8MB PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

The longest drop in Llorona is Knots Landing,a 25-treter flCJIfJstone descent.(Dave Bunnell)more rope and high hopes. On the expeditionfor the week were Jerry Atkinson, PaulFambro, Erika Heinen, Pat Kambesis, MarkMinton, Bill Mixon, Dale Pate, SusieRaines, Terry Raines, Rich Rohwer, PaulSmith, Peter Sprouse, Terri Sprouse, NancyWeaver, and Alan Williams.On 13 October, a rigging team enteredthe cave, followed by two survey teams.The pitch at the end of Ragtime Boulevardwas rigged and it dropped 15 meters intothe center of a large chamber, landingprecariously at the edge of a flowstoneprecipice. This chamber was well-decorated,in places with blue-gray flowstone, hencethe name Blue F1owstone Room. A search ofthe room turned up numerous crawls andpits, several of which led to an even largerroom, the California Chamber.The floor of the California Chamberwas covered with sharp, angular breakdownblocks, including one such block named theRock of Gilbraltor, that was 12 by 10 by 6meters. The room itself stretched for approximately80 meters in length and was 60meters wide at its widest point. Severalpassages off of the western side of theCalifornia Chamber were given a cursorylook during the initial exploration of thisroom. Dale, Erika, Rich, and Paul S. spentthe day surveying the northern and easternportions of the Blue Flowstone Room. Anotherteam, Peter, Terri, Paul F., and BillmapPed the southern and western sides ofthe BFR.Four survey teams entered the cave on15 October. Both Pauls and Bill mapped aseries of rooms off the east end of theBlue Flowstone Room called the Shirt PocketRooms. These rooms were beautifully decorated,with lots of flowstone and meterlongsoda straws. Peter, Terri, Terry, andSusie began the survey of the western sideof the California Chamber. Dale, Alan, andPat mapped along the eastern wall, and bothteams eventually united to complete thesurvey of the large chamber. Of note wasthe discovery of a new genus of schzomidand a probable new species of psuedoscorpionfrom this room. Numerous photoswere also taken of the room while such alarge contingent was on hand for firingbulbs.THE DESCENT CONTINUESJerry, Mark, and Rich surveyed down apit series heading west off the lowestpoint of the California Chamber. At firstthey followed the airflow through a jUmbleof cemented breakdown, but when they turnedaround they were back into good bedrock,with two leads. As the cavers left thecave that night they were surprised to findwater beginning to pour down the drops. Therope climbs on the way out provided a refreshingshower, and on the surface storieswere told of a heavy downpour that day.On 17 October three teams enteredLlorona for the last push of the expedition.Jerry, Bill, and Pat finished up thesurvey of the Darth Vadose Maze, while theother two teams worked on the leads belowthe California Chamber. Mark, Terry, Dale,and Paul S. worked on a blasting lead,where they removed a sharp rock from aflowstone mound that restricted a smallhole with good airflow. The blast opened itup, but it immediately pinched.91