[Texascavers] NSS Convention - All Photos have been uploaded
NSS Convention - All Photos have been uploaded By: Scott Fee (Birmingham, Alabama) scott...@bellsouth.net http://flickr.com/photos/25173944@N05/sets/72157606635567460/ Copy and Paste the URL. If anyone is a member of the Texas forums, please share with them per some requests I had at convention. - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
[Texascavers] FW: Brown Bag Lunch Seminar - Orion and Jan Knox - on Mongolia - Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 11:58 AM Bios
Subject: FW: Brown Bag Lunch Seminar - Orion and Jan Knox - on Mongolia - Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 11:58 AM Bios Edwards Aquifer Philosophical Society - aka brown bag luncheon Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 11:58: AM Edwards Aquifer Authority 1615 N. St. Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX Walking in the Footsteps of Chinggis Khaan Trekking the Altai Tavan Bogd Mountains of Western Mongolia Orion & Jan Knox Biographies Orion Knox was born in San Antonio and grew up on a farm southeast of town. He attended college at St. Mary's University, San Antonio College and graduated with a degree in architecture from the University of Texas at Austin. He started work for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department right out of college and worked as an architect, park planner and completed his carrier as head of the Department's Historic Sites and Restoration Program. He worked on projects as diverse as Native American rock art sites, restoration of frontier forts and historic mansions and the restoration of the Battleship Texas. Another interest that started in high school that he still follows is cave exploring. He has explored caves throughout Texas and in many parts of Mexico. His most notable achievement was being one of the four St. Mary's students who discovered the nearby Natural Bridge Caverns. He eventually took a leave from college and spent a year helping in its development. As a result of that experience and his park planning work, he has assisted in the development of the Rio Camuy caverns in Puerto Rico, Harrison's Cave on the island of Barbados, Grutas de Palmito near Bustamante, Mexico and Kartchner Caverns in Arizona. The travel bug also hit him at an early age. During college he traveled to many remote areas of Mexico looking for caves. Later in life he started traveling overseas and has visited regions of every continent except Europe. He is saving that for old age. Jan Knox Although born in Nashville, Tennessee; Jan soon found her way to Texas. She attended the University of Texas at Austin getting a degree in Geology. While in college she started caving and soon met Orion. She worked for the Texas Water Development Board in the Planning Division; doing a variety of geologic studies on water quality and supply analysis for cities, environmental studies on the Wild and Scenic Rivers, and several years in the field mapping of the Edwards aquifer from Del Rio to Kyle with special emphasis on karst features and recharge. During this time she continued caving with Orion in Texas, Mexico and Barbados. After 26 years with the agency, she quit to try a new endeavor, artist. It was natural for her to paint that which she loved, rocks. She has received numerous awards, taught workshops, but primarily continues to paint and is involved in a new gallery where she has her studio, Austin Art Space. Prior to this business venture, she was one of the principal resident artists in Artspoken Gallery and Studios in Austin, TX. Having always traveled while growing up to National and State Parks, adventure travel was a natural past time.Caving, backpacking, whitewater rafting and canoeing were favorite activities.Now they are traveling globally seeing the world. Jan has traveled on all 7 continents.
[Texascavers] FW: Brown Bag Lunch Seminar - Orion and Jan Knox - on Mongolia - Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 11:58 AM
While this is not directly cave related, here is an excellent opportunity to listen to Orion and Jan Knox, two great Texas cavers make a presentation on their trip to Mongolia. Geary Edwards Aquifer Philosophical Society - aka brown bag luncheon Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 11:58: AM Edwards Aquifer Authority 1615 N. St. Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX We are pleased to announce that Orion and Jan Knox will make a presentation titled: Walking in the Footsteps of Chinggis Khaan, Trekking the Altai Tavan Bogd Mountains of Western Mongolia Orion and Jan are world travelers, adventurers, and world class photographers. They will be making a multimedia presentation on their recent travels to Mongolia which is scheduled to play at the Texas State Museum this spring. Here is a great opportunity to meet Orion and Jan in a small group setting and here there presentation on a part of the world rarely visited by westerners. Jan and Orion are very well know cavers and have been responsible for many important discoveries in Texas and Mexico. Orion was one of the co-discoverers of Natural Bridge Caverns. The presentation will be held on Wednesday, August 27 from 11:58 AM to 12:58 PM at the Edwards Aquifer Authority's Conference Center. This will be an informal presentation so please feel free to bring your lunch and a friend. Seating is based on availability. For directions, please feel free to call our receptionist at 210-222-2204. The Edwards Aquifer Authority is located at 1615 N. St. Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX 78215 Thank you, Geary Schindel Chief Technical Officer Edwards Aquifer Authority Walking in the Footsteps of Chinggis Khaan Trekking the Altai Tavan Bogd Mountains of Western Mongolia Orion & Jan Knox Abstract Having previously made a three hundred mile trek in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal, followed the Silk Road across the width of China then across the Karakorum Mountains into Northern Pakistan and visited Bangkok, Thailand, Jan and I were intrigued by a Wilderness Travel trip to Mongolia. Mongolia is located between Western Russia and Northeastern China. It is bounded on the south by the Gobi desert, on the west by the glacier covered Altai Mountains and on the north by Siberia. It contains some of the most remote and beautiful land imaginable. Mongolia is noted for its paleontology with some of the world's best dinosaur discoveries having been made in the Gobi Desert starting in the 1920s by Roy Chapman Andrews. We visited the Flaming Cliffs, site of many of his digs. Mongolia's human history begins almost 500,000 years ago and it is thought by some to be the origin of Native Americans who crossed the Bering Strait during the Ice Age. For centuries Mongolia was populated by a loose confederation of rival clans until Chinggis Khaan arrived on the scene near the end of the 12th century. Chinggis, by persuasion or brute force united the Mongols and established his domain over much of Asia as far west as Eastern Europe. In more recent history, Mongolia was part of the Soviet Union until 1996 when the country elected a non-communist party for the first time in 75 years. Our trip started in Ulaanbaatar, the capitol, where we visited Buddhist Monasteries, Museums and attended an incredible performance of traditional music and dance. Leaving Ulaanbaatar, we next flew some 750 miles to Olgii, Mongolia's westernmost provincial capitol. From there we made a six day, 260 mile loop by a combination of four wheel drive vehicles and hiking. We visited a world heritage rock art site, hiked in Mongolia's highest mountain range, and visited Kazakh nomads who live in the valleys once traveled by Chinggis Khaan. Our final stop was the Gobi desert where we visited the Flaming Cliffs, ice filled canyons and desert sand dunes.
[NMCAVER] Cave divers and dry cavers
Cave divers and dry cavers I have received a fair amount of grief off-line (some rightly called flame) for my comments earlier this week. First of all, I apologize for my gruff (and in some folks eyes, inappropriate or �flip�) on-line attitude. HOWEVER, there is an important issue here. I certainly heard a lot of negative comments and doom-saying about this convention in the months leading up to it. They fell into two categories � perceived fear of having uncomfortable weather (heat, rain, storm, atmospheric disaster) and perceived impossible incompatibility between the cave divers and the dry cavers. My comments on Monday were obviously intended to chide those folks that I consider (on these topics) to be sorta jerks. I am glad that those individuals found justification to stay away from this convention. The individuals named in that inappropriate email were not the real offenders � they are friends that I was chiding in a much less serious way but it did not come across that way. I should not have named them publically because they were not the culprits at all. At least I hope that they are still friends! I happen to be an open-water diver, and no way will I consider cave diving where I don�t have air above me just in case. That is not in my comfort zone. Those of you who know me understand that I was a rock climber and mountaineer before I was a caver, and that in the late 1950�s and early 1960�s I was one of those who brought single-rope and modified rock climbing techniques into the caving community. Some of you also know that at least some cave divers are extremely uncomfortable on rope. Sheck Exley was one of those. The point being that both technical rope work in caves and cave diving both require very special sets of skills, learned slowly and carefully practiced. Both require specialized �stuff�. You can die doing either. I think everyone involved with either agrees that in general, cave diving requires more training, more �stuff�, and is the less unforgiving of the two. I have enormous respect for the skills of cave divers, just as I have for those routinely traversing the vertical trade routes in the deep and wet shafts of the earth. I have little tolerance for individuals that consider that one or the other are as crazed as the peach orchard boar. It was nice to overhear useful communication between the two groups here in Florida. No reply is encouraged. Let�s keep any further discussion of this off-line. DirtDoc___ NMCAVER mailing list nmca...@caver.net http://caver.net/mailman/listinfo/nmcaver_caver.net
[Texascavers] posters
Does anyone have any cave, climbing, karst or water related posters? Or know where I could get some for free or relatively inexpensive? I am decorating my classroom. Lab safety posters work as well. Contact me off list. Devra Heyer
