texascavers Digest 10 Jun 2010 12:50:54 -0000 Issue 1073
Topics (messages 15052 through 15057):
Re: We are all just a bunch of wimps
15052 by: SS
Re: We are all just a bunch of wimps (with poor reading comprehension)
15053 by: Andy Gluesenkamp
15054 by: Diana Tomchick
Punkin Cave Report
15055 by: Jim Kennedy
The May 2010 Issue of "The Hole News"
15056 by: Bill Bentley
Re: Important News on WNS National Plan, ESA
15057 by: Gill Edigar
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--- Begin Message ---
Sorry, You all must have missed the caption at the bottom of the screen
.
<http://www.youtube.com/user/guillaumenery> guillaumenery May 30, 2010
FREE FALL: World champion freediver Guillaume Nery special dive at Dean's
Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole in the world filmed entirely on breath hold
by the french champion Julie Gautier. This video is a FICTION and an
ARTISTIC PROJECT.
_____
From: Andy Gluesenkamp [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 11:20 AM
To: Stefan Creaser; texas cavers
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] We are all just a bunch of wimps
It can and does happen to folks who do repetitive deep dives (i.e. sponge
divers). The nitrogen levels in the blood build up and take time to
off-gas.
Andy
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- On Tue, 6/8/10, Stefan Creaser <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Stefan Creaser <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] We are all just a bunch of wimps
To: "Charles Goldsmith" <[email protected]>
Cc: "texas cavers" <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 11:13 AM
No, you start and end with the same air in your body that you started with
when freediving. The bends are caused by you absorbing nitrogen into the
blood that you are breathing at depth.
Thats the quick, simple explanation
From: Charles Goldsmith [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 10:48 AM
To: [email protected]
Cc: texas cavers
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] We are all just a bunch of wimps
It's hard to tell how deep he goes, but is this safe? I'm no diver, and
certainly no expert, but isn't this dangerous from the bends perspective?
On Tue, Jun 8, 2010 at 10:45 AM, Andy Gluesenkamp <
<http://us.mc320.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>
[email protected]> wrote:
Tiny-lunged wimps.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQITWbAaDx0&feature=player_embedded>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQITWbAaDx0&feature=player_embedded
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
<http://us.mc320.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>
[email protected]
--
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
My bad. Still, an awesome vid. The WR freedive without fins was also filmed
in Dean's Hole. The guy reached something like 270ft. The (nonfiction) video
is online somewhere.
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- On Wed, 6/9/10, SS <[email protected]> wrote:
From: SS <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] We are all just a bunch of wimps
To: [email protected], "'Stefan Creaser'" <[email protected]>, "'texas
cavers'" <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 9:53 AM
Sorry, You all must have missed the caption at the bottom of the screen….
guillaumenery — May 30, 2010 — FREE FALL: World champion freediver Guillaume
Nery special dive at Dean's Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole in the world
filmed entirely on breath hold by the french champion Julie Gautier. This video
is a FICTION and an ARTISTIC PROJECT.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Guillaume Nery's world record -109 meter free dive video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Ojj2XxyMo&feature=related
This video is narrated by Guillaume Nery, where he explains how he
does his dives and why he's attracted to the sport:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6sowLt5Hes&feature=user
In 2008 he set a new world record at -113 meters (~370 feet).
Very cool indeed.
Diana
On Jun 9, 2010, at 11:08 AM, Andy Gluesenkamp wrote:
My bad. Still, an awesome vid. The WR freedive without fins was
also filmed in Dean's Hole. The guy reached something like 270ft.
The (nonfiction) video is online somewhere.
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- On Wed, 6/9/10, SS <[email protected]> wrote:
From: SS <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] We are all just a bunch of wimps
To: [email protected], "'Stefan Creaser'"
<[email protected]>, "'texas cavers'" <[email protected]
>
Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 9:53 AM
Sorry, You all must have missed the caption at the bottom of the
screen….
guillaumenery — May 30, 2010 — FREE FALL: World champion freediver
Guillaume Nery special dive at Dean's Blue Hole, the deepest blue
hole in the world filmed entirely on breath hold by the french
champion Julie Gautier. This video is a FICTION and an ARTISTIC
PROJECT.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diana R. Tomchick
Associate Professor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Biochemistry
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Rm. ND10.214B
Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A.
