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2 CRF NEWSLETTER CRF Benefits from Amazon Volume 49, No. 3 Donation Program established 1973 Send all articles and reports for submission to: By: Bob Hoke, CRF Treasurer Laura Lexander, Editor Amazon.com now has a program, called Am- laura.lexander@-research.org azonSmile, that allows customers to specify a 21551 SE 273rd Ct., Maple , WA 98038 charity that will receive a donation of 0.5% of the purchase price of many products purchased The CRF Newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Cave on Amazon.com. CRF is registered with Ama- Research Foundation, a non-profit organization incorpo- zonSmile so you can specify that CRF receive a rated in 1957 under the laws of for the purpose donation if your purchase is eligible. The dona- of furthering research, conservation, and education about tion is made by Amazon and is not added to the and . cost of your purchase. Newsletter Submissions & Deadlines: CRF became part of the AmazonSmile pro- Original articles and photographs are welcome. If intend- gram in mid -2014 and as of May 2021, we have ing to jointly submit material to another publication, please received a total of $1,158 from it. The money is inform the CRF editor. Publication cannot be guaranteed, used to offset some of the Foundations adminis- especially if submitted elsewhere. All material is subject to trative expenses. revision unless the author specifically requests otherwise. To enable donations for your purchases, go For timely publication, please observe these deadlines: to Smile.Amazon.com instead of Amazon.com. The first time you will be asked to select a char- February issue by December 1 it y so just enter “, May issue by March 1 Inc.” and select it. You will then be taken to the August issue by June 1 Amazon.com site. November issue by September 1 After the initial time you will still go to Before submitting material, please see publication Smile.Amazon.com, but you are then taken im- guidelines at: www.cave-research.org mediately to the regular Amazon.com site. Your selected charity will be displayed on the initial NEWSLETTER STAFF: screen. Content Editor: Laura Lexander, [email protected] Assistant Editor: Maddy Ellis, [email protected] Layout/Photos: Ralph Earlandson, [email protected] Mailing: Bob Hoke, [email protected] ©2021 Cave Research Foundation Cave Research Foundation Board of Directors President - Dave West, [email protected] Vice President - Kayla Sapkota, [email protected] Secretary - Ed Klausner, [email protected] Treasurer - Robert Hoke, [email protected] Hamilton Valley Director - Pat Kambesis Directors - Derek Bristol, Jennifer Ellis, Joyce Hoffmaster, Mark Jones, Edward Klausner, Robert Lerch, John Lyles, Benjamin Miller, Kayla Sapkota

Operations Council Scott House (), John Tinsley ( Beds), Karen Willmes (Eastern), Janice Tucker (Carlsbad Caverns), Fofo Gonzalez and Jen Hopper (Sequoia/Kings ) For information about the CRF contact: Dave West 3418 University Pl. On the Cover Baltimore, MD 21218-2831 [email protected] Seth Colston in Ozark Caverns, Lake of the Ozarks State Park, . Photo by Dan Donations to CRF should be sent to: Lamping. Robert Hoke, CRF Treasurer 6304 Kaybro St. Laurel, MD 20707-2621 [email protected] 3 REGIONAL EXPEDITION REPORTS

