8MB PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

During the last ten days of November1986, a Proyecto EspeleolOgico Purificacionexpedition returned to Cueva del Tecolotein western Tamaulipas to resume explorationof the virgin boreholes discovered theprevious year. This cave, with its picturesquearroyo entrance, is located in thevillage of Los San Pedro near the easternedge of the Sierra Madre Oriental.Cavers from Houston were the first toexplore the cave in the early 1970's. Theywere stopped 300 meters in by what appearedto be a sump lake. In the spring of 1980,PEP cavers took time out from exploringSistema Purification to begin a survey ofCueva del Tecolote. After subsequent tripsin 1982 and 1984, the cave had been surveyedto a length of 3301 meters and adepth of 211 meters. An expedition inNovember 1985 more than doubled the lengthof the cave to make it 7015 meters long.The large and enthusiastic crew forthe November 1986 expedition consisted ofBill Farr, Sarah Gayle, Tyler Gill, JimGoodbar, Margaret Hart, Erika Heinen, PeterKeys, Bill Mixon, Dale Pate, Susie Raines,Terry Raines, Scott Schiebner, MarionSmith, Peter Sprouse, Terri Sprouse, CarolVesely, Cyndie Walck, Jack White, AspenAdams, and Rosa lDckett. After rigging thenine drops and handlines in the initialportion of Tecolote, three survey teamscharged off to the lower area of the cavecalled the Confusion Boreholes.CONFUSION BOREHOLESAt Doll's Leg Junction, where theSerious Borehole begins, the group splitup. Carol Bill Farr, Sarah, and Marionclimbed down into the Major Abyss to awalking-sized passage. There was a goodchance that this passage might connect intothe end of the Spine Line, a passage surveyedthe year before. It had been namedfor the Ubiquitous sharp, spiney projec-ENTRANCECUEVA DEL TECOLOTETAMAULIPAS, MEXICOLENGTH: 11,084 1/ DEPTH: 231 1/ .-/'PLAN: ROTATED 295.0 DEGREES ~Y 2' ~?II:TEItS -1000o