Date of Survey:  June 7, 2003

Number of Teams:  4

Number of Survey Participants:  13

Date of this report:  June 15, 2003

Next scheduled Survey Trip:  July 4,5,6,  2003

Time IN:  1000 hrs, 07 June

Last Team OUT:  0430 hrs, 08 June

TRIP OBJECTIVES:  CONTINUE UPSTREAM THUNDER RIVER BASE LINE TRANSIT SURVEY.  CONTINUE ONGOING SIDE PASSAGE SURVEY. CONDUCT ELEVATION CONTROL WORK AND EVALUATE STATIONING IN OTHER SIDE PASSAGE LEADS.

SURVEY TEAM LEADERS: RON LATHER – TRANSIT,   BEN MILLER -SIDE PASSAGE,  TOM LOUNSBURY-QUAD SKETCHES,  ROGER BROWN -OTHER

EQUIPMENT USED:  LEICA – DISTOMAT -EDM, PENTAX  FDX THEODOLITE, SURVEY TRANSIT, STARLINK -DGPS,  WALLACE TIERNAN – SURVEY ALTIMETER

CARROLL CAVE SURVEY TRIP REPORT

REPORT TEXT:

Survey teams assembled at the Carroll Cave campground Saturday, June 07, 2003 at 0830 hours and received team assignments from Tom Lounsbury.

After assembling equipment for their respective trips, the teams moved to the entrance and rigged for the rappel into the cave.  After the first side passage survey team departed the bottom of the shaft, a haul system was set in place to lower an extensive array of standard and specialty survey equipment into the cave for use by other teams.  The haul system was left in- place for retrieval of equipment at the end of the survey trip.

While survey participants lowered equipment into the cave, a DGPS location system was set up to begin surface coordinate work.  Survey altimeter, barometric pressure and ambient temperature readings were taken in preparation for in cave elevation work.  By 1230 hrs, all equipment was in the cave and the preliminary surface work was completed.

The transit team moved upstream to tie into the last Upper Thunder survey station.  The elevation control team moved with them and both teams members assisted in moving the equipment load to the first elevation control point to be established.  While the transit team set up, the elevation control team set a bronze elevation monument and assisted in its tie-in into the survey.  After completing this work, the elevation control team did reconnaissance work in a left-hand passage to correct a survey station numbering error.  It was noted during this investigation that approximately 10 to 15 survey stations in this passage are missing.  A survey team member from the previous trip assured the team that the stations were in place at the end of their survey and that the stations had been purposely set above anticipated high water levels in this passage.  This team now has the daunting task of re-surveying a very complex passage.  The elevation control team proceeded to a lead at the end of this survey to assist in locating access through a very tight slot descending into a large canyon.

After locating a safe access into the canyon, it was discovered that there had been recent traffic in the canyon.  This canyon is set for survey now that access has been located.

The quad team worked on additional sketch work from a December survey trip into the Round Room section of Upper Thunder River.  It was determined that the Round Room is actually a very large stream meander and not actually a separate room. The quad team met the elevation control team near the UL1 junction and assisted with hauling equipment to the entrance shaft.  The quad team exited the cave and began hauling equipment out while the elevation team rigged and completed elevation work at the base of the shaft.  The transit team returned to the shaft during this process and assisted in various haul tasks.  The elevation team exited the cave and hauled for the transit team.

It was noted that tandem climbing a static rope using a seat harness mounted safety stop makes exiting the cave quite rapid.  Each pair of climbers assisted in hauling and no one member was over-tasked with this job.  These teams were all on the surface by 1945hrs.

Sunday morning brought the side passage team back to the campground at 0430hrs, 08 June.  Their trip had been long but very productive yielding large convoluted side-passages with no end in sight.  The DGPS team took additional readings and triangulated the entrance in preparation for further overland surface survey work.

The cave was de-rigged, cave gates locked with the proper locks, owners gates secured, campground cleaned up and fires out by 1400 hrs, Sunday June 08, 2003.

Other work items completed by survey participants included the removal of construction debris to the campground for burning as firewood.

For the Carroll Cave Survey

Brian J. Borton