| Walt Disney Cave, Siphon Spring Cave, Calcite Root Cave, Danger Cave #1 and #2, Plank Cave, Moss Cave, Double Root Dome Cave, Kelly Spring Cave and Kelly Cave December 4th |
Eric Hertzler and Jon Beard | As part of SPG’s Greene County Project, Eric Hertzler and Jon Beard obtained GPS locations, entrance dimensions and entrance photographs to Walt Disney Cave, Siphon Spring Cave, Calcite Root Cave, Danger Cave #1 and #2, Plank Cave, Moss Cave, Double Root Dome Cave, Kelly Spring Cave and Kelly Cave. The entrances to Disney Piracy Cave, mapped in the 1980s to 116 feet by Ken Thomson and Jon Beard, as well as Hunt Branch Caves #1 and #2 were verified filled and inaccessible due to urban development. Disney Piracy Cave and Double Root Dome Cave are new to the cave database. |
| Lon Odell Memorial Cave December 5th |
Jon Beard, Kevin Helton, Jack Rosenkoetter and Charley Young |
Jon Beard, Kevin Helton, Jack Rosenkoetter and Charley Young hosted a CAIRN group from St. Louis in the latter’s continuing video and photo documentation of Lon Odell Memorial Cave (Dade Co) for an upcoming documentary on the archaeology of the cave. The video crew concentrated on the northern sections of the cave where prehistoric remains and human footprints are located. Three additional footprints were documented (total documented is at 28). Mark Elvis Andrich and Jack helped the crew with vertical assistance for the pit entrance. |
| Banded Rock, Musical Flute and Crescent Crack Cave December 5th |
Roy Gold and Bob Taylor | Roy Gold and Bob Taylor accompanied Jeff Bridgman and Scott House in the search for and survey of some caves in Arkansas. The three surveyed were Banded Rock, Musical Flute and Crescent Crack caves, all short. |
| Watkins Cave December 9th |
Charley Rey | Charley Rey guided his high school GRY 142 class through Watkins Cave (Greene Co) on an educational field trip. The 1,551-foot gated cave, situated within the Bois D’Arc Conservation Area, is mostly walking and notoriously muddy. |
| Double Root Dome Cave December 11th |
Jon Beard, Eric Hertzler and Todd Twilbeck | Jon Beard, Eric Hertzler and Todd Twilbeck began the survey of Double Root Dome Cave (Greene Co) after work, mapping its first 135 feet. The approximately 275 foot-long cave, with more than half of it of walking height has some 6 speleothems and two namesake high domes with impressive, giant, free-hanging, rope-like root growths hanging from them. The cave floods with every significant rain and drains via a few small holes to inaccessible lower levels. Biota noted were a few cave crickets, slugs, gnats, spiders, earthworms and a rove beetle. |
| Cliff Cave December 12th |
Bill Heim, Bonnie Heim, and Jon Beard | Bill Heim, Bonnie Heim, and Jon Beard accompanied Susie Jansen, Bill Kacerovskis, Alicia Lewis, Bryan McAllister and Craig Williams in the photo documentation of graffiti and search for prehistoric signs in the entrance area of Cliff Cave (St. Louis Co) following an MCKC Board meeting. |
| Banker Cave December 13th |
Roy Gold, Lloyd Morrison, Jack Rosenkoetter and Bob Taylor |
Roy Gold, Lloyd Morrison, Jack Rosenkoetter and Bob Taylor joined Jim Huckins, Mike Morgan, and Dan Childress in a photo trip to Banker Cave (Shannon Co). |
| Steins Creek Cave December 18th |
Roy Gold, Sean Smith, and Bob Taylor |
Roy Gold, Sean Smith and a friend assisted Bob Taylor in some survey mop up work in Steins Creek Cave (Wright Co). Bob re-sketched a portion of the main passage until he felt it suitable for final drafting. |
| Double Root Dome Cave December 18th |
Jon Beard and Eric Hertzler | Jon Beard and Eric Hertzler completed the survey of 277-foot Double Root Dome Cave (Greene Co). The cave consists mostly of walking or stooping passage with a few minor speleothems and its namesake root domes. They saw springtails and isopods as well as small bugs (also seen on their previous visit). Eric took several photos of the cave’s features, which he showed the landowner upon exiting. They also gave the latter a copy of ―Caring for Your Karst.‖ Within a week, they had finished the map of the cave and had dropped a copy off for the landowner. |
| Johnson Mill Cave December 21st |
Jon Beamber and Bob Taylor | Jon Beard assisted Bob Taylor in the survey of Johnson Mill Cave (Lawrence Co), a small new-to-the-files cave that was explored previously by SPG member Shaun Collins and MDC’s Blake Stephens. Johnson Mill Cave is located at the site of an old saw and woolen mill in operation about 100 years ago. All that remains of the mill are concrete and fitted rock walls of the flume that once led water to what is assumed to have once been an overshot wheel situated at the head of an excavated "canyon" in the bedrock. This canyon is a fairly impressive cut, being 15 feet wide, 40 feet long, and at its head, 15 feet deep. It seems likely that Johnson Mill Cave was accidentally cut into while excavating this canyon. The cave's low entrance opens out about 18 feet in on the canyon's southwest side and runs as a sinuous crawlway for 66 feet before getting too low. While Bob sketched Jon took some photographs of the passage, speleothems and biota (including Bob). Both Bob and Jon took numerous photos of the canyon and other mill remnants. |
| Lowell Cave December 21st |
Roy Gold and Charley Young | Roy Gold, his son-in-law and granddaughter and Charley Young visited Lowell Cave (Wright Co) on a leisurely trip through the entrance areas of the cave. |
| Cricket Hole, Junction, Ritter Bat and Copperhead Pit Cave December 22nd |
Jon Beard | Jon Beard obtained GPS locations, entrance measurements and photographs of Cricket Hole, Junction, Ritter Bat and Copperhead Pit Caves in Ritter Springs Park (Greene Co) as part of the grotto’s project. |
| Hall Branch Cave December 29th |
Roy Gold, Jon Beard and Bob Taylor |
Roy Gold, his son Duncan, and Jon Beard assisted Bob Taylor in the completion of the survey of the south section of Hall Branch Cave (Greene Co). While Bob sketched, Duncan, Jon and Roy took several photographs of speleothems, bear claw marks and other cave features. The last unsurveyed portion of cave, the north passage, is still mostly water filled. |
| Ice Beauty, Smalley Sinkhole and Stove Top Pit December 31st |
Jon Beard | Jon Beard continued GPS work on Greene County cave entrances. Entrance location, measurements and photos were gathered on Ice Beauty, Smalley Sinkhole and Stove Top Pit caves in an area of the county where there are several cave entrances per square mile. |