| Giboney Cave October 6th |
Eric and Charity Hertzler |
Eric and Charity Hertzler were married at the entrance to Giboney Cave in Doling Park (Greene Co) in front of family and friends. SPG attendees included Tom and Cathy Aley, Jay Anger (whose wife Ruth performed the ceremony), Alicia and Jon Beard, Bonnie Curnock, Judy and Roy Gold, Jason Hardinger, Melvin Johnson, Ron Martin (wedding videographer), Ben McCall (wedding photographer), Jack and Marcie Rosenkoetter and Bob Taylor. |
| Cedar Ridge Crystal Cave October 6th,7th |
Lawrence Ireland | Lawrence Ireland visited Cedar Ridge Crystal Cave in Tennessee as part of his participation in the annual TAG Fall convention. |
| Lowell Cave October 7th |
Evan Christiansen, Kasi Johnson, Gabe Rodgers,Roy Gold, Bob Taylor | Evan Christiansen, Kasi Johnson, Gabe Rodgers and Roy Gold assisted Bob Taylor in a survey session in Lowell Cave in Wright County. |
| Fisher Cave October 7th |
Jon Beard, Bonnie Curnock, Max White, Charley Young | Jon Beard, Bonnie Curnock, Max White, Charley Young plus Paul Hummel and his brother Carl, Kathy and A.J. Kriska of MMV and MVG performed additional restoration work and photo cataloguing of vandalized speleothems in the Ballroom of Fisher Cave (Franklin Co). |
| Fisher Cave, Meramec Caverns October 10th |
Jon Beard, Tom Aley, Bill Heim and Eric Hertzler | Jon Beard and Paul Hummel summarized their restoration work in the Ballroom of Fisher Cave of Franklin Co. and performed actual stalagmite repairs before captive audiences as part of "Field Trip" day during the week-long Nat. Cave & Karst Mgmt Symposium held in St. Louis. Other SPG members presenting and helping with the symposium included Tom Aley, Bill Heim and Eric Hertzler. Other caves were featured that day for all attendees, and they were given tours and a banquet in Meramec Caverns. |
| Zoo Cave October 14th |
Roy Gold, Eric Hertzler, Kasi Johnson, Gabe Rodgers, Jack Rosenkoetter, Bob Taylor | Roy Gold, Eric Hertzler, Kasi Johnson, Gabe Rodgers and Jack Rosenkoetter assisted Bob Taylor in the continuation of the survey of Zoo Cave in Taney County. Most of the group also visited nearby Heusel Cave before heading back for home. |
| Cave Spring October 20th |
Jon Beard, Roy Gold, Kasi Johnson, Gabe Rodgers, Ashley Smith and Bob Taylor | Jon Beard, Roy Gold, Kasi Johnson, Gabe Rodgers, Ashley Smith and Bob Taylor visited Cave Spring in Carter County where most of the etched graffiti was removed from an old flowstone mound. After this the group rigged the gated pit entrance at Lost Man Cave also of Carter County and climbed down with two containers of brushes, one of sponges, one of small squirt bottles, two portable backpack sprayers and 5-gallon plastic buckets and camera gear. The East Passage and central hallway of the cave were cleaned of spray paint graffiti and some muddy stains were removed from flowstone. Throughout the cave, about half a bucket full of trash was collected. Five kinds of salamanders were found: Ringed, Ozark (redbacked), Grotto, Cave and Long-tailed, as well as a few pipistrelles. The Formation Passage was also seen, but contained no graffiti. “Before and after” photos were taken of restoration areas. |
| Kenney Cave October 20th |
Eric and Charity Hertzler | Eric and Charity Hertzler began the survey of Kenney Cave of Newton County, from the Lime Kiln horizontal entrance. It is not yet documented that this is connectable to a vertical sink entrance, but for now it is assumed they are connectable. They mapped about 250 feet from the horizontal entrance, mostly low, wide, mud-floored passage, seeing two cave salamanders and one dark-sided salamander. |
| Bluff Cave October 21st |
Jon Beard, Roy Gold, Kasi Johnson, Gabe Rodgers, Ashley Smith and Bob Taylor | Jon Beard, Roy Gold, Kasi Johnson, Gabe Rodgers, Ashley Smith and Bob Taylor continued the restoration of Bluff Cave in Shannon County. The group reattached four stalagmite pieces matched by KCAG members weeks earlier plus 14 additional pieces matched this day. Two stalactite repairs were saved for another visit. Afterwards, most of the group briefly visited Blue Spring (Current River) and the gated entrance to Powder Mill Creek Cave for a few photos. |
| Kenney Cave October 21st |
Eric and Charity Hertzler | Eric and Charity Hertzler began mapping from the Kenney Cave vertical entrance, rappelling down the steep-sided sink wall, mapping 156 feet for the day. They saw three salamanders in this section and no standing water. Afterwards, they visited Neosho Big Spring Park, noting the spring and two cave entrances. |
| Kenney Cave October 27st |
Eric Hertzler, Bob Taylor and Jon Beard | Eric Hertzler was assisted by Bob Taylor and Jon Beard in the continuing survey of Kenney Cave in Newton County. They entered the 30-foot deep sink entrance and surveyed primarily southward in a low but wide hands and knees passage averaging over 20 feet wide and 3 feet tall. Jon did explore northward for an hour in an estimated 500 feet of passage without an end (the passage presumably connects eventually to the Lime Kiln entrance). At the end of surveying for the day, the group crawled southward for about 500 feet to an apparent end. One pipistrelle, one adult cave salamander, several larval salamanders and one bristly cave crayfish were seen. The only water seen thus far were a few miniscule puddles. |