texascavers Digest 8 Dec 2011 22:09:15 -0000 Issue 1451
Topics (messages 19169 through 19175):
Re: Texas parks need your help
19169 by: Mark.Alman.L-3com.com
Those of you who don't 'do' wind turbines (coz of bats) might like the last
picture in this sequence...
19170 by: Stefan Creaser
19171 by: TM Raines
Order Allison's Birth Control
19172 by: Mark.Alman.L-3com.com
Oops
19173 by: Mark.Alman.L-3com.com
19174 by: Mark.Alman.L-3com.com
Punkin Cave trip report
19175 by: Jim Kennedy
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Attention Cavers:
Texas parks and Wildlife has been instrumental in their support of caving here
in Texas.
With the Colorado Bend SP project coming up on its 25th year, all of the work
and caving out at Kickapoo Caverns SP, activities at Devils Sinkhole, and all
of the fun trips and times we have had at Longhorn Caverns SP
before/during/after ICS, I would guess that 95% of ALL Texas cavers have
enjoyed caving at one of these great state parks over the years a time or two.
I have made a donation to the TPWD appeal and hope all of you will do the same.
Heck, we all get to camp and cave for FREE!
The least we can do is kick a few bucks their way in a small, but needed,
gesture of appreciation during their time of need.
Do your part as a member of the Texas caving community by showing your
gratitude today!
Thanks,
Mark
From: Andy Gluesenkamp [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 12:24 PM
To: texas cavers
Subject: [Texascavers] Texas parks need your help
Dec. 6, 2011
Media Contact: Mike Cox, (512) 965-7574, [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
Texas State Parks Announce $4.6 million Appeal for Help:
Record heat, drought, wildfires spark call for park visits, donations
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department today hosted 11 news
conferences at different locations across the state, appealing to the public to
visit state parks and make donations to help offset a revenue loss caused by
heat, drought, wildfires and a resulting drop in park visitor revenue.
“A ‘triple whammy’ of record heat and drought, devastating wildfires and a
corresponding decline in visitation and revenue has created a critical need for
Texas State Parks,” said Carter Smith, TPWD executive director. “So, we are
reaching out for help.”
TPWD held news conferences at the following state parks or other locations in
cities across Texas: McKinney Falls/Austin, Government Canyon/San Antonio,
Sheldon Lake/Houston, Cedar Hill/Dallas-Fort Worth, Abilene SP/Abilene,
Amarillo Convention and Visitors Council office/Amarillo, Mustang Island/Corpus
Christi, State Parks Office/El Paso, Estero Llano Grande/Rio Grande Valley,
Tyler SP/Tyler, and Mother Neff/Waco.
Visitor fees fund about half the $69 million operating budget for the state
park system, subject to legislative appropriations. For many years, there’s
been a steady upward trend, with more people visiting parks generating more
revenue to operate them--until this year.
Through the summer and into early fall, traditionally a busy time for parks,
many Texans stayed home because of the dry heat. Shriveling lakes and rivers
disrupted swimming, fishing and boating, and burn bans prevented campfires.
Also, three popular state parks--Bastrop, Davis Mountains and Possum
Kingdom--suffered major wildfire damage and produced no revenue for weeks,
though all are now back open to varying degrees.
As a result, in August state park system revenue declined 25 percent compared
to the same month last year. So far this fall revenue is down11
percent--improving, but still not close to what park leaders say is needed.
“The bottom line is we have a $4.6 million gap in our 2012 park system
operating budget,” Smith said. “This is the amount we need to raise to help
keep state parks open. We want to alert people now while there is still time to
help.”
TPWD is rolling out a multi-faceted awareness campaign stressing three calls to
action:
· One, go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/helpparks
<http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/helpparks> to make a tax-deductible, year-end
donation.
· Two, starting Jan. 1, make a donation when you renew your motor
vehicle registration.
· And, most important, because visitor fees pay for about half of park
system operating costs, visit state parks.
“Cooler weather makes fall and winter a fine time to visit state parks, which
are great places for holiday outings and gatherings,” said Brent Leisure, TPWD
state parks director. “Also, recent rains are allowing many of our parks to
lift burn bans. That’s making campfires possible once again, an important
tradition for many park visitors.”
Leisure said state parks are important for many reasons. They protect unique
places and provide settings for healthy outdoor recreation and family fun for
millions of people.
State parks are also economic engines for nature tourism. In a 2008 study, the
Texas Comptroller found state parks draw outside tourists into host counties,
generating millions in annual retail sales and local resident income.