Elmer’s Trench, Lava Beds National Monument, April 16-26, 2021 By: Ed Klausner

The April expedition actually started March White and Black Cave. 27th when Mark Jones, David Donner, and Sasja Day 5: Ed Klausner and Karen Willmes fin- Donner arrived at the monument and began sur- ished White and Black Cave and then surveyed veying. The team surveyed Jumble Alley, of Love Cave. Throne Room, Xi Skein, Three O ’clock Bridge, Day 6: Ed Klausner, Elizabeth Miller, and and Ring Around the Bitterbrush Caves over a Karen Willmes returned to and sur- three-day period. All of these caves are in my veyed Humerosa Cave. They then finished the project area: Elmer ’s Trench. The flow that cre- survey of Fire and and moved on to ated all of these caves (122 caves, so far) came survey Kiddie Table Cave. from the Medicine Lake 35,000 years Day 7: Ed Klausner, Mark Jones, and Paul ago. McMuller, with instructions from Bill Broeckel, Elizabeth Miller and I arrived on April 15th found and surveyed Serendipitous Cave. We and began surveying in Elmer ’s Trench on April then found and surveyed Missed Opportunity 16th. During the next 11 days, Elizabeth Miller, Cave. Mark Jones, Karen Willmes, Paul McMullen, Day 8: Ed Klausner, Elizabeth Miller, Karen Dave Donner, and Sasja Donner accompanied Willmes, and Mark Jones parked at the Balcony me into Elmer ’s Trench to map. We completed Boulevard parking area and headed towards Liz- the survey of seventeen known caves, found and zy Borden Cave. On the way, we found Day in surveyed ten new caves, and eliminated many the Life Cave, Public Enemy Cave and Pika leads because they were either too tight to enter Playground Cave. Mark and Karen surveyed Pi- or too short to count as a cave. (The original ka Playground Cave while Elizabeth and I con- definition of a cave when the project started tinued on to Lizzy Borden. We then went to sur- was 40 feet but later changed to 25 feet. This vey Itchy and Scratchy. Afterwards, we found seemed like a reasonable length with the excep- Rock and Roll Cave and surveyed it as . tion of an unusual or interesting that is Day 9: Ed Klausner, Elizabeth Miller, and shorter than 25 feet.) By the end of the expedi- Karen Willmes set off for Spiders and Snakes tion, we had finished mapping all of the known and Planks, Oh My (which we couldn’t find). caves in Elmer ’s Trench that had been listed for This was the second time we tried to find this us at the start of the project. This is with the cave and either the entrance has collapsed, or exception of Spiders and Snakes and Planks, Oh the GPS location is incorrect. We found and My, neither of which we could find. surveyed Windy Point Cave. We also looked at and eliminated several leads because they were Summary of survey days: either too tight to enter or too short to survey. Day 1: Ed Klausner, Elizabeth Miller, Mark Day 10: Snow Day. Jones, Dave Donner, Sasja Conner to Bat Butte Day 11: Ed Klausner, Karen Willmes, and to survey Reunion Cave. David Donner checked leads south of Fleener Day 2: Ed Klausner and Elizabeth Miller to Chimney Road and surveyed Holofernes Cave, Serendipitous Cave. We thought we found a new Bistro Cave and Sur le Pont Cave (which were cave but later discovered that Double Window all new caves). Cave was actually Starfish Cave. We also sur- veyed Burried in Purshia Cave. There is some remaining work in Elmer ’s Day 3: Ed Klausner and Elizabeth Miller to Trench. A few leads remain on the west side of Bat Butte area to survey Conjunction Cave, the main road through the monument and the Xyster Cave, and Fire and Ice Cave. much smaller area of Elmer ’s Trench east of the Day 4: Ed Klausner, Elizabeth Miller, and main road needs to be ridgewalked. Karen Willmes first went to survey Rubble Drop Special thanks to Dave Hays for the support Tube and then continued on to the northeast ar- given to this project. ea of Elmer ’s Trench to start the survey of

Correction In the Ozarks Activities report in the May 2021 issue of this newsletter, Seth Colston was incorrectly referred to as Seth Coltston. We re- gret this error. 4 Elmer’s Trench : Humeros 112.3’ Jumble Alley 212.7’ Kiddie Table 28.8’ Throne Room 92.2’ Missed Opportunity 37.7’ Xi Skein 65.1’ Serepinditous 286.0’ Three O’Clock Bridge 68.6’ Lizzy Borden Cave 66.8’ Ring Around the Bitterbrush 36.7’ Itchy and Scratchy Cave 53.7’ Porkchop 33.2’ Rock and Roll Cave 47.2’ Reunion 432.9’ Day in the Life Cave 28.6’ Burried in Purshia 69.0’ Public Enemy Cave 37.3’ Conjugation 68.5’ Pika Playground Cave 40.0’ Xyster 50.9’ Windy Point Cave 56.6’ Fire and Ice 102.7’ Holofernes Cave 53.8’ Rubble Drop Tube 77.1’ Bistro Cave 25.3’ White and Black Cave 265.6’ Sur le Pont Cave 84.0’ Tunnel of Love 37.4’ Total survey Elmer’s Trench 2570.6’

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7 Ozark Operations Activities, March-July 2021 By: Scott House, with reports by Kayla Sapkota

