Caving at Wind Cave
Exploration Revived (1955-1978)
While some exploration of Wind Cave occurred over the next 50 years, it was not until 1955 that a coordinated effort was made with the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to "survey, map, and classify geological formation found in the Wind Cave system." The agreement went on to state that "It is hoped that over a period of ten to twenty years, the entire cavern system of Wind Cave will be accurately mapped with various geological identifications and classifications." Ironically, the project continued for nine years and resulted in a little over one mile of cave being mapped.
    Interest in exploring Wind Cave continued to increase during the 1950's and equipment and exploring techniques greatly improved. Candles were replaced with hard hats equipped with brackets to hold electric or carbide lamps. Plastic flagging replaced string to mark the routes. Cave surveying was now accomplished through the use of a compass, inclinometer and measuring tape that allowed for an accurate description of direction, slope and distance between survey points. These measurements and a sketch of the passageway were recorded in a survey book to aid in map making.
    A mapping project began in November of 1958 with eight enthusiastic members of the Colorado Grotto Chapter of the National Speleological Society (NSS). Wind Cave National Park directed these cavers "to check out passages suitable for an alternate route for tours which would eliminate the necessity for tour groups to meet and pass each other in the cave." The establishment of alternate route became a larger issue as tours became more crowded. To accomplish these goals the Colorado Grotto spent many weekends exploring the cave. They mapped a mile and a half of known cave and by 1965 had compiled a new cave map showing the cave's length at 10.53 miles.
    It can be said that cave exploration became serious business in 1959 when expeditions by 22 cavers, sponsored by the National Speleological Society (NSS) came to Wind Cave. The group had two ambitious objectives: to gain a better understanding of the size and pattern of the cave and to address scientific research relating to biology, meteorology, geology and mineralogy. To begin accomplishing these objectives, the group spent a week investigating the cave and the topography above it. This study is significant because of its focus on the relationships between the surface and the cave. Today Wind Cave's managers view understanding these relationships as crucial to the cave's protection. The group concentrated their study in an area of the cave called the Pearly Gates and the Attic. They mapped three miles of cave and encouraged further research of this nature.
    In the late 1950's and early 1960's most people still believed that the majority of the cave had already been mapped or seen by the Stablers and McDonalds. This point of view was about to completely change. In 1964, park ranger Dave Schnute asked Herb and Jan Conn to accompany him exploring Wind Cave. This energetic couple who had been exploring Jewel Cave since 1959, accepted the invitation.
    One day after finding a series of dead ends, Dave Schnute and the Conns began exploring around Wind Cave's Garden of Eden area. Herb managed to crawl over an unpromising looking ledge that in time became the most important lead in the cave since the McDonald-Stabler era. This ledge, later named the Spillway, was the only passageway leading to over 70 miles of cave. Another route to this area of the cave was not found until 1986.
    To top off this great discovery, the Schnute-Conn caving team went on to discover the largest room known at this time. The Club Room is nearly three football fields long and contains a huge pile of breakdown (rocks fallen from the ceiling). Many of these rocks were described as being larger than greyhound buses.
    In 1965 the Conn's returned to explore Jewel Cave. During this short time that they were active at Wind Cave, Dave Schnute and the Conns managed to map about three miles of cave. But perhaps even more important were the significant large leads that they discovered. These new leads had many people asking "Just how big is Wind Cave anyway?"
    Another surprise cave in December of 1968. Explorers delighted in the discovery of a lake! The lake later was named Calcite Lake. These cavers, 500 feet below the surface, had reached the water table. This breakthrough was eventually to bring a new dimension to Wind Cave research; the ability to directly study the quality of water in the local aquifer.
    In July of 1969 a group of cavers from Chicago stopped by Wind Cave for a tour. To their surprise they met an acquaintance who was a seasonal ranger. The more they spoke to this ranger the more excited they became about Wind Cave's many mysteries. After their tour they headed for Chicago talking of the cave. Before long, talk turned to the idea of exploring the cave. They figured with only about 300 unknown leads to follow they could have the rest of Wind Cave wrapped up in two or three summer. Little did they know that for every lead found there are usually 10 more. Such assured talk of "wrapping up the Wind Cave survey" is no longer heard around Wind Cave National Park.
    After discussing their plans with the park, these Windy City Grotto cavers made their first excursion into Wind Cave in August 1970. The cavers spent the first few days familiarizing themselves with the cave. On the fourth day they divided up their 18 members into three survey teams and began exploring all leads, pushing them as far as possible. By the end of the fifth day, they had surveyed 2000 feet of cave.
    The first real reward came during the second week of exploration when a very nasty belly crawl near Calcite Lake led to a giant helictite bush. Helictite bushes are a calcite formation that look like a mass of petrified tree roots. This particular helicite is an amazing six feet tall with a width of about three feet. The second big discovery was another lake measuring 200 feet long, 50 feet wide at its widest point and 28 feet deep. It was later named Windy City Lake. During their four week stay, the Windy City Grotto mapped almost two and a quarter miles. Soon they were planning their next trip to Wind Cave.
    The Windy City Grotto returned in August, 1971. This time, after a frustrating round of dead ends, a grotto member encountered a large room named the Master Room. Deciding to concentrate their efforts in this part of the cave, the Chicago team went on to find another large room This room turned out to be larger than the Club Room, averaging 30 feet high, 50 to 100 feet wide and one half mile long. Not surprising, the room was named Half Mile Hall. By the end of 1971 almost four more miles were mapped.
    The year 1972 brought some new approaches to exploration in Wind Cave. For the first time explorers established a base camp in the cave complete with sleeping bags, food and drink to sustain them during their extensive trips. Also, Wind Cave was now attracting cavers nationwide. This resulted in enough cavers to form five survey teams. This, combined with the efforts of ten veteran Windy City cavers, allowed for the discovery of several miles of cave.
    By 1973 the large caving expedition of the previous year came to a close. The use of small, select groups of Wind Cave explorers proved to be much more efficient. This realization occurred as cavers found the logistics of operating a base camp too difficult and time consuming. To conserve the energy of cavers, survey teams made long, single-day trips to follow virgin leads followed by short times to complete close-in leads and old surveys. The plan worked extremely well.
    This was to be the last visit by the Windy City Grotto. During their four very active years they surveyed or resurveyed over 20 miles of cave. The group's 300 leads had increased ten fold with 3,000 more holes to explore. Wind Cave had now become the fourth longest cave in the nation with nearly 26 miles on the map.

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Page Last Updated: Saturday, June 5, 2004 12:11 PM
Web Author: Jim Pisarowicz