Jewel Cave reaches 150 miles!

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Jewel Cave reaches 150 miles!

Postby Anonymous_Coward » Mar 1, 2010 1:45 pm

On Saturday February 27, 2010, fifteen cavers from five states surveyed the 150th mile in Jewel Cave, South Dakota.

Image
NPS Photo

Pictured are Steve Langendorf, Andy Armstrong, Bonny Armstrong, James Hunter, Marc Ohms, Lydia Poppen, Woody Woodward, Derek Bristol, Dan Austin, Sammi Langendorf, Larry Shaffer, Rene Ohms, Steve Baldwin, Heather Levy, and John Lyles. Cavers participated from South Dakota, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Kansas.

Rene Ohms and Dan Austin led a trip to the Hobgoblin's Ballroom area, netting approximately 1,200 feet. This area was discovered by Herb and Jan Conn in the early 1960's and still contains leads. In the winter this area must be accessed from the Elevator entrance in order not to disturb hibernating bats near the Historic Entrance. 90 year old Herb Conn served as surface watch for this trip.

Steve Baldwin led a return trip to his newly discovered area near Cloudy Sky Room, just past Hurricane Corner. This team surveyed 279 feet.

Larry Shaffer and Andy Armstrong led a trip beyond Cloud Nine, both to survey and to qualify four new Jewel cavers for camp trips in the future. Nearly 1,700 feet of survey was accomplished in the Ant Farm area, about five hours from the entrance and well beyond the Miseries. This team was surveying the latest, so a memorial 150 mile marker will be placed in this area on a future trip.

Jewel Cave is the second-longest cave in the world, and the only cave to reach 150 miles since Mammoth Cave hit that mark back in the early 1970's. Leads abound, and exploration continues at a pace of about four miles per year.
Andy Armstrong
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Re: Jewel Cave reaches 150 miles!

Postby MUD » Mar 1, 2010 2:12 pm

:clap: Great news brother! :clap: I really do love to hear of cavers pushin em to the limit! :woohoo: At that rate of surveyed passage per year y'all should be there for the 200th!!! :banana_yay:
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Re: Jewel Cave reaches 150 miles!

Postby Anonymous_Coward » Mar 2, 2010 11:22 am

South Dakota Public Broadcasting had a reporter on scene. Here is a link to the radio story that was broadcast this morning:

http://tinyurl.com/y8uy46b
Andy Armstrong
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Re: Jewel Cave reaches 150 miles!

Postby Evan G » Mar 15, 2010 12:52 pm

Article via National Parks Traveler

150 Miles Long and Still Counting - Jewel Cave National Monument Passes a Milestone

by Jim Burnett

Posted March 15th, 2010


The second longest cave in the world just got a little larger—at least in terms of the number of miles of surveyed passages. Volunteer cavers have recently mapped new areas at Jewel Cave National Monument which pushed the total known length of the South Dakota cave past the 150-mile mark.

Park officials recently announced the results of recent exploration in Jewel Cave: cont.: National Parks Traveler


:bat sticker: :bat sticker: :bat sticker:
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