Agency work has continued throughout the ( monitoring). After the float, they visited Covid pandemic, with cavers following strict more cave entrances further upriver. protocols both in and out of the caves. June 13, 2021: Mark and Craig monitored and evaluated OZARK NATIONAL SCENIC RIVERWAYS two more caves on the Upper Current near CRF Ozarks works with the Ozark National Sce- Pullt ite. nic Riverways (NPS) under a cooperative cave management agreement. Trips usually originate June 14, 2021: from the NPS/USFS shared field office at Mark was joined by Kirsten Alvey -Mudd and Winona. Jim Mudd to float down and evaluate life in Merritt Rock Cave on the Current . Nume - May 24, 2021: rous salamanders were counted and some transi- Scott House and park superintendent Jason ent or bachelor were utilizing the cave. Lott monitored three caves on the Upper Cur- rent district. All are cultural sites from one era June 15, 2021: or another and all have had some varying de- Mark, Kirsten, and Jim were joined by grees of visitation. Jason was impressed with Mateo Kowal to monitor six caves on the upper the variety of passage types displayed in these Jacks Fork River plus remove an old cave sign caves. He is very supportive of our monitoring and replace it with a more appropriate one. Sev- and survey work. eral of the caves have active water courses in them and the salamander population was show- May 25, 2021: ing off on this date. Scott monitored one small cave near Round . He (I) had mapped it some 40 years ear- June 16, 2021: lier and had not been back since. The interven- Mark, Kirsten, and Jim were joined by NPS ing years clouded the memory of the best ap- archaeologist Morgan Beyer for a monitoring proach to the cave, which would not include trip to a cultural cave site near Round Spring. up a 60 foot crevice to get to the oth- June 17, 2021: erwise easily-accessible entrance. Mark and Kirsten were joined by Ameri- May 26, 2021: Corps worker Katie Sherman and her friend Ste- Scott took about 14 NPS interpretive staff phen Mattingly as they monitored six caves on (plus Superintendent Lott) into Round Spring the Lower Current (Big Spring and downstream, Cavern for a cave -background experience. After both sides of the river). One of the caves is a spending 2.5 hours in the cave, the group went restorative bat site and signs of guano (plus two to Welch Spring and then Devils Well for histo- myotis) gave proof that they are using the cave ry and discussion on those important interpre- at times. Another cave is well -known amongst tive sites. Round Spring remains closed this us as a site for slimy salamanders and 31 were year pending decisions on Covid mask needs. counted on the trip. Another cave is also known for salamanders and 31 cave salamanders were June 7, 2021: counted in its moist environs; nineteen other Mark Jones began weeks of work by visiting amphibians (salamanders and frogs) added to five caves on the Upper Current, four of which the diversity of this short but important cave. are gated. All gates were intact and the one While beginning to monitor the last cave of the maternal cave emitted a strong odor, day, two park visitors asked for assistance as indicating that all is well with the colony. their motorized jon boat had floated itself free and headed downstream without them. Kirsten June 9, 2021: took a kayak and caught up with the boat some Mark visited three caves on this date to distance downstream, got it off of a root -wad monitor visitation and check one additional snag, started it up and saved the day for the lo- . cal residents. They offered up free boat rides June 10-11, 2021: whenever a team needs help in that area. Mark did data entry, canoe, and trailer June 18, 2021: maintenance and other functions at the Winona Mark, Kirsten, and Shawn Williams moni- Ranger Station. tored a group of caves on the Upper Current via June 12, 2021: kayaks. One highly visited cave was discovered Mark was joined by Tyler Skaggs and Craig to be a cultural site - not a shocker but Shawn Williams as they monitored several caves be- found proof in the form of an , which tween Current River SP and Round Spring proof was previously lacking. (How did the rest