[Texascavers] NSS Convention report - part 3
This post is a review of the 2008 NSS Campground Party, and opinions about it. The Terminal Siphons put on a "great" show. It was probably one of the more intimate settings, as the Siphons were not on a stage and the dancers got up right next to the performers. I even got to dance with one of them. so The Siphons have a new member.She sounds a little like Linda Ronstadt and plays a variety of string instruments. Albert Ogden's voice was one of his best ever. However, other singers got to perform this year. Even the bass player, Michael, did a fine rendition of ZZ Tops, "La Grange."Michael should do that every year. The drummer Cass Kastning ( ? ) was probably the best drum performance in the history of the the Siphons. All the other performers Bill Stone and son ( ? ) and the guy who sang Billy Idol's "White Wedding," all played well. The concert also went past midnight and 2 or 3 anchors. Over 30 cavers were screaming "more!!!" The band was willing to do 2 or 3 more songs, but the sound technician had a lot of work to do to pack up and head home. The Siphons played some new songs.I think one was a very old Neil Young song.So they left out some of their usual stuff. I don't think they played anything from the Doors.( Maybe one of them, can clarify all the songs they played ). I know at least one Texas caver who had a whole lot of fun dancing with an attractive Florida caver. As for a historical note, this was the first time that Cass Kastning's daughter got to see him perform in the Siphons. Not very many kids at the age of 4 get to find out that their daddy is a rock star. As for the missing sax player, That was why it was only a "great" show and not an "excellent" show. I am not a beer drinker, but I think the beer was good this year and there was plenty to go around, and it was very near the dancing area. Thanks to all the Siphons for coming and entertaining us. I have said this every year and I will say it again. "If the NSS wants to draw new young members to the convention, they have to put a priority on the campground party. The Terminal Siphons are one of the best features of the NSS Convention. It is cavers serving cavers and the social atmosphere helps break the ice among people that normally wouldn't socialize. In my opinion, the campground party has a greater potential that is not being recognized. I see no reason that the photos from the photo salon can not be showed at the campground party for those who don't want to attend the official Photo Salon. I see no reason that one of the vendors can't be set up at the campground party. I see no reason that food or at least cheeze on a toothpick can't be served at the campground party.The hot-tubbers should be able to hear the show and near enough to the beverages. ( I think what I am saying is it should be more like TCR. ) I am going to give this years Campground Party a grade of B-. The bad weather is partly to blame, but ironically it also gets credit for making the party great. Had the convention planners originally planned the party indoors at that location, I would have given it a B+.Had the Siphons played 2 or 3 more songs, I would have given it an A. Had there been more cavers there dancing, I would have given it a A-. And had the sax player showed up, I would have given it an A+. About 40 % of the reason I made the long solo drive from Texas, was to be at the Campground Party. It was worth the drive. On a related, note about 20 Texas cavers were at the campground party when it started. Ernie Garza took at least 2 group photos, so maybe someone can splice them all into one nice photo. David Locklear armchair caver in Fort Bend County, Texas
RE: [Texascavers] Florida Showers
I'll be getting a motel room. A LOOONG way away from y'all. Mark A. From: Don Cooper [mailto:wavyca...@gmail.com] Sent: Fri 8/15/2008 11:24 AM To: Fritz Holt Cc: Stefan Creaser; speleoste...@tx.rr.com; vivb...@att.net; Cave NM; Cave Texas Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Florida Showers I'm bringing my Jews harp - boing boiing boing booiinnng boing boing -WaV On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 10:12 AM, Fritz Holt wrote: BOO HOO! -Original Message- From: Stefan Creaser [mailto:stefan.crea...@arm.com] Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 10:10 AM To: Fritz Holt; speleoste...@tx.rr.com; vivb...@att.net Cc: Cave NM; Cave Texas Subject: RE: [Texascavers] Florida Showers No. -Original Message- From: Fritz Holt [mailto:fh...@townandcountryins.com] May I join you with my Kazoo? Fritz -Original Message- From: speleoste...@tx.rr.com [mailto:speleoste...@tx.rr.com] Their home-bound cowbell player wants to know too. By God I'll have my cowbell with me in Kerrville next summer! Bill vivb...@att.net wrote: > > So .. What did the Terminal Siphons do? They play the campground party Wednesday night. Was there a shelter or a building? Their home-bound sax player wants to know... > -Vivian Loftin -- IMPORTANT NOTICE: The contents of this email and any attachments are confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to any other person, use it for any purpose, or store or copy the information in any medium. Thank you. - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
