Cave visited: Carroll Cave
Area Visited: Campground
Permit #: 2326
Trip Leader Name: marty griffin

Trip date: 2026-06-20

Trip purpose: surface maintenance & mowing

Trip participants: marty griffin

Entry Time: 10pm

Exit Time: 6:30pm

Biology: birds on surface

The trip report: TRIP REPORT: Carol Cave Silo Site Maintenance
Date of Trip: June 19 – June 20
1. Arrival & Overnight (June 19)
• Arrival Time: ~10:00 PM. The area was completely dark upon arrival.
• Site Conditions: The cabin electric was fully operational. Swallows/birds were found roosting inside the cabin.
• Weather: Beautiful, clear night with a consistent temperature around 69°F.

2. Mowing & Equipment Operations (June 20)
A new mowing strategy was tested during this trip with highly successful results:
• Turtle Mode Test: The lawnmower was operated exclusively in “Turtle Mode.” This provided plenty of power and speed to cut the tall grass, while vastly improving maneuverability.
• Efficiency Gains: Operating in Turtle Mode allowed the entire front camping area to be cut in just two full charges—a milestone that was never previously achievable.
• Mowing Cycle 1: Started at 100% charge. Mowed for approximately 45 minutes until the battery hit 0% and the mower shut off. The unit retained enough reserve power to drive back to the barn. (Recharge time: 3.5 hours).
• Mowing Cycle 2: After recharging to 100%, finished the camping area. The battery ran down to 5%, at which point the blades automatically shut off, and the mower was driven back to the barn to charge.
• Timeline Note: Completing the front camping area requires a minimum of 5 hours total (approx. 1.5 hours of total mowing time split by a 3.5-hour charging period).
• Weed Wacker: The cabin perimeter was fully edged until the weed wacker battery was depleted and placed on its charger.

3. Cabin Infrastructure Improvements
• Windbreak Project: Travelled to Home Depot in Osage Beach to purchase lumber, purlins, and pickets.
• Purpose: Last winter, the outdoor stove on the back concrete pad got hot, but the bitter southwest winter wind rendered the heat useless. A new windbreak was constructed on the southwest corner of the cabin so guests can comfortably sit by the hot stove in the winter.
• Status: Posts were set quickly using Quikrete and allowed to cure during the second mowing. Afterwards the purlins and pickets were successfully installed.

4. Golf Cart & Electrical Diagnostics (Final Inspection)
Before departure, a final diagnostic check was run on the golf cart/mower charging system:
• Final departure Status: The unit remained at 6% charge (unchanged from plug in time). It would still start up and drive normally with no error messages.
• Charging Observations:
o Plugging in the golf cart charger produces a faint relay clicking sound in the charger, or somewhere near.
o When connected to the mower, the display lights up normally. However, an icon appeared showing an AC wall plug with an arrow pointing away from the socket. It is unclear if this indicates it is actively unplugged, or requests manual disconnection. Also there was a second faint relay click, near the front wheels (or the charger).
o The system appeared to be staging to charge normally, so the barn doors were locked and the unit was left as-is.

5. Security & Wildlife Notes
• Gate Security: Upon arrival, the road combo lock was locked to the chain only and not the electric company padlock. Also the second chain was missing that secured the gate to the post used while driving through.
• Permit Recommendation: It is recommended to update the visitor permit language to clearly state the gate-locking policy.
• Wildlife: Swallows are actively attempting to build a nest in the cabin. Despite human activity throughout the day, they kept returning to work on it and will likely continue naturalizing the cabin into a cave or cliff appearance.
6. Next Steps & Recommendations
• The area west of the cabin is overgrown with highly invasive Musk Thistles, making us a less desirable neighbor to our two farming neighbors. We should consider purchasing or hiring equipment to tame this land before someone considers poisons which, due to the pond, could quickly enter the cave.
• Because this is a 300-mile round trip for the author, it is requested that someone closer (perhaps living in Columbia) swing by to verify that the mower successfully charged to 100%.
• The next scheduled cave trip is in three weeks, July 18, at which point the site will be inspected again if no one checks it sooner.
• Departure June 20, 6:30pm CT