CISP: 1/8/2005

CIS Project Diary: 1/8/2005

Personnel: Jason Ottinger, Mike Poucher, Kelly Jessop, Jerry Murphy, Jeff Bauer, Hector Marerro, Nick Leone.

The plan for the day was to get some through-the-earth radio location coordinates and some preliminary cave survey data. The first dive team of Kelly and Jerry placed the beacon on a boulder at the restriction at the bottom of the cavern zone (around 100 to 110 FFW). Mike, Jeff and Jason located the beacon with the use of the receivers and marked it with a small orange flag. The beacon placed the cave entrance restriction at located at 30 15.053 N,84 19.296 W, using a hand-held GPS provided by Kelly. This, sadly, is the approximate location of where Parker Turner died in 1991 and we may consider getting an above-ground plaque installed at this location honoring Parker Turner, pending land-owner permission.

Jerry recorded the following information, using a hand-held sonar measuring device (see picture below):

The location of the cavern/cave restriction, where the beacon was first placed, was measured by the sonar device to have a wall 6.9 feet to the right and 6.5 feet to the left (assume facing into the cave), with a 3 foot clearance from floor to ceiling.
Before the upstream/downstream "T", at 145 FFW, the room measured 9.4 feet to the left and 12.3 feet to the right (assume facing into the cave), with seven feet of clearance from floor to ceiling.
Going downstream, at the highest point of the line, the room measures 25 feet to the left. The right reading never stabilized, but the visual distance is farther than that to the right.

The second dive team of Jason and Mike moved the beacon to the upstream/downstream split (on a level rock slightly above the "T" junction" in ??? FFW). Jeff and Hector located the beacon and marked it with half of a cinderblock at 30 15.110 N, 84 19.253 W. This location is near a large oak tree on the property across SR 267.

Jeff also shot a LAT/LON at the middle of the end of the existing wooden dock, which is directly above the limestone edge of the cavern zone. The cavern zone starts at 30 15.048 N, 84 19.328 W.

Pictures from the day:

Additional pictures by Laurie Jessop.