Minutes of the
Chouteau Grotto Meeting
Wednesday, April 3, 2002
25 members were present.
Bill Elliott led off the meeting with a karst groundwater model
developed at the University of Nebraska. It resembles an ant farm. It
can be checked out and used for educational purposes; contact Bill for
details (it went home this evening to the Rock Bridge Park). Bill also
described the 'milk jug model' of karst groundwater that can be
constructed at low cost and illustrates many of the same
principles.
The meeting was called to order at 7:07 PM
Treasurer's Report: 1442.09 in the coffers.
MSS Director's Report: The next meeting is on May 4 in Rolla.
Contact Rita if you need more information.
Foresight Editor: Bob Lerch asks that you send him 2001 reports
(nothing handwritten please). Send photos or maps too; Bob can scan
them. Bob wants to post Hunter Survey data on the website, and will.
Patti Williamson is working on the third quarter 2000 issue of the
Foresight.
The Newsletter editor position is open. We haven't had a Newsletter
for some time. Any volunteers?
Webmeister's Report: Jo Schaper has not been able to access the
server but wants to take over this role.
Bob Lerch made a motion to purchase a new Suunto clinometer and
compass, spending no more than $250, to replace existing ageing
equipment. The motion was approved unanimously. There was also
discussion of refurbishing the Grotto's clinometer and compass and
returning them to the Rock Bridge Park to be checked out.
Upcoming Cave Trips and Other Events:
Tiffany Addington announced the "Day in the Life of a Bat" program
at Onondaga Cave State Park, on April 13. There will be
educational programs for which volunteers are needed. Next day there
will be an offtrail trip in Cathedral Cave. Fees will be waived if you
help map Moonshine or otherwise help out the day before. Come to the
office on Saturday to fill out a volunteer form. If you did not sign
the list Tiffany passed around at tonight's meeting, but want to
take part, contact Tiffany at: tadding@first-comm.net
Mike Morgan may be organizing some caving around the Osage Beach
area; stay tuned or contact him for information.
Ben Miller will lead a trip to Stone County on April 27-28. This will
be mainly a survey trip, to update the Cave Files on several caves
there. Many hands are wanted; contact Ben for details. 110 caves down
there need to be surveyed! Participants may also be able to visit
Indian Creek Cave and Doghouse Cave.
Ben is doing a paper for the Geography of Caves class involving GPS
locating and other inventory of Three Creeks caves. If you have
knowledge of the area and are willing to lend him some time, Ben would
like to talk with you about known caves and see if you can supplement
his database. About 30 are known so far.
The MVOR is May 17-19. Seee www.mvor.org for all
information.
The Bonne Femme Watershed Management team is having a Stream Festival
at the Icebox parking lot on June 1 from 10-3. The Grotto will
participate. Bob Lerch will do a poster on cave research. Ben Miller
will help out. Maybe other members could bring some cave gear and talk
about it?
The annual "Chicken Roast" is set for Saturday, September 21, at
the Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. The camping area is reserved for
us that night. Scott Schulte announced that the Icebox Rescue Drill
will take place that same day, and it would be convenient for those
willing to participate in the Drill and then go on to enjoy the
festivities at the campground.
Cave Reports
The MU Geography of Caves class visited Hunter's Cave and the
Devil's Icebox. Bob Lerch, Bill Elliott and Ben Miller led three
survey teams of students into Hunter's, two of which went beyond the
watercrawl to continue the regular cave survey. Kat McCarthy of the
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park was the effective leader of the Icebox
trip, which featured some of Kat's novel interpretation of such
phenomena as 'triboluminescence' and 'optic overload.' The
group visited the Belfry, Wormhole and Rollercoaster.
Ben Miller, Bob Lerch and Andy Lerch finished mapping the "slimeway"
in Tumbling Cave. It's false that there is a connection (reported by
"Speedy" Christian, the first known explorer of Hunter's Cave),
between Sink and Tumbling Cave. They are trying to think of names for
newly mapped passage in the cave. There is a long stretch of one foot
high passage, which ends in a big room. There is some raccoon hair
cemented in the flowstone there.
Bill Elliott today finished teaching a 3 day cave conservation
workshop, during which he and his group visited McDonald Cave near
Pulltight spring. They also visited Round Spring Cavern and Cave
Hollow Cave on MDC land near Eminence. The stream level there was up
for the first time in two years. Bill reports that the owner of Bruce
Cave is interested in gating the cave, to protect the Indiana and gray
bats and its archaeological heritage. The owner of Ash Cave is also
interested in gating that cave.
Rita Worden, Mike Morgan, Roger Brown, Kevin Feltz, Jim Huckins and
Mississippi Dan went to Shannon County, chimneying down a 25' pit,
and visiting Baptismal Hole Cave, which is in good shape. Also they
dug out a rock shelf on a hillside. Rita squeezed in and went a
further 80' into standing room. Huck says there is more there, and
it just needs to be pushed.
Rita led an Icebox trip as well, the next to last of the season.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe Hobbs, Secretary
--