The Texas State Parks operating budget is based on legislative appropriations,
but relies on revenue generated by visitor fees. This year, an additional $3
million in revenue was projected.
Also, the legislature passed a new option that allows people to make a donation
when they renew their motor vehicle registration, estimating that would raise
at least $1.6 million per year. Starting Jan. 1 drivers can donate $5 or more
when renewing their registration by mail, at the county tax office or online in
counties offering online payment.
“The state park system 2012 budget was set anticipating those two items would
raise a total of $4.6 million,” Smith said. “But the money is not there because
park visitation and revenue are down markedly due to drought and wildfires, and
the vehicle registration donation program is just getting underway for renewals
due in January.”
The department is also providing video, radio, web and social media resources
for the media and public, all emphasizing the same three calls to action.
Many state parks offer reduced camping fees during “off-peak” fall and winter
months, especially for longer stays. Many parks have lifted burn bans—check
online for the latest information. And dozens of state parks are hosting
special holiday events in December. See
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/calendar/holidays
<http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/calendar/holidays> for dates, locations and
descriptions.
To learn about the various Texas State Parks and their offerings, or to make
online camping reservations, visit http://www.texasstateparks.org
<http://www.texasstateparks.org/> . Or call state park information at
1-800-792-1112, option 3, between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Resources for news media, including photos of drought and wildfires,
downloadable video, and radio news soundbites, are in a Park Awareness News
Roundup online.
…
On the Net:
Public Information: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/helpparks
<http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/helpparks>
News Media Resources:
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/news_roundup/state_parks_appeal_for_help/
<http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/news_roundup/state_parks_appeal_for_help/>
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
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--- Begin Message ---
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16094360
-- 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.
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On the Contrary Stefan,
We do 'do' wind turbines as well as roadkill. For so real action off
the coast of Ireland get this video:
http://thenextfrontiermovie.com/dvd.htm
Blowin' In the Wind, Terry
On Dec 8, 2011, at 12:08 PM, Stefan Creaser wrote:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16094360
-- IMPORTANT NOTICE: The contents of this email and any attachments
are not confidential and are not privileged. If you are not the
intended recipient, I do not give a damn. Thank you.
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Do it now!
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TOTALLY DISREGARD THIS, Y'all!
(An embarrassed) Mark
_____________________________________________
From: Alman, Mark @ SSG - WSG - EOS
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 2:29 PM
To: texas cavers
Subject: Order Allison's Birth Control
Do it now!
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Yeah, them grandkids are great, Bill.
At the right time!
This old bald fool doesn't need any single parent caver babies running
around calling him, "Grandpa!".
Mark
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 2:53 PM
To: Alman, Mark @ SSG - WSG - EOS; texas cavers
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Oops
I was about to put some old condoms in the mail to you and decided to
ask first. They're probably ok. Grandkids are great.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
________________________________
From: [email protected]
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 14:30:26 -0600
To: Alman, Mark @ SSG - WSG - EOS<[email protected]>; texas
cavers<[email protected]>
Subject: [Texascavers] Oops
TOTALLY DISREGARD THIS, Y'all!
(An embarrassed) Mark
_____________________________________________
From: Alman, Mark @ SSG - WSG - EOS
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 2:29 PM
To: texas cavers
Subject: Order Allison's Birth Control
Do it now!
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--- Begin Message ---
Punkin Cave Survey Expedition #17
2-4 December 2011
This past weekend, 2-4 December 2011, saw more than a dozen cavers
convene at TCMA's Carta Valley resort, er, fieldhouse to tackle the
monster mazes of the incredible Punkin Cave, the 10th longest and 28th
deepest cave in Texas. We, as cavers, are extremely fortunate that we
own Punkin and the equally awesome Deep Cave nearby. I strongly urge
all cavers to join the TCMA and help support the purchase of additional
caves!
Everybody arrived Friday evening, except Ann, who was attending a swanky
office party. We cleaned up the cabin from the previous users,
including tossing out three dead mice. Some folks just don't understand
about mouse-proofing buildings by doing such things as sealing all paper
products and food packages in tins, jars, and mouse-proof cabinets. Or
turning all plates, cups, bowls, pots, and pans upside down when storing
them. Sigh. But at least the sticky traps we set out are doing their
job. After the flurry of cleaning and reorganization, we got the water
and heat turned on, set out some snacks, and settled down to watch a
couple of movies (Chronicles of Riddick and Talladega Nights) on the big
screen while the rest of the crew trickled in.