8 of us miss this?) The artifact was left in a safe ground and hiked to Forest Trail Pit to haul out place for NPS to collect or evaluate. trash. The pit, located immediately on a trail was a popular place to toss bottles. The team June 19, 2021: took out a trash bag and a half, with Riannon A large crew (a flotilla, really) floated down Colton climbing out of the pit with the fuller to Jam Up Cave to do a thorough cultural, use bag. Afterward, the group hiked back to the monitoring, and faunal survey. Participants in- campground for a picnic lunch before dispersing cluded Mark, Kirsten, Shawn, Krista Bartel, to monitor more caves. Craig Williams, Nick Ciaarmitaro, Mary Free- Kayla Sapkota and Adrian James located two man, Mateo Kowal, Mollie Ratliff and Tyler new features -- Dillard’s Ferry Through Cave Skaggs. This huge and important cave was gone and Dillard's Ferry Shelter, while searching for over from entrance to entrance. Plenty of cave Square Cave. Emily Roberts, Jessie Bridges, and life was utilizing the cave during the visit, in- Riannon Colton bio monitored Buffalo Point cluding a lone grotto salamander, which sitting Cave, Crawlway Cave, Goose Cave, Bat Hideout is not common in this cave with several entranc- Cave, Waterfall Pit #1, Waterfall Pit #2, and es. Waterfall Pit #3. They were also able to suc- cessfully navigate a very tight spot in Buffalo BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER Point Cave to discover more passage! Matt CRF work at Buffalo National River (NPS) is Bumgardner and Bethany Bruman bio monitored facilitated through a cooperative cave manage- Forest Trail Pit, Panther Cave, and Indian Rock- ment, survey, and bat monitoring agreement. house Cave. Claty Barnett and Aaron Thompson March 20, 2021: bio monitored Small Cave, Fireplace Cave, and Dillon Freiburger, Treavor Bussard, and Ben Salt Peter Cave. Rhett Finley, Daniel Smith, Damgaard monitored Kyle's Overlook Cave and Elijah Pitman, and Donald Locander bio moni- Stout Root Pit on a trip to check a lead in the tored Fitton Spring Cave, Cave X, and Rock same area. The lead ended up requiring many Wall Cave; they also located a new cave lead. more pads than they had on hand, but they May 30, 2021: were still able to map Stout Root Pit, which in- Jessie Bridges, Jonathan Moore, Karen cluded a short waterfall rappel to enter! Kayla Moore, and Melinda Dean bio -monitored River Sapkota and Pradeep Sapkota monitored Pip Par- View Cave, Shelter, and Mike's adise Cave, Hitchhiker Hole, Tin Can Cavelet, Maze Cave on a float trip. Neotoma Nest Cave, Flat Cavelet, and Steel Creek Campground Cave. Matt Bumgardner, June 5, 2021: Max White, Cheryl Paulsen, and Emily Roberts Ben Damgaard, Mariana Perez (NPS intern), checked LIDAR leads in the Beech Creek/ Kayla Sapkota, Katie Gromlovits, and Rhett Kilgore area of the Upper Buffalo. Finley bio -monitored Cove Slab Cave and Jasper They located two new features -- a small cave -in-June Cave. They also mapped Cove Slab (Blue Cave) and what appeared to be a blind to 252.8 ft and gave an interview on map- (Beech Creek Pit). On return trips to check ad- ping and monitoring caves for Mariana's report. ditional leads, vertical gear will be necessary. Mark Brooks, Brian Biggs, and Julie Stroud Donald Locander, Kyle Moore, and Rhett Finely Springman continued the mapping of Fluted monitored Sneed's Creek Cave #1, Sneed's Creek Maze Cave, bringing in 488.4 ft of survey. Cave #2, Tiny Crack, Side Crack, and Wise Crack. They also documented a new feature: July 3, 2021: Mossy Crack. Kayla Sapkota, Lawrence , and Tyler Skaggs put in at Steel Creek and floated to Big April 10, 2021: Bluff Pocket to map it, where they surveyed Meghan Gallo and Kayla Sapkota monitored 113.5 ft and found a hissing juvenile vulture. Howling Dog Pit, Shaddox Pit, and McFadden Along the way, they spent some time searching Pit. Rhett Finley, Daniel Smith, and Brandon for Bee Bluff Cave but only found poison ivy. Van Dalsem monitored Fitton Spring Cave, Rat With the later start in the day and the river lev- Crawl Cave, Misery Hole, Archeological Site 1 els, the crew decided to float/drag the kayaks & 2, Greenbriar Cave, Sap Crawl, Rat Den Cave, back to Steel Creek. Adrian James, Ferrel Little Dome Cave, Pill Bug Complex, and Eight- James, and Treavor Bussard bio -monitored Tom een Seventy-One Cave. Barnes Cave and searched for Sunset Cave.

