Guads, this one, too, wound We then sought the source of this up as a blank wall – another disappointment. wonderful refreshment and hiked up and around the side canyon to the upper pool, above the one we had been drinking from moments earlier. There, to our surprise, was a dead deer carcass over which all of this water flowed. Sated by the water, but distraught by the carcass finding, we pushed onward up the main drainage to approach Three Fingers from the bottom. When we reached the foot of the appropriate ridge and began to ascend, Alan all but fell into the entrance of a cave while walking beside me. This didn’t quite fit the description of Three Fingers, yet here was a small cave entrance right in front of us. We both Tom Meador, North Double Canyon, day of discovery of had miniature flashlights with us and, of course, Andy’s Cave. Photo by Peter Jones. immediately entered this virgin cave. It didn’t amount to much. I am not sure Still, a ray of hope lay in the scree slope, where Alan came up with the name for it, but uphill from the mouth of the shelter. Travertine we had made one of our first discoveries of a pieces were sitting on top of the scree pile. cave in the Guads, and named it Nudnik Cave. Since rocks, like water, flow downhill over Nudnik is defined as “a pestering, nagging or time, the source of this travertine must have irritating person; a bore.” Hmm. been upslope. It was a steep and loose ascent, Moments later, we found Three Fingers, but the thought of cave nearby seemed to lighten retrieved our packs from the top of the ridge and the load of the climb. Scouring the area all spent the next couple days exploring this around led to no new discoveries. The magnificent cave. approaching cliff face above me seemed to indicate an end to hopes of finding anything. A Year Later Nonetheless, the last few feet of climb to the In the summer of 1970, things were foot of the cliff face led to a discovery as better all around. I spent the entire summer in welcome as the waterfall the year before. There, Carlsbad, had a trail bike for getting around in before me, was a three-foot-square hole, the top the Guads, and teamed up with Tom Meador, a of a pit dropping into an unknown cave. legendary caver from Texas. Fires had broken “Cave Ho!” I screamed at the top of my out that summer on The Pink Ridge and we lungs. This is what caving is all about.

58 On the following day, Tom, a local survey gear. On our arrival here, we were Carlsbad caver friend named Billy Ray and I greeted by another phenomenon: the entrance returned with rope in hand to enter the new drop was now a raging waterfall! While we had discovery. As the discoverer, it was my honor to been inside the cave, a major summer storm had be the first one down the drop. The 65-ft free come through the vicinity and dropped a rappel into the narrow slot and onto the sloped tremendous amount of rain. Because the area landing point led me to realize that this was above the entrance drop is a funnel-shaped cliff virgin cave and well-decorated to boot. Tom face, much of that water was directed straight joined me moments later while Billy Ray down into the entrance, causing the torrential remained on the surface. waterfall. There was a certain amount of The landing was a high point on a concern about our predicament, but we had cave rockpile that had fallen into the entrance over to survey and would not be daunted by the thousands of years. From here, one could go sluice-way. Interestingly, the water flowed down-slope in either direction. The direction down into the dried silt bed and turned it into a that led under the scree slope, that we had pool again. climbed up from on the surface, led to a dry By the time we finished our survey and pool of silt and mud and ended fairly quickly. returned to the entrance, the waterfall had left The opposite direction led into the major part of behind a damp rope to climb. We had surveyed the cave that was well-decorated but relatively roughly 800 feet of virgin passage and could not dry. We climbed extremely carefully up a slope have felt better about having discovered a new, through the beautiful formation area. At the top, beautiful and generous small cave. On this the passage took an abrupt left-hand turn into a basis, we decided to honor our big-hearted narrow canyon area. This went down until we friend, Andy Komensky, by naming the cave came to a 20-ft drop into another passage that after him (first name only). To this day, he has paralleled the entrance passage. never entered the cave that bears his name. The cave looks like the number four, where the left arm parallels the longer main Postscript arm. You enter the cave at the top of the upper I have returned to Andy’s Cave several left arm. Now, invert the number four and you times over the years since its discovery and am have an idea of its layout. saddened by the damage that has been done to After dropping into the second parallel it. The rimstone dam area had one broken rim passage, we headed into both ends of the cave. within a couple The end that went further under the ridge top of years of its had decorated sections but nothing particularly discovery. outstanding. The other direction led to some Twenty years beautiful dried pool areas and up a slope into a later, I returned fine rimstone dam region. We removed our to find that boots and were exceedingly careful to walk only many other between the formation to reach the end of the rims have since cave in that direction, just a short distance away. Long tree roots hanging down from the ceiling into the cave passage and coated with glistening water droplets made that area particularly Lyle Moss, showing interesting. rimstone damage in Having explored the extent of the cave, Andy’s Cave. Photo we returned to the entrance drop to get out the by Peter Jones.

59 been badly broken. As a result, I placed red that is on a guided basis. It is not mere flagging tape around the individual rims in a vandalism that causes the degradation, but pattern to indicate: “put your foot here.” It may usually conscientious cavers that are not paying well be too late to recover any of these attention to where they are putting their feet. It beautiful, but broken, speleothems. is sad to think that we, ourselves, are the ones What saddens me most is that Andy’s is who are doing the damage. a cave that gets very little visitation, and all of

Logo art submitted by Andy Komensky for possible SWR 50th Anniversary T‐shirt design.

60

Cave Science Reports

New Mexico Bat Work, 1994-2012

By Debbie C. Buecher, M.S. Caver since 1970; Wildlife Biologist specializing in bats

I have been caving in New Mexico since 1971 and began studying New Mexico bats around 1990. My work has been from the southeastern corner near Carlsbad to the In the 1990s, I conducted a study on bats northern lava caves at El Malpais National in four Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Monument (ELMA). The protocols that I follow caves located near Carlsbad. This work involved are outlined by the American Society of inventorying the caves to determine the bat Mammalogists (Sikes et al., 2011), while species using the sites, when the bats were handling all bats and I maintain the required present, and how best to protect the resource Scientific Collecting Permit from the New (Buecher et al., 1996). Bob Buecher designed Mexico Department of Game and Fish. and built infrared bat counters that passively Because of the potential threat of White Nose counted when bats were exiting or entering the Syndrome being spread between bats by caves (Fig. 1). These counters gave us colony humans, current U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service size information every evening during the decontamination protocols outlined for bat summer months. When these data were researchers were followed during the capture combined with periodic visual exit counts, and handling process (USFWS, 2011). conducted by local cavers (Harry and Jackie There are 28 bat species, from three bat Burgess), we had a good picture of the bat-use families, expected to occur across New Mexico: of these caves. One cave had been abandoned three tropical nectar bats (Family by cave myotis (Myotis velifer) after a gate had Phyllostomidae), the free-tailed bats (Family been installed in the late 1980s. Since that time, Molossidae), which are best known from more bat-friendly gates had been designed. Our Carlsbad Caverns, and the ubiquitous evening report recommended that a new gate be built in bats (Family Vespertilionidae). The nectar bat a larger cross-section of passage so that the bats species are restricted to the southwestern boot- did not feel at risk from predation during exit heel region of the state. Of the four free-tailed flights. Members of the Southwestern Region of species, two are limited to the southwestern the NSS generously donated their labor to BLM portion of the state, whereas the Brazilian free- to remove the old gate and install a beautiful tailed bats and the big free-tailed bats range new model (by Jim Cox) in a large passage across the state from north to south. Members of cross-section near the front of the cave. Since the evening bats are a very diverse group, with the new gate was installed, the numbers of bats some limited to lower elevations, while others have gone from zero to over 10,000 (docu- can tolerate the cold temperatures in mixed mented by exit counts conducted by BLM conifer, mountainous habitat. volunteers Dave and Carol Belski). It appears

61 that the bats approve of the new gate (Buecher on regional bats prior to the arrival of WNS in and Goodbar, 2010)! New Mexico. For this project I am capturing Since 2004, I have focused my bat work and handling all bats using my permits and in and around Fort Stanton Cave near Capitan, extensive experience with bats in the Southwest. New Mexico. There are 16 bat species that El Malpais also appears to have caves with could occur in central New Mexico and, of appropriate microclimate conditions to harbor G these, I have documented 14 species while destructans if it were to be introduced to those conducting my bat research in local caves sites. (Figs. 2-20). Sampling for bats is done acous- In January, 2012, I began collaborating tically and/or by mist netting for bats along area with Dr. Andreas Pflitch (Cave Microclimate creeks. As of 2009, the focal point of my work Scientist from Ruhr University, Germany) and has been on quantifying the temperatures and one of his students, to evaluate how hibernating relative humidity in bat hibernacula in five bats in New Mexico caves respond to human BLM caves in central New Mexico (Figs. 21- disturbance during winter hibernation. We are 22). My research has concentrated on using a thermal imaging camera to quantify how quantifying the cave microclimate chosen by bats arouse and if individually roosting bats hibernating western bat species because of high mortality documented in eastern bat hibernacula. This mortality is caused by a pathogenic fungus (Geomyces destructans). The fungus was reportedly brought from Europe, Fig. 1. Buecher infrared bat where (for some reason) it has not caused such counter at the catastrophic mortality. However, it has been entrance of a linked to White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats bat cave. Each along the eastern U.S., where it has killed over time that a bat 5.5 million bats in 19 states and 4 Canadian breaks the provinces (USFWS, 2011). The data indicate infrared beam, that a number of New Mexico hibernation caves it is counted have appropriate conditions for growth of G. and a date and time stamp is destructans if or when it appears in New assigned. Mexico caves. My results imply that the species particularly at risk is the cave myotis (Myotis velifer) because it typically hibernates in cold temperatures (2o-7o C) with high humidity, conditions which are also preferred by G. destructans. Additionally, as a hibernating bat species, it is highly colonial and hibernates in large clusters, potentially putting individuals at greater risk of contracting WNS from infected roost-mates. Recently, Dr. Diana Northup and I began collaborating on work to quantify cave microclimate in 10 caves at El Malpais near Grants, New Mexico. She and her students at

the University of New Mexico are also Fig. 2. Net site along the Rio Bonito near Fort Stanton, investigati the background microbiota present just south of the BLM Bunkhouse.

62 respond differently than clustering bats. This study is currently in its conceptual stage, but the first trip was at the end of January, 2012, to look 63 specifically at Townsend’s big-eared bats. We plan to evaluate additional bat species during 2013 in other BLM caves in central New Mexico.

Fig. 5. Detail of the outstretched wing of a Townsend’s big‐eared bat during evaluation for possible skin lesions Fig. 3. Photo of a bat caught in the mist net along resulting from Geomyces destructans, the putative Rio Bonito Creek. agent for White Nose Syndrome. Since G. destructans was reported moving west out of New York and killing over 5.5 million bats, I monitor bats for any evidence of membrane damage in New Mexico and Arizona bats.

Figure 3. Photo of a bat caught in the mist net along Rio Bonito Creek.

Detail of ear

Fig. 6: Photograph of a female lactating Townsend’s big‐ eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) captured along Rio Bonito Creek.

Fig.4. White crust on the tragus of a Townsend’s

big‐eared bat – possible mite infestation.

Fig. 7. Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) captured along the Rio Salado Creek just north of Fort Stanton. Cave.

63

Tail extension suggests M. ciliolabrum

Fig. 8. One of two Myotis ciliolabrum (small‐footed myotis) captured in Fort Stanton Cave during evaluation for possible White Nose Syndrome in hibernating bats.

Fig. 10. Silver‐haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) captured along the Rio Bonito near Fort Stanton Cave.

Fig. 9. Detail of Mexican free‐tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) captured along Rio Bonito Creek near Fort Stanton Cave. This species does not roost in Fort Stanton Cave, but it does forage for insects in the area.

Fig. 11. Back view of the silver‐haired bat showing frosted pelage that gives the species its name. This species day‐roosts in trees and is not often found

roosting in caves.

64

Fig. 12. Detail of hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) captured along Salado Creek near Fort Stanton Cave. This species is also a tree bat and not often found roosting in caves.

Figure 15. Photo of a fringed myotis (M. thysanodes)

with a detail of the distinctive species‐specific fringe of hairs along the uropatagium.

Fig. 13. Photo of an occult myotis (Myotis occultus) captured along Rio Bonito Creek.

Fig. 14. Details of a long‐legged myotis (Myotis voltans) captured along Rio Bonito Creek.

65

Fig. 16. Still photo from the video footage of an exit flight from Feather Cave (this area is in total darkness after sunset). The out‐flight is illuminated only by infrared lights (that do not disturb the bats), allowing documentation of behavior. Red circles indicate three Townsend’s big‐eared bats circling just outside the gate, prior to emerging to feed on insects.

Fig. 17. Still photo from the video film taken during an exit flight from Hell Hole II passage in total darkness. Red circle is a bat flying toward the camera.

Fig. 18. Example of the ultrasonic call of a fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) recorded with an Anabat detector just inside the dripline of Fort Stanton Cave on 8 Nov. 2011.

66

Feeding buzz

Range of human hearing is ≤ 20 kHz

Fig. 19. Example of bat echolocation with a feeding buzz.

Time Expansion

0 dB -20 dB -40 dB -60 dB Power spectrum -80 dB -100 dB -120 dB 50 kHz 100 kHz 26.9 kHz -21.8 dB 1260.3 - 1267.9 ms

Fig. 20. A time expansion bat call from a Pettersson D240x detector. Tentative Identification = Corynorhinus townsendii (Townsend’s big‐eared bat).

67

Emergence Flight from Feather Cave 9 July 2005

90

80

70 60

50

40 Population Size ~ 377 Bats

30

Bats Numberof 20 10

0

-10 20:40 - 20:45 21:00 - 21:05 21:20 - 21:25 21:40 - 21:45 22:00 - 22:05 Time (MDT)

Fig. 21. Feather Cave Emergence Count.

Fig. 22. Plot of the temperatures and relative humidity in Fort Stanton Cave in the area where Townsend’s big‐eared bats hibernate.

68

Fig. 23. Scatter plot of the temperatures and relative humidity in Fort Stanton Cave plotted against the conditions appropriate for growth of G. destructans.

Literature Cited

Adams, R.A., 2003. Bats of the Rocky Mountain West: Natural history, ecology, and conservation. University of Colorado Press. Boulder, CO. 289 pp. Buecher, D.C., R.H. Buecher, H. Burgess and J. Burgess, 1997. Results of 1997 summer bat monitoring for Bureau of Land Management, Carlsbad, New Mexico. Unpublished report to Bureau of Land Mangement, Carlsbad Field Office. 155 pp. Buecher, D.C. and A. Goodbar, 2009. Gating a Cave Protects a Bat Colony…Eventually. In Proceedings of the 15th International Congress of Speleology, Kerrville, TX. Sikes, R.S., W.L. Gannon, and the Animal Care and Use Committee of the American Society ofMammalogists, 2011. Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research. Journal of Mammalogy 92:235-253. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2012. White-Nose Syndrome Decontamination Protocols. URL address: http://www.fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome/pdf/National_WNS_Decontamination_ Protocol_v03.15.2012.pdf Last updated: 3/15/12.

