Post by L Roebuck on Apr 30, 2006 6:10:43 GMT -5
Into the deep
Spelunkers can explore caves at Colorado Bend
By CELINDA EMISON, Abilene Reporter-News
April 30, 2006
BEND - Far below ground level at Colorado Bend State Park, another world teems with life.
Spiders crawl. Snakes slither. Bats sleep all day and hunt for food all night.
People can't wait to crawl into the caves these critters occupy to see what they can see.
Seasoned spelunkers and novice cave explorers can find something to capture their attention at Colorado Bend, in the Colorado River valley above Lake Buchanan. The park is about 135 miles south-southeast of San Angelo.
Novices can take a three-mile guided walking tour almost every weekend. More experienced cavers can get on their hands and knees, get a little dirty and crawl around underground on self-guided tours once a month.
''This is definitely nature untouched, and we are very proud of that around here,'' said Colorado Bend park Ranger Cory Evans. ''We are all about protecting the wildlife.''
Primitive camping also is available along the green, serene banks of the Colorado River, which is frequented by Guadalupe bass.
Aside from touring caves, Colorado Bend visitors can take guided hikes to the Gorman Falls, a waterfall that flows into the Colorado River. The water flows down over the travertine formations from hundreds of feet above.
Travertine is a fragile sedimentary rock made from calcium carbonate deposits such as those found in or near caves and springs. Calcium carbonate is the same substance that reacts with carbon dioxide-saturated water to dissolve limestone, thereby forming caves such as those at Colorado Bend.
Visitors cannot go into or under the falls because the travertine formations are very delicate and can easily be damaged.
A separate, unguided trail leads to spectacular spring-fed pools and smaller waterfalls that have a beauty all their own. That one, the Spicewood Springs trail, travels over rugged backcountry.
Spelunkers have been frequenting the Colorado Bend area since the late 1960s. Since 1978, Friends of the Colorado Bend State Park has been mapping the caves. To date, group members have discovered more than 350 caves in the 5,550-acre park.
By comparison, the San Angelo State Park comprises 7,677 acres.
Colorado Bend is home to what experts call a ''wild cave'' - one that is continuously growing and is home to myriad life forms, including bats, spiders and snakes.
Terry Holsinger, head of the Texas Speleological Association, and Dale Barnard have been in charge of the research project at Colorado Bend since 1987. Holsinger said Colorado Bend offers an unusual experience because it has five distinct cave systems where water flows inside.
However, most of the caves are not open to the public because they have dangerous levels of carbon dioxide.
''The levels (of carbon dioxide) are a naturally occurring thing, possibly related to the ancient oil process,'' Holsinger said
No accidents or injuries have befallen people on the cave tours. But every year, the National Cave Rescue Commission holds mock rescue scenarios at the caves with experienced cavers, volunteer firefighters and other rescue personnel.
They train so that if an accident happens, rescuers can free an injured person from the subterranean labyrinth.
A few weekends ago, Boy Scout Troop 75 from Weatherford took a cave tour.
Troop Leader Gary White said he and another troop leader and eight Scouts traveled about 100 feet below the surface during the walking tour. It was the troop's second visit to Colorado Bend.
White said the scouts were fascinated by everything they saw, from the stalactite formations to the bats inside the cave.
''We also saw some great formations of limestone that were almost like crystals,'' he said. ''We just love it there.''
The part of the cave open for the crawling expedition is 3,500 feet long, Holsinger said. For safety reasons, at least three people are required to go on the crawling tour.
The crawling tour is not for the faint of heart, Evans said.
''At certain times of the year, you'll see hundreds of thousands of daddy longlegs spiders at the mouth of the cave,'' Evans said. ''If you're a little squeamish about critters, this tour is not for you.''
Cave crawlers also have a few tight squeezes to maneuver through.
''Some of the areas are only 18 inches high and 2 feet wide,'' said Evans who has been on the tour a number of times. ''Anyone with claustrophobia might have a hard time.''
