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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