| Bluff Cave, Round Spring, Smokehole Cave, Devils Well, Wallace Cave Novemeber 7th |
Jason Hardinger, Bob Taylor, Jon Beard, Roy Gold, Max White and Charley Young |
Jason Hardinger, Bob Taylor, Jon Beard, Roy Gold, Max White and Charley Young participated in some projects in Shannon County in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways along with Scott House and Josh Hafner. Jon, Roy, Jason, Max, Charley and Josh visited the entrance to Bluff Cave so that Jon could take photos of the locking mechanism as a model for a future cave gate. After this, the group picked up some tools and the last of three interpretive sign mounts (made by Charley months ago) at Round Spring (where there was a brief visit to Round Spring Cave to photograph the new gate) and drove to Akers. While the others installed the sign mount, Jon, Jason and Josh hiked to Smokehole Cave to check for any new vandalism (none) and conduct a bio inventory noting only a pack rat and its nest. After a lunch snack, the group drove to Devils Well where they discovered excess gravel had washed onto the viewing platform. An effort was made to remove some of it before Scott decided it would be better to have park staff complete the task (approx. 1,000 lbs of gravel!). After this all hiked to Wallace Cave for photography, cleanup of old shards of glass and a bio inventory (bullfrogs, pickerel frog, two cave salamanders, a larval salamander, etc.). Lastly, Jon, Bob and Roy visited Round Spring to take photos of the karst window. |
| Turnback Cave November 7th |
Bill Heim and Charley Rey | Bill Heim and Charley Rey were among 10 cavers and 12 scouts who participated in the annual Stream Team #659 cleanup and bio inventory of Turnback Cave (Lawrence Co). Participants noted a few tricolored bats and two bristly cave crayfish. |
| Breakdown Cave November 10th |
Jon Beard, Roy Gold and Doug Gouzie |
Jon Beard, Roy Gold and Doug Gouzie led Doug’s MSU speleology class on an educational field trip to Breakdown Cave (Christian Co). The group made a counterclockwise circuit through the Main Room of the cave discussing how the cave was developed, how the breakdown occurred and its importance in the development of the Main Room. The group also visited nearby Fitzpatrick Cave to show how it differed in character from Breakdown Cave and to see where an Ozark cavefish was found in June (the cavefish has since been elusive). |
| Fantastic Caverns November 11th |
25 SPG Members | SPG held its annual meeting in Fantastic Caverns (Greene Co), courtesy of the show cave’s management. There were 25 members in attendance plus family members, friends and guests. After the lastly Giboney Cave in Doling Park. Critters noted in Giboney included a bristly cave crayfish, a larval salamander, three dark-sided salamander adults and a tricolored bat. meeting, everyone took a leisurely stroll through the tour section of the cave. Many photos were taken of the cave’s features. |
Urban Karst Tour |
Charity Hertzler, Lloyd Morrison, Roy Gold, Jon Beard, Gabe and Kasi Rodgers, Jack Rosenkoetter, Jeremiah Stanfield, Bob Taylor and Jerry Vineyard |
Charity Hertzler, Lloyd Morrison, Roy Gold, Jon Beard, Gabe and Kasi Rodgers, Jack Rosenkoetter, Jeremiah Stanfield, Bob Taylor and Jerry Vineyard participated in an Urban Karst Tour of eastern and northern Springfield (Greene Co). Locations visited: Cherry Street Sink (a now-filled entrance to a cave); Steury Sink (a nowfilled entrance to a cave); Jones Spring (the resurgence to the above sinks and reportedly the site of the first grist mill west of the Mississippi River); Crighton Natural Bridge and Cave (recently mapped by Eric Hertzler and other SPG members); Valley Water Mills Park (where the group hiked a trail seeing three caves, several sinks, a large spring and a geological feature called a horst). |
| Hall Branch Cave November 15th |
Jon Beard, Roy Gold and George Lantz, Bob Taylor | Jon Beard, Roy Gold and George Lantz assisted Bob Taylor in the continuing survey of Hall Branch Cave (Greene Co). To their surprise, after a very wet October where the cave was dry, and after a two-week drought for the first half of November, the passage they were intending to finish mapping was up to six feet deep in water. They surveyed as much of the dry section of passage as they could, took photographs and then completed the few remaining loops in the central part of the right hand maze. |
| River Cave November 20th |
Eric Hertzler | Eric Hertzler visited the entrance sinks to River Cave (Camden Co) to view the recent storm damage (the result of a 5-inch rain). Debris including gravel and all manner of tree branches has filled the upper entrance and part of the second entrance. Eric discussed the situation with a park official about how to clear out the debris. |
| Hall Branch Cave November 21st |
Bob Taylor, Jon Beard, Charley Young, Roy Gold |
Bob Taylor, Jon Beard, Charley Young, Roy Gold, and Kayla New (of Arkansas) returned to Hall Branch Cave (Greene Co). Since parts of the northern (linear) passage was still submerged, they completed the survey of both the right hand and left hand maze sections of cave. Only the two linear passages, north and south, remain. Several took photos of speleothems and cave critters. |
| Nycum Cave November 21st |
Nancy Nycum and Maria Thompson |
Nancy Nycum and Maria Thompson took Judy Kramer, a reporter from the Benton County Enterprise to the Charles A. Nycum Cave (Benton Co). Judy needed a photo for a story on Cavers of Benton County. Her story was published in the November 26,2009 edition. The story included a photo of Nancy and Maria and cited Springfield Plateau Grotto (including its website) for more information about cave restoration and SPG. |
| Hercules Lookout Cave Nobember 22nd |
Jon Beard and Eric Hertzler | Jon Beard assisted Eric Hertzler in the completion of the survey of Hercules Lookout Cave (Taney Co). The twisting, meandering cave was mapped to a junction of passages that became very narrow and wet after about 150 feet. Biota noted were 17 salamanders, mostly E. lucifuga, many dozens of cave crickets, and a few tricolor bats. |
| Cedar Bluff Natural Bridge Nobember 28th |
Lloyd Morrison, Roy Gold, Jon Beard, Nancy Nycum and grandson Garner, Bob Taylor, Maria Thompson and Charley Young |
Lloyd Morrison, Roy Gold, Jon Beard, Nancy Nycum and grandson Garner, Bob Taylor, Maria Thompson and Charley Young visited Cedar Bluff Natural Bridge (Webster Co) where Bob , Roy and Jon surveyed this feature (#298 in Geologic Wonders & Curiosities of Missouri) developed in the Jefferson City Dolomite. After this, the group searched for and found a new cave to report, Jones Cave (Wright Co), a Gasconade Dolomite cave. At first, they thought that this small cave might have once served as a drain for nearby Steins Creek Cave, but after some checking, decided that the two caves are probably not related. Nancy Nycum assisted Jon Beard in the survey of this 105-foot long cave. No biota were noted except a few cave crickets and two sleepy raccoons. |
| Sequiota Cave, Crawlway-all-the-Way Cave, Walkway-all-the-Way Cave November 30th |
Jon Beard | Jon Beard obtained GPS locations on Sequiota Cave, Crawlway-allthe- Way Cave and Walkway-all-the-Way Cave (Greene Co) as part of SPG’s Greene County Project. A GPS reading was also obtained for a small spring downstream of Long Lake spillway. This spring is a possible secondary resurgence to the cave, but it is yet unknown if the spring is enterable. |