CONTENTS July / August 1998 Volume 43 No 4 THE TEXAS PROJECT REPORT CAVER Government Canyon Karst Survey Project The TEXAS CAVER is a bi-monthly publication of the Texas By Marvin Miller Speleological Association (TSA), an internal Page 55 organization of the National Speleological Society Marvin detail s the latest discoveries at the Government Canyon State Natural (NSS) . Area near San Antonio. Two digs reveal two new caves on the property. Subscription rates are $25/year for six issues of The TEXAS CAVER. This includes membership in the TSA. Out TRIP REPORT of state subscribers, libraries, and other institutions may Naj Tunich and Pinturas receive The TEXAS CAVER for the same rate ($25/year). Back issues are available at the cost of $3.00 per issue. By Allan Cobb Send all correspondence (other than material for The Surprisingly dry weather makes for an easy trip. Allan Cobb's latest excurs ion TEXAS C AVER), subscriptions, and exchanges to : to Guatemala involved an expensive camera, computers, and big batteri es. Read on to find out what Allan was up to. The Texas Caver PO Box 8026 Austin , TX 78713. AWARDS Articles and other material for The TEXAS C AVER should Russell Wins NSS Award be sent to the following address: By Jay Jorden Page 57 Brian Vauter 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road Natural Bridge Caverns, TX 78266 THE INQUISITION: Underwater Kinetics Mini Light vauterb @aol.com By Joe Ivy Page 59 The TEXAS CAVER openly invites all cavers to submit articles, trip reports, photographs (35mm slides or any PHOTOGRAPHY: Digital Cameras size black & white or color prints on glossy paper) , cave maps, news events, cartoons, and/or any other caving By Keith Huess related material for publication. Page 62 Exchanges should be mailed to The TEXAS CAVER at th e FROM THE FILES OFTHETSS: Survey of Secret Cave subscription address above. The TEXAS C AVER wi ll By Jack Burch exchange newsletters with other grottos. Page 63 Opinions expressed in the The TEXAS C AVER are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect LETTERS those opinons held by the TSA, its members, the NSS, Page 64 or any other person on the planet. Besides, when you really think about it, opinions are like armpits - everybody has them and they all stink. CHAIRMAN'S CORNER Page 65 . © Copyright 1998 by the Te xas Speleological Association. Internal organizations of the NSS may reprint any item first appearing in The TEXAS CAVER as long as proper credit is given and a copy of th e ON THE COVER: Teny Raines in M idnight Cave. Photo by Jim newsletter containing the reprinted material is mailed Jase k to the TSA. Other organizations should contact the TSA ON THE BACK: Houston Grotto members in Inner Space about reprinted materials. Cavern, circa 1985. Photo by Jim Jasek JULY / AUGUST 1998 PROJECT REPORT - GOVERNMENT CANYON By MARVIN MILLER Government Canyon Karst Survey Project 1998 Mid-Year Report fter a hiatus of several months, through some brush which the Government Canyon Karst the others had gone around. A Survey Project was resumed in Kicking a rock, he heard a January of this year. Approximately hollow sound and looked two-thirds of the park had already been back. In the bed of the creek ridge-walked since the project began in was a six-inch diameter 1994, and a decision was made to cur­ hole. The hole was enlarged tail searching the remaining acreage and and the cave partially ex­ instead put our efforts toward investi­ plored. It is at least fifty feet gating and dispositioning currently deep and certainly recharges flagged karst features. This is important a good amount of water. because many of these features were Lucky Hat Cave awaits sur­ flagged in 1994 and '95, and the flag­ vey and complete explora­ ging tape is fading and disappearing. We tion. don 't want to lose all the hours of hard The second cave found work that were put into finding these this year was dug into on the features. We have also recognized the most recent trip. This feature need to permanently benchmark the was one that had been dis­ known caves to prevent the confusion covered in 1994. It had a of rediscoveries and alternate names. A classic-looking pit entrance third emphasis has been the continuing but the dirt floor was only exploration, survey, and mapping of two feet down . George caves. Kegley, the park resource The turnout at the project week­ specialist, first saw the fea­ ends has been light, an average of 9.5 ture in April of thi s year and persons per weekend. Some of the rea­ was interested in it for ar­ sons for this may be the months-long cheological