| Windermere Cave February 5th |
Jon Beard and Eric Hertzler | Jon Beard assisted Eric Hertzler in the mapping of the first 267 feet of Windermere Cave (Camden Co). The first section is all walking passage with lots of dry flowstone including canopies, some helictites and lots of short soda straws. The next section is mostly hands and knees crawlway leading to a series of three high domes connected by a very tall ceiling channel. Two areas in this section contained a pure white clay deposit that baffled the surveyors. The last section, which was only partially explored, contains bellycrawls to the terminus. Critters seen included a small bat of undetermined species, cave crickets, a cave salamander, a larval salamander, a few dark spiders about 15mm in length, a 2mm troglobitic spider and other very small troglobitic critters. While Eric was sketching, Jon kept busy collecting trash (candy wrappers, small plastic cups, straws, etc.). |
| Cameron Cave February 5th |
Roy Gold and Charley Young | Roy Gold and Charley Young visited Cameron Cave (Texas Co). The entrance is at the bottom of a fairly large sink and is an L-shaped opening with each leg of the L about five feet. The first 30 feet or so is nearly vertical, and where they rigged a 10-meter cable ladder to get down, the wall is unstable small rock and mud. From the bottom of the cable ladder the cave descended steeply for another 30-40 feet vertically to give a total depth of 60-70 feet. At the bottom is a larger room with dimensions of 75-100 feet in length, 50 feet wide and 20 feet high. The cave ends in breakdown. The entire cave is in Roubidoux sandstone, and the ceiling and some of the breakdown exhibits some nice ripple marks. This room floods to a depth of 15 to 20 feet. Above the high water mark they found one footprint which led them to believe that the cave is not very well known. Also there was no graffiti in the cave. Afterwards, Roy and Charley checked out two other small caves, an apparent new sandstone shelter cave tentatively named Brushy Creek Cave, with an entrance six feet in diameter and about 15 feet in length and Blankenship Cave, which is a large shelter seven feet high, 30 feet wide and 40 feet in length. |
| Skaggs Cave February 6th |
Dave Ashley | After attending the annual Natural Resources Conference, Dave Ashley and students visited Skaggs Cave (Pulaski Co) where they conducted a biological survey in the entrance passage, rimstone terrace and Harlens Puzzle. They the visited the remaining parts of the cave for sightseeing purposes. |
| Heuszel Cave, Zoo Cave February 8th |
Roy Gold and Bob Taylor, Jon Beard |
While the team of Sue Hagan, Will Hitson and Mick Sutton were surveying in Heuszel Cave (Taney Co), the team of Roy Gold and Bob Taylor surveyed in nearby Zoo Cave. That left Jon Beard to assist Scott House in the search for, and survey of CCS caves #1 and #2. CCS Cave #2 was mapped first, a bellycrawl one-shot wonder of 23 feet. CCS Cave #1 was more of a challenge, containing a narrow twisting 60-70-foot stoopwalk and crawl. The stoopway section was up to 12 inches deep in cold water. After this was done, they rejoined Mick, Sue and Will just exiting Heuszel. Jon and Scott then joined Bob and Roy in Zoo Cave. While Bob’s team completed the northern section of the cave, Jon assisted Scott in the completion of the Mini Maze in the southern section. Cave life noted by Jon and Scott included fungus gnats in CCS #2, two pips in CCS #1, a few pips and a small slimy salamander in Zoo. |
| Lowell Cave February 10th |
Roy Gold and Charley Young | Roy Gold and Charley Young revisited Lowell Cave (Wright Co) for some photography as well as exploration (and better understanding) of the confusing upper levels. They also photographed Cantrell Natural Arch (Webster Co). |
Windermere Cave |
Jon Beard and Eric Hertzler | Jon Beard and Eric Hertzler returned to Camden County to search for a cave lead, eventually obtaining the owner’s phone number. After this, they resumed Eric’s survey of Windermere Cave, mapping from the interior gate to the First Dome. After this, they did some photography of the domes beyond the survey. Several pickerel frogs were seen as well as an adult cave salamander and two larval salamanders. |
| Tumbling Creek Cave February 13th |
Dr. Dave Ashley | Dr. Dave Ashley and MWSU students Willie Gilbert, Laura Kukuc, Jacqueline Lee, Mary McIntosh, Jamie Riley, Matt Stehly and Mike Voltz set up traps for crayfish in Tumbling Creek Cave (Taney Co) in preparation of a study for the next day. |
| Piccolo Cave, Old Spanish Treasure Cave February 13th |
Bonnie Curnock | Bonnie Curnock, along with friends Chester and April Beck, did some impromptu caving while driving along in northern Arkansas. They found one beside a road that had just become exposed. It was named Piccolo Cave because the walls were totally fluted. Photos were taken, then another cave was visited near Decatur. It was short, but had a walking size room in it. A street sign, stop sign and sign pole had been dragged into it. They then visited Old Spanish Treasure Cave, a show cave in Benton County. |
| Tumbling Creek Cave February 14th |
Dave Ashley | Dave Ashley and students counted and measured cavesnails, millipedes and decomposition stations in Tumbling Creek Cave as part of an ongoing study in this featured resource of the Ozark Underground Laboratory. |
| River Cave February 15th |
Evan Christiansen, Roy Gold, Jason Hardinger, |
