My "study" of Caverns of Sonora that I referred to in my earlier message is also a survey. Many years ago, Jack Burch established a precise transit survey through the commercial section, with a few short bits extending off-trail. However his sketch was rudimentary and begged for detail. After several trips to the cave just to talk with the owners and manager (not to enter the cave), I was given permission to conduct a survey.
We agreed to what in essence is an experiment. I have produced a highly detailed and precise sketch of the transit survey, loaded with geologic and other details. On average, sketching 15 m of passage took about 6 hours. The point was to see if this level of detail and precision (most sketched features are measured, not sketched by eyeballing their size and position) would tell us something important about the cave that would otherwise not be discovered. The answer is, "I don't know yet." I was going back over my sketches filling in some additional geologic details when the ICS and moving to New Mexico put that work on the backburner. I'm hoping that this year I'll finish those geologic details and then look at the results and determine if the extra effort was worth it beyond a series of lovely, exquisitely detailed and precise sketches. Depending on those results, I'll discuss with the owners how the survey should proceed off trail. Surveying in Caverns of Sonora will never be a TSA or widely open project. Off trail access is tightly restricted. Jack told me "The pretty part of the cave is off trail" and it is not shown because to move through those sections of the cave is to do damage. In fact, the owners ask permission of each other before going off trail. If additional off trail surveying is approved, it will be carefully monitored by the owners with each team member specifically approved for access. George -----Original Message----- From: Mark Minton [mailto:mmin...@caver.net] Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 10:03 AM To: Texascavers@texascavers.com Subject: [Texascavers] Re: Sonora Butterfly As for there being 7 miles in Sonora, I doubt it, but if true why hasn't anyone started a serious resurvey project? Could make a great TSA activity. Mark --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