April 30, 2021: NATURAL HERITAGE COMM. Rhett Finley and Daniel Smith bio -mo nit ored March 22, 2021: Steel Creek Shelter. Emily Roberts, Kayla Sapkota, and Ashton May 2, 2021: Eley hiked at the Hell Creek Natural Area, Mark Brooks, Lynette Brooks, Kayla Sapko- searching for cavelets and checking LIDAR ta, Adrian James, Cindy Darrow, Emily Roberts, leads. No new features were located. Jessie Bridges, Matt Bumgardner, Bethany Bru- June 2, 2021: man, Claty Barnett, Aaron Thompson, and Rian- Bryant Galloway, Emily Roberts, Ryan non Colton met at the Buffalo Point Camp - Spotts, and Kayla Sapkota began the survey of 9 Marble Falls Cave but left early due to locating important cave. Shawn Williams, Rita Worden, an endangered bat. They then bio -mo nitored and Mick Sutton primarily did bio -survey and Moth Cave. then followed that up with a couple hundred feet of cartographic survey. The cave was ac- MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FOREST cessed by a fairly long hike (1.5 miles) over a CRF work on Mark Twain National Forest (U.S. steep ridge compounded by carrying wet suits. Forest Service) is performed through a coopera- Meanwhile, the camp -sitting crew of Scott tive agreement covering inventory, survey, mon- House, Patti House, Sue Hagan plus terriers itoring, and gating. The Mark Twain covers 1.5 Wes and Emma monitored two small caves near million acres, and the bulk of it contains caves. Blue Spring. Much recent work has been focused on three for- est districts: Ava, Cassville, and Eleven Point. April 4, 2021: Most trips are based at the Winona Ranger Sta- Most of the previous day’s crew (Shawn, tion. Matt, Rita, Ginny, and Mick) returned to Crook- ed Branch, netting several hundred more feet of March 21, 2021: passage. The cave is mostly done but a nearby Isaac Smith and Craig Williams went to a cave remains to be biologically surveyed. An- cave on the Potosi District to do a cultural as- other trip is planned in the fall to identify a sessment. mystery crayfish (cave -adapted). April 2, 2021: April 17, 2021: Matt Beeson and Brandon Griemel surveyed Matt Bumgardner and Jon Beard monitored Lost Lake Cave, Ozark County, Willow Springs and photographed White Oak Onyx Cave in Bar- District. The cave was quite wet and a little un- ry County, Cassville District. They also spent der 200 feet in length. A mile -long hike with time checking a few LIDAR leads on the wet suit packs was required. This was the first hillsides. trip of a camp -out weekend. April 25, 2021: April 3, 2021: Jim Cooley and Julie Cottrell monitored Long day at Crooked Branch Cave. Matt, gates at two Cassville District caves in Barry Brandon, and Ginny Friedrich surveyed 350 feet County. They did an inspection of one for a of mostly- passage in this interesting and possible replacement gate.

