[Texascavers] Government Canyon karst survey project

[Marvin & Lisa]

The May date for the Government Canyon Karst Survey Project is the 26th and
27th, Memorial Day weekend. I know that will probably eliminate the weekend
for those who already have plans, but it may open up the opportunity to
attend the project for out-of-towners. Camping will be available Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday, and you can return home with a leisurely Monday drive
to just about anywhere in the state.

 

There are caves to survey - both vertical and horizontal, sinks to be dug,
and ridges to be walked. Come and join in the fun! Contact me if you want to
camp and I will forward the necessary info.

 

Directions to the gate of GCSNA.

Find the intersection of U.S. 16 and Loop 1604 in northwest Bexar County
(clearly shown on any state highway map). Drive 2 miles north on U.S. 16 to
the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1560 (there is a Shell station
on the corner). Follow 1560 for 3 miles to Galm Road. (Old San Antonio city
maps may show another Galm Road less than half a mile past the Shell. This
road is now named something else. Ignore and keep on to the real Galm Road.)
Turn right on Galm Road and drive 2 miles to the sharp left turn in the
road. The gate to GCSNA is straight ahead. Enter at the gate and then take
the first right. There is an unlocked gate that will need to be opened and
then closed behind you. Continue to the Volunteer/Research Station, where we
will meet. 

 

 

-Marvin Miller

(830) 885-5631

Re: [Texascavers] Karst inventory at Onion Creek

[Don Cooper]

I wish I could attend but it's just not possible...
Someone else will have to find that "Sinkhole De Mayo" on the 19th
-WaV

On 5/4/07, germa...@aol.com  wrote:


 *Monthly Volunteer Opportunities*
* *
*Karst inventory at Onion Creek, TWO DATES (choose one or choose both)*
**
*Saturday May 19, 9am to 12:45*
**
*Saturday June 2, 8:30am to 12:30 *
**
Location:  central Hays County, 6 miles west of 
Buda

With the vegetation knocked down by our recent prescribed burn, now is the
perfect time to inventory caves, sinkholes, and other karst features, and
you can help.

These features are the conduit by which water enters the Edwards aquifer.
Knowing their location will inform our land management decisions.  Training
will be provided.

For more info go to
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/water/downloads/karst_ridge_walking_mayjune07.pdf


Contact Daniel Dietz for directions and to register (
daniel.di...@ci.austin.tx.us  512-263-6443).
 --
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at *AOL.com* .

[Texascavers] Colorado Bend SP Project May 12-13th, 2007

[rafal kedzierski]

The Colorado Bend State Park project weekend is up on  Come helplocate, 
survey, and have fun in one (or several) of the caves on the 5400+ 
acreproperty.  By last count, we about 400 caves and karst features inthe park, 
and no doubt many more that still have not been found.  Wewill be camping at 
the new cavers' campsite, to the right of themain park road, on the road that 
starts right behind the entrancesign.  I'm sure that caving, surveying, and all 
sorts of cave-related stuff will take place.   
Grab a swimsuit in case you want to wash off the dirt and cool off in the 
spring-fed pool. Feel free to contact us at c...@maverickgrotto.org, or look 
fordirections at http://www.maverickgrotto.org/maps/cbsp.html. See youon Friday 
night or Saturday morning Butch Fralia, Mark Gee, Keith Heuss, and the 
writer, Rafal Kedzierski
_
Connect to the next generation of MSN Messenger 
http://imagine-msn.com/messenger/launch80/default.aspx?locale=en-us&source=wlmailtagline

Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news

[Don Cooper]

You know whut?
Since I started using Gmail - I have not had one SPECK of spam.
Of course I've been pretty covetous of wavyca...@gmail.com...  I've only
used it to communicate with youse guys.
The drawback is not posting questions on google hosted or google routed
newsgroups like rec.automakers.saturn, rec.motorcycles.harley and the like.
:-(
For reasons of mighty powerful cookie recipes (I gather) I AM
wavycaver@gmail wherever I go on google.
-WaV

On 5/5/07, Butch Fralia  wrote:


 Uh, sorry, the TSA doesn't have forums anymore and the SPAM was a
problem.  People weren't using it so

Butch

 -Original Message-
*From:* Charles Goldsmith [mailto:wo...@justfamily.org]
*Sent:* Saturday, May 05, 2007 3:30 PM
*To:* Don Cooper
*Cc:* Nico Escamilla; mark.al...@l-3com.com; wwildch...@aol.com;
Texascavers@texascavers.com
*Subject:* Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news

It's still showing as registered, and doesn't expire until July 07 (this
is only the domain side, not necessarily his hosting).

