Participants: Don, Eric, and Nicholas Abercrombie (Maverick Grotto) Justin Germaine Mark, Andrew, and Alex Alman (DFW Grotto & Troop 67 of Mesquite) Perry Atkins, Bryan Burgett, Joseph Chambers, Anthony Drake, Shadi El-Khoury, Larry and Zane Faulhabor, Don Franklin, David Ketter, Chris and Jeremy Kirchner, Matt Patrick (all of Troop 67 of Mesquite). Jim Kennedy, Randy Brown, Glenn Rogerson, Robert Albach, Aaron Miller, Pete Baron, Will Harris, Shannon Greenwood, Marcus Canonico, Dale Barnard, Marcus Barksdale , Andrew Alman, Christy Quintana, Terry Holsinger.

On Saturday, December 12, another historic connection occurred. The team of Jim Kennedy, Randy Brown, Glenn Rogerson, Robert Albach, and Aaron Miller succeeded in connecting Golden State Motor Oil Can Cave to the rest of the Lost Petzl Cave System (Chimneyers Delight and Cave of Many Names). They also made the first crossover through-trip between GSMOCC and COMN. Previously, COMN was connected to Eric Flint and Chris Buntenbah's dig at the updip end of CDC by Kennedy and Brown.
Brown and Miller free-climbed in from the Bears Breath Entrance of GSMOCC, while Kennedy led Albach and Rogerson in the Lemons Pit Entrance of COMN. Randy and Aaron then continued Julia Germany's October dig for another 8-12 feet, while Jim & Co. began an excruciatingly slow survey connecting the Wretched Connection from COMN to CDC, and on into the end of the survey in GSMOCC. Voice connection was rapidly established, guiding the diggers through the low, wide, gravel-filled bedding plane passage. The survey set 10 stations for 33.67 meters (110.47'). More than six hours of the 8.5 hour trip were spent in passage less than 0.5 meters high, much of it under one foot. Although not quite Ivy-sized, the connection route was successfully negotiated by 210-pound Rogerson.

Here's some of the systems details:
 Total surveyed passage in the Cave of Many Names section: 142.51 m (467.57 ft.)
 Total surveyed passage in the Golden State Motor Oil Can Cave section: 150.06 m (492.35 ft.)
 Total surveyed passage in upper Lost Petzl System (COMN + GSMOCC): 292.57 m (959.92 ft.)
 Total surveyed passage in Chimneyers Delight + Last Gasp: 247+ m (815.1 ft)
 Estimated length of Lost Petzl System: 540+ meters (1782+ ft.)
 Depth of upper Lost Petzl System: 21.63 m (70.96 ft.)
 Number of entrances in the COMN section: 4 (COMN Entrance, Lemons Pit Entrance, Kennedy/Vreeland Entrance, and the Fissure Entrance).
 Number of entrances in the GSMOCC section: 3 (GSMOCC Entrance, Bears Breath Entrance, and Blackburn Memorial Entrance).
 Number of entrances in the CDC section: at least 3 (CDC Entrance, Last Gasp Entrance, and the Not Last Gasp (?) Entrance, maybe one or two more(check with Goff).
This makes the Lost Petzl Cave System at least one of the top 60 longest caves in Texas, and probably one of the top 50. Continued surveying in the lower part of the system by Ed Goff, and removal of surface survey shots there, will provide us with an accurate length soon. A few other caves and digs are in the immediate vicinity, and only a lot of hard work will tell us if they are part of the same system or not.
Lost Petzl is certainly not an easy trip, but each major section can be accessed by competent cavers without vertical gear. Any through trip involves tight fissures, exposed climbs, long chimneys, long bellycrawls over gravel and rimstone, and awkward constrictions. It is a good cavers cave, but could be added to the Park's wild cave tours through the installation of a couple of permanent ladders. The variety of passage and caving techniques involved, coupled with limited speleothems and the allure of a through trip, should make this a popular cave in the future. As long as you don't surpass the size limit.

