WUSS Open Survey Projects

The largest and longest-lasting project of WUSS is the effort to survey (map) all known caves in Carter Caves State Resort Park. Currently WUSS has mapped over sixty caves in the park and there is year round work on four open surveys. In addition, WUSS has many Ohio surveys open as part of a joint project with Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Jump to About Surveying for information on cave surveying techniques and equipment.

Open Survey Projects

In an effort to prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome, Carter Caves SRP has been closed to cavers. Because of this, all open surveys have been put on hold.

Boundary Cave System

A long-known system located in the park with a recently surveyed connection and lots of potential cave additions. This cave system has five known entrances, including two pit entrances. The survey started early 2007 and already the cave has reached over 200 meters in length with the potential to be one of the longest wild caves in the park. The cave can be extremely wet, depending on the weather, so caution should be used on long survey trips. For more information or to find out when the next survey trip for the Boundary Cave System is, please contact the survey leader Kevin Kissell.

Cascade Cave System

This cave is most well known as being a tourist cave, though the average tourist only sees a small fraction of the real cave. In actuality the cave is over 3400 meters long with 10 known entrances. A large portion of the cave is walking passage but those parts are separated by wet, sometimes small, sections making it a weather specific cave to survey. The survey was started over a decade ago but survey work continues mostly in the winter and early spring months. For more information or to find our when the next survey trip for the Cascade Cave System is, please contact the survey leader Kristen Baughman.

Canyon Cave

Though not actually in the park, this survey was started over a decade ago, however deteriorating land owner relations have caused the survey to cease. The survey has reached a length of more than 3500 meters, making it one of the longest known caves in the county. Canyon is an extremely challenging cave with three in cave rope required drops and every conceivable type of passage. There are no survey trips planned for the foreseeable future but if you want more information on Canyon Cave, please contact Dr. Horton Hobbs III.

Hidden Cave

This is a small cave located just inside the park boundary, it has three known entrances. The survey was started in summer of 2006 but due to the highly specific weather conditions needed to finish the survey, it is ongoing. The cave is mostly hands and knees crawling and belly crawling through water so an extended period of draught is necessary to finish the survey, which has reached a length of over 200 meters. There is about another 100 meters of survey left. For more information or to find out when the next survey trip for Hidden Cave is, please contact the survey leader Kevin Kissell.

On top of these open surveys, WUSS is always surveying several of the hundreds of small caves located within the park. These make great practice caves for beginner surveyors or a fun day trips for more experienced ones.

What is Cave Surveying?

Cave surveying is the process of gathering data to create an accurate, useful map. As a science-driven grotto, WUSS does a lot of survey work. Here's how it works:

The Basic Idea

Think about telling someone how to get from once place to another. To do this, you need to give them two things: a distance and a direction. The idea is the same in cave surveying. We pick a starting point (A), and then measure distance and direction to a convenient stopping point (B). However, caves have an additional dimension to consider - depth. So, we also measure inclination, which shows how far apart A and B are vertically. To make sure measurements are accurate, cavers check themselves by working in both directions, from A to B and from B to A. With the distance, direction, and inclination of all the points in a cave, we can create a basic map.

Survey Equipment

The Survey Team

A survey team is made of three or four cavers. Usually, anyone is welcome (encouraged!) to come on a survey trip, but sometimes the lead surveyor will ask for certain types of people to fit the cave. For example, people who get cold easily would not be the best choice for a long trip, and taller people would not be good for surveying a small, bendy passage. However many people come, the tasks remain the same.

Front Instrument

Picks the next point
Takes back shots to the previous point with a compass and inclinometer
Holds the front end of the measuring tape, or provides a surface that a laser reach

Back Instrument

Takes front shots to the new point with a compass and inclinometer
Takes measuring tape or laser distance readings to next point, ceiling, floor, and left/right

Sketcher

Makes scaled, accurate top-view and cross-section drawings
Notes key features of the passage, including formations, water, and side passages

Book / Palm Pilot

Records important survey information (cave name, location, time in/out, names of surveyors)
Records compass and inclinometer measurements
Records distance between stations, as well as wall measurements
Checks that front and back shots are within one degree of each other

Though WUSS uses a laser and Palm Pilot, we introduce new surveyors to the tape and traditional book (so they know how good they've got it!).

Cartography

Survey Links