Re: [Texascavers] Florida Showers
I'm bringing my Jews harp - boing boiing boing booiinnng boing boing -WaV On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 10:12 AM, Fritz Holt wrote: > BOO HOO! > > -Original Message- > From: Stefan Creaser [mailto:stefan.crea...@arm.com] > Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 10:10 AM > To: Fritz Holt; speleoste...@tx.rr.com; vivb...@att.net > Cc: Cave NM; Cave Texas > Subject: RE: [Texascavers] Florida Showers > > No. > > -Original Message- > From: Fritz Holt [mailto:fh...@townandcountryins.com] > > May I join you with my Kazoo? > Fritz > > -Original Message- > From: speleoste...@tx.rr.com [mailto:speleoste...@tx.rr.com] > > Their home-bound cowbell player wants to know too. By God I'll have my > cowbell with me in Kerrville next summer! > > Bill > > > vivb...@att.net wrote: > > > > So .. What did the Terminal Siphons do? They play the campground > party Wednesday night. Was there a shelter or a building? Their > home-bound sax player wants to know... > > -Vivian Loftin > > -- > IMPORTANT NOTICE: The contents of this email and any attachments are > confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended > recipient, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose the > contents to any other person, use it for any purpose, or store or copy the > information in any medium. Thank you. > > > > - > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com > For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com > > > > - > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com > For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com > >
RE: [Texascavers] Florida Showers
BOO HOO! -Original Message- From: Stefan Creaser [mailto:stefan.crea...@arm.com] Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 10:10 AM To: Fritz Holt; speleoste...@tx.rr.com; vivb...@att.net Cc: Cave NM; Cave Texas Subject: RE: [Texascavers] Florida Showers No. -Original Message- From: Fritz Holt [mailto:fh...@townandcountryins.com] May I join you with my Kazoo? Fritz -Original Message- From: speleoste...@tx.rr.com [mailto:speleoste...@tx.rr.com] Their home-bound cowbell player wants to know too. By God I'll have my cowbell with me in Kerrville next summer! Bill vivb...@att.net wrote: > > So .. What did the Terminal Siphons do? They play the campground party Wednesday night. Was there a shelter or a building? Their home-bound sax player wants to know... > -Vivian Loftin -- IMPORTANT NOTICE: The contents of this email and any attachments are confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to any other person, use it for any purpose, or store or copy the information in any medium. Thank you. - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
RE: [Texascavers] Florida Showers
No. -Original Message- From: Fritz Holt [mailto:fh...@townandcountryins.com] May I join you with my Kazoo? Fritz -Original Message- From: speleoste...@tx.rr.com [mailto:speleoste...@tx.rr.com] Their home-bound cowbell player wants to know too. By God I'll have my cowbell with me in Kerrville next summer! Bill vivb...@att.net wrote: > > So .. What did the Terminal Siphons do? They play the campground party Wednesday night. Was there a shelter or a building? Their home-bound sax player wants to know... > -Vivian Loftin -- IMPORTANT NOTICE: The contents of this email and any attachments are confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to any other person, use it for any purpose, or store or copy the information in any medium. Thank you. - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
RE: [Texascavers] Florida Showers
May I join you with my Kazoo? Fritz -Original Message- From: speleoste...@tx.rr.com [mailto:speleoste...@tx.rr.com] Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 7:32 AM To: vivb...@att.net Cc: Cave NM; Cave Texas Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Florida Showers Their home-bound cowbell player wants to know too. By God I'll have my cowbell with me in Kerrville next summer! Bill vivb...@att.net wrote: > > So .. What did the Terminal Siphons do? They play the campground party > Wednesday night. Was there a shelter or a building? Their home-bound sax > player wants to know... > -Vivian Loftin > -- Original message from dirt...@comcast.net: -- > > > Mark Minton's weather report is accurate, of course. Nut don't forget to > keep things in perspective. Remenber the two South Dakota conventions? In > the first the tornado (really!) went through the campground ripping tree > limbs and in the second lightening actuallys struck in the campground at > Sheldon's. The downburst in Marengo (although Mark, in the wet of the > moment, thinks this year "rivaled" it). And need I even remark about > Tularosa. We DO have a history ---. > > Anyhow, there is one day left and Friday dawns bright, almost cloudless. But > the convention is not over! The full-fledged hurrican appears avoided. > > DirtDoc > > PS - we had a wonderful rundown on the 2009 ICS in Kerrville at the photo > salon last night. The convention of a lifetime!! It should not to be missed! > Start planning to attend NOW! Oh - and if you want to present a paper, also > start planning NOW. Deadlines (check the web site) for abstract submission > for CONSIDERATION (more papers will be offered than can be accomodated) is, I > think, around Christmas. That applies to all papers - exploration, > techniques, etc. You are competing with the rest of the world to be heard > next year. Different rules for the International. That is one of the > reasons it will be so great. - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