reasons. We de- Charles Cruz at the entrance to Lucky Hat Cave. The cave break in the project and the abundance cided to dig and see what was found after Charles kicked a rock within the creek bed. of additional caving opportunities be­ happened. The first three The cave has not yet been surveyed or completely explored. sides this project, especially in the San feet offill came out easily, being mostly enough to scoot up it and found we Antonio area. Most of the project par­ leaf mold. After that it got progressively could see into a small, low-ceilinged ticipants historically have been from the harder but we kept at it and took out room. We have a bit more digging to do San Antonio area, but we have also been another foot or so. I had about given up before we can get into it, but at least we well supported by Austin cavers. on it, having no desire to dig a blind pit now have a cave. Though small in number, we have seen to its bedrock floor, but we decided to One other cave dig was completed some significant accomplishments. spend a few more hours during the June without a satisfactory conclusion. Chris Two new caves have been found trip. Aaron Miller and I dug for half-a- Vreeland and Jim Kennedy pushed a this year. The first was on the very first day and uncovered a small hole sloping blowing lead in Lost Pothole to a six- trip in January by a young caver help­ upward into larger passage. It puffed inch diameter hole that went as far as ing out on the project for the very first cool air every time a breeze blew over they could see in bedrock. time. Charles Cruz was in the middle the pit entrance above. Keep digging! Benchmarking of the caves has of a party scrambling up a little side My hopes still were not very high, but gone well. Ten out of the thirty known canyon on the way to a dig. He crawled we eventually dug out the passage caves have alumjnum tags installed near 55 JULY I AUGUST 1998 their entrances with the cave's Bexar County survey number stamped on the tag. Many thanks go to Jimmy Dreiss for the use of hi s cordless hammer drill .;V and for packing it around - in addition o. ~.'~, to hi s GPS equipment. This work has ' .7 been hampered somewhat by the pro­ t hibition on driving up the canyon to the .' northern parts of the park during golden­ .' cheeked warbler nesting season. In con­ junction with the benchmarking project, surveys were completed on Blind Luck Cave, Dusty Cave, and Aarons Talus Cave. So far this year ten karst features allD.a Luck have been poked at, dug at, and other­ Cave wise investigated without finding caves Government Canyon State Natural Area Bexar Counry, Tcus or reason to dig further. Ten is a small S l$ltWwf.bcr&lmsT~ S Ul"lCy fraction of the number needing to be J.... ...,.I7. I99I checked. There are bound to be caves M"',mMlrlcr lw. Mllkr under some of those sinkholes and ct.rloc= Aw.unSmnh plenty of opportunities exist to survey OraI\;~n"'Mtfl l l1l9l and explore known caves. Anyone is welcome - we get new cavers and non­ cavers all the time - so come on out to Government Canyon and find yourself a cave! '. ,' . @ 19981.10 ..... ;n t.l ilillr r----------------------------------------~JOIN THE TEXAS SPELEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION NOW SO YOU DON'T MISS ANOTHER ISSUE OF THE TEXAS CAVER! Hey! You're right. I don't want to miss another NAME: issue. Sign me up for the item indicated: STREET/BOX: $25 - THE WORKS (The TE XAS CAVER , TSA Activities D Newsletter & Texas Caver Reunion notices) CITY, ST, ZIP: $30 - Family Membership (Two votes but only one set D of publications) PHONES HOME ___________________ WORK ____________ $20 - TSA & TEXAS CAVER only D FAX: __________________~P~AG~E~R~ ______________ $7 - Activities Newsletter only D MOBILE: e-mail MAIL TO: TSA, BOX 8026, AUSTIN,TX 78713 ~----------------------------------------~56 TilE TEXAS eWER JULY / AUGUST 1998 ·A· ,,/ .A' , , fa! g 6.T 0 2 4 6 8 10 meters Entrance to Dusty Cave, Government Canyon DusTY CAVE State Natural Area. GOVERNMENT CANYON STATE NATURAL AREA BEXAR COUNTY. TEXAS Sisteco and fiberglass tape survey March 21.1998 George Veni Marvin Miller draft: Marvin Miller @ 1998 Marvin Miller AWARDS By JAY JORDEN Russell Wins NSS Award founder of the Association for Russell , also a founder of the than anyone can understand, it's been Mexican Cave Studies who is Texas Speleological Survey, has been an said, and faster than the speed of light," A also a Texas Cave Management active caver in the state and in Mexico Mike Hood, the awards chairman, told Association director has received the for almost a half-century.