Perhaps Chris would donate the domain over to the TSA and they could put
an auto-redirect from it to the TSA forums?

This way any google searches wouldn't go to a dead link.
Charles

On 5/5/07, Don Cooper < wavyca...@gmail.com > wrote:
>
> Hmmm... guess that's the case.
> Oh well - it was a good idea I guess, it seemed to support a lot of
> novice activity for airman's at least - but it seemed like the majority of
> new subscribers were scambot accounts looking for a place to ricochet from.
> Too bad.  Now that he's let it go, the name/domain "texascaving" WOULD seem
> to be available.
> -WaV
>
> On 5/4/07, Nico Escamilla < pitboun...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > I'm afraid Chris Saizan just let the site die cause he was no longer
> > interested in caving (he sold me his brain bucket last year), it wasnt
> > getting a lot of posts lately and I might be wrong but around this time of
> > last year he was renewing his one year hosting plan
> > with godaddy perhaps the contract expired and he didnt think renewing
> > it was worth it.
> >
> > all this is just what I think it happened, I dont know for sure
> > On 5/4/07, mark.al...@l-3com.com < mark.al...@l-3com.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >  I noticed this, too.
> > >
> > > Actually, it's been MIA for a couple of weeks.
> > >
> > > Is it kaput?
> > >
> > >
> > > (A Curious) Mark
> > >
> > >
> > >  --
> > > *From:* wwildch...@aol.com [mailto:wwildch...@aol.com]
> > > *Sent:* Friday, May 04, 2007 11:28 AM
> > > *To:* Texascavers@texascavers.com
> > > *Subject:* Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news
> > >
> > >  Wow, and to think that my Commodore Vic 20 with 5k of RAM actually
> > > ran an operating system at all.  Since your talking bogomips, it would be 
in
> > > the neighborhood of .004
> > >
> > > And to make the cave/computer relationship, I havn't been able to
> > > open texascaving.com lately. :7
> > > Puppy
> > > =:-)
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.4/789 - Release Date: 5/4/2007
5:49 PM


No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.4/790 - Release Date: 5/5/2007
10:34 AM

RE: [Texascavers] OT - computer news

[Butch Fralia]

Uh, sorry, the TSA doesn't have forums anymore and the SPAM was a problem.
People weren't using it so
 
Butch 

-Original Message-
From: Charles Goldsmith [mailto:wo...@justfamily.org] 
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 3:30 PM
To: Don Cooper
Cc: Nico Escamilla; mark.al...@l-3com.com; wwildch...@aol.com;
Texascavers@texascavers.com
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news


It's still showing as registered, and doesn't expire until July 07 (this is
only the domain side, not necessarily his hosting).

Perhaps Chris would donate the domain over to the TSA and they could put an
auto-redirect from it to the TSA forums?  

This way any google searches wouldn't go to a dead link.
Charles


On 5/5/07, Don Cooper mailto:wavyca...@gmail.com"; \n
wavyca...@gmail.com > wrote: 

Hmmm... guess that's the case.  
Oh well - it was a good idea I guess, it seemed to support a lot of novice
activity for airman's at least - but it seemed like the majority of new
subscribers were scambot accounts looking for a place to ricochet from.  Too
bad.  Now that he's let it go, the name/domain "texascaving" WOULD seem to
be available. 
-WaV 



On 5/4/07, Nico Escamilla mailto:pitboun...@gmail.com"; \n
pitboun...@gmail.com> wrote: 

I'm afraid Chris Saizan just let the site die cause he was no longer
interested in caving (he sold me his brain bucket last year), it wasnt
getting a lot of posts lately and I might be wrong but around this time of
last year he was renewing his one year hosting plan 
with godaddy perhaps the contract expired and he didnt think renewing it was
worth it.

all this is just what I think it happened, I dont know for sure 


On 5/4/07, HYPERLINK "mailto:mark.al...@l-3com.com"; \nmark.al...@l-3com.com
mailto:mark.al...@l-3com.com"; \n mark.al...@l-3com.com> wrote: 

I noticed this, too.
 