A complex chunk of the Moore Cave System map by Chad McCain. 10 April 26, 2021: June 4, 2021: Jim and Julie monitored the entrance of a Matt Beeson and Mark Jones began survey- culturally-significant cave on the Cassville Dis- ing at a side passage in the rear portions of trict. This is to get an estimate of gating diffi- Ozark Caverns, Camden County, in Lake of the culty. Yep, difficult. Even the access is diffi- Ozarks State Park. They picked up nearly 400 cult. feet of low survey. The cave is a very nice one, lovingly interpreted with hand -held lamps and a PERRY COUNTY KARST minimal trail. An older map, well done by the CRF facilitates survey work in several areas of standards of the day, did not include substantial the county, including the City of Perryville and passages beyond the end of the tour trail. the Moore Cave System. June 5, 2021: May 15, 2021: Several teams worked in Ozark Caverns to- In two crews, Mark Brooks, Isaac Smith, Co- day. Scott House, James Corsentino, Izzy Crews dy Brooks, Chad McCain and Aaron McLean sur- and Spike Crews surveyed from the entrance veyed over 1400 feet in the Moore Cave system. netting for 600 feet to a point just past the A good chunk of this was new survey in previ- famed Angels Shower formation. Chad McCain, ously ignored areas. Kirsten Alvey-Mudd, Jeff Page, and Morgan Carson (the park’s assistant superintendent) June 9, 2021: worked on side passages in the same stretch, Scott House met with representatives of the getting all passages finished at over 300 feet. City of Perryville, Perry County, MO Depart- Dan Lamping, Shawn Williams, Krista Bartel, ment of Conservation, SEMO Regional Planning Matt O’Neal, and Seth Colston formed up two Commission, and the local economic develop- alternating parties and surveyed in the rear of ment association in an ongoing effort to coordi- the cave netting over 400 feet of low, wet pas- nate recovery efforts for the grotto sculpin and sage. Matt Beeson, Mark Jones, and Rita fix impaired water quality issues. Once again, it Worden finished up their chunk of the cave ’s was an amicable meeting and with all concerned rear sections adding nearly 900 feet. (By rear working toward the same goals. New native spe- sections, we mean low and miserable stuff be- cies plantings have been done in city parks yond the end of the tour trail.) Survey totals where old rip rap drainages have been replaced reached 2700 feet. Now only tour trail remains by natural landscaping and vegetation. to be surveyed. All made it back to camp for a fabulous crawdad and crab boil hosted by MISSOURI DEPT. OF CONSERVATION Kirsten and Krista. CRF and MSS work under unfunded permits to collect survey data on MDC lands. Ancillary ELSEWHERE support comes from CRF and cooperating feder- This includes trips done on US Army Corps of al agencies. Engineers lands and private lands. Some of this March 31, 2021: work is funded and some is not. Some of the Jim Cooley, Seth Colston, and Bill Gee sur- protection efforts may be funded by US Fish and veyed 170 feet of wet passage in one cave and Wildlife Service, CRF, MO Dept. of Transporta- enhanced sketches in another; both caves are on tion and other sources. conservation land in Shannon County. April 24, 2021: April 11, 2021: A group of Matt Beeson, Dillon Freiburger, Seth and Bill were joined by trip leader Gary Kayla Sapkota, Jessie Bridges, Rita Worden, Johnson and Kristen Godfrey to survey several Shawn Williams, Claty Barnett, Aaron Thomp- small caves (and investigate other leads) on son, and Meghan Gallo mapped just over 1,000 Muleshoe Conservation Area in Hickory County. feet in Onyx Cave, a privately owned in Carroll County, AR. May 22, 2021: A large group from St. Louis monitored a June 12, 2021: number of caves along the Ozark Trail in Huzzah 6/12/2021: Dan Lamping, Bob Lerch, and Conservation Area in Crawford County. Led by Ben Miller continued mapping in the Northwest Joe Light, cavers included Rick Haley (and son), Passage of Tumbling Creek Cave, Ozark Under- Craig Williams (and two others from ), ground Laboratory, Taney County, MO. Several Ken Grush, Jake Bennett and Kyle Mann. hundred feet of highly decorated and well - preserved passage were surveyed. (The entire MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL passage is accessed via a 50’ rope climb up RESOURCES: STATE PARKS from the main stream passage.) The passage CRF is once again working with the Division of continued beyond their survey to an end near State Parks on cave projects. A formal project is the surface. They exited the cave “totally slated to begin in July 2021, but with the coop- trashed in mud and whooped. ” eration of all work began on one cave ahead of At the request of Tom Aley, Dan, Ben, and schedule. This was part of a Missouri Speleolog- Bob took two board members (Dave Woods and ical S urvey meeting weekend. Rick Devlin) from the Tumbling Creek Founda- 11 tion up into the Northwest Passage so that they Sapkota visited private property in Carroll could see it. They much appreciated the trip. County, AR, and mapped a short, semi -vertical, decorated cave there. The owners decided to July 2, 2021: name the cave Dead Poet ’s Cave, with a fond Following up on a lead from the ANHC, nod to a deceased, artistic family member. Donald Locander, Kayla Sapkota, and Pradeep

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Ozark Activities, clockwise from upper left: Pradeep Sapkota, Donald Locander, and Kayla Sap- kota at Dead Poet's Cave. Photo by Kayla Sapkota. ; Matt Bumgardner emerges from the horizontal entrance of Forest Trail Pit. Photo by Bethany Bruman; Donald Locander and Kyle Moore in Sneed's Creek Cave #2. Photo by Rhett Finley ; Onyx Cave survey team: Aaron Thompson, Claty Barnett, Shawn Williams, Matt Beeson, Rita Worden, Jessie Bridges, Meghan Gallo, Kayla Sapkota, Dillon Freiburger. Photo by Kayla Sapkota.; Mark Brooks squeezes through an extension in the Moore Cave System. Photo by Chad McCain . 13