The next morning we ate a hearty group breakfast, organized into three
survey teams, and left for the cave. Lee Jay and Galen led Vivian and
Aubrey to the western side of the cave, below (but not connecting to)
Hellmouth. Their survey was slow and meticulous, as Aubrey was working
closely with Viv to develop her sketching skills. When I asked Viv
later how Aubrey was progressing with her sketching, Viv proudly said
"She's there!" Good to have another qualified sketcher in our ranks!
That team only set 11 shots for a total of 21.36m (1.94m per shot), but
the sketches (from both sketchers) are superlative! This survey is
heading to a nice big blank spot on the map, and I hope it continues.
The second team heading out to the West Maze had a bit of a delay when
one of the party showed up at the cave entrance and forgot their boots.
Matt Turner, who wasn't feeling up to caving that day, offered to make a
run back to the fieldhouse for some borrowed footwear. Once properly
equipped, Dale, Arron, Angela, and Andy went back to some leads in the
far southwest corner of the cave that were left from a previous survey.
They pushed a lot of passage and got the most length of the day, but, as
usual, left lots more leads for future trips. They made 21 shots for
74.60m, for an average of 3.55m per shot. One shot was almost 9m long!
Despite the early delay and all that survey footage, they still were not
the last out of the cave.
That dubious honor went to my team, which included Oscar, Yaz, and
Lydia. I blame it all tight nasty stuff we were in this time. In fact,
our first lead had to be enlarged by rock shaving a tight window through
which several leads could be seen. Cemented breakdown plagued our
survey, and we spent a lot of time pounding on rocks. Viv's team heard
us almost the entire time, but we never saw them until the very end of
the day. We still managed to make 14 shots, including an 8.41m shot.
Too bad that was offset by the 0.64 and 0.65m shots! Our total survey
was 43.57m (3.11m per shot). Yaz was the star of the survey, squeezing
into subhuman leads that left Oscar and I just shaking our heads, and
totally destroying her pants in the process.
We got back to the cabin to find that everyone had already showered and
that dinner was ready. Thanks to Don, who was still recovering from
shoulder surgery, and Ann for that! The mood was festive, the weather
surprisingly warm, and the fellowship awesome. We tossed down a
fabulous meal of chicken mole, Mexican rice (courtesy of Yaz and Matt),
frijoles, and iced tea, with an appetizer of chips, guacamole, and
homemade salsas from Galen and Yaz. Dessert was flan, and followed with
yet another movie, the classic seasonal flick Scrooged.
The next day we had to clean up and close the cabin pretty early, since
there was a TCMA meeting in San Antonio at 1:00, and we had 5 TCMA board
members on this expedition. Expedition participants were Don Arburn,
Yazmin Avila, Dale Barnard, Oscar Berrones, Andy Edwards, Angela
Edwards, Galen Falgout, Lee Jay Graves, Lydia Hernandez, Aubri Jenson,
Jim Kennedy, Vivian Loftin, Ann Scott, Matt Turner, and Arron Wertheim.
It is truly a joy to work with such a dedicated, enthusiastic, skilled,
and FUN group of people.
Punkin Cave is still the 28th deepest cave in the state at 62.4m. Our
three survey teams only added another 139.53m to the cave's length in 44
shots, for an average of 3.17m per shot, slightly up from average. This
statistic is somewhat misleading, as longer shots could certainly be
made, but the incredible complexity of the cave requires us to place
stations at every passage intersection, and there are a HECK of a lot of
intersections! This trip brings the cave to just over 4 kilometers, at
4090.29m. It is back down to the 10th longest in Texas due to a flurry
of surveying in some of the Guadalupe Basin stream caves during this
summer's drought. Currently we only need 364m to pass See My Shovel
Cave and regain #9, 460m to pass Cave Without a Name and make #8, and
924m to knock Longhorn Cavern out of the #7 slot. We still have at
least a kilometer of passage to map, but it will be slow going. And, of
course, we always hope to break into the conjectured borehole that lies
beneath these mazes and supplies all the tremendous airflow felt
throughout the cave. We can do it!
The next trip is tentatively planned for the long Presidents Day weekend
in February, when we will have TWO days of surveying in the cave. Keep
watching CaveTex and other caving calendars for the announcement.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim "Crash" Kennedy
TCMA Punkin Cave Survey Coordinator
8 December 2011
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