Actually, it's been MIA for a couple of weeks.
 
Is it kaput?
 
 
(A Curious) Mark 
 

   _  

From: HYPERLINK "mailto:wwildch...@aol.com"; \nwwildch...@aol.com
[mailto:HYPERLINK "mailto:wwildch...@aol.com"; \nwwildch...@aol.com] 
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 11:28 AM
To: HYPERLINK "mailto:Texascavers@texascavers.com";
\ntexascav...@texascavers.com
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news



Wow, and to think that my Commodore Vic 20 with 5k of RAM actually ran an
operating system at all.  Since your talking bogomips, it would be in the
neighborhood of .004
 
And to make the cave/computer relationship, I havn't been able to open
HYPERLINK "http://texascaving.com"; \ntexascaving.com lately. :7
Puppy
=:-)
 





No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.4/789 - Release Date: 5/4/2007 5:49
PM



No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.4/790 - Release Date: 5/5/2007
10:34 AM
 

[Texascavers] Ron Simmons' Legacy

[Alex Sproul]

[Posted on behalf of Scott Fee]

Ron Simmons' Legacy:

Cavers who knew Ron Simmons were devastated to hear of his death in
Allen Mill Pond cave in February. A life member of the NSS, Lew Bicking
award recipient, cutting edge explorer, and accomplished photographer,
Ron was of one of the caving community's most outstanding members,
contributing significantly to the development of caving techniques and
our knowledge of numerous cave systems. He was a hero and friend to 
many
of us, and will be missed. However, even after his death, Ron will
continue to contribute to cave exploration and speleology, and be a hero
to the Society and its members.

The NSS is honored to have received a generous legacy from Ron 
Simmons.
As the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, the NSS International
Cave Exploration Fund received about $105,000. That legacy quadruples
the value of the fund, and will greatly increase the amount of
investment income it will earn annually. This, in turn, will increase
the number and value of Exploration Grants we can award each year to 
NSS
members to support their cave exploration projects.

Additionally, the Society received nearly $70,000 from Ron's retirement
account for the Publications Special Features Fund, which editors may
use to print extraordinary issues of the NSS News and the Journal of
Cave and Karst Science.

I want to encourage NSS members to consider following Ron's example.
Please remember the Society when you craft your will and establish
beneficiaries for your retirement accounts and insurance policies. Like
Ron's, your legacy can live on with the NSS, and you can continue to
contribute in a meaningful way to caving, cavers, and speleology long
after you've left us.

If you have any questions about how to include the NSS in your estate
plans, don't hesitate to contact me. Donors designating $10,000 or more
for the Society will become members of the NSS's prestigious Stephenson
Group and will be recognized annually in the Members Manual.

Scott Fee

Permission is giving to circulate this announcement on any caving
related newsletter, web page or list-serve.


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[Texascavers] Paging Aimee Beveridge or Bev Shade

[John P. Brooks]

Aimee or Bev,

I have the cable item...that you are apparently missing. Please contact me
off line to retrieve.

John Brooks


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Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news

[Charles Goldsmith]

It's still showing as registered, and doesn't expire until July 07 (this is
only the domain side, not necessarily his hosting).

Perhaps Chris would donate the domain over to the TSA and they could put an
auto-redirect from it to the TSA forums?

This way any google searches wouldn't go to a dead link.
Charles

On 5/5/07, Don Cooper  wrote:


Hmmm... guess that's the case.
Oh well - it was a good idea I guess, it seemed to support a lot of novice
activity for airman's at least - but it seemed like the majority of new
subscribers were scambot accounts looking for a place to ricochet from.  Too
bad.  Now that he's let it go, the name/domain "texascaving" WOULD seem to
be available.
-WaV

On 5/4/07, Nico Escamilla < pitboun...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm afraid Chris Saizan just let the site die cause he was no longer
> interested in caving (he sold me his brain bucket last year), it wasnt
> getting a lot of posts lately and I might be wrong but around this time of
> last year he was renewing his one year hosting plan
> with godaddy perhaps the contract expired and he didnt think renewing it
> was worth it.
>
> all this is just what I think it happened, I dont know for sure
> On 5/4/07, mark.al...@l-3com.com < mark.al...@l-3com.com> wrote:
> >
> >  I noticed this, too.
> >
> > Actually, it's been MIA for a couple of weeks.
> >
> > Is it kaput?
> >
> >
> > (A Curious) Mark
> >
> >
> >  --
> > *From:* wwildch...@aol.com [mailto:wwildch...@aol.com]
> > *Sent:* Friday, May 04, 2007 11:28 AM
> > *To:* Texascavers@texascavers.com
> > *Subject:* Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news
> >
> >  Wow, and to think that my Commodore Vic 20 with 5k of RAM actually
> > ran an operating system at all.  Since your talking bogomips, it would be in
> > the neighborhood of .004
> >
> > And to make the cave/computer relationship, I havn't been able to open
> > texascaving.com lately. :7
> > Puppy
> > =:-)
> >
> >
>
>

