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CAVE RESEARCH FOUNDATION QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2008 VOLUME 36, NO. 1 FLINT-MAMMOTH CONNECTION 2007 See CRF 50th Anniversary, pages 3-5 2 CRF NEWSLETTER Cave Conservancy Foundation Graduate Volume 36, No.1 and Undergraduate Fellowship Awards established 1973 Send all articles and reports for submission to: The Cave Conservancy Foundation will award an William Payne, Editor Undergraduate Fellowship in Karst Studies for $5000, 5213 Brazos, Midland, TX 79707-3161 an M.S. Graduate Fellowship in Karst Studies for The CRF Newsletter is a quarterl y publication of the $5000, and a Ph.D. Graduate Fellowship in Karst Cave Research Foundation, a non-profit organization Studies for $15,000 in 2008. Any study of caves and incorporated in 1957 under the laws of Kentucky for the karst in any field, including but not limited to archeol purpose of furthering research, conservation, and ogy, biology, engineering, geography, geology, and education about caves and karst. social sciences will be considered. The research can Newsletter Submissions & Deadlines: involve any cave and karst areas, including those out Original articles and photographs are welcome. If intending side the United States. Applicants must be full-time to jointly submit material to another publication, please in graduate or undergraduate students at a U.S. college or form the CRF editor. Publication cannot be guaranteed, espe university . cially if submitted elsewhere. All material is subject to revi sion unless the author specifically requests otherwise. For Applicants for the undergraduate fellowship must timely publication, please observe these deadlines: include a letter of intent, a proposal of the research not to exceed 5000 words, a letter of support from the un February issue by December I dergraduate advisor, and undergraduate transcripts. May issue by March I Mail applications before May 1, 2008 to Cave Conser August issue by June I November issue by September I vancy Foundation, Attn: Undergraduate Fellowship Program, 13131 Overhill Lake Lane, Glen Allen, VA Before submitting material, please see publication 23059. The award will be announced by June 1,2008. guidelines at: www cave-research org For more information contact Dr. Horton H. Hobbs III, NEWSLETTER STAFF: at Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, P.O. Content Editor: William Payne, Box 720, Springfield OH 45501-0720, via e-mail at Layout and Photos: Ralph Earlandson, Applicants for the graduate fellowships (M.S. and Mailing: Bob Hoke, b Ph.D.) must include a letter of intent, a curriculum ©2008 Cave Research Foundation vita, a thesis proposal, graduate transcripts, and two letters of recommendation, one being from the thesis Cave Research Foundation Board of Directors advisor. Mail applications before June 1,2008 to President - Scott House, Cave Conservancy Foundation, Attn: Graduate Fel Vice President - Joel Despain, lowship Program, 13131 Overhill Lake Lane, Glen Treasurer - Bob Hoke, Allen, VA 23059. The award will be announced by Secretary - Bernie Szukalski, July 1,2008. For more information contact Dr. David Hamilton Valley Director - Pat Kambesis C. Culver, at Department of Biology, American Uni George Crothers, Charles Fox, Joyce Hoffmaster, versity, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, Pat Seiser, Diana Tomchick DC 20016-8007, via e-mail at Operations Council 2008 CRF Annual Meeting Barbe Barker (Guadalupes), Mick Sutton (Ozarks), Pat Helton & Bruce Rogers (Lava Beds), Dave West The CRF Annual Meeting will be in the Carlsbad (Eastern), John Tinsley (Sequoia/Kings Canyon) NM vicinity on the weekend of November 1-2,2008. Barbe is in charge of meeting arrangements only. The For information about the CRF contact: national expedition will be the week prior (Oct 27-31) Scott House in the same general area. Details are being worked out 1606 Luce St. by Pat Kambesis and Joel Despain at this time. Cape Girardeau, MO 63701-5208 phone 573-651-3782 Cover Photo On October 18, 2007, just before CRF's 50th Anniver Donations to CRF should be sent to: sary celebration, a group of twelve cavers made the Bob Hoke, CRF Treasurer 6304 Kaybro St. Flint Ridge-Mammoth Cave connection, starting at the Laurel, MD 20707-2621 Austin Entrance and going out the Historic Entrance. Photo by Jackie Wheat. 