Ozark Activities, clockwise from upper left: Bluff along the Buffalo National River. Photo by Kayla Sapko- ta; Scott House sketches while James Corsentino fires the DistoX in Ozark Caverns. Photo by Kirs - ten Alvey; Ben Miller examines bear claw marks in Tumbling Creek Cave, Ozark Riverways ; Shawn Williams and Seth Colston go belly-out in Ozark Caverns. Photo by Dan Lamping; Tin Can Cavelet. Photo by Kayla Sapkota; Lawrence Ireland floats the Buffalo River. Photo by Kayla Sapkota . 14

Ozark Activities, clockwise from upper left: Meghan Gallo and Shawn Williams survey the stream level of Onyx Cave. Photo by Jessie Bridges; Fabulous shellfish boil at the MSS meeting. Photo by Dan Lamping; Kayla Sapkota sketches as Rhett Finley and Katie Gromlovitz search for cave life. Photo by Mariana Perez; AmeriCorps volunteer Katie Sherman squeezes through a small cave gate. Photo by Kirsten Alvey. 15 Mammoth Cave: St. Patrick’s Day Expedition, March 17-21, 2020 By: Dawn Ryan, Expedition Leader

This year’s St. Patrick ’s Day expedition was on a trip to the Cox Avenue area to continue to different with all the issues that the Covid virus resurvey the ‘I’ survey. Accompanying Jonesy brings. Because the February expedition was on day one was Mandy Harris, Eli Winkler, and canceled, we extended the expedition from two Mark White. Accompanying Jonesy on day two to three days. As a precaution, the number of was Michael Raymond, Mark White, and Eli attendees was limited to single occupancy in the Winkler. And the final day was completed with bunks or those traveling together having the op- just Jonesy and Mark White. Mark White was tion of occupying one bunk. We had 22 cavers impressed by the dramatic domes and waterfalls so the extra folks stayed in their tents or found flowed into the pits and developing into stream other overnight accommodations. We maintained passages. mask wearing while in the building and while Scott House, Karen Willmes, and Dawn Ryan along the tour route. Finally, the kitchen traveled with the Jonesy team but split off out was off limits to everyone except the person Boone to survey above team Jonesy. We were and, fortunately for everyone, that was able to hear Mark Jones’s team below us but Pat Kambesis. Pat ’s menu and work increased couldn’t connect the survey. Along the way, we with this as well. The food was great, and the observed Bishop 1908 and MK initials - presum- tradition of corned beef and cabbage continues. ably Max Kaemper’s initials. Another optimistic note was that there were sev- Bill Koerschner took Michael Raymond and eral of us who had already received their second Mandy Harris to the Beginner ’s Luck area of vaccine and were finally able to exchange hugs. Ursa Avenue in Roppel Cave. With 10.5 hours of My first hug was with Dave West. caving they were able to check leads and get The trips over the three days were as follows some survey in. and in no particular order: Tom Brucker took a team of three cavers into The small caves inventory continued headed Crystal Cave along Lost Passage route that in- up by Bill Copeland. The elusive Tommy Den - cluded Mandy Harris, Bill Koerschner, and Aa- ham Cave remains the same, but several other ron Deal. The inner lock to Crystal Cave was caves were mapped with the help of Dave West, quite challenging but Bill managed to get it off Karen Willmes, and Eli Winkler. Numerous cave after about 20 minutes of manipulation. Tom’s crickets, spiders, and beetles were observed in team was stopped by a 70-foot pit and unstable the cave surveyed. breakdown. Near the BP survey, the team noted Dave West, Rick Olson, and Michael Ray- lots of elephant tracks but no survey and many mond hiked to Bedquilt Cave to assess flooding. leads. Access was achieved but Dave observed that a new path appeared along the south wall. It [Aaron Bird ’s report on some additional trips may explain why flood waters are no longer from the expedition appeared in the May 2021 keeping the original surveyed entrance open. issue of the Cave Research Foundation Quarter- Another survey is not in the future. ly Newsletter.] For three days, Mark Jones (Jonesy to avoid the confusion of two Marks) led various people