Where We've Been

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Past Trips


Date of Trip: 10/03/2009
Location: (August) Rushylvania
Purpose: Other
Attendees: Daphne, Fred, Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, The Witch Doctor
Report: OPERATION SWALLOW:  EVERYTHING AND THE KITCHEN SINKHOLE

OBJECTIVE:  INFILTRATE 4 KARST DEPRESSIONS; REMOVE ALL INSURGENTS AND RUBBISH.

MATERIALS:  GLOVES, BUCKETS, MUPPETS, COMPOSED AND SERENE AMISH-SEEMING GENTLEMAN OPERATING A BACKHOE, HAMMER, HAMMER PANTS, BRITISH-AUSTRALIAN ACCENT, TRAILER

***ALERTS:  BEWARE OF SNAKES, POSSESSED MATTRESS BOX SPRINGS, INCONSIDERATE CHINESE LADIES, THE MOLE PEOPLE***

RESULTS:  Miles of barbed wire entangled in: 3.4; Buckets/Bags filled: 962; Adulterous carousel horses stoned: 1; Pretzels consumed: 247; Italian restaurants founded: 1; Gloves dirtied: 12; Successful calls to StarCommand: 0; Danis rescued from certain peril: 1; Calvin and Hobbes strips referenced: 5
Submitter Name: An. attendee


Date of Trip: 08/01/2008
Location: Dubuque, IA
Purpose: Fun
Attendees: Kate Ferguson
Report: Kicking off the trip report section with a tourist cave!  I visited Crystal Lake Cave in Dubuque, IA. The oldest known part of the cave was used in lead mining. The trip is short, only about 45 minutes long, but it's very well decorated compared to all the Ohio caves we've seen this summer.  It actually does cover a fair amount of speleothems, nice columns and soda straws, bacon, helictites, flowstone, and mineral flowers.

Other things I found out:
-Though the cave is closed over winter, it isn't used as a hibernaculum. The guide only remembers seeing scattered little browns. I didn't see any other animals, no crickets or spiders.
-The cave is developed in Galena limestone.
-The last survey work was done in 1956, as a continuation of the original in 1936. The newer one wasn't completed, and the guide seemed certain a lower level exists. THL stands at 2.8 miles.
-The staff does a yearly restoration work, scrubbing off lampenflora and suchlike.

The tour would have been slightly more enjoyable if we'd lost the three small children along the way...
Submitter Name: Kate Ferguson