Email: [email protected]
214-645-6383 (phone)
214-645-6353 (fax)
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Punkin Cave Survey Expedition #13, 4-6 June 2010
reported by Jim "Crash" Kennedy, expedition leader
[For general background on Punkin Cave and previous survey expeditions, please
refer to past postings on CaveTex]
Punkin Cave in Edwards County, Texas, continues to get longer through the
efforts of a team of very dedicated cavers. This is a brief report of the most
recent trip.
Due to work obligations and the concurrent trip to Múzquiz, Coahuila, we only
had 21 people on the roster the week before the trip, and 4 of those dropped
out by the day before the trip. Of the 17 left, 2 stayed on the surface all
day, working on the cabin. So we split up the remaining cavers into four
teams, 12 veterans ("Punkinheads") and 3 who have never surveyed in Punkin
before ("Punkin Sprouts"). Even so, we mopped up many leads, and (as usual)
left many more for the next time.
The first team, TEAM DUNGEON, led by sketcher Jim Kennedy, headed directly to
the Pancake Room with team two. After orienting Team Pancake and pointing them
to their leads, Jim, Sean Vincent, and newcomers Yazmin Avila and Caleb Mayeux
continued down to the Dungeon. There Yaz checked out leads while Jim sketched
some survey lines from the February trip. Sean and Caleb moved rocks and
pounded restrictions to try to get into some enticing leads in the floor, in
hopes of getting deeper. This area is a big riser with loads of airflow, and
hopes are that it leads to much deeper passages. Alas, we were thwarted by the
tightness of the passage which could not be enlarged with the tools at hand.
Still, 35.46m (116.3 feet) was surveyed in 14 shots, for an average of 2.53m
(7.71 feet) per shot. An upper loop was also surveyed, and there are still
unsurveyed leads in that area. Next time we will return with bigger tools.
The second team, TEAM PANCAKE, left Crash's team and quickly started on the SMW
("Sado-masochist Wobble") survey. Sketcher Saj Zappitello ably led Matt
Zappitello and Arron Wertheim through this thoroughly confusing part of the
Medusa Maze. They completed several loops with the help of a little hammer
work to get the bigger guys through the tight maze. 44.47m (145.6 feet) were
surveyed in 11 shots, for an average of 4.04m (13.3 feet) per shot. This
survey helped fill in more of the Medusa complex, but there are still leads
remaining in this crazy area.
The third team, TEAM WEST MAZE, consisted of sketcher Lee Jay Graves, veterans
Bonnie Longley and Josh Rubinstein, and Sprout (and excellent lead pusher!)
Mallory Mayeux. Josh was able to hammer through a restriction into an enticing
lead, that quickly opened up into nice passage. The team extended the WM
survey another 12 shots, committing another 39.41m (129.3 feet) to the survey
book, for an average of 3.28m (10.76 feet) per shot. There are at least 3
"pits" in the floor of the area where they quit that still need checked, as
well as a lot of upper level leads passed up in the quest for depth. Needless
to say, this area will also get more attention on the next trip. This was the
last group out of the cave, and big thanks are owed them for derigging the two
entrance drops.
Finally, the last team, TEAM ORGY ROOM, started toward a large room found but
not surveyed on the February trip. Team leader and Sketcher Geary Schindel
lead veterans Lydia Hernandez and Joe Ranzau and Sprout Sara Ranzau to the
start of the survey. There was a fair bit of confusion, since Lydia was
originally assigned to Lee Jay's team and had half of their survey gear.
Eventually the teams got sorted out and survey began, but Geary had to exit the
cave early because an unhealed rib injury was bothering him too much. Lydia
bravely took over sketching duties, recording 11 shots, but unfortunately there
is no accompanying sketch, so another team will have to go back to that area on
the next trip. At any rate, we still got 40.19m (131.86 feet) of new lineplot
to fill in some gaps on the map, an average of 3.65m (12.0 feet) per shot.