69 Searching for Intraterrestrials: The Microbial World of Caves

By Diana E. Northup with contributions from Penelope J. Boston, Debbie Buecher, Nicole Caimi, Amy Clement, Laura J. C rossey, Clifford N. Dahm, A rmand Dichosa, Tammi Duncan, Mathew G. Garcia, Jennifer J.M. Hathaway, K aitlyn J. Hughes, Lory O. Henderson, Jason C.K. K imble, A ra Kooser, Noelle Martinez, Leslie A. Melim, Cameron McMillan, Ian McMillan, Robert V. Miller, Elizabeth T. Montano, Monica Moya, Amaka Nwagbologu, K ylea Parchert, Anthony J. Rigoni, Jessica R. Snider, and Michael N. Spilde

Lava Cave Microbial Studies Actinobacteria, bacteria that commonly Striking features of some lava inhabit caves and that are known for tube caves, including those in New their antibiotic production. Studies of Mexico (Fig. 1A, C), are the extensive bacterial genetic sequences (DNA) bacterial mats (a.k.a. lava wall slime) extracted from New Mexico lava tube that cover the walls and roots that pene- mats suggests that Actinobacteria are trate the lava tubes (Figure 1H). These present, as well as 10 other bacterial beautiful features have been observed in phyla, some of which are relatively new lava tubes worldwide, but little is known phyla of bacteria. Many of the organisms about the composition of these colorful found appear to be novel bacterial microbial communities, and they are species. Studies of the root communities often mistaken for mineral deposits. In show that roots are conduits for nutrients fact, one of our most fun projects is the and microorganisms to enter caves. “Microbes that Masquerade as One critical nutrient needed by Minerals,” which has implications for all life is nitrogen, which is often lacking life detection on other planets where lava in caves. Our group has studied the caves are known to exist. presence of two genes that are involved Most lava tubes with moisture in critical parts of the nitrogen cycle: have an abundance of the white amoA (ammonia oxidation) and nifH microbial mats. At certain times of the (nitrogen fixation) in ELMA caves. Most year, water beads up on the mats due to of the samples tested from the four their hydrophobicity, giving the lava ELMA caves were positive for both of tube walls the appearance of a sparkling the genes, in stark contrast to carbonate night sky. Other lava tubes are festooned caves tested from Carlsbad Caverns with yellow colonies that vary from National Park (CCNP), where only a few lemon yellow to gold, making one think samples were positive for the nitrogen that someone has coated the wall in gold fixation gene and no samples were foil. Our investigations have examined positive for the presence of the ammonia the bacteria in these mats and roots in oxidation gene. We have also done Four Windows Cave, and other lava studies of the enzymes that the microbes caves in El Malpais National Monument release into the environment to scavenge (ELMA), New Mexico, U.S.A. The nitrogen, as well as phosphorus and macroscopic (Fig. 1H) and microscopic carbon. (Fig. 1F, G) visual appearances suggest Also, we have found that some of that these bacterial mats are composed of the lava tube bacteria were much more

70 UV sensitive than the microbes isolated be involved in creating the FMD, as we from the surface (Fig. 1B), suggesting have been able to grow bacteria from the some degree of cave adaptation. Lava Spider and Lechuguilla Caves and get tube microbial mats represent a rich them to produce FMD in the lab. Our source of novel bacteria with which to molecular studies show that a variety of fill out the tree of life and provide bacteria and archaea are involved, opportunities to study what controls including some that are closest relatives species diversity and antibiotic to known manganese and iron oxidizers. production in caves. Studies of antibiotic We are currently investigating whether production by lava cave bacteria at these bacteria may be producing ELMA have revealed that upwards of 25 siderophores, compounds that are percent of bacteria isolated from the lava utilized in scavenging iron or manganese caves produce some antibiotics (Fig. from the environment. The bacteria 1D). Similar results have been found in found in the FMD have interesting the CCNP carbonate caves, where we morphologies, such as the “beads-on-a- are comparing the isolated bacteria with string” shapes seen in Fig. 2C. Although those of the overlying soils (Fig. 2B). different in appearance, the FMDs found Our future plans include sequencing of on the walls of Snowy River in Fort the whole genomes of select antibiotic Stanton Cave, contain known manganese producers from in the caves and a and iron cycle bacteria. relative from the overlying soils to see Another interesting speleothem how the organisms are changing as they in Guadalupe Mountains caves is the adapt to the cave environment. pool precipitates that may resemble The lava caves at ELMA also stone fingers hanging from overhangs, contain some ideal conditions for the such as shelf stone in pools (Fig. 2D,E). growth and persistence of Geomyces When you slice open the rock and destructans, a putative cause of White briefly etch it with a weak acid, a whole Nose Syndrome in bats (see contribution microbial world opens up, such as what by Debbie Buecher). To test whether G. you see in Fig. 2F, where masses of destructans is naturally or already fossilized bacterial filaments are present in cave soils in New Mexico, we revealed. One of the most interesting are using molecular biology and morphologies seen in these filaments is microbiological (Fig. 1E) techniques to the micro-cholla (so called because they test for its presence and to sequence the resemble the dead cholla from the fungal species present to better surface vegetation), or reticulated understand the fungal communities of filament. This morphology is widespread lava caves. in cave samples, but its exact nature remains illusive. Carbonate Cave Microbial Studies Caves such as Spider and Mysteries Remain Lechuguilla in Carlsbad Caverns Although we have spent the last National Park and Fort Stanton’s Snowy quarter of a century studying the life of River, often have prominent deposits of New Mexico caves, there are still many ferromanganese deposits (FMD) on their more mysteries to be investigated, and walls and ceilings (Fig. 2A). Our studies still more intraterrestrials to be have shown that the bacteria appear to discovered.

71 Acknowledgements that we scientists have been studying. The cave explorers who plumb Many thanks to all the people who have the depths of New Mexico caves discovered, observed, toted, and led the discover many of the interesting deposits way. It’s a great partnership!

Fig. 1, Lava Cave Microbial Studies: (A) Lava cave, El Malpais National Monument (ELMA). (B) Testing of sensitivity of cave bacteria to ultraviolet radiation. (C) Lava cave entrance, ELMA. (D) Lory Henderson measures the temperature and relative humidity in an ELMA lava cave. (E) Jesse Young culturing soils in ELMA lava caves to check for the presence of Geomyces spp. (F) Scanning electron micrograph of bacteria from gold ‐colored deposits in ELMA lava cave. (G) Scanning electron micrograph of bacteria from white microbial mats in an ELMA lava cave. (H) Yellow and white microbial colonies in an ELMA lava cave. Photos by Kenneth Ingham (A, C, D, E, H), Jessica Snider (B), and Michael Spilde (F, G).

72

Fig. 2, Carbonate Microbial Studies: (A) Ara Kooser examines ferromanganese deposits in Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CCNP). (B) Elizabeth Montano cultures microbes from the surface above the caves in CCNP. (C) Scanning electron micrograph of "beads‐on‐a‐string" bacterial morphology from ferromanganese deposits. (D) Pool fingers and other precipitates in Hidden Cave with Leslie Melim taking notes. (E) Closer view of pool fingers in Hidden Cave. (F) Scanning electron micrographs of fossil bacteria in the interior of a pool finger. Photos by Kenneth Ingham (A, B, D, E), and Michael Spilde and Diana Northup (C, F).

73 The Rich Scientific Potential of Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation A rea

By Penny Boston – N M Tech., Socorro, & National Cave & Karst Research Institute, they were alive. We are also looking for crystals Carlsbad, New Mexico that plants create (known as phytoliths) because those also tell us what the vegetation on land Fort Stanton Cave and its magnificent was like above the cave at the time they were Snowy River passage hold a precious record of deposited. Was it similar to the vegetation that the hydrology, water chemistry, ecosystems, and we see today, including Ponderosa pines, climate of the drainage basin within which the grasses, and other small shrub-like plants? Was cave system occurs. The complex and often it inhabited by trees requiring more water than is artistic layering of mud deposits with their available today? Were there even more arid secret history of flooding; the star-like crystals periods of time in the drainage basin’s history of selenite on walls, which speak of the interior that is reflected in the types of plants that grew cave environment; the luscious black there? manganese microbial deposits on walls and In order to understand timing of all the ceilings – all tell tales of the world as it was changes that the cave and its surroundings have during the creation and subsequent development experienced, we are also searching for the kinds of the cave. A modern Charles Dickens could of materials that can be dated by geological perhaps write A Cave of Two Tales to describe methods. For example, a number of techniques the processes that occurred both in the cave can tell us about different eras in the cave’s itself and the role of the cave in preserving the history. These include organic carbon (like history of the surface world above it. We are wood or other materials left by prior life), so- studying a variety of phenomena in the cave: called cosmogenic nuclides that are produced on from aspects of the surface vegetation, that was growing at the time when mud deposits brought such evidence into the cave, to the minerals that are created on cave surfaces by metal- manipulating microorganisms, which coat many areas of the walls. The beauty of the sparkling white calcite frosting, that inspired the name of Snowy River, hides a deeper layer cake of older deposits. These deposits include chocolate-colored muds, studded with small stream-rounded pebbles like raisins in dough, and possibly even wooden fragments from the surface. Within these layers, we are searching for diatoms, which are the silica skeletons of a type of freshwater algae common in surface streams. These creatures have specific temperature ranges at which they Penny Boston in a Tyvek sterile suit during the first thrive. By understanding the types of diatoms scientific assessment trip, July 1‐3, 2003. It is critical present in flood muds, we can have an idea of the Earth’s surface andfor cave scientists to look glamorous at all possible decay when no longer the surface climate that they experienced when exposedopportunities. Image by Kevin Glover., allowing us to calculate how long a

74 flood deposit has been below the surface, and from the hidden talents of some of its tiniest possibly other datable materials yet to be inhabitants, to the very nature of the cave’s uncovered. formation, to what it can tell us about the past The enormous (and growing!) size of the climate of the region and, perhaps, insight into Snowy River passage leads us to ask questions the future climate changes that are in store for about how similar one part of the passage is to us. other parts of the passage, and how similar or different is the geology, chemistry, and record of life between Snowy River and other parts of the Fort Stanton Cave system. Consensus about the system is that it is “old” (but unclear just how old), and that it has seen many changes that have been shaped by external geological and hydrological processes. However, the interior of the cave passages is also being shaped by myriads of tiny microorganisms, whose ways of making a living leave a distinct mark on the minerals that we see there. These microorganisms possibly contribute to the rate at which the bedrock is weathered from the inside.

Besides the scientific interest in the A mysterious microscopic structure, apparently biological, surface climate and subsurface microbial preserved in the Snowy River calcite. At first, thought t o processes under study, there are practical be a diatom (silica algae), this structure is now thought to applications of this knowledge that are also be from a different group of organisms, but its identity remains a mystery. The scale bar is 10 um. A human hair being investigated by our team. Some of the is 100 um across its diameter! SEM by M. Spilde and manganese-using microorganisms that were P. Boston. isolated on the very first scientific assessment trip into the cave in the early 2000s are now being studied for their abilities to take soluble manganese compounds out of water, for application to drinking water that has unhealthy levels of manganese in it. This is a common problem in much of New Mexico and the arid southwest region. Surprisingly, in another pilot study of microbes that could remove poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas from municipal sewage treatment plants, the most promising organisms tested were not those from some of the other sulfuric acid caves that we have studied. No, they were from the wall deposits within Fort

Stanton Cave. A very closeup Scanning Electron Micrograph of a real The cave holds many surprises – those diatom, the sub‐horizontal structure with the row of we have a hint of and those yet to come, ranging perforations along one edge. SEM by M. Spilde, UNM.

75

Memorials

In Regard for SW R Cavers of the Past

Dr. George Agogino Robbie started caving around 1962 in the small caves of the Sandia Mountains outside “George Agogino, 79, died September Albuquerque. His first mapping and digging 11 at his home in Portales, NM after a battle effort was in Cooper’s Ellis Cave. In the early with cancer. He was founding director of the 1960s, Robbie was the leader of the digging Blackwater Draw Museum and helped create the effort in Fort Stanton Cave that led to the Department of Anthropology at Eastern New discovery of the beautiful and scientifically Mexico University, where he served as chair for intriguing Lincoln Caverns. The dig took 11 years. Probably best known for his Paleo- several years and thousands of hours of hard Indian research at Blackwater Draw and work, and the resulting connection crawlway is elsewhere, Agogino had broad interests and named Babb’s Burrow, in recognition of his made important contributions in ethnology and leadership and boundless energy. history, publishing more than 600 articles Robbie was one of the first cavers to during his distinguished career...” work with the Guadalupe Cave Survey (later --From the Archeological Society merged with the Cave Research Foundation) in of NM Newsletter, 12/31/00 Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the Lincoln National Forest. Many cavers worked with Dr. Agogino Robbie defined the methodology for on some of his projects. Agogino Cave, in the engineering-style cave surveys used in many Ft. Stanton area, is named after him. area projects, and wrote one of the first cave- surveying computer programs, which was used Sonya Anderson for all the survey processing in Fort Stanton Cave. Sonya, an El Paso Grotto caver, is said In 1964, Robbie was the discoverer of to have ended her own life, along with Bob the Arrow Grotto of Feather Cave, one of the Dukemineer. most important intact cave shrines in the Southwest. Chester Anderson Starting around 1965, Robbie got involved in the Project Dry Pot surveying effort Chester is known to have passed away. at Dry Cave, New Mexico. He contributed many Details are not known. interesting feature names in the cave, such as “Hampton Court” and “Saber Tooth Camel Robert Gordon Babb, II Maze,” which reflected his engaging sense of humor. Robert “Robbie” Gordon Babb II, Ph.D. In the early 1970s, he led the mapping (NSS 8480RL) was one of the pivotal cavers in and study of Edgewood Caverns, a cave system the beginnings of modern caving in New east of Albuquerque. He founded the Edgewood Mexico. Robbie passed away November 19, Research Group to explore, map and study this 2007 in Golden, Colorado, at age 59. intriguing maze cave.

76 From 1987 through 1991, Robbie took Range. (In fact, he was the first person to enter on operational leadership of the Lechuguilla the cave.) We will always remember him Cave Precision Survey project to extend a wearing pressed military style khakis and theodolite total-station survey into the cave, appearing neat and clean even after the most forming a backbone to which the burgeoning demanding caving trips. He always had a glass hand-held compass surveys could be tied. An of sherry to celebrate with. Those of us who annual, six-week expedition was devoted to this caved with him will always remember him. task with Robbie doing much of the instrument --Steve Peerman work, including a memorable, exposed set-up on Terror Ledge, where he and the theodolite were Pat Copeland anchored by a veritable web of belay lines, 11-20-1942 to 12-30-2000 shooting down to the bottom of Boulder Falls, 150 feet below. Robbie had a great spirit of adventure and will be missed by those who knew him. --Ginerva Liptan and John J. Corcoran, III

Martin F. Combs 1929 - 2005

Martin F. Combs, 75, passed away on July 29, 2005 in San Diego, California, following a brief illness. Martin was born in Carbondale, IL on August 27, 1929. He received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, an MS Photo by Dan Oughton, 12/25/1998 in Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School, … Pat died Saturday, December 30, and a MS in Mathematics from NMSU. He 2000, as the result of a head-on collision near served in the US Navy from 1951-1975, retiring San Saba, Texas. as a Commander from WSMR. He taught She was born Nov. 20, 1942, in Mathematics at both the high school and Stephenville, Texas, to Woodrow Wilson and university levels in Las Cruces and also taught Katherine R. Scott Tabor. She had been a Science at the Verde Valley School in Sedona, resident of Brownwood since 1982. In addition Arizona. to her love for cooking and operating the Martin and Barbara resided in San Sonshine Tea Room, she was an avid caver for Diego, CA recently. He enjoyed reading, the last 22 years. She loved to give tours of computer programming, and exploring Doña caves and did so with each opportunity she had. Ana County. He was a member of the Rio She was also a member of the Downtown Grande chapters of the sailing club. Business Association. He is greatly missed. She married James Copeland in Dexter For those who may not remember him, (Chaves Co., NM), in 1972. he was a member of the Mesilla Valley Grotto Pat was known affectionately as Granny from 1975 to the mid 1980s. He was involved by her 13 grandchildren. on many of our memorable trips, including the Because of her love for caving, the discovery of Cactus Cave in the Black

77 family requested memorials be made to the discovery of Edgewood Cavern. Jack was a Friends of Colorado Bend State Park. Fellow and a Life Member of the NSS. He was --January 02, 2001 a proofreader for the NSS News for many years from Brownwood Bulletin, and for Cave Minerals of the World. The world Brownwood, Texas could use more people like Jack Dorsey. --John Benton, NSS 10689F Sandy Deal 1941---October 10, 1983 Malcolm (Mac) Edwards

The Southwestern Region has lost one of Mac Edwards was a past chairman of the its good friends and earliest members, Sandy Sandia Grotto and the Southwestern Region. Deal, who was the victim of an unknown The last time that Sandia Grotto members saw Mac was when he donated several items to the assailant in Alpine, Texas on October 10, 1983. th She is survived by her husband Dwight and two grotto for silent raffle at our 50 anniversary in children, Craig and Tara. September, 1998. It was sometime soon after Cavers of the Southwestern Region from that that Mac passed away. the 1960s will remember Sandy as a knowledgeable and amiable leader of cavers and Doug Evans cave trips. She was a welcome addition to any caving venture, and an active caver from the Doug on early 1960s until shortly after she moved to Lonesome Ridge. Alpine in 1967. Many post-trip campfires would Photo from have waned in boredom had it not been for her Richard Breisch. guitar and repertoire of folk lyrics. Sandy held offices in Sandia Grotto and the Southwestern Region and had been an associate editor of the Southwestern Caver.

Jack Dorsey

Jack Dorsey, NSS 1641LF, age 93, passed away Dec 26, 2009 in Albuquerque. He was a co-founder with Roy Davis of the old Scotto Grotto of the NSS. Jack was the owner of Dorsey Lobo Pharmacy in Albuquerque, for 20 years. Rigging Vanishing River: Among Jack’s early caving attributes (L to R) Rich Breisch, were finding virgin cave in Wayne’s Cave and Loren Bolinger, and Sullivan’s Cave in Indiana. Dorsey Cave is Doug Evans. Photo named after him. He is legendary for his lost by Ells Rolfs. passage in Wyandotte Cave that no one has Douglas A. Evans fell to his death in found to this date. He helped on exploring Vanishing River Cave on Monday, September 4, parties in Carlsbad Caverns to find the 1967. He was a member of the White Sands Guadalupe Room and the Chocolate Drop in the Grotto. Doug was returning to the surface after 1970s and he assisted in the drilling and exploring the cave. The entrance is sharply

78 sloping, very smooth rock with leaves and moss. slowed down in his caving activities, probably Some rain had fallen and the area was damp. It because his energy was low. Basically, he appears that Doug fell after releasing his vertical stopped coming to GypKaP because of his gear and slipping on this damp area. health problems. He will be greatly missed by Many cavers in the Southwest were me as well as those from the Sandia Grotto. He involved in the body recovery of Doug. (Ed: His was a good friend, and one that made me laugh death is the only caver-related fatality in every time we got together. Southwestern Region history.) Brian is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Rose, both still active cavers with Brian Galbraith, NSS 38821 FE the Sandia Grotto. October 10, 1952 – July 19, 2006 A memorial was held at the Galbraith’s home on Saturday, July 29. Brian is remembered as a loving husband, father extraordinaire, photographer, graduate of University of New Mexico (1990), Bachelor of Art in Fine Arts, Fellow of the NSS, member of Sandia Grotto, APS substitute teacher, adventurer, and one who used his talents and education to further conservation of the environment, focusing in areas of caves and the New Mexico public lands. Contributions in Brian’s memory went to KNME TV-Channel 5, Albuquerque and to the NSS Save the Caves Fund.