Total hours for team: 42.5
 

Participants: Don, Eric, and Nicholas Abercrombie (Maverick Grotto) Justin Germaine Mark, Andrew, and Alex Alman (DFW Grotto & Troop 67 of Mesquite) Perry Atkins, Bryan Burgett, Joseph Chambers, Anthony Drake, Shadi El-Khoury, Larry and Zane Faulhabor, Don Franklin, David Ketter, Chris and Jeremy Kirchner, Matt Patrick (all of Troop 67 of Mesquite).

This Large team continued the cleanup of area in and around New Orleans cave. Bagged up and disposed of approx. 20 bags of trash. Area around New Orleans now very clean, although some trash and "glassy dirt" remains. More passage was discovered in lower portion of cave and more trash unearthed. Opening of a new passage was possibly dew to the recent heavy rainfall. Still a lot of work to be done, possibly in February or April (Earth Day). Andrew was recruited by Dale to help on the surveying and sketching of a cave approx. 100 yards from Icebox Cave.
 At about 2 PM, we dropped by Icebox to show the boys where Andrew did his Eagle Project and then proceeded to the Lively Pasture parking lot to work with Zane, one of the Park Rangers, to haul and deposit gravel in and around the entrance to Cicurina Cave. With Zane the Ranger, overseeing the team went into the entrance of Cicurina and proceeded to lay gravel along the sloping crawl to the entrance. This should help in assisting the Crawling Cave tours in there exit of this slick crawl. Then we looked around, explored, observed the ongoing survey in the other entrance to Cicurina. Terry showed me some old railroad tracks belonging to the line that used to pass through CBSP, and stated that it would be a good opportunity for a Scout or Scouts to work on as an Eagle Project documenting the route the track used to take. Terry then mentioned how he would like to see a project, Eagle or otherwise, started to document the graffiti in Gorman Cave. Mark Alman (troop leader) agreed these would be a good projects. After completing the above, we went back to camp and visited Lemons Ranch Cave  with Don A. and company and discovered that the air was quite bad only a short way in. Turned our rather large group around (10 people) and went to Gorman Cave after supper.

Total hours for team: TSACBP 57hrs, Zane’s project 47.5hrs.
 

The team of Dale Barnard, Marcus Barksdale , Andrew Alman, and Christy Quintana started the weekend by surveying SAB262 (Cheap Thrill). It is a small cave that consists of a single drop. At the floor of this cave there was a small "stream" flowing. The cave continues beyond the end of survey,. However it will require some enlargement of the passage to be humanly passable. They then headed over to SAB018 (Cicurina Cave) to "continue" the line plot of the cave. This cave was mapped in 1963. We have a finished map but had no survey data for the cave. This trip finished the resurvey of the cave.

Total hours for this team 30.0

The team of Pete Baron, Will Harris, Shannon Greenwood, Marcus Canonico, and Terry Holsinger started the day by helping seasonal ranger Zane locate a cave found during the hunt the week before this trip. After a short search the cave entrance was found. A GPS location was taken and a search was expanded to see if there were any other caves in the immediate area. A second entrance was found further down the power line. It’s GPS location was also made. It is possible that these two entrances are two of our "missing" caves form the old files. After Terry and Zane left to get scouts to help on another of Zane’s projects, the team entered Lemons Ranch Cave in an attempt to continue the survey of the "pit passage" beyond and below the pit. They were stopped a short way in by "bad air".

Total time for team: Zane’s project 7.5hrs, TSACBP 6.0

Total time for the weekend = TSACBP:          135.5
                                              Zane’s Projects    55.0

This trip saw the first "loan" of personnel to the park for use on park specific work efforts. We will continue to help the park as personnel and time allow. The weekends weather proved to be wonderful despite the nasty weather the week before. Loud and "busy" as the scouts are in camp, they have proven to be a large help on the cleanup projects within the park. It is hoped that they will continue with these projects as time allows. This trip marked a milestone in the survey of the Lost Petzl System with the connection of all the known entrances. It is hoped that with a little more work on the surface and the continued work in the "lower" end (Chimneyers Delight) of the system, that a nice large map of the area will be forth coming. After the last survey is finished, it will take about as many hours to draft the map as it took to survey the cave. This is one of the reasons that It seem to take so long to finish maps. As the last trip of 1998, every one is looking forward to good trips in the new year. The TSACBP wishes every one at the park a merry Christmas and a safe New Years celebration.