3 Cave Research Foundation Turns Fifty Editor's note: The following two articles, by Ralph floor, and everyone was required to remove their Earlandson and Laura 1. Lexander, describe the CRF shoes before stepping out on the map. It was quite a 50th. Anniversary Celebration held at Hamilton Valley, scene, with cavers milling about on the cave map. outsIde of Mammoth Cave National Park, on October This map was first displayed, in the same manner, at 19-21, 2007. Both articles were originally published this year's NSS Convention in Indiana. in the December 2007 issue of The Windy City Spe Friday evening was a time for socializing, and leonews. Laura 1. Lexander's article was also pub there was plenty of food. In addition to many people lished in the January 2008 NSS News. I've known from CRF expeditions over the years, I saw several I hadn't seen in 30 years or more. Atten Celebrating 50 Years of CRF dance by Windy City Grotto members was light, how By: Ralph Earlandson ever. In addition to myself, only Laura Lexander and her daughter Evelyn, plus Don Kerouac, were there. Over 150 people converged on the Cave Research On Saturday morning I joined a tour group that Foundation Center at Hamilton Valley for the CRF visited the historic Collins House and ticket office 50th Anniversary Celebration. The main event ran near the entrance to Floyd Collins Crystal Cave, one Friday to Sunday, but there were caving trips to the of the major entrances to the Flint Ridge part of the Mammoth Cave system beginning on Wednesday. Mammoth Cave system. These two buildings had Trips included the New Discovery, the Flint Ridge to been restored and re-painted. For a long time the Mammoth connection, and Roppel. The goal of the Collins House served as the bunkhouse for CRF expe connection trip was to re-enact the original 1972 Flint ditions, with the kitchen and meeting rooms in the Mammoth connection, but the Tight Spot proved too nearby Austin House, which has since been removed. much for several people, and the nearby second con It was here that I stayed during the first few years after nection route was done instead. I first became involved with CRF in 1987. We then I arrived at Hamilton Valley on Friday afternoon. walked about a quarter mile down the road to the site A ,new sign, only a month old and reading CAVE RE of the Spelee Hut, where CRF was first based. The SEARCH FOUNDAnON HAMILTON V ALLEY Spelee Hut has been moved to Hamilton Valley and RESEARCH STATION, greeted participants as they restored. made the final tum toward the center. A large white The tour group next went on a short tour of Floyd tent had been erected on the grounds for the Saturday Collins Crystal Cave, but I was signed up for the after night banquet. Rather than spend two out of the three noon CRF tour of Mammoth Cave, so I caught a ride days driving from Chicago, I booked a cheap flight to back to HV to get a quick lunch before joining the first Nashville and rented a car, leaving only a 90-minute group at the Historic Entrance. Due to park policy drive to Hamilton Valley. As the bunk houses and limiting group size, there were two groups ofCRF camping space at HV had already filled by the time I members of about 60 each. The trip was a three-mile registered, I took advantage of a special CRF rate at lantern tour starting at the Historic Entrance and end the Park Mammoth Hotel in Park City. ing at Violet City. There were stops that featured I got to HV in time to go to Caverna Elementary short talks by CRF members on their specialties in School in Cave City for the exhibition of the 50-by-60- research or exploration. This was intended to replace foot master map of the Mammoth Cave system, show an afternoon of speeches and slide presentations, ing all known passages of the 370-mile-long system, while giving people an opportunity to see an impres the world' s longest. It was all laid out on the gym sive section of Mammoth Cave. We first saw the saltpeter works dating back to the War of 1812, and then we stopped at the Methodist Church, just beyond the saltpeter works. There, ge ologist Art Palmer gave a short presentation on the cave system's geology. At Booth's Amphitheater, Rick Olson talked about saltpeter mining. At the Star Chamber we took seats on long benches, while several presenters gave their talks. Patty Jo Watson talked about cave archaeology. At Th e Spelee Hut (front) now in Hamilton Valley, next to Wright's Rotunda, Mick Sutton and Sue Hagen spoke the Hoffmaster House. Photo by Ralph Earlandson. about the Mammoth Cave Gazetteer as a repository for 4 place names. At St. Catherine's City, Tom Brucker, CRF 50th Anniversary Celebration Bob Osburn and Aaron Addison gave an overview of By: Laura J. Lexander the evolution ofCRF cave surveying. Because many th of the original surveys did not meet current standards, The Cave Research Foundation celebrated its 50 much of today's activity is devoted to re-surveying. year anniversary the weekend of October 19-21 at the Most notably lacking in the early surveys were cli Hamilton Valley Facility just outside Mammoth Cave nom enter readings and backsights. National Park. Though I didn't go caving, I still thor We saw some very large and impressive rooms, oughly enjoyed visiting with my friends and meeting including Chief City and the 100-foot-high Elizabeth's several prominent figures of the organization's past.