--Blake Jordan Brian C. Galbraith of Tijeras, New Mexico, died in his sleep some time before Brian was a caver, friend, leader, father Wednesday night, July 19, 2006. When Liz and husband. We miss his fabulous laugh and Galbraith, his wife, found him, he was in bed cheerful nature. He was a doer and a giver in and seemed as if he were resting as he usually our community of cavers. Brian consistently did. But when she tried to wake him, she found leant a hand to whatever project the Sandia out that he had died. The medical examiners Grotto was involved in, and at GypKaP as well. report came back and the conclusion was that He sparked the interest of many a beginner and his heart gave out. He officially died of heart led them into the arms of the grotto. He gave of failure. himself and gathered his family to join along in We all knew that he was not well even the pleasures and intrigues of the caves that after his first heart surgery. He had been meant so much to his and our spirits. His slides coughing quite a bit, and I always worried about and video presentations captured the awe that he his health when we went into caves. Although and all of us feel for caves and caving. his heart was failing, he still had vigor to come Some months after Brian’s passing, to meetings and be a part of the caving Blake Jordan and John Riley organized a cavers community. He was one of the cavers who memorial trip to the Candelaria property in El brought me into caving in the 1990s. We went Malpais at the Bandera Ice Caves, one of just about everywhere and did just about every Brian’s favorite places for caving. Years earlier, cave that was of interest. After an earlier heart Brian had negotiated permission to go into the bypass surgery, he was not the same. He had Candelaria wild ice cave to survey and

79 document its resources. This landowner contact passed away June 29, 1995, in El Paso after a had been denied to cavers for years before Brian brief illness. Wild Bill, as we called him, was at established relations with them. Landowner one time a member and officer of the Permian relations were among Brian’s best skills; he just Basin Speleological Society. During the mid had the right touch when talking with ranchers ’80s he served as newsletter editor of the PBSS and ranch foreman about access to caves on Spylunk, when he resided in Andrews, Texas. their land. He later moved to Midland with a transfer from --Linda Starr Exxon. In 1987, Bill moved to Carlsbad and . went to work for Westinghouse as an Engineer Richard Garner for the Waste Isolation Pilot Project site. I caved with Bill for several years and Mesilla Valley Grotto members were have to admit that those were some of the best saddened to learn of the passing of a former caving years of my life. I have many fond member, Richard Garner, on February 6, 2006, memories of those times. Bill was always the at his home in Rye, Colorado. He was survived life of the party and will be sorely missed by all by his adoring wife of 16 years, Dawn, who was who knew him. I remember a trip to Christmas also a grotto member. Richard was 70 years old Tree Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and he was an active member of the grotto for a in which several of us had been there for hours. number of years in the late 1980s before retiring I wanted to leave and so did the rest of the and moving to Colorado. group, but not Bill. He wanted to stay and he did. Bill returned from the cave several hours Dick Gilson later after getting his fill of this cave. He truly loved caves and caving. Dick died September, 1997 from a Bill will always be remembered for the traffic accident. He was a Carlsbad caver but strange things he did, like he never owned a had transferred to the Bureau of Land television set. He said he didn't have the time Management in Taos. for it. And there were the infamous “Pea Cannons” that he started by putting a can of William D. G reenlee peas in the campfire and watching the forthcoming explosions. At the last SWR regional meeting that I saw Bill, I didn't know that this would be the last time I would get to talk to him, but I'm glad I did. He told me the story about the “Pea Cannons.” Each time the can of peas would get bigger until he finally ended up with a large institutional size can and he told of how he tossed it in the fire. After an hour or two the ends of the can began to swell. Then, after everyone went to bed, in one loud bang the can exploded in a blast with such a force that it blew the fire out and scattered burning embers all over the place, including on tents and camping equipment. Lots of people

were angry witht him over that. That was the William D. (Wild Bill) Greenlee entered way Bill was. I asked him what happened to the life August 14, 1957, in Andrews, Texas. He peas and he said that they were turned into pea

80 plasma and vaporized any evidence of his caving as a member of the Sandia Grotto. Her shenanigans. caving was in the Guadalupes, Fort Stanton, During the “Bat Cave Blow Out,” Wild GypKaP, El Malpais and wherever there were Bill helped concoct the very first “Skipper places to explore, quiet moments to share or Water” (a 110-proof punch!), and he helped rowdy occasions when her goofy spirit soared. Tony Grieco at the first “Skipper Roast.” One of my many memories is when (Editor: a Skipper was a red, plastic flashlight Lynne returned from an early-days Lechuguilla that was known to be floatable, but not very trip with members of the grotto and reflected on reliable for caving as an extra source of light.) the thrill of her experiences at a grotto Bill was a friend to all he met and was meeting. Lynne also helped to instigate the good caver. He preached safety to all the women-only caving rituals in Alabaster Cave in newcomers and was always ready to make the the mid-’90s. next trip. I lost touch with Bill over the last few Born in Miami, Florida, Lynne was years and was glad to have known him. Now, educated in Alabama, Illinois and New my life will be richer. So, Bill I bid you farewell Mexico. She had both a master’s degree in as you go caving for the last time. counseling and biology, although teaching was --Bill Bentley, Midland, Texas her main profession in Santa Fe and PBSS Past President Albuquerque Public Schools. A lifelong learner, Lynne’s delight with life and enormous Lynne Lazelle, NSS 18404 curiosity led her down paths of photography, November 13, 1938 – February 10, 2005 writing poetry, travel, backpacking, delving into dreams and, most of all, appreciation for the natural world. Lynne would agree with this statement that I found in an Isabel Allende book: “Knowledge is of little use without wisdom. There is no wisdom without spirituality. True spirituality always includes service to others.” She was constantly in assistance to others – as a wife and mother, a teacher, a counselor, Big Sister, restorer, surveyor and explorer of caves, and in her last days, helping in a Santa Fe soup kitchen. Ceaselessly passionate, Lynne had a deep caring about the people in and around her life and she touched the lives of many.

Several cavers and many friends Lynne Lazelle, age 66, died at home in attended a memorial held to her honor in Santa the presence of family members and friends on Fe on February 19, 2005. Her ashes were spread February 10. She had been recently diagnosed at her favorite place, Muley Point, Utah, in the with terminal bone cancer; her many friends are Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. thankful that her painful suffering is past. Those of us, who were fortunate enough Lynne came into caving through Mac to go caving, climb 14,000 ft peaks in Colorado, Deets’ recreational caving class at the play on river trips, ski and hike through the University of New Mexico in the mid- woods, or wile away hours just sitting and 1980s. She joined the NSS in 1987 and went talking together with Lynne will find peace in

81 the memories of the wonderful times we shared. participated in the Coldwater Cave Project in Her wide-open spirit will live within us. Iowa. As the name implies, this world-class --Linda Starr cave has frigid 46° water requiring wet suits. Doc took hundreds of slides in this beautiful Warren “Doc” Lewis cave; not a bad record since he was in his upper 1915 -2005 70s at the time. After his move to New Mexico, Doc was Warren “Doc” Lewis (NSS 8856RL, OS, an active Sandia Grotto member. He remained FE) died Wednesday, October 12, 2005 in active on cave discussion boards and in caving Albuquerque, exactly two weeks before his 90th publications. Doc was always a friendly face at birthday. the Winter Tech meetings held in Albuquerque Doc was born in Cape Girardeau, as his interest in caving and cave science Missouri, and attended the University of continued unabated in his later years. He kept Nebraska Medical School where he studied up with the current cave publications. In fact, if internal medicine, concentrating in cardiology his Southwestern Cavers didn’t arrive on time or and geriatrics, which he practiced with special arrived torn up, he would quickly request a new interests in improving nursing-home care. Later copy. His interest in caves and cave science in his career, he became active in forensic remained avid. Doc was a big supporter of the psychiatry, performing mental examinations for National Cave and Karst Research Institute and the judicial system. he donated his cave library to the organization. The great passions of his life were The SWR caving community will truly natural history, science, and music. He enjoyed miss his gentle, friendly, and kind presence. observing birds and bats, orchids and decorative bulbs, and wind and weather. Doc Lewis wrote Tom Madison over 60 papers on cave-science subjects, such as histoplamosis and air movement in caves. Tom Madison died in March, 2009. He Through the years, Doc sang baritone in 23 was a Carlsbad caver as well as a Texas caver. choirs and choruses, and he played double base At one time, he was a leader with the Cave in the Rockford (IL) Symphony Orchestra for Research Foundation at Carlsbad Cavern 35 years. After moving to Albuquerque, he National Park. played with the New Mexico Symphony, the Rio Grande Symphony and the Hoffmantown Joel “Tom” Meador Church Orchestra. NSS 5202L Doc’s caving career stretched over 50 years. He was one of the co-founders of the Tom Meador, 43, died on Monday, Rock River Speleological Society (RRSS) September 29, 1986, at his home in San Angelo, which was established in the late 1960s. This Texas, following a year-long illness. Tom was a organization was converted from a herpetology Life Member and Fellow of the NSS and an society, and Doc used to keep many snake Honorary Member of the Southwestern Region. specimens. He also worked on early versions of The caves, ridges, and canyons of New the rappel rack, a device now very familiar to Mexico’s Guadalupe Mountains were a second those involved in single rope techniques. At the home to Tom for almost three decades. Tom 1999 NSS Convention, Doc was awarded the was a well-known speleo-historian who NSS Outstanding Service Award for his concentrated on Carlsbad Caverns, Jim White, contributions to speleology. and Eddy County, New Mexico. He collected When he lived in Illinois, Doc caving literature and memorabilia with a

82 passion, an unusual hobby for a man whose The reason Tom did not graduate from formal education ended early. Around a high school is that he flunked tenth grade traditional goat-roast campfire just two years English at least twice, and the school would not previous to his death, Tom proudly told me how let him take it again. Tom never was good at he had received his high school GED certificate. spelling or grammar, but he was smart enough Tom made generous contributions to the to have others check over his writing before he caving projects and organizations he believed submitted material. When he took the GED in. Most cavers will never know the extent of exam, he was surprised about how easy it was to those contributions because that’s the way Tom pass. wanted it. When a caver didn’t have gas money, Tom did historical research about many Tom would give him a ride anyway. If a fellow caves and the area where he lived. He was needed a place to get away for a while, well, appointed by a judge in Texas to be the official there was always an isolated line shack out county historian for the county where he lived. somewhere on the ranch. In the photo above, with Mr. Lee’s son, Tom Tom became a caving legend in the had invited Lee to come to the Guads to revisit Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico; tales of some of the caves, hoping that Mr. Lee would his caving and driving exploits will be told remember details from 50 years earlier. It is around campfires for decades to come. Tom left understandable that Lee did not remember much a lot behind and those of us who knew him well of the past. He was rather frail and in poor won’t be too surprised one bright, starlit night health. Tom, Mr. Lee, and I spent a couple days when we feel his presence walking with us up a together in the Guads in the early 1970s. ridge after a hard day’s caving somewhere in the Tom often bragged about how he had set Guads. the driving speed record up Three-Mile Hill in -- Doug Rhodes

Willis T. Lee’s son (about 19) and Tom behind a cave gate. (Willis T. Lee is famous among cavers for his initial study of Carlsbad Caverns.) Meador’s Last Ride (L to R): Andy Komensky, Ells Rolfs, Peter Jones, and Tom. Photo by Peter Jones.

the Guadalupes, opening and closing the Tom, Bob Jones, Andy gates himself. As a result, he wore out Komensky at Three 4WD vehicles at the rate of about one Fingers, June, 1968. per year. Photos here and above The picture here of Tom with by Rich Breisch. Andy Komensky and Bob Jones in Three

83 Fingers Cave was taken by me. I recall that was our first trip there on June 2 or 3, 1968. --Richard L. Breisch

Pam, Tom’s widow donated much of Tom’s caving research to University of Texas. It can be seen at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/02558/cah- 02558.html. As far as I know, Tom’s last trip to the Guads was with Pete Jones and me. We camped on Lonesome Ridge. ‘Twas a little cold ….

Tom with Pete Jones wife Deb Rivera, who is also an active caver. on Lonesome Ridge in He was a caring and kind husband, brother and the Guads. Photo by son of a large family, all who experienced life to Andy Komensky. its fullest. He is sorely missed. Dan grew up in Pojoaque, NM, and went on to graduate from NMSU in 1979. He began his career with Boeing Aerospace in Seattle, The last WA, before returning in 1989 to Albuquerque, time I saw him where he worked for Honeywell Aeronautics as was in the spring a Senior Electrical Engineer. His inquisitive and of ’84, when I was technical nature carried over into his personal doing odd jobs for life and added to the way he lived. He enjoyed him at his ranch in working through the details and challenges, just Eldorado, Texas. as he did in caves. One was digging out a cave that turned vertical An active life was enjoyed with his wife with a going lead blocked by a couple of and family, and this included surveying efforts formations that Tom did not want to break. in Lechhuguilla Cave, Carlsbad Caverns, Tom died of a brain tumor and had GypKaP, El Malpais, digging in Fort Stanton, as been at a cancer treatment center in well as other SWR and Sandia Grotto projects. Philadelphia. He taught many grotto members about mapping --Andy Komensky and surveying caves. Dan also loved hiking and rafting in the Grand Canyon, motorcycle and Daniel R. Montoya, NSS 32434 bicycle touring, cross-country skiing, and numerous other outdoor activities. He loved the Dan Montoya, 53, of Los Ranchos, NM, planning as much as the adventure itself. passed away on May 12, 2011, most -mainly from the Santa Fe New Mexican unexpectedly. He had been doing a fitness ride on Tramway when he was suddenly knocked off Robert Nymeyer his bike by an elderly driver who crossed the October 19, 1910 to December 11, 1983 median and had fallen asleep at the wheel. He was born on December 18, 1957 in Robert Nymeyer, cave explorer, Santa Fe, NM. Dan is survived by his loving photographer and author died at his home

84 Sunday, December 11, 1983. He was a member medals. He was a member of the Pecos Valley of the Guadalupe Grotto. We had the honor of Grotto and the Southwestern Region of the NSS. his company at the Winter Technical Regional in Carlsbad the previous day. He left us with Ester Rolfs many memories in his book, Carlsbad Caves and a Camera, a history of cave discovery and Ester Wilma Rolfs was born 25 January exploration in the Guadalupe Mountains. His 1937 and left these lands for more promising contributions to the world of caving have ones on 19 Dec 2004 after a lengthy illness. enriched all of our lives, and through his Many of the historic cavers knew her for writings and photography he will enrich the her warm hospitality, good humor, and lives of future generations of cavers. wonderful cooking. She was a strong but quiet supporter for the White Sands Grotto in Jim Peck Alamogordo while living there for several years. Many a caver found a good place to rest behind Jim was active in the mid ’60s, caved in the davenport and a welcome breakfast the next the Guadalupes and foothills. With Bob Sarabia, morning. She was delighted by the few caves the two discovered Three Fingers Cave and she visited. She continued her friendship to Skull Cave (now known as Cave of the Twins) many cavers when she lived in Albuquerque. in Double Canyon. Ester will be missed by many, including her family – both close and extended, both caver Thomas H. " Tom " Rodgers and not. She was the mother of seven children, 1938-2011 a grandmother and great-grandmother. So, as you light your lamp for a journey into the Thomas H. "Tom" Rodgers of Carlsbad, wonderlands below, say a note of good-bye and N.M., passed away Tuesday, January 25, 2011. thanks to Ester in the wonderlands above. Thomas was born on Dec. 20, 1938, near --Ells Rolfs Anadarko, Oklahoma. He attended Gracemont Public Schools and was Salutatorian of his high Bob Sarabia school class. He attended Oklahoma A&M University, the University of Oklahoma and Bob died 2000 from Chromotosis, too Southwestern Oklahoma State University where much iron in the blood. Sarabia was a Carlsbad he received both a bachelor and master degrees. caver, mostly caving in the Gypsum plains and Tom was a member of the National Guard prior was active until the early ‘80s. He and Jim Peck to joining the Army Reserve, where he served (above) discovered Three Fingers and Skull for 29 years, achieving the rank of sergeant caves, Double Canyon, in the summer of 1967. major. He received the Meritorious Achievement Medal and numerous Army Don Sawyer, NSS 16113 Achievement and Army Commendation Medals November 29, 1923 to May 13, 1979 and served his country on active duty during Desert Storm. Here is what I can remember off the Tom retired from New Mexico State top of my head: Dad was born in San Francisco, University at Carlsbad after 22 years, where he CA; died in Roswell, NM of a heart attack. taught primarily economics and accounting. Donald Sawyer (his middle name was Carl, but Tom enjoyed caving, hiking, trap it didn't make it on his birth certificate) lived in shooting, playing old timers baseball and the California with a nanny of sorts. His mother Senior Olympics, where he won numerous traveled all over the world, until she died off the

85 coast of Italy, when he was about 7 or so. Then made to protect the caves with fences: Fort he was sent to Missouri to live with relatives. Stanton, Feather, Agogino’s and Blue Tick. Dad joined the Marines (I think he was 18), --Lee Skinner fought in Tarawa, Saipan, and Guadal Canal (three purple hearts), and was a staff sergeant. “Don Sawyer … gave Meador and me He came back to Kansas City, met/married the go-ahead to boomboom Hicks.” Mom in 1945, and worked for the railroad as a --Andy Komensky telegraph operator. Also, he was a volunteer deputy in Wyandotte County (Kansas City, KS). Heinz Schwinge, Sr. During this time he got a general license in HAM radio operation (call sign WA5OTM *old Heinz Schwinge was a dedicated Fort tired man*). Two children were born – Sandy Stanton Cave photographer, surveyor and (1945) and Don (not Jr.!) (1950). Then, dad explorer. A charter member of the White Sands went to work for the Bureau of Reclamation on Grotto, he was also active in exploring the Texarkana Dam (I think it was called), and Crockett’s and Piñon caves. He died of lung lived in Sulphur, OK, where I was born in 1965. cancer. A passage in Fort Stanton is named after Dad took a job with the BLM and moved to Heinz. Roswell in early 1966, working for the BLM --Lee Skinner until disability retirement in 1973 or ’74, after his motorcycle accident. Noble Stidham, Jr. I think he was involved with caving March 3, 1938 - Feb. 26, 2003 most of the time he worked for the BLM. He used to help out with the QUEEN Rescue using his HAM radio expertise to contact emergency agencies as needed during hunting season in the Guadualupe mountains, southwest of Carlsbad. My dad loved the desert and used to take his little truck and camper out overnight. He loved to take pictures – Mom has a closet filled with slides and photos. --Patti Sawyer, Sandia National Labs