Evan Christiansen, Roy Gold, Jason Hardinger, Eric Hertzler, Melvin Johnson, Gabe and Kasi Rodgers, Jack Rosenkoetter, Max White and Charley Young spent the day in River Cave (Camden Co) to take lots of photographs, and for some, their first look at the cave recently secured with a new backdoor entrance gate. |
| Hercules Lookout Cave, Smallin Cave, Sonrise Cave February 15th |
Dave Ashley | Dave Ashley and students conducted a bio survey of cave crickets and salamanders in Hercules Lookout Cave (Taney Co), then drove to Smallin Cave (Christian Co), meeting up with Jon Beard and manager Kevin Bright and guide Lisa. A bristly cave crayfish count and measurement was conducted in the first 1,400 feet of the cave. Due to high water and turbidity, only three individuals were found. Also found were several cave crickets, some cave salamanders including a yellow melanistic, a dark-sided salamander, a pipistrelle and a few pickerel frogs. After this the group spent a few minutes in nearby Sonrise Cave to count biology there (a few adult grotto salamanders, some pickerel frogs). |
| Hancock Cave, Eadsons Spring Cave February 16th |
Eric Hertzler | Christen Easter of LOG and Eric Hertzler surveyed and GPS’d a new cave for the cave files—Hancock Cave (Camden Co). Christen sketched the main passage while Eric sketched out another very small cavelet that connects through a hole too small to enter into Hancock Cave. Total survey was 47.6 feet. Another new cave in Camden County, Eadsons Spring Cave, was also GPS’d and surveyed to 28 feet. |
| Breakdown Cave February 21st |
Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Roy Gold and Charity Hertzler | Jon Beard, Zach Copeland, Roy Gold and Charity Hertzler led the science club of Willard High School in an educational field trip through Breakdown Cave (Christian Co). Parts of the cave seen were the Main Room, North Loop and the Southeast Passage. Zach and Jon led the willing through Hell’s Gate to Brent’s Room to view the rimstone terrace and white columns that adorn the first section of Canopy Avenue. Several copies of "Caring for Your Karst" were given to biology teacher Diane Crain for use in science classes at the school. |
| White Cave Spring and Tonka Spring February 21st |
Kasi and Gabe Rodgers | Kasi and Gabe Rodgers traveled to Ha Ha Tonka State Park and performed water quality testing on both White Cave Spring and Tonka Spring (Camden Co). The data was sent to Eric Hertzler for inclusion in his upcoming report on the caves of Ha Ha Tonka. |
| Lon Odell Memorial Cave February 22nd |
Jon Beard, Jerry Baker, Zach Copeland, Brian Goeppner, Jason Hardinger and Bill Heim |
Jon Beard, Jerry Baker, Zach Copeland, Brian Goeppner, Jason Hardinger and Bill Heim accompanied archaeologist Craig Williams to Lon Odell Memorial Cave (Dade Co) for archaeological mapping, photography and data gathering. Of particular interest were a foot-wide petroglyph, several torch stoke marks and ash remains and sets of human footprints. Zach, Jerry and Jason explored the New Maze section of the cave, and while Craig and Jon were mapping footprints, Bill showed the others the Boulder Room and Bacon Passage. This cave is one of only a few documented caves in the United States known to contain prehistoric human footprints. |
| Windermere Cave February 22nd |
Charity Hertzler and Eric Hertzler |
Charity Hertzler assisted Eric Hertzler in the continuing survey of Windermere Cave (Camden Co). They surveyed the First Dome complex, including an upper level passage accessed by an extension ladder. The total vertical extent of the First Dome is about 50 feet. Remaining to be surveyed on future trip(s) is the section containing two more impressive domes, followed by a tight meandering section to the cave’s terminal room. The cave is developed in the upper Eminence Formation. |
| Old Spanish Cave February 22nd |
BJ Gray, Lisa Medlock, Shadd Clarkson, and Melissa Fox | BJ Gray, Lisa Medlock, Shadd Clarkson, and Melissa Fox visited former show cave Old Spanish Cave (Stone Co) to check some leads, finding a speleothem area apparently not known to recent vandals. They did find lots of spray paint and a ton of trash. |
| Breakdown Cave February 26th |
Jon Beard, Roy Gold, BJ Gray, Eric Hertzler and Gabe Rodgers | Jon Beard, Roy Gold, BJ Gray, Eric Hertzler and Gabe Rodgers guided two groups of Nixa High School students on educational trips through the Main Room, North Loop, Lower Level Maze Loop, Formation Loop and Hell’s Gate in Breakdown Cave (Christian Co). Also on hand was Holly Neill, executive director of the James River Basin Partnership. |
| Breakdown Cave February 27th |
Jon Beard, Evan Christiansen, Roy Gold, BJ Gray, Rob Holland and Lisa Medlock | Jon Beard, Evan Christiansen, Roy Gold, BJ Gray, Rob Holland and Lisa Medlock guided two more groups of Nixa High School students on educational trips through Breakdown Cave. This and the preceding day’s trips were sponsored by the Christian County Soil & Water Conservation District in an effort to promote karst education. A few hundred copies of "Caring for Your Karst" were given to Amanda Cook of the CCS&WCD for distribution to area karst landowners and managers. Following the guided trips, Jon, BJ, Rob and Lisa visited the rarely seen Fourth Level and Northern Maze sections of Breakdown before checking out the main level of nearby Fitzpatrick Cave. |
| Breakdown Cave February 28th |
Jon Beard and Roy Gold | To round out the week of Breakdown Cave tours, Jon Beard and Roy Gold led the science club of Girard (KS) High School through the Main Room, North Loop, Lower Level Maze Loop and Southeast Passage on an educational trip. |