[Texascavers] Bats editorial, Buddha art in Nepalese cave (both from Houston Chronicle 5/5/07)

[Emily McGowan]

Fly by night
In the heart of Houston, a wildlife wonder unfolds every sunset on Buffalo 
Bayou.


Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle (in Editorial section, 5/5/07)

To a motorist on Waugh Drive approaching the Buffalo Bayou bridge around 8 p.m. 
this week, a startling phenomenon occurs just after the sun has dipped below 
the horizon.

Presaged by a rising volume of high-pitched chirps, what appear to be curling 
plumes of smoke waft upward from below the bridge into a rotating funnel 
tilting east toward the downtown skyline.

The living tornado is actually hundreds of thousands of Mexican freetail bats, 
setting out from their year-round colony on the bridge underbelly to forage for 
food overnight.

Adding to the spectacle, an occasional hawk swoops through the cloud, bearing 
away its own dinner entree for the evening. Contrary to the flying, 
sonar-equipped mammals' scary reputation, these bats are neither aggressive nor 
blood sucking and perform a public service by snapping up insect pests.

To witness this daily aerial display is to feel reassured by the ability of 
such seemingly delicate creatures not only to survive but thrive in the shadow 
of the city's skyscrapers. For many of us immersed in a high-pressure urban 
life-style of family and work, and surrounded by increasingly dense innercity 
development, it's easy to forget the tenacious presence of nature so close at 
hand.

Thanks to the work of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the stream that made 
Houston's early development possible once again shelters many of the nonhuman 
residents that predate us. The biological richness includes fish, turtles and 
snakes, as well as rabbits and a variety of birds along its banks.

So if city life gets a little bit too tense for you, take a deep breath, head 
down to the bayou and chill out with the bats.

-



900-year-old murals of Buddha found in Nepalese cave
Shepherd leads team of experts to art from 12th century


By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA
Associated Press 

(Houston Chronicle, 5/5/07)

KATMANDU, NEPAL - Paintings of Buddha dating back at least to the 12th century 
have been discovered in a cave in Nepal's remote north-central region by a team 
of international researchers who were tipped by a local shepherd.

A mural with 55 panels depicting Buddha's life was uncovered in March. The team 
used ice axes to break a path through the snow to reach the cave in Nepal's 
Mustang area, about 160 miles northwest of the capital, Katmandu.

"What we found is fantastically rich in culture and heritage and goes to the 
12th century or earlier," Broughton Coburn, a writer and conservationist from 
Jackson Hole, Wyo., said Friday.

Coburn said the main mural measured about 25 feet wide, and each panel about 14 
inches by 17 inches.

The team of Nepalese, Italian and American archeologists, art experts and 
climbers was tipped by a shepherd who said he had seen a cave with old 
paintings several years ago when he took shelter from the rain.

"I was overwhelmed with questions," Coburn said.

In addition to the main mural, paintings believed to have been made slightly 
later were discovered on other walls of the cave. A nearby cave had manuscripts 
written in Tibetan, which were photographed by the team and will be translated 
by experts.

Coburn said the team planned to do limited excavation, collection and 
cataloging of the manuscripts.

The five Americans on the team included mountaineer Peter Athans, who has 
scaled Mount Everest seven times, and filmmaker Renan Ozturk. Other members 
included Italian art expert Luigi Fieni and two Nepalese archaeologists.

"I can unequivocally say that climbing into the caves was greatly more exciting 
than any emotions I had on Everest," Athans said in an e-mail. "The opportunity 
to explore new ground with potentially significant discoveries imminent was far 
more enticing than the Everest summit."

The team has refused to reveal the exact location of the caves, fearing 
visitors could disturb the centuries-old art.