As a BLM employee in Roswell, New Mexico, Sawyer started the BLM cave program and helped organize the first Cave Management Symposium. He was an Honorary Member the . Southwestern Region and a member of the Pecos Valley Grotto. The Bureau of Land Services for Noble Martin Stidham Jr., Management whole-heartedly agreed to a 64, of Lubbock were at Resthaven's Abbey request by Lee Skinner of Sandia Grotto to Chapel. Burial was in Electra Memorial Park in rename the “Valentine Passage” of Fort Stanton Lubbock. He was born in Electra. He graduated Cave the “Don Sawyer Memorial Hall.” from high school in Electra in 1956 and from --Dave Belski Texas Tech in 1960. Noble married Rosemary Byers in Don Sawyer was the first BLM cave Electra in 1961. He joined the Army Reserves in specialist in the Roswell district. During his 1960 and was called to active duty in 1961. time with us, he had the first improvements After two years of active duty, he finished his

86 reserve time in Lubbock in 1963. He owned and the US Forest Service office in Carlsbad, NM. operated Mechanical Systems, Inc. until retiring In 1980, he met Jacki Demo of Skowhegan, in 2000. After retiring, he opened Eagle Self Maine through a mutual friend and they were Storage. He volunteered as a part-time later married in 1993. Jacki worked as a administrative assistant for 15 years at La volunteer for the first 10 years of Ransom’s Clinica. He helped form Lubbock Area Grotto employment with the Forest Service. Ransom and was secretary of Lubbock Amateur Contest took an early retirement in 2004 for medical Club. reasons and returned to his family ranch in La --The Lubbock-Avalanche Journal, Luz. He was working on a trail through his land Thursday, Feb. 27, 2003 on Friday, September 16, when he had a seizure and fell into a ravine to his untimely death. Bob T rout Ransom took his work at the Forest Service seriously and performed it Bob Trout passed away April 17, 2010. conscientiously. His love for the caves of the He was active in the Region in the ‘60s. He Guads went way beyond merely handing out helped find many caves in the Guadalupe keys and permits for their visitation. He worked Mountains. Bob was present at the body tirelessly to do the job he knew needed to be recovery of Doug Evans. done to better manage and protect the caves from overuse. Nonetheless, he frequently went Ransom Turner out of his way to make sure that caving trips went well for everyone involved. Ransom 1959 - 2005 epitomized the spirit of caving in the Guads in It is with great sorrow that I write this the finest sense. His one regret upon his early obituary for my friend, Ransom Turner. Anyone retirement is that he never had the chance to who has gone caving in the Guadalupe accomplish more for the caves he so loved. His Mountains over the past twenty years will tradition will no doubt be carried on by others in remember Ransom as the quiet and gentle man his passing. who arranged for permits, keys and information Cave Ho, my good friend! about the many caves he was steward for in Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. I will Robert S. Willis remember him as well for his soft spoken Aug 26 1928—November 11 2000 kindness and true dedication to protecting and allowing for gentle visitation of the caves in the Robert S. Willis (“Bob”), a former Guads. His quiet demeanor was countered by resident of Albuquerque, passed away on his dry sense of humor and a joke always November 11, 2000. He was born in Escondido, readily at hand. I will miss him greatly. CA on August 26, 1928, He attended the United Ransom Wakefield Turner, III was born States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., the February 25, 1959, in Alamorgordo. His love of University of the Americas, Mexico, D.F., and the outdoors was fostered by his father, a true was a graduate of the University of New cowboy and rancher in the style of the Old Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. He was a career West. Ransom spent many years hiking in the civilian employee of the United States Air wilderness areas near his family’s ranch in La Force, retiring from the Office of Civilian Luz, NM. He learned to rappel with his friends Personnel Operations at Randolph AFB in 1986. and ultimately took up caving as a result. In He was a keen outdoorsman, whose enthusiasm 1985 he turned his love of caving into a job with

87 encompassed not only the mountains and plains, career was in the Snowy River section of Fort but the discovery and exploration of caves as Stanton Cave. well. Tom's sensitivity and concern for the During the 1960s, he was an officer on cave environment was always the most both the local and national levels of the National important aspect of any videography he was Speleological Society. He also maintained a doing. He was giving of his time and expertise deep interest in family genealogy, with a special and often plied his trade with no charge, but interest in that part of his maternal lineage thought the end product "just needed to be which is documented to the early days of the done." As a cave videographer he set new republic of Texas. … Cremation followed a standards for others to follow. Tom was a family memorial service in New Mexico. leader and will be greatly missed. Memorial contributions were made to the Donations in Tom’s memory were sent Alzheimers Association, San Antonio, Texas. to the American Cancer Society (brain cancer research) Albuquerque, NM. Tom Zannes, NSS 33500 --Jim Goodbar

Tom Zannes, 56, of Albuquerque, passed The demise of cavers - Peggy Novak away on June 4, 2006, from cancer. He had and Rex Allan Novak is unknown. Other given much to the caving community regional cavers who have passed on – time throughout the years. His cave videos have been and place is undocumented. acclaimed world-wide. The video "The Spirit of Riki Darling – Southwest Independent Exploration" produced in the 1980s grossed Cavers, Albuquerque over $2 million. He also shot the only footage of Chuck Ernst – Alamogordo the 1991 Emily Mobley Rescue in Lechuguilla Jeep Hardinge Cave. Tom's cave videos also include the "Cave Frank Hibbin, NSS 200, Albuquerque Conservation and Ethics" video which has Dave Isaac, miner, Morenci, Arizona become a standard for teaching new cavers the Lois Larkins proper techniques and methods of caving. He has also documented several cave science --mostly compiled by Dave Belski, expeditions. The last video shoot of Tom's with help from other cavers

88

NSS Award Recognition

William Stephenson Outstanding Service 1975, Carol Hill, “Cave Minerals”

Doug Rhodes, 1991 1993, Dave Belski and Steve Peerman, Lee Stevens, 1994 NM Gypsum Karst Project (GypKaP) Warren Lewis, 1999 1996, The Lint Pickers Project, Carlsbad Dave Jagnow, 2001 Caverns National Park 2004, Guadalupe Area, Cave Research Honorary Member Foundation 2007, Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim Werker, Don Sawyer, 1974 Conservation and restoration at Carlsbad Ronal Kerbo, 1990 Caverns National Park Donald G. Davis, 1992 2009, John J. Corcoran III, Initiation and Jim Goodbar, 2003 Management of Fort Stanton Cave Study Project Science Award 2011, Paul Burger, Protection and documen- tation of caves at Carlsbad Caverns NP Carol Hill, 2003 Penny Boston, 2010 Fellows of the Society John McLean, 2011 Prior to 1967 Lew Bicking Award Dwight Deal, NSS 3592 1968 Doug Rhodes, 1970 Pete Lindsley, NSS 5566 Donald G. Davis, 1986 1969 Mark Minton (former SWR member), 2009 John J. Corcoran III, NSS 7165 Donald G. Davis, NSS 4956 Victor A. Schmidt Conservation Award Harvey R. Duchene, NSS 6318

Escabrosa Grotto, 1976 Alan E. Hill, NSS 7166 Southwestern Region, 1993 Carl E. Kunath, NSS 6230 Joel “Tom” Meador, NSS 5202 V. A. Schmidt Conservation - Individual Ellsworth A. Rolfs, NSS 6338 Lee H. Skinner, NSS 4807 David Jagnow, 1995 1970 Val Hildreth-Werker, 2009 Andy Komensky, NSS 8164 Douglas W. Rhodes, NSS 6746 Spelean A rts and Letters 1973 Richard L. Breisch, NSS 9352 Glenda Dawson, 1997 1974 Don Sawyer, NSS 16113 Certificate of Merit 1977

1963, Dwight Deal with Herb and Jan Conn, Don Martin, NSS 3796 Survey of Jewel Cave Linda Starr, NSS 11384 1973, Pete Lindsley, Guadalupe Cave 1978 Survey William P. Bishop, NSS 10418

89 Fellows continued 1998 1978 Jim Evatt, NSS 7602 Carol Hill, NSS 8449 Lois (Lyles) Manno, NSS 39232 1981 Victor Polyak, NSS 26681 Dave Belski, NSS 7875 1999 Warren C “Doc” Lewis, NSS 8856 Lysa DeThomas, NSS 25500 Lee Stevens, NSS 16985 John Lyles, NSS 19871 1982 Duke McMullan, NSS 13429 Carol L. Belski, NSS 9249 Kathy Peerman, NSS 19676 Sarah G. Bishop, NSS 11331 Pat Seiser, NSS 28650 1983 2000 George Veni, NSS 17322 Bill Bentley, NSS 21977 1985 Bob Buecher, NSS 11265 Patricia Kambesis, 17304 Mac Deets, NSS 10293 1987 Jeff Forbes, NSS 17158 Richard J. Wolfert, NSS 14722 2001 Bill Yett, NSS 3604 Stan Allison, NSS 27656 1988 Barbe Barker, NSS 33397 John Ganter, NSS 22870 Sam Bono, NSS 24760 1989 Stephen Fleming, NSS 13727 Don Broussard (former), NSS 9514 2003 Dave Jagnow, NSS 8177 Brian Galbraith, NSS 38821 1990 Peter Jones, NSS 11421 Ron Kerbo, NSS 11539 Bob Pape, NSS 13765 Karen Lindsley, NSS 11854 Megan Porter, NSS 38171 1991 Jerry Trout, NSS 4279 Barbara Ann amEnde, NSS 15789 2004 Steve Peerman, NSS 16158 Peg Sorensen, NSS 26779 Ron Ralph, NSS 7616 2005 1992 Slim Baxter, NSS 16080 Jack Dorsey, NSS 1641 Esty Pape, NSS 13560 Jim Goodbar, NSS 9715 Paula Provencio, NSS 38769 Pat Jablonski, NSS 26924 2008 Diana Northup, NSS 11561 J. Michael Queen, NSS 13805 Glenda Rhodes, NSS 15134 Kevin Stafford, NSS 41852 1993 2009 Patty Daw, NSS 20235 Tom Bemis, NSS 16148 Ray Keeler, NSS 23245 Blake Jordan, NSS 43030 Jeff Lory, NSS 13746 2010 1994 James (Jim) T. Cox, NSS 36389 Paul Burger, NSS 236452 John McLean, NSS 5840 James G. Mitchell Award 1997 Jason Richards, NSS 9528 1973, J. Michael Queen, NSS 13805 Val Hildreth-Werker, NSS 28963 2009, Aaron Curtis, NSS 60670 Jim Werker, NSS 31652

90 2006 John Lyles SW R Honorary Members 2007 Mike Bilbo 2008 Buzz Hummel (Editor) The following SWR Honorary members 2009 Jennifer Foote have been recognized for their service to the 2010 Jim Cox, Robert Nymeyer (Deceased) Southwestern Region. Selection reflects widely 2011 - No one was named, oversight varied contributions in many areas involving expertise, leadership, planning, management, exploration, science and numerous other activities, which were to the benefit and Jim Cox – advancement of the SWR and its membership. When two candidates are named, the resulting 2010 SW R Honorary vote tally was likely a tie or very close. Member

1962-1978 Original Honorary Members: Jim Cox was selected as an Honorary Pete Lindsley, Lee Skinner, Donald Davis, Member of the Southwestern Region in long- Harvey DuChene overdue recognition of his considerable Restarted contributions to the management and protection 1979 Don Sawyer (Deceased) of caves on federal lands in New Mexico. 1980 Dwight Deal Jim has been a tireless gate builder. His 1981 Dave Jagnow work demonstrably is in a whole category by 1982 Doug Rhodes itself. It is impossible to know how much 1983 Joel Tom Meador (Deceased) material he has donated over the years for gate 1984 Dave Belski installations. Then, there was his enormous 1985 Andy Komensky investment in time and skills, for which he 1986 Carol Belski freely donated more effort than probably even 1987 Carol Hill he can account for. 1988 Linda Starr In the grand scheme of things, BLM, in 1989 Ron Kerbo, Steve Peerman particular, would not have the kinds of gates 1990 Jim Goodbar designed, built and installed by Cox. The Snowy 1991 Duke McMullan River shaft reconstruction very likely would still 1992 Glenda Dawson be a desire awaiting plan design, funding and 1993 Joli Eaton (Lee) contracting if Cox had not turned a volunteer 1994 Jeff Lory design into a volunteer reality by donating all 1995 Slim Baxter the work needed to get the structure fabricated. 1996 Jim Evatt The time constraints he operated under 1997 Kathy Peerman were necessary to make volunteer installation 1998 Sam Bono feasible and efficient. The production pressure 1999 Jeff Forbes (to stay ahead of the safety issue for impending 2000 Ells Rolfs, Wayne Walker structural failure of the wooden shoring) placed 2001 Stephen Fleming significant additional demands on his free time, 2002 John Corcoran and may well have been reflected in his personal 2003 Victor Polyak, Chuck Carrara business’s bottom line. However, we will never 2004 John McLean know because he will never tell us. 2005 Ransom Turner (Deceased) With the Snowy River shaft and with every gate, BLM has gotten an incredible cost-

91 benefit that it otherwise would not have been lubricator, and agitator come to mind. I'm sure able to afford or accomplish without Jim's Jason was some sort of "ator." efforts. The labor and contract costs of a According to Mac Deets, the first normal agency construction process would have recipient of the award was Harv DuChene. been prohibitive. Harv was chosen because, in the words of Mac, Jim was selected as an NSS Fellow "he was older than Jason and we never let him in 2010, and also received the BLM forget it!" John remembers that Mac was the National Take Pride in America Award first recipient. Both agree that it was awarded at the same year because of his selfless service Fort Stanton Cave at either Harv's or Mac's and exhaustive effort. The SWR joined the birthday. NSS and BLM to add well-deserved peer It seems that a year or two later it was recognition of his service and given back to Mac. Mac then presented it to accomplishments. John at a birthday party in Albuquerque. Additionally, Jim received an NSS Though the history is a bit vague on this point, it Video Salon Merit Award, Amateur seems apparent that it was given back to Harv at Division, for his video documentary, some point, whereupon he had the names of the “Snowy River and the Dig.” Jim spent honorees engraved on small plates attached to much free time documenting cave resources the cane, in order that "the award might become in the Snowy River part of Fort Stanton more significant and important with time - Cave. Jim readily passes CDs and DVDs become a real honor for the recipient." Or, out to BLM management, cavers and the reflecting another viewpoint, John adds, "so we public at his own expense. could keep track of who the wusses were!" --Stephen Fleming Harv gave it to Pat Jablonsky at his 50th birthday party just before she and Bill Yett moved to New Mexico. She apparently decided

to pass it on to Ron Kerbo. However, Harv was The Wuss Walker Award the one who presented it to Ron at the 1994 convention in Brackettville, Texas. Sometime in By Steve Peerman the next few years, Ron passed it to Rich Wolfert. The Wuss Walker is a "traveling trophy" Rich passed it on to Steve Peerman at that has been given to cavers in the area who the December, 2000, Southwestern Region have attained some degree of age and meeting in Las Cruces, New Mexico. decrepitude. The origins of the award are a bit Receiving the Wuss Walker award fuzzy, but it seems that it was originally actually is an honor, and is perhaps a stimulus conceived by Mac Deets, Jason Richards and for getting out there and "doing it." In fact, Harv John McLean sometime in 1986 or '87. says, "I would point out, though, that I have The award consists of a cheap black been privileged to do some of the best and most wooden cane upon which is mounted a well- arduous caving of my life after I got the Wuss used Justrite carbide lamp through the Walker…. Maybe it was the Wuss Walker that mechanism of a standard automotive hose stirred me up enough to get serious about my clamp. caving again. May it have the same effect on all John says that it was his cane and hose of its future recipients." clamp that went into the design, while Mac Steve was faced with the awesome supplied the lamp. One can only guess what responsibility of choosing the next recipient of Jason supplied, though the words instigator, the award. The Southwestern Region offered

