To: Tom Bemis – Cave Recourses
From: Anne Ault – Central Oklahoma Grotto
Subject: Trip Report
Date: June 2, 2007
Location: Lower Cave – Flowstone Cleaning
The cleaning of a flowstone mound in lower cave was assigned to the COG members
who were not included in the team of SUPREME IMMORTALS of CAVE ENGINEERING, POLYVINYL
PIPES and SUPER SCREENING (know as SICEPPSS).
The morning team of flowstone cleaners and the elite SICEPPSS team followed Tom
Bemis down the ladders to Lower Cave and along the narrow marked trail to the
point where it split. SICEPPSS veered off towards the National Geographic Pit
and the proletarian crew continued through Lower Cave until we reached the flowstone
mound.
It goes without saying that the flowstone mound was gorgeous. Bexar Grotto had
been working on it during a previous trip and starting from the top of the mound,
perhaps a little more than half had been cleaned by them. Its sparkling whiteness
was in stark contrast to the reddish brown sediment covered lower part that COG
was to work on.
The flowstone mound had many little dry pools that were packed with cave pearls.
Those who were working on the pools would carefully set the pearls in a safe
place until the pool was cleaned and polished. The little pearls were then returned
to their now, pristine homes.
Our “newbie”, Mark Miller, couldn’t stop saying “wow”!
He apologized for not having better superlatives, but none of us minded. We knew
what he was going through.
Tom B. pointed out what needed to be done and we each (Kelley Logan-Woltz, Sue
Bozeman, Steve Beleu, Mark Miller, Anne Ault) selected the tools we wanted to
use. Anne took the dustpan and brush. The others started with water-filled spray
bottles and toothbrushes. Tom B. discovered that we had no sponges to soak up
the water we were spraying. We really needed the sponges so Kelley was volunteered
to follow Tom through Lower Cave, up the ladders, through Upper Cave to the elevators,
through the visitor’s entrance, across the parking lot and blessedly into
Tom’s car. He drove her to the Ranger Station on top of the mountain, gave
her the sponges and said: “bye”. Kelley said: “no bye”!
Kelley was another “newbie” to Carlsbad and didn’t have the
faintest idea of how to get back to where the rest of us were. Tom relented,
drove her back to the cave and then drew a map of the path she needed to follow
to get back to the flowstone mound. She is a sturdy and staunch caver and got
back to us at the flowstone mound just in time to turn around and go back out
for lunch and the shift change. Such is life.
Report Submitted by Anne Ault
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