Missouri Speleological Survey

 

Files Report for July - September, 2009

 

Good to see everyone at the recent MSS meeting. Saturday was busy with cave survey trips, ridge-walking, biologic inventory, and the MCKC meeting. Plus a fine evening meal of chili dogs wrapped in tortillas. High on the hog, as they say…

 

After the MSS meeting on Sunday, a few of us spent a few hours in the cave files, tracking down duplications and other problems. In January, we plan on doing this for the better part of a day.

 

Kris Hartman of SEMO sent in two beautiful maps of caves in Ste Genevieve County . He also sent a report on one of these. Kris also sent a topo overlay showing caves he has been working on in Ste Genevieve County . Kris followed this up with an update description of the large cave he and others have been working in.

 

Later, Kris sent in five new cave locations from Ste. Genevieve County, most of which could be described as low, wet, miserable, and/or smelly. At the MSS meeting, Kris displayed SEMO’s latest digital newsletter, chock full of maps, reports, photographs and lots of interesting information. This is a fine piece of work. Kris gave a copy on disk for the files.

 

As a result of a SEMO trip in Franklin County , the files received a map of cave locations around Garrett (Mud) Cave from Paul Hauck, a report on several caves by Chad McCain, and a GPS location and photos from Kris Hartman.

 

Jim Cooley sent a detailed report, including biology, on a new cave in the Ozark Riverways. He also sent a report on a recently found cave on Forest Service land (yes, trips to USFS caves must be authorized for management purposes) and sent a report on another FS pit that has recently collapsed. Jim also sent a location and description on another new cave on FS land. Jim also relocated a lost cave in Oregon County and discovered that it may have been recently used for illegal activities (law enforcement gets called in at that point). Jim also relocated a lost lead on MDC land just outside of the Ozark Riverways boundary.

 

Bill Copeland sent information on a new cave in Barry County .

 

Mick Sutton sent in information on a cave in Reynolds County .

 

Jim Sherrell sent a location improvement for a cave in Wayne County . Jim also sent a cave lead from Reynolds County . And Jim sent in a new cave location from Washington County . Jim also sent new (better) directions for a couple more caves in Wayne County .

 

Jon Beard sent in text versions of a number of articles from the Subterranean Journeys. These included articles by Craig Williams, Earl Hancock and Jon. Craig also sent a copy of his article on Lon Odell Cave .

 

Don Bittle sent a location for a new cave in Ste. Genevieve County that he and Richard Young discovered while kayaking the River Aux Vases. This may be the correct location for a “lost” (no description, poor location) cave that was occupying space in the records.

 

Spike Crews sent in a correction (duplication) from Texas County . Spike and Andy Free also turned in several new cave locations in Stone, Texas, and Phelps Counties.

 

Bill Elliott forwarded some information on Crystal Cave in Carthage . A person had contacted MDC volunteering some information on it (or perhaps something like it – hard to tell).

 

Eric Hertzler sent a detailed report and very nice map of the Crighton Cave complex in Greene County .

 

Bob Criss sent a location and report on a new cave that he and Joe Light investigated at the Grant Farm in St. Louis County.

 

Randy Long of USFS sent a pair of reports on caves in Oregon County .

 

Rhonda Rimer sent in some reports from caves (one new) in Ripley County on land recently acquired by MDC.

 

And I have been busy fleshing out mistakes and fixing locations, pretty much all over the state.

 

On we go…

 

Scott House

Missouri Cave Database

1606 Luce St .

Cape Girardeau MO 63701

573-651-3782

scott_house@semo.net