| Crighton Natural Bridge, Crighton Spring Cave, Dragway Cave, Gush Hole, Indian Spring Cave #1 April 2nd |
Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Roy Gold, Eric Hertzler and Jerry Vineyard | Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Roy Gold, Eric Hertzler and Jerry Vineyard returned to Crighton Natural Bridge and Crighton Spring Cave (Greene Co) to continue Eric’s survey project of these impressive features. Jon, Zach and Roy also took several photographs of the bridge and spring branch. Jerry continued to take notes for his geologic summary. Afterwards, Jon, Zach, Roy and Eric crossed into Christian County to spend the rest of the day, visiting Dragway Cave, a cave surveyed by Bob Taylor in 1972 to about 80 feet. The cave’s dripline is some 50 feet wide and 10 feet tall, and today was issuing an impressive flood swelled stream. All four visitors took photographs. After this, Jon, Roy and Eric photographed Gush Hole, west of Ozark. True to its name, it was gushing as an angry boil. In drought times, this small cave has been explored for slightly over 100 feet. To end the day, the three photographed a couple of showy springs near the US-160 bridge over the Finley River. The larger of the two is a barely enterable bellycrawl known as Indian Spring Cave #1. |
| Sequiota Cave April 5th |
Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Roy Gold, Charity Hertzler, Kasi Johnson and Gabe Rodgers | Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Roy Gold, Charity Hertzler, Kasi Johnson and Gabe Rodgers conducted a fauna transect in sections of North and East Creeks in Sequiota Cave (Greene Co). They removed profuse mud graffiti from the East Creek passage, beer bottles from the main passage and they measured silt left over from the catastrophic siltation of the cave in December 2006. On the average, the depth of the red-brown, pudding-like silt is about six inches less than this time last year. Kasi and Gabe conducted water quality testing in both East and North streams. North Creek is the direct piracy of the surface stream Galloway Creek whereas East Creek has both diffuse and discrete recharge. As in last year, no aquatic biota was found in the silted East Creek, but North Creek had plenty of biota including isopods, amphipods, flatworms, limpits, snails, etc. At least 54 pipistrelles were noted. Assisting the group with canoes, etc. on the outside of the cave were Eric Hertzler, Melvin Johnson and Ron Martin. The Park Board conducted jonboat educational tours of the first 800 feet of the cave in conjunction with the project. |
| Crighton Natural Bridge, Crighton Spring Cave April 6th |
Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Eric Hertzler, Kasi Johnson and Bob Taylor |
Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Eric Hertzler, Kasi Johnson and Bob Taylor continued the Crighton project. Bob took photos while Kasi tested the water from Crighton Spring Cave (conductivity, dissolved oxygen, chemical analysis, etc.) while Jon and Zach assisted Eric in the survey that has involved Crighton Natural Bridge, the cave and the impressive gorge downstream. |
| Crighton Natural Bridge April 9th |
Eric Hertzler, Zach Copeland, Brian Goeppner, Judy and Roy Gold |
Eric Hertzler was assisted by Zach Copeland, Brian Goeppner, Judy and Roy Gold in the continuing survey of Crighton Natural Bridge and its spring cave (Greene Co). This time the gorge below the caves was surveyed along the western and northern walls. |
| Garrison Cave #2, Arch Spring Cave, Tunnel Spring Cave April 11th |
Jon Beard, Roy Gold and Jerry Vineyard |
Jon Beard, Roy Gold and Jerry Vineyard spent the day photographing rampaging springs and such following the latest round of record rains. First up was Garrison Spring, the normal resurgence to Garrison Cave #2 (Christian Co). The spring was issuing surprisingly low flow while several overflow springs upstream were issuing impressive flows (~15 cusecs combined). Next they visited the main entrance passage of the cave itself, which was sumped 200 feet inside and showed evidence the water level was three feet higher and flowing. Roy and Jon continued in Christian Co. to Arch Spring Cave, which was booming water and sumped (normally a dry cave). They hiked around the corner to Elk Valley Natural Arch (a.k.a. Arch Cave Collapse), a delicate symmetrical arch 15 feet tall, 30 feet wide and 10 feet front to back. Lastly, they photographed loud, crashing, cascading water issuing from Tunnel Spring Cave, a cave normally issuing a trickle of water. |
| Old Soldiers Cave, Little Branson Cave, Small Crawl Cave, Owens Staircase Cave April 12th |
Jon Beard and Roy Gold and Bob Taylor |
Jon Beard and Roy Gold assisted Bob Taylor in the survey of four small caves in the Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area (Taney Co). Old Soldiers Cave was mapped to about 35 feet, essentially a ponded round room with lots of spray paint graffiti. They surveyed Little Branson Cave to about 60 feet, all walking passage in a sinuous narrow clay-floored passage. Nearby was Small Crawl Cave, mapped to about 25 feet. The two caves, which were once apparently connected will be placed on the same map. Owens Staircase Cave was mapped to 31 feet, a stoopway passage with some water on a bedrock floor. Also seen was Lakeside Natural Arch, a large multiple archway in a large spalling rock with at least three natural arches. A few pipistrelles were seen in the caves along with fungus gnats. |
| Blanchard Springs Cavern April 12th |
Jason Hardinger | Jason Hardinger visited Blanchard Springs Cavern in Arkansas. With all of the big rains, the spring was gushing an incredible amount of water. |