92 numerous candidates. Though it would seem really is an old fart. And he gave up the climb to that caving is a young person's sport, the caving Guadalupe Peak after climbing three fourths of community has grayed considerably. the way. However, another LGGG member got According to John, the award has been the nod this time. "given more in the spirit of honoring a birthday The 2001 recipient of the Wuss Walker (rather) than emphasizing physical disability." not only met the age requirement but excelled at John's diplomacy is commendable. However, demonstrating the qualities of decay and Harv puts it more directly: "I'm happy to see dilapidation worthy of this station in life. He has that people are still as mystified by the award as been known to fall into a deep slumber in the I was when I got it. I hope that the next recipient middle at any convenient opportunity. is as emotionally devastated to learn that his or On this particular Guadalupe Peak her peers regard him or her as 'seriously over the climb, the 2001 recipient – along with his wife hill.'" and daughter – climbed to within 200 feet of the The LGGG, (the Lower Guads Gimp summit and turned back – a sign of true lack of Grotto) for those who don't know, is a group of resolve. (Either that or a sign of true wisdom, candidates for this award who get together given the weather conditions that day.) The frequently for caving and other outings suitable recipient of the Wuss Walker for 2001 was for the slower pace of life at their particular Stephen Fleming. point on the hill of life. At the most recent LGGG activity, the group got together to Mac Deets complete the awesome challenge of climbing Wow! It's been around hasn't it? Jason Guadalupe Peak on the day after Thanksgiving. Richards and I made the Wuss Walker for For most cavers, this trail is not a Harvey DuChene for his birthday party at Ft. particularly daunting task. However, pushing Stanton cave a very long time, and many dead aging bodies full of Thanksgiving turkey and brain cells ago. It had to be '86 or '87 as it was a cheer up the 4.3 miles and 3000 ft. climb on a UNM class trip Jason and I taught together. day when 70 mph winds were frequently Then, it was given back to me a year or two recorded throughout the state was approaching later; you might ask Jason about this, but he has insanity. fewer brain cells left then I do. The brain- Here, must be found, the appropriate sucking hodag lives in CaCa. I completely candidate for the next recipient of the award! forget, but we kind of think it went to John Would it be Jim Evatt, who begged off of the McLean next at his birthday party in Guadalupe Mountain hike entirely, complaining Albuquerque, and we added a crutch with a of a sore back? Or how about Kathy Peerman, paddle on the end. (Editor: this has since who wisely backed out when her recovery from disappeared.) a sinus infection had not progressed It was my carbide lamp from my sufficiently? collection. Harv was given the award because he Patty Daw bravely attempted the hike was older than Jason and I, and we never let him but was quickly forced back by bad knees. A forget it. I don't know how old he was, but like I valiant effort! Carol Belski was a likely said, it happened around 1986. candidate as well. She had completed the hike Please let me know how good my only a few weeks earlier, but found an excuse to memory is when the history is written. turn back on this one. Can't be at Winter Tech will be in Dave Belski, the region's reigning Vegas, say hi to all I know. patriarch, seemed a great choice. He met all the Happy Holes, Mac Deets significant criteria for a recipient, meaning he

93 Harvey DuChene receiver as a suggestion if you are so inclined. I don't remember why I got the Wuss Who are you considering giving it to? I won't Walker, but I got it from Mac Deets. I gave it to tell a soul! Gotta run for now! Keep caving! Ron Kerbo at the NSS Convention at Our address in Arizona is P.O. Box 2218 Brackettville near Del Rio, Texas about 10 years Petrified Forest NP, AZ 86028 ago. I also remember being slightly drunk when I gave my presentation speech. I was John McLean responsible for starting the "tradition" of putting I am embarrassed to say I don't little brass nameplates on it so we wouldn't remember much about the origins of the award, forget who was old and decrepit enough to have even though I was in on it. I think Jason received it. I recall that I decided to put the Richards came up with the idea, and I supplied name plates on because I thought the award the cane and hose clamp for the carbide lamp (I might become more significant and important guess Jason must have supplied the lamp, or with time - become a real honor for the maybe it was vice-versa). Mac was to have one recipient. I'm happy to see that people are still of the “milestone” birthdays (40th?) at a as mystified by the award as I was when I got it. regional (Ft. Stanton?) in the early ‘80s. After I hope that the next recipient is as the first annoying award, it seemed like such a emotionally devastated to learn that his or her good idea that it turned into a traveling trophy. "peers" regard him or her as "seriously over the Harv had the award plate made when he got the hill." I would point out, though, that I have been award, so we could keep track of who the privileged to do some of the best and most wusses were. I think I was awarded it on a trip arduous caving of my life *after* I got the to Carlsbad Caverns in the mid-‘80s, but I don't Wuss Walker, including dozens of multi-day remember when it was passed on to Pat – hope trips into Lechuguilla, a couple of trips to she does. Harv was in charge of awarding it to Mexico, and some caving in Europe! Maybe it Ron at the Texas NSS convention in '94. I note was the Wuss Walker that stirred me up enough that all the awardees are still more-or-less active to get serious about my caving again. May it cavers, so the award is given more in the spirit have the same effect on all its future recipients! of honoring a birthday than emphasizing physical disability. Pat Jablonsky There – I guess that I have proved to Hello to Steve and Kathy! By the way, everyone's satisfaction that I really am an old Bill and I are moving to Petrified Forest fart – I can't remember much of anything. I National Park the day after Christmas. I'm plead age, inattention, insanity, and occasional hoping to get back to doing some caving – drunkenness. possibly in the El Malpais south of I-40 in New Mexico. Do you know who is running that Stephen Fleming project? I think I gave it to Bob Rodgers but will As far as the Wuss Walker – Harvey have to muse on that some....seems it had gave it to me at his 50th birthday party and just something to do with a hammer. Bob? before Bill and I moved to New Mexico. I gave Also, Peerman will have to tell you why it to Ron. Harvey is the one person I know who I got it. I know, but I ain't saying, because it was can give you all the details though. At some all bogus anyway. Bob likely will say the same time, I would like to see it passed on to Bill thing. Yett, if possible. Although he has pretty much quit caving he does deserve and could use the In 2001, I received the not-so-coveted stick for support! So, pass that on to the next Wuss Walker Award from Steve Peerman,

94 through no fault of my own. deficient hyperbole. Dave cautioned Bob about Despite his claim that I wimped out 200 either damaging or losing the hammer. After a feet from the top of Guadulupe Peak, where we few giggles on my part at this theatrical prudently turned back before somebody got performance, Bob merely said: "Just give me blown off the trail/mountain, in 60+ mph winds the damn hammer; I'm not going to hurt it." – or and sideways snow, that made visibility only a words to that effect. few feet. I had summitted that peak at least twice already, and later added another trip, It Was Not To Be. solely by full-moon light, without ever using In a matter of minutes, the hammer artificial light. Take that! Oh purveyor of the disappeared into the mists of time, taking part of stick. Dave's heritage with it. Upon Bob's completion Anyway, like a rootless willow shoot, of camp setup, the hammer was nowhere to be that cane was getting real antsy in the corner of found. Bob had set it down somewhere and my house. It was itching to see new promptly forgotten where that was. Bob looked; surroundings. Alas, no one had committed any we all looked. It did not seem possible, but it acts that seemed to qualify. was GONE! Dave still has not gotten over this However, all that changed at the 2003 after nearly nine years. (I think it slinked over to NSS Convention in Porterville, CA. Opening Groad Hollow, which by then was uncharacter- day at the campground saw the usual assortment istically quiet after a campus security guard, of SWR folks setting up camp. As literally the sent to them by Dave, had told them to turn first person in the camping area, I had staked out down the radio that was not unduly loud...they one of the few shady spots and set up a never got rowdy the entire week). defensible perimeter for our group. The line Oh Joy! I was able to proudly present held against the incursions of others seeking Bob Rodgers with that most visible caver- shade, including the banishing of the Texas symbol of advancing age, the funky cane with Cavers' Groad Hollow to a site a bit further out attached carbide light, and get the damned thing in the field where the sun seemed to have a out of my house. However, as a memento of mellowing effect the entire week (Groad Hollow physical or mental impairment, it had the ain't what it used to be...now consisting more of mysterious effect that it has demonstrated on a sign than an event). every recipient...a renewed vigor and Dave Belski completed his campsite involvement in things of note. Today, Bob is the using a small sledge-type hammer that had seen statewide Search and Rescue Coordinator for better days and likely had been made from ore the New Mexico State Police, something that mined and smelted by Dave himself. Dave and I surely would never have come to pass without were settled in the shade with the ameliorating the WussWalker coming his way first. effects of cerveza fria. Now, if you check with Bob, you'll find About this time, Bob Rodgers arrived his version of these events sort of not too and began his camp setup. Shortly, Bob ambled closely matches the above description. Any over to inquire if he could borrow a hammer. discrepancies in his story are the result of Having just watched Dave expertly use such a meeting the qualifications for the WussWalker. tool, I directed Bob to him. The informed reader will disregard them. As is usual, Dave made a big production out of loaning Bob the tool. Things like: it was a Bob Rodgers priceless Polish heirloom, been in the family for I received the award from Fleming centuries, had been used in the construction of because during the California Convention, I the Great Wall of China, and other accuracy- borrowed Dave's hammer when I was setting up

95 my tent. Somehow the hammer disappeared. You got the award because you lost the During the SWR Winter Regional when I was minutes (forgot where you put them) for two given the award, I gave Dave a true "polish" different regionals (you were secretary at the hammer in return. This hammer had a head that time). You keep forgetting things and I felt that pivot to three different positions. if I let you keep the walker, you would put it The next year I presented the award to somewhere and forget where it is. We would Dave. I was told a story that Dave had injured never see it again. himself on a hike in Dark Canyon that year. And I know I made the right choice to keep your award in my home. Dave Belski I, not unlike Stephen Fleming, have no Linda Starr idea why I received the award. I got it from Bob When I asked Mike whose name he Rodgers, I think in retaliation for my serious wanted me to put on the award, since I had it at ribbing him about his losing my pristine polish my house, he could not think of anyone who did hammer at a previous caving gathering. He something off the wall. So, we suggested he finally replaced it with a completely inferior give it to someone he thought was a good caver. model. In my mind, there was no logical reason He thought of you, your years of service and for the bestowing upon me this illustrious dedication to SWR. award. To my knowledge, I had never done -- from an e-mail to Kathy Peerman anything to deserve this recognition. – Dave I was the recipient of the SWR Wuss K athy Peerman Walker Award at the December 2011 SWR I had arranged to pick up cavers from Winter Tech. Regional in Las Cruces, although I Mudgett's Cave down in the canyon (Editor: received it for being the opposite of a wuss, during a SWR held on the well pad near Big which was a sort-of pleasant surprise. Mike Manhole), so they would not have to hike back Bilbo presented the trophy to me by showing the to camp. It would be shorter this way for them. audience slides of a horrendous ascent up We scheduled a time and place for me to be Apache Canyon in the Florida Mountains, there. I was there early; it was a very hot day, so where we went to a slot cave with pictographs I decided to move the truck for more shade, of Apache spirit dance figures, as well as which was around the corner from our caballeros on horseback. This trip had followed scheduled meet place. Jeff Lory hiked down the a mini-vacation Spring Break trip in Costa Rica, hill to find me and could not, so he hiked back when I had fallen off a horse, while returning up and told the others I was not there. Well, the from a waterfall adventure. (My hike was aided cavers hiked back to camp. I waited a long time with the help of “Vitamin I” before.) We were with no show, so I drove back to camp to some on Mike’s trek in March, following the SWR in not very happy people. the backcountry near Deming. (Editor: Kathy received another SWR At the time Mike Bilbo presented the award that has since been lost [perhaps, on award to me, I was a little bewildered as I purpose] for this incident.) always thought of a “wuss” in negative terms. In his presentation, Mike said something like, I Mike Bilbo was the “epitome of a “wuss” (I didn’t know Kathy, why did I get the award and why how to take that); then he showed a close-up did you not let me keep it for the year? – e-mail photo of my backside wedged in the slot cave. from Mike Bilbo He also mentioned his knowledge of my annual Kathy’s response: LOL! 14,000-ft-peak ascents in Colorado and a 50-

96 mile fundraising walk I do every year. Now, I I can’t say who the next Wuss Walker know a “wuss” = “old fart” and I, admittedly, fit awardee might be at this time. But I hope to that definition. So, my idea of the Wuss Walker continue by bestowing the award to someone, Award has been transformed. It’s a very over 50, who has caved and hiked long and hard handsome award, sitting prominently in our over many decades and is continuing to front skylit hallway, and I am honored to have demonstrate the physical agility of agedness. received it.

“Lost and found” depiction of Feather Cave by Gary Davis. (See more of Gary’s art on back cover.)

97

Southwestern Region ANDERSON CHESTER 6340 ANDERSON LAURA 59513 ANDERSON SONYA 6341 Members and Associates ANDERSON VICTOR 14692 ANDREWS ANELLA 11808 (as of 12/5/2011) ANDREWS NICK 33327 ANUTA ALBERT 3748 1962 – 2012 ARAGON EMERLENE 59486 ARMSTRONG DAVID 41339 ARMSTRONG HILLARY 23257 The SWR has amassed an impressive record of ARMSTRONG LISA ARMSTRONG MERYL 52103 caver involvement in its 50 years. One ARMSTRONG RICHARD 8811 thousand, eight hundred, twenty-five (1,825) ARMSTRONG RICK ARMSTRONG STEVE names have been compiled from NSS and SWR ARMSTRONG WYATT 47365 membership records, the Southwestern Caver, ASHBERGER SHERRY 30903 ATHA WILLIAM 47335 attendance rosters at regional and grotto events, ATHERTON IVY 13560 trip reports and various note sources. ATHERTON KRYSTAL 15231 ATKINSON JERRY 22368 Undoubtedly, there are omissions and ATTAWAY NANCY 14122 unrecognized duplications. Inclusion here ATTAWAY STEVE 16583 AUB Dr CONRAD 7963 recognizes participation from a single event to AUBY BILL 50 years of association. Data is organized as AUSTIN DARRELL 16530 AYLWORTH CHUCK 9339 Last Name, First Name, NSS #. AYRE PAT 5608 AYRE ROBERT 5160 ABEAR GERALD BABB JENNIFER ABEAR JERRY BABB PRISCILLA ABERNATHY JACK BABB ROBBIE 8480 ABLE HAYDEN 43334 BABINGTON WILLIAM 50572 ABLE JOHN 43332 BACA CARLOTA 7164 ABLE SHONA 43333 BACH JEFF 62887 ACKERMAN JOHN 28955 BACH MARCUS 62888 ADAMS BEN BACKLUND BOBBIE 34109 ADAMS DIANNE 25437 BACKMAN ALAN 33314 ADAMS KATHLEEN 27565 BAER ROGER 11675 ADAMS SCOTT 25436 BAGGETT BILL ADAMS SCOTT 50058 BAILEY DOUG 24775 ADAMS STEWART BAINS WALTER AGEE BILL BAKER AMIE 17138 AGUILAR ALEJANDRO BAKER BRUCE 17336 AGUILAR ILARIO BAKER JAMES 3064 AHERN COLLEEN 13233 BALDWIN JIM AHERN WALLACE N 13623 BALDWIN SARAH AKERS BILLIE 6306 BALES MARK 18976 AKERS BILLY RAY 6303 BALGEMANN BILL ALBILLAR ORLANDO BALISTRERI MIKE 36513 ALBRECHT CHARLES 6129 BALL STEVE 55790 ALEXANDER LAUREN 45103 BALLARD JERRY 43745 ALEXANDER PAULA 42288 BALLEAU BOB ALLEN BEA 18096 BALLENSLY JASON 50409 ALLISON STAN 27656 BALLINGER MARTIS LEON 6395 ALLISON-KOSIOR GOSIA 45834 BALLINGER ROYCE 3946 ALLURED DAVE 15630 BALULIS JOHN 37394 ALLURED VI 15362 BANKS CINDY ALTER WILLIAM 8609 BANKS GLEN ALVAREZ LYNDA 53864 BANKS WALTER 10800 ALWARD BOB 27253 BANNISTER BETH AM ENDE BARBARA 15789 BANUELOS RAFAEL 45823 AMICK BERET BANUELOS RICHARD 42918 AMIDON CHRISTOPHER 52685 BANUELOS SUZANNE 42919 ANAYA ARTHUR BARBEE JOHN 35285 ANDERLE CHUCK 31477 BARBER CHARLES 51212 ANDERSON ANDREW 4495 BARDEN MICHAEL 18233

