Shawnee NF Project
July 28 & 29, 2007
We had eight participants in the July survey weekend at Equality Cave. 3 crews produced 432 feet of survey. Both days of survey were in the northeast trend of the cave. On Saturday, we were the first crew in through the new gate. After blowing past my tie in station, new ISS member Andrew Frierdich, along with Richard Hartrum, helped me backtrack to locate our starting point- they learned about maze caves in a hurry. As new surveyors, we engaged in some practice, and after a few shots, they had the hang of things. Dan Lamping, Philip Moss, Tony Schmitt, and Ozarks caver Bill Gee addressed a bit of resurvey near the entrance, then carried on near our survey. Total survey for the short day(most of the crew had driven from the NSS Convention in Marengo, Indiana that morning) was 214 feet. We had excellent food back at Teal Pond upon our return, as Jack had stayed in camp to set up a shelter and cook fire. After a hearty breakfast, one crew worked in the cave on Sunday, collecting 218 feet of survey. Jack Wood, Bill Gee and myself worked in an area that would best be described as a drain for that area of the cave- there was flood debris 6 feet off of the floor. The lowest part of the bedrock looks like a kind of dark shale. There is a low lead in the shale, but sturdier clothes will be required, as there is a fair bit of debris in the drain. An interesting speleogen was noted at the end of our survey day. Bill Gee took some good photographs, and perhaps they can be added to the website. Current survey stands at 3,807 feet. Average shot length is 12.2 feet, and there are 81 loops in the surveys to date.
Thanks very much to everyone who helped with the weekend's survey. John Lovaas
New ISS member Bill Gee on station.
Philip Moss ISS member works on survey.
ISS members Tony Schmitt and Dan Lamping work on the sketch
Photos by Tony Schmitt and Bill Gee.
For interest in future project weekends or other information on the SNF project, please contact Jack Wood