Was anyone interested in writing a more lengthy trip report (I'll take all comers) and sending pix my way for the next TEXAS CAVER? Sounds like a good and "interesting" trip, by all reports! Thanks! Mark
________________________________ From: ellie.tho...@gmail.com [mailto:ellie.tho...@gmail.com] Sent: Mon 8/24/2009 11:20 AM To: patriot0...@hotmail.com; blon...@dot.state.tx.us; Alman, Mark @ IRP; speleoste...@tx.rr.com; George-Paul Richmann; Lyndon Tiu; germa...@aol.com; julesje...@yahoo.com; Edwin Lehr; Will Harris; Udi Fuchs; Diana Tomchick; Katy; zachrbrouss...@neo.tamu.edu; David Wendeborn; lacey heath; Renee Skwara; Joe Datri; Ninja James Brown; Roger Moore; ggelet...@hot.rr.com; l_colucc...@yahoo.com; wong...@yahoo.com; m...@mpphoto.ws; Nathan Dennis; Zach S 10; ara...@gmail.com; Ron Rutheford; jwryl...@sbcglobal.net; Heather Tucek; Sheena McCrary; an...@kinsy.com; amanda.bent...@neo.tamu.edu; cberg1...@neo.tamu.edu; carr2...@neo.tamu.edu; megan.fi...@gmail.com; tj_tidw...@neo.tamu.edu; wendeb...@neo.tamu.edu; barnardd...@yahoo.com; pepabe...@hotmail.com; mossy...@comcast.net; monste...@hotmail.com; stefan.crea...@arm.com; tr...@sprynet.com; Alan Downey; Travis Scott; peterspro...@yahoo.com; pe...@oztotl.com; Paul Unger; back2scool...@hotmail.com; Charles Goldsmith; Amalia Montoya Subject: August 22nd Longhorn Results This Saturday, August 22nd, 2009, 25 cavers went into Longhorn Caverns to check out the sump and other leads and we all made it out alive with stories to tell. At a recent grotto meeting, Bill Steele coordinated with James Brown, legendary cave-diver, to take a team of cavers back to sump 2 and the trip was on! Many other beginner, new cavers, and longtime cavers from area grottos (DFW, Bexar, UT, and GHG) jumped on the opportunity to check out Longhorn Caverns and we had a solid team of 23 people. Most people arrived on Friday night and we sat around planning the next day. When we woke up Saturday morning, GP was cooking up a yummy breakfast of egg, bacon, and cheese burritos...enough for everyone!!! After breakfast we circled up to break the team into "Dive Team" and "Team 2/novice trip". The "Dive Team" of 7 included f James Brown, Bill Steele, Diana Tomchick, Charles Goldsmith, Will Harris, Joe Datri, Lacey Heath, and George Paul Richman. At 9am they set out with their gear towards the Crownover entrance of Longhorn Caverns. Because of confusion with parking, they ended up trekking their gear much farther than expected to the Crownover entrance, which is the furthest entrance from the tourist entrance. "Team 2", consisting of 16 people: Edwin Lehr, Nathan Dennis, Steve Webb, Cristina Estrada, Alex, David, Udi Fuchs, Katy Roodenko, Renee Skwara, Zach Schudrowitz, Gmo, Bonnie Longley, Jeff Wryland, Sheena McCrary, Andee Kinsy, and Ellie Watson followed the 10am tour into the cave. Edwin gave a speed-tour of the show part of the cave and then we set up for the traditional "before shot" at the beginning of the non-tourist part of the cave. Everyone slid through the water smoothly and rolled over the rocks and the mud. The team split at the Wigglies and Edwin led the larger group throught the Wigglies while I led the rest out on the straight path. All 16 of team 2 met up at the end of the Wigglies and Edwin too willing participants through the low-air to the 2nd sump while I led the rest of the group out of the cave. When we got to the Crownover entrance, Roger Moore greeted us and walked everyone towards the road back to camp and got GP's Jeep and parked it closer to the entrance. I went back into the cave and met up with the dive team as they were coming out. About the sump dive Bill Steele wrote "James Brown didn't like the sump and didn't go more than a few feet into it. There was zero visibility and right away there was a block of rock on the floor he was going to have to take his tanks off and extend them at arms-length so he could squeeze between it and the ceiling. If he tries it again, he'll take two 15 cu. ft. pony tanks, which will give him a penetration time of 10 minutes." The rain greeted us when we made it back to camp and everyone was hosing off the layers of thick mud under a nice shower of rain. Thank goodness the rain did not hit while we were in the cave. Roger Moore, on surface support said "The novice trip seemed quite successful, with lots of smiles on muddy faces after they emerged. Joe Datri loaned one of the women on the trip a pair of pants, but failed to mention to her that they were blown out in the rear in a couple of places, which made for an interesting picture. You know all what I know about the sump trip (that the sump was too muddy and that the tanks were too large for the constriction (the latter of which I hadn't heard about). After hosing down in the rain and a change of clothes, many of us went to the Blue Bonnet for a great meal and pie. The only downside to the surface and beer support was that there wasn't enough time to consume much beer." So, all in all, GREAT trip! Thanks for all who came and thanks to all the Longhorn Lowdown people who have done so much work in the past to make it possible for us to enjoy this beautiful cave.