We had a bit of excitement on our way out of the cave, when we came upon Joe
Ranzau who narrowly escaped death when his chest roller came apart and he
almost became completely detached from the rope about six feet below the lip of
the drop. Luckily, his quick thinking and assistance from Lydia and Sara got
him up over the top on solid ground. He is completing a detailed report and
analysis to send to the American Caving Accidents editor so that others may
learn from his experience.
I don't normally talk about all the other activities during our survey
expeditions, instead preferring to focus on the actual survey. But the social
aspects of each trip are every bit as important as the caving. Friday night we
showed a movie on the big screen to those who arrived early enough. There were
the usual group meals, where we push the envelope of gourmet camping food.
And, of course, the usual sitting around telling jokes, smoking cigars, and
drinking adult beverages. Arron, Joe, Don, and some others even got a head
start on dismantling the second floor of the back porch. It's a great group to
cave with, and I'm sure that, like me, everyone is anxious for the next trip.
In summary, four survey teams in Punkin Cave put in another 48 shots of survey
and added another 159.43m (521.7 feet) of passage to the length of the cave.
The average shot length of 3.32m reflects the slow nature of the surveys and
difficulty of survey. The new length of the cave is now 2981.6m. It is still
#13 on Texas Long Cave list, and we need another 373m to displace Natural
Bridge Caverns and move into the #12 spot, 394m to pass Caverns of Sonora and
move to #11, and 463m to bump Airmans Cave and move into the Top 10 list!
Despite out best efforts of the last few trips, the cave is still #28 on the
Texas Deep Cave list, at 62.4m (204.7 feet). I would personally like to thank
all the dedicated surveyors that keep returning time and time again to unravel
the mysteries of this intriguing cave. The next trip will likely be in October
or November, and as usual, Punkin survey veterans will receive first notice
before it is posted to CaveTex.
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Greetings,
The May 2010 issue "Volume 25 # 5" of the Permian Basin Speleological Society's
"The Hole News" is now FREE on the web in Adobe PDF format.
This exciting issue can be found at the URL listed below:
http://www.caver.net/pbss/holenews/PBSS_Newsletter_May_2010.pdf
And as always one can relive the past with back issues, they can be found at
the following URL:
http://www.caver.net/pbss/holenews.html
Kudos to Kel Thomas for his role as the editor of "The Hole News" Please
be sure to send him material!!!!!
Please send Kel your trip reports and pictures.....<[email protected]>
Enjoy and Cave Safely,
Bill
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--- Begin Message ---
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Cheryl Jones <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 9:27 PM
Subject: Important News on WNS National Plan, ESA
To: [email protected]
[forwarded]
Important News on WNS National Plan, Endangered Species Act
The USFWS announced at the Pittsburgh WNS Symposium that it will be posting
its Draft National WNS Plan in the Federal Register during the month of
June. Please keep your eyes peeled for this posting, as it will include
important information about public comment. This plan is intended to be a
"Static" document, according to Jeremy Coleman, USFWS National WNS
Coordinator. Behind this "Static" plan will be a dynamic document - an
"Implementation Plan," if you will. This will be subject to change and
adjustment, based on changing research and field conditions. At least, this
is how it was explained to us.
In a related matter, the scuttlebut from USFWS folks is that they are not
likely to file a 90-day response to the Center for Biological Diversity's
petition to add two new species to the Endangered Species list - the Eastern
Small-footed and the Northern Long-Eared bats. Instead, they are
concentrating on developing the scientific field data on these species in
order to formulate a formal response. My best guess is that this will be
done in time to meet the one-year deadline under the ESA. This work is being
divvied up by regions, according the the folks I spoke with. One example may
be found in this announcement from the U.S. Forest Service:
http://www.fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome/pdf/WNSFunds-USFSAnnouncementFY10.pdf
Note the specific reference under the White Mountain National Forest to
specifically collect data for responding to the listing petition for the
NLEB. Note also the gating project for Dutchman's Cave, in Illinois.
Peter Youngbaer
NSS 16161
WNS Liaison
Cave Softly; Cave Cleanly
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