Re: [Texascavers] Florida Showers
The Terminal Syphons played the Wednesday night party. The storm blew the cover off the stage and the arena was a swamp. A close by building was found and the Terminal Syphons played there. Lots of dancing and partying commenced. Allan P.S. Start making your plans now to be in Kerrville at the ICS in 2009! So .. What did the Terminal Siphons do? They play the campground party Wednesday night. Was there a shelter or a building? Their home-bound sax player wants to know... -Vivian Loftin
Re: [Texascavers] Florida Showers
Their home-bound cowbell player wants to know too. By God I'll have my cowbell with me in Kerrville next summer! Bill vivb...@att.net wrote: > > So .. What did the Terminal Siphons do? They play the campground party > Wednesday night. Was there a shelter or a building? Their home-bound sax > player wants to know... > -Vivian Loftin > -- Original message from dirt...@comcast.net: -- > > > Mark Minton's weather report is accurate, of course. Nut don't forget to > keep things in perspective. Remenber the two South Dakota conventions? In > the first the tornado (really!) went through the campground ripping tree > limbs and in the second lightening actuallys struck in the campground at > Sheldon's. The downburst in Marengo (although Mark, in the wet of the > moment, thinks this year "rivaled" it). And need I even remark about > Tularosa. We DO have a history ---. > > Anyhow, there is one day left and Friday dawns bright, almost cloudless. But > the convention is not over! The full-fledged hurrican appears avoided. > > DirtDoc > > PS - we had a wonderful rundown on the 2009 ICS in Kerrville at the photo > salon last night. The convention of a lifetime!! It should not to be missed! > Start planning to attend NOW! Oh - and if you want to present a paper, also > start planning NOW. Deadlines (check the web site) for abstract submission > for CONSIDERATION (more papers will be offered than can be accomodated) is, I > think, around Christmas. That applies to all papers - exploration, > techniques, etc. You are competing with the rest of the world to be heard > next year. Different rules for the International. That is one of the > reasons it will be so great. - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
Re: [Texascavers] Florida Showers
So .. What did the Terminal Siphons do? They play the campground party Wednesday night. Was there a shelter or a building? Their home-bound sax player wants to know... -Vivian Loftin -- Original message from dirt...@comcast.net: -- Mark Minton's weather report is accurate, of course. Nut don't forget to keep things in perspective. Remenber the two South Dakota conventions? In the first the tornado (really!) went through the campground ripping tree limbs and in the second lightening actuallys struck in the campground at Sheldon's. The downburst in Marengo (although Mark, in the wet of the moment, thinks this year "rivaled" it). And need I even remark about Tularosa. We DO have a history ---. Anyhow, there is one day left and Friday dawns bright, almost cloudless. But the convention is not over! The full-fledged hurrican appears avoided. DirtDoc PS - we had a wonderful rundown on the 2009 ICS in Kerrville at the photo salon last night. The convention of a lifetime!! It should not to be missed! Start planning to attend NOW! Oh - and if you want to present a paper, also start planning NOW. Deadlines (check the web site) for abstract submission for CONSIDERATION (more papers will be offered than can be accomodated) is, I think, around Christmas. That applies to all papers - exploration, techniques, etc. You are competing with the rest of the world to be heard next year. Different rules for the International. That is one of the reasons it will be so great.
[Texascavers] Florida Showers
Mark Minton's weather report is accurate, of course. Nut don't forget to keep things in perspective. Remenber the two South Dakota conventions? In the first the tornado (really!) went through the campground ripping tree limbs and in the second lightening actuallys struck in the campground at Sheldon's. The downburst in Marengo (although Mark, in the wet of the moment, thinks this year "rivaled" it). And need I even remark about Tularosa. We DO have a history ---. Anyhow, there is one day left and Friday dawns bright, almost cloudless. But the convention is not over! The full-fledged hurrican appears avoided. DirtDoc PS - we had a wonderful rundown on the 2009 ICS in Kerrville at the photo salon last night. The convention of a lifetime!! It should not to be missed! Start planning to attend NOW! Oh - and if you want to present a paper, also start planning NOW. Deadlines (check the web site) for abstract submission for CONSIDERATION (more papers will be offered than can be accomodated) is, I think, around Christmas. That applies to all papers - exploration, techniques, etc. You are competing with the rest of the world to be heard next year. Different rules for the International. That is one of the reasons it will be so great.