[Texascavers] Explorers find ancient caves and paintings in Nepal

[speleosteele]

>From TagNet:

Explorers find ancient caves and paintings in Nepal 

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Explorers have discovered a series of caves 
decorated with ancient Buddhist paintings, set in sheer cliffs in 
Nepal's remote Himalayan north, leaving archaeologists excited 
and puzzled. 
 
An international team of scholars, archaeologists, climbers and 
explorers examined at least 12 cave complexes at 14,000 feet (4,300 
metres) near Lo Manthang, a mediaeval walled city in Nepal's Mustang 
district, about 125 km (80 miles) northwest of Kathmandu. 
 
The caves contain paintings that could date back as far as the 13th 
century, as well as Tibetan scripts executed in ink, silver and gold and 
pre-Christian era pottery shards. 
 
"Who lived in those caves? When were they there, when were (the caves) 
first excavated and how did the residents access them, perched as they 
are on vertical cliffs?" asked Broughton Coburn, an American member of 
the survey team. 
 
"It's a compelling, marvellous mystery." 
 
Explorers from the United States, Italy and Nepal used ice axes and 
ropes to climb to the caves, cutting steps in the cliff face as 
they went. 
 
"These findings underscore the richness of the Tibetan Buddhist 
religious tradition of this area -- stretching back nearly a millennium 
-- as well as the artistic beauty and wide geographical reach of Newari 
artists," said Coburn, an expert in Himalayan conservation and 
development. 
 
Newaris are ethnic Nepalis renowned for skills in wall paintings and 
other forms of mostly Buddhist art. 
 
The cave complexes are several hours walking distance apart. Some 
chambers were thought to have been used for burials, and there were also 
mounds archaeologists hope may hide further treasures. 
 
There are about 20 openings in each complex, and their multiple floors 
are connected by vertical passages with rudimentary handholds or 
footholds, requiring some climbing skill to negotiate. 
 
They contained stupas, decorative art and paintings depicting various 
forms of the Buddha, often with disciples, supplicants and attendants. 
 
The site of recent findings lies north of Mount Annapurna, the world's 
tenth highest mountain. 
 
Coburn said the artifacts remained unpillaged partly because the area 
has, until recently, been inaccessible. 
 
One cave's mural paintings were executed in sub-tropical themes -- 
containing palm trees, billowing Indian textiles and birds as well as 
animals, he said. 
 
"For Nepal, and for the Lobas, the people of northern Mustang, these 
are national treasures, and they need to be preserved and protected," 
Coburn said. 
 
Government officials were upbeat. 
 
"These are very hopeful findings and foreign explorers could be allowed 
to carry out further exploration in the area," said Prakash Darnal, 
senior archaeologist at the government's ministry of culture. 
 
Few foreigners are currently allowed to visit the area. 
 


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Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news

[Don Cooper]

Hmmm... guess that's the case.
Oh well - it was a good idea I guess, it seemed to support a lot of novice
activity for airman's at least - but it seemed like the majority of new
subscribers were scambot accounts looking for a place to ricochet from.  Too
bad.  Now that he's let it go, the name/domain "texascaving" WOULD seem to
be available.
-WaV

On 5/4/07, Nico Escamilla  wrote:


I'm afraid Chris Saizan just let the site die cause he was no longer
interested in caving (he sold me his brain bucket last year), it wasnt
getting a lot of posts lately and I might be wrong but around this time of
last year he was renewing his one year hosting plan
with godaddy perhaps the contract expired and he didnt think renewing it
was worth it.

all this is just what I think it happened, I dont know for sure
On 5/4/07, mark.al...@l-3com.com  wrote:
>
>  I noticed this, too.
>
> Actually, it's been MIA for a couple of weeks.
>
> Is it kaput?
>
>
> (A Curious) Mark
>
>
>  --
> *From:* wwildch...@aol.com [mailto:wwildch...@aol.com]
> *Sent:* Friday, May 04, 2007 11:28 AM
> *To:* Texascavers@texascavers.com
> *Subject:* Re: [Texascavers] OT - computer news
>
>  Wow, and to think that my Commodore Vic 20 with 5k of RAM actually ran
> an operating system at all.  Since your talking bogomips, it would be in the
> neighborhood of .004
>
> And to make the cave/computer relationship, I havn't been able to open
> texascaving.com lately. :7
> Puppy
> =:-)
>
>