98 BARKEMEYER HOPE BILBO BARBARA 39800 BARKER BARBE 33397 BILBO MIKE 14994 BARKHURST DON BINGHAM JACK BARNETT CHARLES 2545 BIRENBOIM AARON 32699 BARR BILL BIRNBAUM DAVID BARR DON BISHOP SARAH 11331 BARR SUE BISHOP WILLIAM 10418 BARRICK JOHN 4288 BLAIR EVELYN 57998 BARTLETT RICHARD 4883 BLAIR JONATHAN 57997 BASSETT CHUCK 34921 BLIZZARD CHRISTOPHER 41313 BASSHAM EDWARD (ELBERT) 7674 BLIZZARD JIM 41311 BAUER PAULA 41577 BLIZZARD SHERRY 41312 BAUKNECHT JEFF 29212 BLODGETT DAN 23607 BAUKNECHT JIMMIE 32479 BOANS JERRY 6945 BAUKNECHT ROBERT 32478 BODENHAMER HANS 16668 BAXTER CORNELL (SLIM) 16080 BODHAM GARY BEARD CHARLES BOEHNING MONICA BEARDSLEY RAYMOND 14709 BOGLE FRANK 19788 BEARDSLEY ROBERTA 14710 BOHMAN RICHARD 50283 BEATY BECCE ANN 8524 BOLDT STEVE BEATY BILL 8522 BOLGER TERRY 22932 BEATY BUTCH 11490 BOLINGER LOREN 5727 BEAUDOIN CHUCK BOLTON BILL BEAUVAIS BOB BOLTON RICK 47441 BEAVEAIS BOB BONEAU PHYLLIS 43409 BEBB JESSIE 51537 BONHAM BETTY 8506 BECHMAN Mrs HOWARD 3284 BONHAM BRENDA 8505 BECK CHRIS 27056 BONHAM WILLIAM 8504 BECKER DENNIS BONNEY MARSHA BECKER DONALD 37456 BONO SAM 24760 BEDNORZ MICHAEL 25430 BONSKOWSKI RICHARD 7534 BELLAY FRANCOIS BORLAND CHARLES 9133 BELSKI ANDREW 12646 BOSTON PENELOPE 44478 BELSKI CAROL 9249 BOUCHER LARRY BELSKI DAVID 7875 BOUDINOT HANK 49368 BELSKI GAIL 12283 BOWEN LELAND BEMIS BOBBIE 22678 BOWMAN NORMAN 4620 BEMIS MANNIE 37402 BOYD CAREN 22257 BEMIS MELISSA 22679 BOYD KYLE 20557 BEMIS PAUL 35226 BOYD MELISSA 16645 BEMIS STEPHANIE 26902 BOYD RANDY 17700 BEMIS TOM 16184 BOYER DOROTHY (CORCORAN) 12510 BENHAM TOM 26053 BOYETTE JENNIFER 54579 BENNECKE ROBERT BRADBURY WALLACE 4535 BENNETT AMBER 58689 BRADY JOHN 14277 BENNETT BILL 24266 BRADY MARIE BENNETT EVELYN 18178 BRANSTETTER Dr JOHN 15405 BENNETT GEMMA (MORRISON) 7261 BRANSTETTER SUSAN BENNETT SUE 51788 BREISCH RICHARD 9352 BENSLEY ANGEL BREUNT JAMES 26937 BENSLEY JOHN BREWINGTON CARL BENTLEY WILLIAM 21877 BRIANS SUZAN 32044 BENZ MILFRED BRIDGEMAN RON 6614 BERDUGO LIZ 30984 BRIDGERA DOUG BERES ALBERT 13079 BRIDGES RICK 12084 BERES DINAH 8492 BRIGGS MIKE BERGER BYRON E 13747 BRINKLEY R A 15406 BERGER JACK 12830 BROD LANG 5329 BERGMAN MICHELE BROOKE RICHARD BERGO STEVE BROOKS JOHN 24470 BERGTHOLD LOIS (MANNO) 28056 BROOKS SCOTT BERRY DEAN BROUSSARD DON 9514 BERRY J R 43258 BROWN BILL BEST BARRY 16145 BROWN CAROLINE 8557 BEST MELISSA 16146 BROWN CHRIS 36785 BETHARD CINDY 20142 BROWN DAN BICE DONALD 44154 BROWN DOC BICE TED 40701 BROWN GAIL BIDDY JEFF 16197 BROWN LEW

99 BROWN Mrs FRANKYE 12944 CARRASCO KEVIN 36379 BROWN WILLIAM C 13776 CARRASCO NICOLE 40328 BROWN WILLIAM E 60040 CARRELLO GARY 9753 BROWNE ROLAND 15143 CARRILLO DONNA 9754 BRUCE CHARLES 21036 CARROLL LEWIS 27480 BRUMMET KENNETH 4207 CARTER MITCH 33446 BRUNNER ANDY CARTER STEPHEN 49428 BRUNT JAMES CASADY CARY 10766 BRUNT TERESA 26938 CASSELS-SMITH KATY 5786 BRUSTAD CINDY 41710 CAVENEE WES 51870 BRUSTAD L JAY 41709 CHAMBERLAIN FREDERICK 4082 BRYANT ROY CHAMBERLAIN FREDERICK IV 7083 BUCHAKLIAN BOBBY CHAMBERLAIN Mrs FRED 5860 BUCHANAN JACQUELINE 62214 CHAMBERLIN WALTER 1108 BUCKLEY CECILIA CHAMBERS GREG 44945 BUCKLEY JOHN CHAPIN JO ANN 15862 BUECHER BOB 11265 CHAPIN TERENCE 15861 BUECHER DEBBIE 13590 CHARLES NANCY BUECHLER PETER 20830 CHAVEZ DON BUFFALOE BARNEY CHESS L A BUGE DAVE CHILD JACK 4728 BULLARD BRYANT 57714 CHILD SALLY 5572 BULLINGTON NEAL 10872 CHONG SHARON 37457 BULLIS JERRY 23254 CHRISTENSON SCOTT 13219 BULLIS LINDA 23252 CHRISTIANSON ANDREW 40688 BUNKER MIKE CHRISTIANSON CONWAY 7341 BURAK MARK CHURCHMAN JOSEPH 53220 BURGER PAUL 26452 CHURCHMAN SUSAN BURGESS GARRON 48493 CICERO PAT 25318 BURGESS HARRY 32789 CISARIK WILLIAM 13982 BURGESS JENNA 53867 CLARK MICHAEL W 10073 BURGESS RICHARD 7124 CLARK PIXIE 25279 BURKE EDGAR 12014 CLARK VIRGINIA BURKE JAMES 43406 CLARKE PAUL 52988 BURKE JOHN 52730 CLARKE STEPHEN 41257 BURKE Mrs JOHN CLARKE TODD BURKHAM ROY 26939 CLAYCOMB JENNIFER 43373 BURNAM BEN CLENNON BART 9943 BURNETTE LAURA 53354 CLINGER CATHERINE 61115 BURNS JOHN 10754 CLODI PAUL 13925 BURNS PAT 14533 COCHRAN DICK 10664 BURT JON 58893 COCHRAN JILLARD BURTON ROBERT 43442 COCHRAN JOHN 19398 BUTLER TOBIN COCHRELL PAUL 55849 BUTLER TRICIA 21793 CODA FRANK BUTTERFIELD KEN 27451 COGBURN JAMES 16186 BYRD ROY 47771 COKER MITCH 23759 BYRD WYATT 35662 COLBORNE PATTY CAIN DON COLE JAMES CAIN GEORGE 6359 COLEBORNE PATTY 16069 CALAMIA MARK COLEHIUR VERNAL ALIDA 5738 CALHOUN PHILO 52013 COLEMAN MICHAEL 12736 CALKINS ROBERT COLES CALVIN CALVERT REBECCA 43787 COLLIER EVERETT 8639 CALVERT STEVE 27554 COLLINGSWORTH MIKE CAMPBELL AUDREY COLLINS DENNIS 49292 CAMPBELL JEFFREY 62371 COLLINS DONNA CAMPBELL JERRY 12027 COLUZZI MARK 35489 CAMPBELL SAMUEL 12031 COLWELL CLIFTON 53596 CAMPBELL TONY 12032 COMBS MARTIN 18851 CARDENAS REINHARD 49156 COMPEAU CECIL 55021 CARESS MARY 33936 CONE CALLIE 19399 CARMAN CAROL (BELSKI) 9249 CONNALLY DARRELL 14196 CARPENTER KEN 4763 CONNOLLY CYNTHIA 45982 CARPENTER NATE CONROY CAROL 15368 CARRARA CHESTER 7897 COOK JAMES 53427 CARRARA CHUCK 3945 COON LESLIE CARRARA LARRY 4296 COOPER JOHN 4803 CARRARA MARIANNE 8385 COOPER JOSH 31630

100 COOPER SCOTT 30993 DeBUVITZ KIJA 55791 COOPER WILLIAM 4523 DECKER DAVE 31115 COPELAND PAT 22361 DEETS MAC 10293 CORCORAN CARRI 35484 DEETS PAULA CORCORAN DOROTHY DEETS SHAWN 25713 CORCORAN GAVIN 29338 DEGUZMAN ROBIN 62110 CORCORAN JOHN, III 7165 DELL DAVE 26919 CORCORAN MIKE 10133 DEMOS PEGGY CORCORAN SHANNON 35483 DeNEE PHIL 20698 CORDERO ANN 17416 DENNY SONDRA 37505 CORDERO DAVID 17417 DENTON ELIZABETH 10677 CORDOVA RICK 37746 DENTON PERRY 10676 CORNISH ROBERT 51901 DESJARDINES JILL 28197 COSGROVE BOB 18475 DESJARDINES RICHARD 26085 COTTON TOMMY 15494 DESJARLAIS MICHAEL 29936 COX ANN 36389 DeTHOMAS LYSA 25500 COX JAMES 36389 DiCAPUA RICHARD 39392 COX PAM 37497 DICKER MIKE 44566 CRANE KORTNEY 37590 DILLON EDWIN 26944 CRANSTON CRAIG DILLON SAM 23857 CRANSTON KELLY DILLON TOM 18905 CRAWFORD EDWARD 3499 DiMARCO TRENT 54822 CRAWFORD MARY 5068 DiMATTEO MICHAEL 58897 CROCKETT DAVID 42124 DISPENSA ZEE CROCKETT JAMES 44978 DITTRICH MARK CROCKETT JASEN 44979 DIXON RICHARD 5589 CROCKETT JESSICA 44980 DODSON JERRY 25178 CROCKETT RUSS 41936 DOHERTY DENNIS CROCKETT WENDY 41935 DOLAN DANNY CRONE ? 10774 DOLPHAY NICKOLAS 8081 CRONK JULIA 33891 DONOVAN NINA 6414 CROSBY GEORGE 25738 DOOR TOMMY CROW HOWARD 10744 DORAN LINDA 36372 CROWNOBLE CAROL DORSEY JACK 1641 CRUMP TERRY DOTTER TOM 35747 CUDDY C EMORY 5197 DOUGHTY ROBERT 62922 CUMMINGS DAVID 24531 DOUGLAS FRED 8024 CUMMINGS MIKE DOWDY ANN CUNNINGHAM PHILIP 46968 DOWNEY LYNN 51839 CURRIER CALVIN 35617 DOWSON BILL CURRY MEGAN 53397 DREW MIKE 8724 CURTIS AARON 60670 DROBKA DIANE CUTTS RANDY DUARTE MARCO DAHMS GUY DuCHENE ALEX 27752 DAILY JOHN DuCHENE ANN (LOOSE) 9990 DALE NATHANIEL 54669 DuCHENE HARVEY 6318 DAMEWOOD WILLIAM DuCHENE JUDY DANA BILL 15213 DuCHENE ROSS 8642 DANFORD FRANCIS L DUKEMINIER BOB 6604 DARILEK GLENN 14446 DUNCAN DOUG DARLING RIKI 14353 DUNHAM ARTHUR 7944 DARLINGTON ROBERT 55822 DUNLAP PAUL 57995 DART JIM DUNN LINDA 23252 DART JOHN DUNN REBECCA 32192 DAUGHTREX TERRY DUNN STEPHEN 27367 DAVIS BEVERLY J 8386 DWIVEDI RAVINDRA 59802 DAVIS DONALD 4956 DYE STEVE DAVIS GARI (GARY) 8059 EARLE ELIZABETH 29451 DAVIS NADINE 35054 EATON BETH 24736 DAW PATTY 20235 EATON JAMES 24535 DAWSON GLENDA 15134 EATON JOLI (LEE) 19962 DAWSON JAMES 8742 EATON THREVA 24734 DAWSON JOHN EBY ANDY 41928 DAY RICK 14486 ECKERD LANCE DE BURGE DAVE EDEL STANISLAV 63017 DEAL CRAIG 14026 EDLUND PHILLIP 6870 DEAL DWIGHT 3592 EDMUNDS BRUCE DEAL JERRY EDMUNDS RANCE DEAL TARA 15653 EDWARDS AUDREY 11033

101 EDWARDS JAN FRANK ED 20094 EDWARDS MAC 11032 FRASER MALCOLM 4417 EILAR CYNTHIA FRECHETTE JOE 11851 ELLER P GARY 12603 FRENCH JOHN 7846 ELLESS HAL 48424 FRENCH MICHAEL 18474 ELLINGTON JIM 26928 FRIEL JOHN ELLIS WILLIAM 7787 FRISCH KARL 48148 ELOSUA RAYMOND 25163 FRITH BARBARA 12553 EMMENDORFER ALAN 15708 FRITH RICHARD 12015 EMMENDORFER LUCAS 24975 FRITSCHY MEL EMMENDORFER MARIA 24974 FRITZ BILL 3863 ENGLE DENNIS 11545 FRITZGES FRANK 20586 ENGLE SYLVIA 11546 FUGE DON ENGLISH JEFF 51919 FUGERE ALBERT ENNIS CHARLOTTE 52904 FULLER ERIC ENNIS GARY 52903 GABALDON STEVE EPPLER DEAN 12887 GALBRAITH BRIAN 38821 ERNST CHUCK 7764 GALBRAITH LIZ 38822 ESCAPULE JOAN 39284 GALBRAITH ROSE 38823 ESCAPULE WILLIAM 39285 GALE BENNETT 786 ESTERGREEN MARION J 408 GALKINS ROBERT L ETTLEMAN FRED 40513 GALLIAHER DENNIS EVANS LARRY 63066 GAMBLE RON EVATT JIM 7602 GANTER JOHN 22870 EVERITT FRANK 20606 GANTER WILL 52915 EYLER JAMES C 3762 GARAFINE ELAINE 14825 FALL CLAIRE 17234 GARCIA JACKIE 35047 FANNIN BILL 13496 GARNER LOGAN 62325 FARRIS ANDY 12062 GARNER RICHARD FAULK BRUCE 39066 GARNER THOMAS 62324 FAULK LINDA 39067 GARRETT DAVID 15688 FAULKNER TOM 29560 GATES CLAY 28198 FAY JENNIFER GAVIGAN JOE 41758 FEASTER WALTER 31624 GAVIGAN JOSEPH 47934 FEDUSKA JETTE (KATHY WALTER) 9253 GAVIGAN ROBERT 47935 FEKTHAUSER MARK GEIL BARBARA 4705 FERGUSON JULIA GEIL ROBERT 3116 FERNANDEZ ERNESTO GEORGE KAREN 28596 FERNANDEZ GLORIA 23458 GEORGE SUSAN FERREL WILL GEORGE TIM 24464 FIELDS TOM GIBSON CRAIG 22007 FINE STEVE GIBSON SCOTT 21368 FINN CARRIE 50821 GIESKE EHREN 56848 FISH GEORGE 27463 GILBERT GEORGE 15543 FISHER HENRY 6313 GILBERT JON 17597 FITCH JUSTIN 58690 GILBERT SHARI 17596 FITZWATER FRED 7355 GILBERT SIGNE 17598 FLEMING JOSH 43070 GILCHRIEST DANNY 11059 FLEMING KATE (BACH) 43069 GILLESPIE DIANNE 50838 FLEMING STEPHEN 13727 GILMAM MICHAEL FLESHER JASON 43747 GILMAN GEORGE FLETCHER Dr MILFORD 14864 GILSON RICHARD 27231 FLORES IRENE 20611 GINOCCHIO GUY 18870 FLORES MICHAEL 10112 GIORDONO DANNY FLOYD JON 4619 GLYNN ED FOLAN WILLIAM GOAR MIKE 24383 FOOTE JENNIFER 45211 GODBY WILLIAM 53932 FORBES JEFF 17158 GODWIN GARY 26498 FORD ANDREW 60800 GOELLER JOHN 9892 FORD CLIFTON 60799 GOETTSCHE TOM FORDE JAMES 15691 GOKE CARMEN 20079 FOSS SANDY (SALAS) 23346 GOOCH SID 34868 FOSTER BOB 31739 GOODALL BILL 22488 FOWLER PAUL 37563 GOODALL BONNIE FRAATZ ROBERT 28959 GOODBAR ANDREA 27683 FRAISER JOHN 20822 GOODBAR ANDREW 40045 FRANCISCO EDWARD 3947 GOODBAR JIM 9715 FRANCISCO JOHN 20570 GOODLOE BOB FRANCISCO PEGGY 18950 GORDINIER WILLIAM 62957

