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Springfield Plateau Grotto Caving Trips November 2006 |
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| Fitton Cave Mud Cave November 4&5 |
Jon Beard Michael Carter Roy Gold Jason Hardinger Eric Hertzler Jack Rosenkoetter Bob Taylor Chris Gertson |
Jon Beard and Michael
Carter led photographic trips to Fitton Cave, Newton County,
Arkansas. Participants included SPG members Roy Gold, Jason Hardinger,
Eric Hertzler, Jack Rosenkoetter and Bob Taylor plus Chris and Joel
Gertson of OHG. Over 500 photos were taken in the Entrance Passage, East
Passage, Out Room, Tennouri Passage, Tennouri Room and Helictite Passage.
More than 20 hours was spent altogether in the cave. Also photographed on
Saturday was the entrance room of nearby Mud Cave. Image by Eric Hertzler |
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| Smallin Cave Sonrise Cave November 19 |
Jon Beard
Dr. Ashley Gary Johnson |
Jon Beard led Dr. Ashley, three MWSC students and Gary Johnson of KCAG to Smallin Cave (Christian County) where the group studied nine bristly cave crayfish in the first 1,400 feet of the cave. Also found were some eastern pipistrelles, a cave salamander and a grotto salamander. The group also briefly checked out Sonrise Cave nearby.
Bristly Cave Crayfish image by Roy Gold. |
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| River Cave November 24 |
Eric Hertzler Charity Gramm Jon Beard |
Eric Hertzler, Charity Gramm and Jon Beard did a bio survey and photography in River Cave, Camden County. They found about 300 summer gray bats remained, dozens of pipistrelles, dozens of grotto salamanders, several isopods, what appeared to be copapods and 33 southern cavefish. Eric and Jon proceeded through a near sump and trekked an additional 200 feet of dry passage to a tight near sump that was not pushed. Over 100 photographs were taken of critters and other cave features.
Image of southern cavefish by Jon Beard |
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| Smallin Cave Mapping November 26 |
Bob Taylor Charley Rey Lawrence Ireland Jon Beard Jason Hardinger Roy Gold Bob Harvey Diane Kelsay |
Diane Kelsay, Bob Harvey and Roy Gold assisted Bob Taylor in mapping between Smallin Cave and the canyon downstream, including tying in Smallin Canyon and Sonrise Caves to the main survey. Meanwhile, further into the cave, Charley Rey was helped by Lawrence Ireland in the start of the mapping of the cave's longest side passage, the J Harlen Bretz Passage, getting about 300 feet before the day was over. Lastly, Jason Hardinger and Jon Beard mapped 230 feet of mostly crawlway in the upper levels off of the Bat Room about 4,000 feet into the cave. Mapping will continue during the winter, weather permitting. |
 Photo by Diane Kelsay of Bob Taylor. |