| Smittle Cave April 15th |
Jon Beard, Evan Christiansen, Charley Young and Jeff Young | Jon Beard, Evan Christiansen, Charley Young and Jeff Young spent the day photographing and videotaping in Smittle Cave (Wright Co). They visited the Formation Passage, Meander Canyon Passage and Breakdown Passage before trekking to the Waterfall Room and then exiting. Lots of pipistrelle bats were seen throughout those sections of the cave. The group spent a few minutes removing mud balls thrown at speleothems in the Waterfall Room and removing graffiti made in clay walls in the Water Passage. |
| Smittle Cave April 19th |
Roy Gold, Kasi Johnson, Lloyd Morrison, Jack Rosenkoetter, Ashley Whaley, Charley Young, Jeff Young and Sarah Young | Roy Gold, son Duncan Gold and Duncan’s friend Doug from Colorado, Kasi Johnson, Lloyd Morrison, Jack Rosenkoetter, Ashley Whaley, Charley Young, Jeff Young and Sarah Young plus Jim Huckins from Chouteau Grotto took additional photographs in Smittle Cave (Wright Co) up to the Waterfall Room. |
| Devils Kitchen April 19th |
Eric and Charity Hertzler | Eric and Charity Hertzler visited Ha Ha Tonka State Park in Camden Co., briefly visiting Devils Kitchen, a small cave. |
| Garrison Cave #2, Countryman Cave April 20th |
Kasi Johnson, Jon Beard and Gabe Rodgers |
Kasi Johnson was assisted by Jon Beard and Gabe Rodgers in cave stream and spring testing at five test sites at Garrison Cave #2, Garrison Spring and Countryman Cave (Christian Co) as part of her cave stream data project. Kasi, who is a professional water resources engineer, has made great use of the portable test laboratory purchased by SPG through some of its grant money received the past year. Larval salamanders and stygobitic isopods were seen in Garrison Cave, and a nearly adult grotto salamander was found in Countryman Cave. |
| Smittle Cave April 22nd |
Roy Gold, Gabe Rodgers, Charley Young and Jeff Young | Roy Gold, Gabe Rodgers, Charley Young and Jeff Young returned to Smittle Cave (Wright Co) for additional photography in the main passage, Meander Passage and locations along the way to the Waterfall Room. |
| Crighton Natural Bridge Cave April 23rd |
Zach Copeland, Bill Heim and Brian Goeppner, Eric Hertzler | Zach Copeland, Bill Heim and Brian Goeppner assisted Eric Hertzler in the continued survey of the gorge section of the Crighton Natural Bridge and cave survey project. This area is located in eastern Springfield in Greene Co. |
| Ritter Bat Cave April 25th |
Melvin Johnson | Melvin Johnson led a small group to the entrance of Ritter Bat Cave (Greene Co) to view the evening bat flight of transient gray bats. Melvin estimated 200 bats. The visit was part of a two-day outdoor education event sponsored by various agencies and Wonders of Wildlife Museum. |
| Ritter Bat Cave April 26th |
Jon Beard and Zach Copeland and Scott Hootman | Jon Beard and Zach Copeland and Scott Hootman of the parks department led a small group through the first 300 feet of Ritter Bat Cave (Greene Co). After the guided trip through the cave was completed, Jon, Zach and Scott worked at filling a breach under the gate with extremely large rocks. |
| Reese Cave, Steins Creek Cave April 26th |
Roy Gold and Bob Taylor | Roy Gold and Bob Taylor drove to Wright County with plans to survey either Parks Creek Cave or Lowell Cave, but were diverted by the owner of Reese Cave, who gave them permission to visit his cave and also provided them with the name of the owner of Parks Creek Cave. They visited Reese Cave with thoughts of surveying, but Bob wanted to see if he could find his old partial map of this cave he did in the 1970s before starting the task all over again. On the way back to Springfield, they located the owner of Steins Creek Cave. They plan to return soon to survey this and the other caves. |
| Arch Spring Cave April 27th |
Jon Beard and Bob Taylor | Jon Beard assisted Bob Taylor in the survey of Elk Valley Natural Arch (a.k.a. "Arch Cave Collapsed," "Selmore Natural Bridge") of Christian Co. Nearby Arch Spring Cave was also visited for entrance photos. This, while still flowing considerable water, was much calmed down since Jon’s and Roy’s visit on April 11th. The man leasing the land (for cattle grazing) mentioned that the owner is planning to develop the land as "Natural Bridge Estates." Jon later showed Bob the South Fork subdivision in southern Ozark that is built around a group of large sinks, one of which continues to subside. It is amazing to see all the homes scrunched around it that are in danger of someday being devoured by it. |
| Upper Howell Cave April 27th |
Lawrence Ireland and Zach Copeland |
Lawrence Ireland and Zach Copeland surveyed a crawlway side passage in Howell Cave (Laclede Co). |
| Crighton Natural Bridge Cave April 30th |
Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Eric Hertzler, Bob Taylor and Jerry Vineyard |
Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Eric Hertzler, Bob Taylor and Jerry Vineyard finished the survey of the gorge section of Crighton Natural Bridge and Cave (Greene Co). Afterwards, they checked a deep sink on the Greene/Christian County line. This deep sink on the Christian Co side of the line has been an interest to cavers for its steep rock walls. It was checked, and two cave openings were found in the eastern wall and northwestern wall. The east side opening led to a 15-foot crawl which during wet weather drains into the sink. The other opening was sumped, but appears to be the drain for the sink which drains at least a half mile of the surface. The new cave(s) are as yet unnamed. |