102 GORDON BARRY HATHAWAY JENNIFER 60645 GORDON LANCE HAWKINS EDWIN 17754 GOSE DAVE 24656 HAWLEY JOHN 4452 GOZA CHARLES HAWLEY ROB 30565 GRAHAM DAN 24660 HAYNES AL 13489 GRAINGER JAMES 10158 HAYNES DENIS GRANONE PAUL 29409 HEATH BILL 29692 GRANT DEBBI HECKART CHARLES C 13744 GRECO TONY 23211 HEDDEN CHET 4316 GRECO VICKY 24807 HEDGE LARRY GREEN CHARLOTTE HELMER SCOTT 35067 GREEN GLEN HELTON MATT 29333 GREEN WALTER 33814 HELTON PAT 21822 GREEN WENDEL HENDRICK TIM 53964 GREENLEE BILL 24491 HENDRICKSON BOB GRIENER ERIC 44540 HENDRICKSON BUZZ GRIFFIN PATRICK 26497 HENRISEY REGINA 4985 GRIFFITH C GEORGE 15435 HENRY DAVID 7196 GROGAN RON 49979 HERMAN PAUL GROGG GARY 61438 HERPIN DAVID 37929 GRONLUND DAVID 42586 HERPIN SUSAN 34557 GRONLUND KATHRYN 42587 HERRING CRAIG 7222 GROSSMAN KATHY 20782 HERRING HAROLD 16665 GRUBBS ROBERT 61435 HERSCHENBERGER STEVE GRUBE BOB HERZOG KURT 5332 GRUSS DIANE 25514 HESS CHUCK GRUSS NATHAN 26475 HEUSS KEITH 10557 GRUSS RANDY 25513 HEUTTE TOM 41719 GUCK ANTHONY H 13993 HEWITT JIM GURNEY PAMELA 47168 HIBBEN FRANK C 200 GURSKY KATHY 27442 HIBBS MARTY GURULE ROBIN 51462 HICKOX THERESA 36974 GUTHRIE VICKIE HICKS GARY GUTTING STEVE 15585 HICKS ROBERT 55848 HAEDD BRENDAN 56054 HIEBERT STEVE HAGGER TOM 14441 HIGGINS BARBARA HALL JO-ANN 28874 HIGGINS DALE HALL REX 24926 HIGGINS HOWARD HALL TABITHA 47801 HILDEBOLT SCOOTER 8116 HALL THOMAS 16903 HILDRETH MERIDETH 56215 HALTERMAN LeROY 8231 HILDRETH VAL (WERKER) 28963 HAMAN JON 4780 HILL ALAN 7166 HAMILTON FRANK HILL CAROL 8449 HAMM JACK 6100 HILL LARRY 10935 HAMMOND DEBBIE (CLARK) HILL PAT 22032 HANCOCK BRYCE 10408 HILL ROY 11652 HANDSCHY JAMES 17321 HILLEY JERI HANKINS HELEN 13377 HILLEY TERRY HANNA DAVID 30373 HILTON HEATHER 25619 HANSON BOB 7918 HINDS KHRISTY 23220 HAPPEL PAUL 29893 HOBBS ALBERT 49263 HARDINGE JEEP 21389 HOCKETT CHRIS 54773 HARDY CHRIS 3990 HODGES DREW 52123 HARDY FRITZI 11346 HODGES ROBERT 52122 HARDY JIM 8360 HODGES TAREN 52124 HARGROVE EUGENE 9572 HOGAN TERRY 8175 HARPER DON HOLBROOK JOHN HARPER JAN 32643 HOLCOMB BRIAN 35224 HARPER TONIA 48200 HOLLADAY GARY 53383 HARRINGTON KEN 9231 HOLLADAY KELLY 48199 HARRINGTON MARTHA 9232 HOLLAND NAT 54668 HARRIS BRUCE HOLLAND STEVE 18765 HARRIS TOM 19765 HOLLEN JAMES 32492 HARRISON BLAKE 12101 HOLLIMAN SHERRY 33957 HARRISON DEBRA (FORBES) 39570 HOLLOWAY DEAN 8738 HARTMAN ANN 12754 HOLMAN GLEDE 36517 HARTMAN CARY DONN 53963 HOLTKAMP RICK HASSENBUHLER JOHN 27108 HOLUB THOMAS 19513 HASSENBUHLER WILLIAM 27107 HOMA JOHN

103 HOOKER MIKE 7899 JOHNSON BILL Jr HORKOWITZ CARL 24806 JOHNSON BILL SR 25694 HORTON CHAD 36326 JOHNSON CARL HORTON JACKIE 47063 JOHNSON DANE HORVATH STEVEN 12353 JOHNSON DAVID 18774 HOSE LOUISE 13138 JOHNSON EMILY 26568 HOSLER SAM JOHNSON RALPH 12522 HOUSE DAVID 19619 JOHNSON RON HOWARD BETH JOHNSON-DEAN LYNN HOWARD TIM 43781 JOHNSTON HARRY HOWE JEREMY 35383 JOHNSTON MARK 31171 HOXIE DWIGHT 5758 JONES BOB HUBBARD DWIGHT 2621 JONES DONNA 10785 HUBER MIKE 33209 JONES ERIC 17320 HUDDLE ANN 35118 JONES PETER 11412 HUDGEONS EDWARD 26630 JONES ROBERT 10784 HUDSON JAY JONES ROY 4157 HUESTED KEILLE JONES TODD 13782 HUGGINS RING JOOP MARK 46846 HUGHES ANN 8669 JORDAN BLAKE 43030 HUGHES DAVE 47746 JORGENSEN GARRETT 62280 HUGHES KAIT 63341 JOYCE DANIEL 24041 HUMMEL BUZZ (ROBERT) 15859 JOYCE NANCY 59357 HUMMEL DONNA 29546 JOYCE PETER 59356 HUNT BOB 22687 JUDD BOB HUNT CHERYL JUNGMAN ANN HUNTER ANDREA 45920 JUST CHRISTOPHER 35933 HUNTER CHARLES 7768 KALER TOM 27372 HUNTER DAVID 54667 KAMBESIS PAT 17304 HUNTER JAMES 54666 KAMINSKI WALTER 23394 HYMER JOHN 35441 KANIM STEPHEN 29524 IDE HERB 22195 KAPEL SHAUNA 61404 IMMONEN JAY KAPLAN HARLAN 27594 INGHAM KENNETH 32430 KARASZ PETER 19280 INGOLD JEAN KAUZ LAURENCE 40716 INGOLD NORM KEELER RAY 23245 IRBY LaNETTE KEELING RUTH ISAAC DAVE 6479 KELLER FRANK 10736 ISAMAN JERRY 13373 KELLSTEDT LYMAN (KELLY) 13093 ISAMAN SHERRY 13374 KELSCH STEVE 29077 ISLER KELLY KELTON DAVID 27164 ISSAC DAVE KENDRICK ALEXANDER 50126 ITALIANO ADRIENNE 41621 KENDRICK BRIAN 50125 ITALIANO MARC 39933 KENDRICK COLEMAN 55811 JABLONSKY PAT 26924 KENNEDY BRUCE JACKSON BLAYNE 37756 KENNY EDDY JACKSON BRENT 37757 KENWARD AMELIA 59451 JACKSON DEAN 7081 KERBO RON 11539 JACKSON JOE 61956 KERR BRUCE JACKSON KEFF 61303 KETTERING KEN 7986 JACKSON RICK 34172 KIBLER JOHN 13105 JACOBI CARRIE 34798 KIDD RANDALL 18375 JACOBS DAVE 12156 KIEFFER CRYSTAL 58042 JAGNOW DAN KINCEY HERBERT 23253 JAGNOW DAVID 8177 KINDEL TOM 32152 JAGNOW LA VONNE 44225 KING CHARLES 41411 JAGNOW REBECCA 10655 KING JOHN 8653 JAMES STELLA 58664 KING KAREN 63062 JAMESON CARL KIPER JIM JASPER JON 33710 KIRCHGRABER FRANK 15281 JEFFS WAYNE 29883 KIRKPATRICK TERRI 33983 JENKINSON DONALD 20313 KIRN JEFF JENNINGS BRAD 39557 KIRSHGRABBER JERRY JENNINGS LARRY 39985 KITT ROGER 23210 JERNIGAN Dr H C 7985 KNAPP RICH 19715 JESSUP KARL 7705 KNIGHT WILLIAM 9385 JIERREE CANDICE 55254 KNOX BOB JOHNSON ALAN 22715 KOBY JOSEPH 59800 JOHNSON ANN KOCH LANCE 35839

104 KOCIPAK SUE LINDE GARY KOCZAN STEVE 16603 LINDLEY MIKE 18476 KOEHLER MARY 29280 LINDSLEY KAREN 11854 KOEHLER STEVEN 29281 LINDSLEY PETE 5566 KOENIG TOM LINDSLEY STEVEN 20436 KOERSCHNER KATHRYN 26106 LIPINSKI KENDRA 58436 KOERSCHNER ROBYN 12829 LIPINSKI RONALD 23791 KOERSCHNER WILLIAM 16506 LLOYD HAL KOMENSKY ANDY 8164 LOFTAN FRANK 19618 KOMENSKY LEE 9018 LOGAN DAVID 20456 KONKLE TANNER 61290 LONG ALICE KOOSER ARA 59763 LOONEY JOE 9416 KOPF DANA 32663 LOOSE RICHARD 9478 KORBLEY LETITA 16345 LORIMER MIKE 12558 KOSKI KATRINA 55942 LORMS KEVIN 30120 KOUTS PAUL 17666 LORY JEFF K 13746 KOWALSKI GARY 23805 LOVELACE MICHAEL 44228 KRAUSE ALBERT 7617 LOVELADY DAVID 49602 KREISCHER NANCY 27015 LUCAS JOHN 39789 KRENEK BRENDA LUCAS SUSAN (KANAT) 47923 KRONNEKER BARRY LUCERO CAROL 42681 KRUGER ROGER 15571 LUCERO STEPHEN 49252 KUHNLE KALE LYLES JOHN 19871 KUPER REBECCA 26614 MAAK BRUCE 4144 LaBRECQUE DOUG MABERRY STEVEN 44027 LaGARDE LAURA ROSALES 57980 MacDONALD NICHOLAS 58799 LAGROTERRIA DAWN MacDOWELL APRIL 26756 LAKINS KENNETH 49179 MACHOVEC CHARLES 17875 LAMB NANCY (HEATH) 29693 MACKENZIE DONALD 9627 LAMPHEAR NEAL 37428 MACKEY JOHN 61194 LANG JERI MacLEAN LAWRENCE 8078 LAPPIN EDWARD 22298 MADISON DEIDRA 36366 LAPPIN TED 22209 MADISON LIZ 39426 LARKINS LOIS 25899 MADISON TOM 34487 LARSON DICK 24653 MADRID DINDY LARSON JAMES 43572 MAEHLER RONALD 59385 LARSON LAYREN MALACHOWSKI JIM 40560 LaRUE PETER 46412 MALKIEL ALAN 11416 LATIMER BRIAN 44456 MALLOY MARGARET 24201 LATIMER VANCE 45890 MANCUSCO ? LAWSON DONNA MANDRELL DEBBI 16021 LAWSON JEFF 12949 MANDRELL RONALD 16020 LAZELLE LYNNE 28404 MANLEY JOAN 12912 LEAVELL BALM 51709 MANLEY PETER 8387 LEE CHRIS 33333 MANNING DAN LEE MIKE 35348 MANNO JACK 57615 LEE ROBYN 35349 MANSUR MICHAEL 26393 LEGER GREGORY 22167 MANY HEATH 29574 LEHR F MARK 47069 MAPES DAVID 31929 LENHOFF CHARLIE MARINAKIS HARRY 42832 LENHOFF JOE MARRS JOHNNY 37139 LENIHAN DANIEL 17308 MARRS PEGGY 37140 LEONARD THELMA 30172 MARSHALL MIKE LERUM HARLAN 27914 MARSTON RALPH 1113 LESLIE COLIN 49971 MARTEL ROLAND 10548 LESLIE IAN 49970 MARTIN DON 3796 LESTER LORRAINE 9610 MARTIN JAMES 2886 LETSON R A MARTIN JOHN 3971 LeVESQUE MARY MARTIN PAMELA LEWIN DAMON 28797 MARTS LARRY 8798 LEWIS DAVE MASON ROGER 14974 LEWIS Dr WARREN 8856 MASTERS MARIANNE 29383 LEWIS JERRY MATHEWS DARYL LEWIS LLOYD MATHIS DICK LEWIS TOM MATHIS KELLY 45141 LIEBELT DAN 14708 MATTHEWS DOUG LIEDENROAD JOHN MATTSON LANCE 35297 LIGHTFOOT ADRIAN MATZNER PAT LILL DUNCAN 29096 MAUSER MARGARET (WILSON) 29072

105 MAUSER MAUREEN MITCHELL ROSEMARY 13822 MAUSER MIKE 11135 MODISETTE DAVE 27854 MAUZEY DAM 39425 MODISETTE NANCY 27855 MAUZEY SAM 39424 MOE JUDY MAXEY Dr STEPHEN 10966 MOERBE CHRISTY 57889 MAXWELL SCOTT 61200 MOHR KEVIN 59641 MAYER TOM MOLYNEUX JACQUE MAYFIELD FROSTY 53515 MONAHAN WILLIAM C 13745 MAYFIELD RICHARD 12079 MONROE THOMAS 4300 MAYNARD STEPHEN 38891 MONTOYA DAN 32434 MAYR TROY 2580 MONTOYA JOE 26972 McARTHUR MARTHA 35327 MOORE ALLEN McCART BILL MOORE GARY 9749 McCAULEY NATHAN 62822 MOORE HARRY 5083 McCLELLAN WILSON 5399 MOORE HELEN 5084 McCLOUD DON MOORE JIM 15744 McCLOUD ROY MOQUIN MICHAEL 16969 McCLURG DAI 10620 MORGAN DAISY 63019 McCLURG DAVID 4608 MORLEY SAM McCLURG JANET 9301 MORRELL CHARLES 6213 McCOLLAUM KEN MORRIS DICK 769 McCRADY RODNEY 61049 MORRIS J A 38223 McCULLY DAN MORRISON WILLIAM A 13749 McDONOUGH JENNIE 42380 MORSE A C 11791 McDOUGALL DAVID 61198 MOSCH CYNDI 20146 MCDUFF GLEN 23471 MOSES JOHN 7009 MCDULL CINDY 25216 MOSS ARTHUR 26239 McGAHA JERRY MOTIF TAMI 59280 McGAHEY NANCY 29786 MOULTON GAIL McINTOSH BILL 32365 MOYERS VIRGINIA 61588 McINTOSH SUSAN 25036 MOZER JOEL 52303 McJEAN SUSAN 10605 MOZER LYNNE 52304 McKAY CAMERON 39842 MUELLER STEVE McKAY KATHY MURCHO MARY McKAY ERIN 63114 MURPHY JAMES 54887 McKENNA FRANK 9246 MURPHY LARRY 16842 McKENZIE CHUCK 5841 MUSILLO MICHAEL McKEON DENIS 17478 MUSTON JOE 17860 McLEAN JAMES 53197 MUSTON LINDA 17861 McLEAN JOHN 5840 MYER NANCY 15131 McLEAN SUSAN 10905 NAEGELE Dr THOMAS 25560 McLEOD CHARLES 9687 NAJDOWSKI MICHAEL 11508 McMAHON DOUG NANCE RAYMOND 20348 McMULLAN DUKE 13429 NEAL JIM McPHERSON DAVID NELLER EARL 4581 McWHIRTER MICHAEL 19154 NELSON KEITH 59868 MEAD JOHN 20552 NELSON KEN 22987 MEADOR TOM 5205 NELSON MARK MEERS CAROLYN NESS RICHARD 28732 METZ CHERYL 14572 NEWTON ROY MEYERHEIN RALPH 4523 NEWTON TALON 45983 MEYERS DALE 9756 NICOLAY SCOTT 52382 MIDDAUGH GEOFFREY 10610 NIEDRINGHAUS ERIN 59480 MIDDLETON DANIEL 57558 NIELSEN KRISTEN 42114 MIDDLETON LUCAS 56420 NOFSINGER BARRY 48777 MIKESELL DORIS 5158 NOLAND WILLIAM 7736 MIKESELL NEWTON 5156 NORTHUP DIANA 11561 MIKESELL ROBERT 5157 NOVAK PEGGY 10947 MILES JACK 50144 NOVAK REX 10946 MILLARD JOHN 22811 NOYA MONICA 60103 MILLER CHRISTOPHER 53231 NYMEYER BOB 5235 MILLER KATE 47485 O'BANYON TOM MILLIGAN DAVE 26008 O'BRIAN MIEP 58287 MINER ASIA 61590 O'CONNELL KAREN 44390 MINTON MARK 58116 O'CONNELL KRISTINA 37919 MIRACLE JOEY 42584 O'CONNELL PAT 13878 MIRACLE SARAH 42585 O'CONNER ED 39939 MITCHELL EUGENE 13821 O'NEAL WALTER B 770 MITCHELL GENE OAKES AL 7502

106 OAKLEY A R 12604 PITTENGER ANITA 23390 OBERSTEIN JILL 52108 PLEDGER DONALD 4318 OGDEN SUE PLUMMER MICHAEL 32363 OLHAUSEN KEN 3874 POCKMAN WILLIAM 48479 OLIVE HAROLD 10724 POLYAK VICTOR 26681 OLIVE MARY 10725 PORTER JOHN 10228 OLSEN THOR POTTER MARNE 31593 OLSON HARRISS 11690 POUND ARLIN 8521 OLSON JOHN POYNER TOM OOST BARRY 43324 PRATHER JOHN ORMAN JOE PRATT STEPHEN 7731 OROW HEATHER 50810 PRESS ROBERT 25660 ORR JOE 17265 PRESTON RON OSBURN BOB 14017 PRESTON ZOE OSBURN JOANNE 20531 PRICE JOHN 22733 OSBURN MARK 53975 PRICE MITCH 32482 OSMER MARY 23606 PRIDDY BRIAN 40658 OTTO GARY PRIEDHORSKY WILLIAM 27905 OVERFELT JAMES 48797 PRIMER DAVID OVERTON JANE 59801 PROVENCIO PAULA (POLYAK) 38769 PAGANO CARL 32680 PRZYTULSKI BOB PAGE GARY PULLIAM JIM PALLADINO KERRY 42256 QUEEN MICHAEL 13805 PAPE BOB 13765 RAINFORTH EMMA 43702 PAPE ESTY 13560 RAMSEY PHILLIP 30876 PARDUE LARRY 10119 RAUTER HAROLD PARKER KITTY 28808 RAY BILLY PARSON BARBARA 41774 READ PSYCHE 40514 PASSMORE GARY 13008 REAGAN DOUGLAS 8823 PATE DALE 12704 RECORD BARBARA 59875 PATLOVICH JEFF 26158 RECORD STEVE 59874 PATTERSON CALVIN 4287 RECTOR MICHAEL 43068 PATTERSON JOHN 18964 RECTOR STALEY W 13748 PATTERSON KRYSTAL REED MOLLY 53325 PATTERSON SUSANNAH 19621 REED TERRY 35726 PAVEY MARY REESE JACK PAWLIK CHESTER 33822 REEVES CAROLINE 9998 PAYNE ROBERT 24991 REEVES LAURA 11384 PEACHEY BILL 10881 REID MIKE 27059 PECK JIM 8367 REINARTZ KAY 10442 PEEK RICHARD 11505 REMPE NORBERT 53025 PEERMAN KATHY 18045 RENSTROM SANDY (DEAL) 7945 PEERMAN LUCAS 21780 REPA JOSEPH PEERMAN STEVE 16158 RESSIGUIE OREN PELLOW STAN REYNOLDS OLAND 15427 PENNEBAKER SHERIE 45851 REYNOLDS PAUL PERCIFIELD LEIF 55559 REYNOLDS RANDY PERRIER COURTNEY 33905 REYNOLDS RICK 37133 PERRONE MORGAN 53350 RHODES DOUG 6746 PERRY ADRIANNE 37976 RHODES GLEN 23799 PERRY CURTIS 35449 RHODES JEAN 8394 PERRY JESSICA 37977 RIBA RICK 19395 PERRY KAREN 45977 RICHARD DENISE 32595 PERRY MICHELLE 35450 RICHARDS AEISHA 34314 PERRY RAMON RICHARDS ANN PERRY THOMAS 7847 RICHARDS CAROL PETERSON CHARLES 14241 RICHARDS JASON 9528 PETERSON KNUTT 56790 RIDDER BOB PETTIT LAIRD 3568 RIDDLE ROBERT 12657 PEYTON ED 38449 RIDLON MARK PICKERING RAYMOND 19366 RIDPATH CHUCK 7206 PICKETT CATHY RIDPATH KAREN 7207 PICKETT CHUCK RIGGS SHERRI 28838 PICKLE JOHN 23162 RILEY BILL 8280 PIERCE MIKE 23126 RILEY ELMER 8279 PIETRASS TANJA 54715 RITCHEY CURTIS 43735 PINGLETON KAREN 43285 RIVERA DEB 45836 PINKERTON JIM 39492 RIVERA PHIL PIPPIN KEVIN RIX KATHLEEN 51740

