Submitted by Bob Lerch

Date: 4/1/2006

Area Mapped: Paradise Passage (CR3)

Cavers: Team 1 – Bill Gee and Bob Lerch

Team 2 – Dan Lamping and Tony Schmitt

Team 3 – Amber Spohn and Val Schmidt

Time In: 11:00a on 4/1       Time Out: 2:00a on 4/2                  Duration: 15 hours

In April, we continued our push into Paradise Passage with three teams of two. Dan and Tony picked up where last month’s survey left off, in a highly decorated area of nearly wall-to-wall formations. Amber and Val leap-frogged to some modest sized passage (16′ wide by 15′ high) with a small, meandering stream and almost no formations. Bill and I pushed further to an area where the passage is much wider (up to 60′), but with low, undercut meanders on the west side (right, looking in) of the passage and a series of domes on the east side. Footage totals were: Team 1, 685.6 feet; Team 2, 342.0 feet; Team 3, 495.3. Total = 1522.9 feet (0.29 miles).  In just two trips, we mapped 2465.1 feet (0.47 miles), and we have not yet reached the infamous Azure Pool.