The San Angelo Standard-Times
Texas State Park Guide
Spelunkers can explore caves at Colorado Bend
By CELINDA EMISON, Abilene Reporter-News
April 30, 2006
BEND - Far below ground level at Colorado Bend State Park, another world teems with life.
Spiders crawl. Snakes slither. Bats sleep all day and hunt for food all night.
People can't wait to crawl into the caves these critters occupy to see what they can see.
Seasoned spelunkers and novice cave explorers can find something to capture their attention at Colorado Bend, in the Colorado River valley above Lake Buchanan. The park is about 135 miles south-southeast of San Angelo.
Novices can take a three-mile guided walking tour almost every weekend. More experienced cavers can get on their hands and knees, get a little dirty and crawl around underground on self-guided tours once a month.
''This is definitely nature untouched, and we are very proud of that around here,'' said Colorado Bend park Ranger Cory Evans. ''We are all about protecting the wildlife.''
Primitive camping also is available along the green, serene banks of the Colorado River, which is frequented by Guadalupe bass.
Aside from touring caves, Colorado Bend visitors can take guided hikes to the Gorman Falls, a waterfall that flows into the Colorado River. The water flows down over the travertine formations from hundreds of feet above.
Travertine is a fragile sedimentary rock made from calcium carbonate deposits such as those found in or near caves and springs. Calcium carbonate is the same substance that reacts with carbon dioxide-saturated water to dissolve limestone, thereby forming caves such as those at Colorado Bend.
Visitors cannot go into or under the falls because the travertine formations are very delicate and can easily be damaged.
A separate, unguided trail leads to spectacular spring-fed pools and smaller waterfalls that have a beauty all their own. That one, the Spicewood Springs trail, travels over rugged backcountry.
Spelunkers have been frequenting the Colorado Bend area since the late 1960s. Since 1978, Friends of the Colorado Bend State Park has been mapping the caves. To date, group members have discovered more than 350 caves in the 5,550-acre park.
By comparison, the San Angelo State Park comprises 7,677 acres.
Colorado Bend is home to what experts call a ''wild cave'' - one that is continuously growing and is home to myriad life forms, including bats, spiders and snakes.
Terry Holsinger, head of the Texas Speleological Association, and Dale Barnard have been in charge of the research project at Colorado Bend since 1987. Holsinger said Colorado Bend offers an unusual experience because it has five distinct cave systems where water flows inside.
However, most of the caves are not open to the public because they have dangerous levels of carbon dioxide.
''The levels (of carbon dioxide) are a naturally occurring thing, possibly related to the ancient oil process,'' Holsinger said
No accidents or injuries have befallen people on the cave tours. But every year, the National Cave Rescue Commission holds mock rescue scenarios at the caves with experienced cavers, volunteer firefighters and other rescue personnel.
They train so that if an accident happens, rescuers can free an injured person from the subterranean labyrinth.
A few weekends ago, Boy Scout Troop 75 from Weatherford took a cave tour.
Troop Leader Gary White said he and another troop leader and eight Scouts traveled about 100 feet below the surface during the walking tour. It was the troop's second visit to Colorado Bend.
White said the scouts were fascinated by everything they saw, from the stalactite formations to the bats inside the cave.
''We also saw some great formations of limestone that were almost like crystals,'' he said. ''We just love it there.''
The part of the cave open for the crawling expedition is 3,500 feet long, Holsinger said. For safety reasons, at least three people are required to go on the crawling tour.
The crawling tour is not for the faint of heart, Evans said.
''At certain times of the year, you'll see hundreds of thousands of daddy longlegs spiders at the mouth of the cave,'' Evans said. ''If you're a little squeamish about critters, this tour is not for you.''
Cave crawlers also have a few tight squeezes to maneuver through.
''Some of the areas are only 18 inches high and 2 feet wide,'' said Evans who has been on the tour a number of times. ''Anyone with claustrophobia might have a hard time.''
The San Angelo Standard-Times
Texas State Park Guide