107 ROBB DON 10504 SCHWAB CHARLES 7358 ROBERTS TODD 48351 SCHEIBNER SCOTT 20949 ROBEY KENNETH 26780 SCHLENDER PAMELA 57994 ROBINS MARY SCHLUTER ERIC C ROBINSON DENNIS SCHLUTER YVONNE ROBINSON EDWARD E 4269 SCHMITT ROBERT 44081 RODGERS ALEXANDRIA 53324 SCHNEIDER BETH RODGERS BOB 43917 SCHNEIKER HENRY 16768 RODGERS CHRISTIE 50462 SCHRIBNER SCOTT RODGERS KAREN 7306 SCHULTZ ROBERT 5334 RODRIGUEZ BERNIE SCHULYER CORT 9693 ROE CHERYL SCHWEIKER VI 15362 ROGERS TOM SCHWINGE HEINZ T 4926 ROHRER TOM 4959 SCOTT JOSEPH 26515 ROHWER RALPH SEARCY PAUL 26488 ROLFS ELLSWORTH A 6338 SEDGWICK GARY ROLFS ELLSWORTH K 11694 SEESE LETITIA 16345 ROLFS ESTER 9120 SEISER PAT 28650 ROLFS ETHAN 16384 SEISER VIRGINIA 30586 ROLLINGS CHERYL 15506 SELKIRK JOHN 20739 ROLLINGS RAYMOND 12233 SELTZER PAMELA 25780 ROMERO DEBORAH 51503 SERAFINO GERALD 27771 ROMERO JOHN 51504 SERAFINO MARK 24701 ROMIKE HOWARD 12023 SERAFINO MICHAEL 25764 ROMINGER ALICE 12632 SERFACE ROBERTA 36757 ROMINGER CHUCK 7342 SERNS CHIP 45768 ROMINGER RANDY 13402 SEXTON ANNE ROOK BILL SHAFFER DOUGLAS 13254 ROOK SUSAN SHAFFER SKIP ROSALES LAGARDE LAURA 55463 SHARP CHRIS ROSS CORDELIA 60025 SHARPTON LESTER 34989 ROSS WILLIAM SHAW CHARLES 31941 ROSTRO HENRY SHAW JOANN 31942 ROTH CAROL 35108 SHAW STAN 16115 ROTH JOHN 37877 SHAYDACK JOHN 3594 ROTH MARY ANN 26083 SHELTON RICKI 43398 ROUECHE DAVID 47431 SHEPPARD C D 8337 ROWLAND ED 15887 SHEPPARD MARILYN 8653 ROY MIKE 45778 SHERIFF RICK ROZINSKI JOHN 7012 SHIELDS LEWIS 4563 RUPERT FLOYD 11042 SHOEMAKER DAVID RUPERT IMA 11043 SHOPE STEPHEN 29924 RUSSELL BOB SHORES KERRY 55118 RUSSELL CHARLES W 13740 SHUBERRT PAUL 49986 RUSSELL LISA 63250 SILVERS JANET RUTLEDGE JEREMY 54064 SIMMONS JOYCE 4561 RUTLEDGE WALTER 54063 SIMPSON MAGGIE 53326 RYBACKI KYLE 58338 SIMS HAL 27106 SAFFORD MATT 21170 SIMS JAMES 15053 SAFFORD SANDRA 29443 SINCLAIR DAVID SALAS JIM 23175 SINGLETON PAUL 11087 SALAS STEVE SINKULA BARBARA SALES PAMELA 51998 SINKULA CARL SALYER ROBERT 5569 SIRE DAVE 23958 SAMPSON STEVE 43402 SISSON DONALD 11349 SANCHEZ DOROTHY SITARZEWSKI JOE SANCHEZ MICHAEL 16259 SITES ROY 8701 SANCHEZ ROQUE 41970 SKEEAN RICHARD SANGSTER JAKKY 27173 SKELTON NAT 53981 SARABIA BOB 20975 SKINNER LEE 4807 SARES STEVEN 23175 SLABODA STEVE SASAKI TASASUMI 54728 SLINKARD JEANINE (CORN) SATER PAT 32420 SLIPE LORI SAUER HANNAH 62754 SLUSHER R C SAUER STEVE SLUSHER ROBBIE 19787 SAUER TOM SMART GAYLE 22852 SAUNDERS IRA 61427 SMILGYS RUSSELL SAWYER DON 16113 SMITH ASHLEY 62491 SCATES KEN 49245 SMITH BRIAN 15208

108 SMITH CLAUDE 11980 STOCK MICHAEL 63018 SMITH DAN 4704 STOCKTON AARON 46918 SMITH DAVID STONE BARBARA SMITH DIANE (DEE DEE) 15436 STONE DALE SMITH JEFF 15152 STOUT JOEL 4560 SMITH JOAN STOUT KATHLEEN 11041 SMITH LANCE STRAIT ANNE 13218 SMITH LINDA 11384 STRAUCH TIM 19108 SMITH LORI 20455 STRAUSS STEPHEN 2229 SMITH MARY BELLE 13894 STREEPER CRAIG 31425 SMITH MICHAEL 59789 STREICHER KEN 6274 SMITH MIKE STROMBERG GEROLD 5585 SMITH PHILIP 25236 STRONG BLYTHE 29319 SMITH RICHARD STRONG TOM 9110 SMITH ROBBIE STROUGH MARGARET 771 SMITH ROBERT 18103 STUPAK MATT 8018 SMITH RON STURDIVANT LARRY 24161 SNIDER JESSICA 49995 STURROCK ELIZABETH 11654 SNOW ABIGAIL 38362 STURROCK JAMES 7982 SNYDER ED 8057 SUBLETT KEVIN 17273 SOLLAMI DONALD 26920 SUGGS MARK 31789 SOLLAMI MARGARET 27697 SUMMERS CURLEY 8458 SOLLAMI REBECCA 33663 SWAIN GEORGE 20693 SONNIER WADE 51137 SWARTZ DAKOTA 62628 SONNTAG STEVE 33706 SWARTZ ESTER 62629 SORENSEN MARGARET (FLEMING) 26779 SWARTZ LLOYD 32843 SPARROLD RICK 16388 SWEENHART GARY SPARROLD SUE 18301 SWEENHART LYNN SPENCER JOHN 13958 SWEET DAVE SPENCER JOSEPH 11547 SWEET TERRY 29568 SPERKA ROGER SWINSON DEREK SPERRY JOHN 4621 SWINSON GIBB SPIETH MIKE 26143 SWINSON SHELAGH SPILDE MIKE 46784 SWITZER JOE 34888 SPILLERS LISA 31663 SWITZER SANDY 34889 SPRAY RICHARD 17048 SYLVESTER BARRY 17316 SPURLIN JERRY 14788 SZERLIP SANDY 7620 SPURLIN JERRY TABINSKI JAMES 62209 ST PETERS JULIA TAFOYA ALBERTO 38016 STABINSKY KENNY 40781 TAFOYA MARGARET 38015 STADLEMAN STEVE TAGGART DAMIAM 62047 STAGNER MICHAEL 34810 TAPPAN STEVE 45341 STALEY CHRIS 11572 TAPSCOTT ROBERT 29656 STALEY JOANNE 15135 TAYLOR HUGH STAPLES KENNETH TAYLOR WILLIAM 6291 STARK LAURA 49352 TEFFIT WILLIAM STARK PAUL 47939 TELLES ROY STARK PHILIP 47938 THAANUM MEL STARK SCOTT 47937 THAYER BARB STARLING FRED 11640 THAYER PHIL STARLING KIM 12577 THEBO ERNEST STARLING MARY 11641 THERRIEN DAVID 8397 STARLING RON 19970 THERRIEN PATRICIA 8398 STARR LINDA 11384 THIESSE MARY 38522 STARR-JENKINSON DYLAN 24884 THOMAS ARVEL 25840 STEEB ROGER 25053 THOMAS JACQUI 47718 STEINAU RICH THOMAS KEL 57559 STEPHENSON JOHN 29614 THOMAS NEAL 13865 STEPHENSON LOGAN 51867 THOMAS RICHARD 4305 STEPHENSON MARIA 33925 THOMAS SHAWN 48610 STERLING JIM 22725 THOMMES PHIL 63332 STEVENS LARIS THOMPSON BRUCE 21680 STEVENS LEE 16985 THOMPSON JAMES E 3801 STEVENS PAUL 13049 THOMPSON JIMME 4297 STEVENS PHILIP 26566 THOMPSON KATE 6385 STICH LAWRENCE 4564 THOMPSON MARY 45599 STIDHAM NOBLE 26240 THOMPSON R P 34558 STIFF M L 10476 THOMPSON RYAN 47252 STITT ROBERT 5403 THOMPSON WARREN 4283

109 THORNBERRY TOM 21049 WALLACE ARTHUR 29098 THURLO JIMMY 30237 WALLACE ROBERT THURMAN PAUL 35227 WALTER RICHARD 21742 TIPTON CHUCK WALTHALL GEORGE TRACY ? 8421 WALZ JASON 50638 TRAHAN BETTI 29168 WAPINSKI DAVID 8135 TRAHAN NICHAEL 29167 WARD FREDERICK 4617 TRAINER PAT WARD MIKE 31426 TREACY AMANDA 36351 WARNER DOUG 41724 TREACY JENNIFER 32825 WARNER SIMEON 42760 TREACY KAREN 25409 WASHKO JOHN J 13296 TREACY ROBERT 29895 WATERS AMY TRIBBLE MIKE WATERS MARY TROUT BOB, 4278 WATSON DAN 11563 TROUT JERRY 4279 WATSON DON TROUT MARGUERITE 4314 WATSON MARILYN TROUT RACHEL 8138 WATSON PAUL TRUJILLO RICHARD WATSON ROCKY TUCKER JANICE 31863 WATSON SAGE 61906 TUCKER TAMMY 55567 WATSON TROY 61905 TUCKER TIM 15551 WAYS CHARLES TUCKER WILLIAM 55566 WEBSTER EDWARD 11044 TUOHY LAURIE 61294 WEHUNT CAROL TURFLER ROBERT WEIDENMANN BRENDA 55737 TURIN ALEXIS 30594 WEIDENMANN RICK 50237 TURIN JAKE 24770 WEITLAUF APRIL 61291 TURNER MICHAEL 14721 WELBOURN CAL 12005 TURNER RANSOM 41552 WELBOURN KAREN TURNER ROGER WELLS ERNEST 7151 TURTON BILL WELLS STEPHEN 10737 TYLER JESSE 7218 WENDT ROGER 12235 TYNER JOHN 20201 WENTZ DONALD 7188 UNGLAUB LEROY 5733 WERKER JIM 31653 UNGLAUB SHEILA 5734 WEST STEVE 26289 UPCHURCH JIM WESTON BRIAN 34762 VANDEVER GARY WESTON LARRY 34659 VANWINKLE DIRK WESTON LUCY-JO 34763 VANWINKLE RIP WESTON PHYLISS 34600 VARNEL JOSEPH 35637 WESTON WILLIAM 48425 VAYER ROLAND 2875 WESTON HELMER DIANNA 35066 VENDERELY ROCK 18473 WETHERALD MARK 23435 VENI GEORGE 17322 WETHERALD SUE 23436 VENI KAREN 29550 WHALEY GENE 61464 VENTERS DANA 20885 WHEELER THERESA 46467 VENTERS DICK 20874 WHITE RACHEL 44752 VETETO MARK 49624 WHITEHEAD NEIL 6774 VINING MARK 14173 WHITT HORACE 12951 VIRAMONTES GRADY 59978 WHITT WINSTON 12932 VITT JOHN 7160 WHITTAKER THOMAS 61561 VITTETOE JUDY 19809 WHITTE ALICE 44751 VITTETOE MARION 17051 WHITTE MOLLY 44750 VOGT MORGAN 53350 WHITTIER MIKE 6911 VON SCHWEINITZ HANS 8665 WIEDENMANN BRENDA 55737 VOSBERG SUSAN (BONO) 47407 WIEDENMANN RICK 50237 WACKER JASON 44776 WIGGINS MARTY WADSWORTH PAMELA 42424 WILCOX CRAIG WADSWORTH WILLIAM 40727 WILCOX PHIL 22827 WAHL REX 22874 WILKINSON CARL WAITES RAY 20529 WILLIAMS CHUCK WALKER BRUCE WILLIAMS ELAINE WALKER DEAN 17853 WILLIAMS GEORGIA WALKER KATHY 15123 WILLIAMS J CRAIG 58655 WALKER KENNETH 19692 WILLIAMS JEAN R 33 WALKER KIMBERLY 19691 WILLIAMS LARRY 12897 WALKER MARY 33574 WILLIAMS RICHARD 53198 WALKER PATRICIA 21648 WILLIAMSON W J 8839 WALKER SCOTT 20559 WILLIS AMY 7581 WALKER WAYNE 15122 WILLIS DOTTIE 8053 WALL RANDY WILLIS HANK

110 WILLIS ROBERT 6430 WILLIS WESLEY WILLMON STEFF 43724 WILLOUGHBY HUGH 7452 WILSON JOE 5237 WILSON KARL 44584 WILSON KEN 5239 WILSON LEE 62071 WILSON MARGARET 46418 WILSON MARY 25000 WILSON PAUL WILSON ROBIN 36105 WILTON TED WIMBERLY MARK WINKLER JANE 25171 WINKLESS DANIEL OWEN 14615 WINNETT DAVID 58896 WISE JIM, III 5780 WITHERSPOON LISA WOBBENHORST JANICE 12385 WOELLHOF SHON 49081 WOLFE GARRY 61354 WOLFORT RICH 14722 WOOD MARTHA (GOSE) 28694 WOODCOCK RICHARD WOODLE MARTIN WOODS CALVIN 25211 WOODWARD BOB WORRELL DAMON 39288 WORRELL DARON 39289 WORRELL JIMMIE 39287 WORRILL CHARLES WORTHINGTON DENNIS 32451 WORTHINGTON JANELLE 32432 WORTHINGTON JEFFREY 32453 WOTEN EDWARD 42801 WRIGHT ALLEN 38943 WRIGHT WILLIAM 7439 WULFF ROBERT 62038 WYNN CATHY (DAHMS) 23854 YARCHEVER HARRY YETT BILL 3604 YOUNG ALAN 41179 YOUNG FRANK 15573 YOUNG JOHN 35261 YOUNGBLOOD LARRY YOUNGER DEANNA 55438 ZANNES ALEXANDER 33501 ZANNES TOM 33500 ZEPP BRETT ZIEGLER BILL 26469 ZIMMER DICK ZIPKIN ADAM 63115 ZUFALL ROBERT 25565 ZURYK JOHN 12042

111

A Little Something

By Ells Rolfs

Caves: old and new friends. I guess caves never get old, just our acquaintance with them. After all, if you judge human life spans versus that of most caves, there’s nary a blink. If you judge cave life spans versus that of humans, caves are forever. Unfortunately, that is not true of cave decorations – whose life span, as you know, can be long in coming, but oh, so very short in going.

Oh lovely, wonderful speleothem, Loving you when I saw you, then Thinking you would always be there. And then I found you were – oh! Where?

112

Art from the “Guadalupe Sketchbook” by Gary Davis. The sketchbook was intended as a guided tour through some of the caves of the Guadalupe Mountains. Clockwise from top left: Fig. 1. Top‐of‐he‐Hill (along Guadalupe Ridge, above Cottonwood Cave; Fig 2. The Entrance Hall, Cottonwood Cave; Left ‐hand Passage, Carlsbad Caverns; Wonderland section, Cottonwood Cave. © 2012 by Gary Davis.