Trip Report: 9 March, 2002
Georgia Speleological Survey
c/o Brent T. Aulenbach, Treasurer
195 Windy Court
Lilburn, GA 30047-6442
22 March, 2002
Buddy Lane, SCCi Frick's Cave Property Manager
40 Hidden Brook Lane
Signal Mountain, TN 37377-2063
RE: Georgia Speleological Survey 9 March, 2002 Trip Report for Resurvey of Frick's Cave, Walker County, Georgia
Dear Buddy,
The fifth day of surveying in Frick's cave was held by the Georgia Speleological Survey (GSS) on Saturday, 9 March, 2002. There were eleven participants making up three survey teams. Meeting time was 9:30 am. An orientation was given to all participants and new surveyors were taught how to read survey instruments. Then all the survey teams started into the cave at 10:30 am.
One team was made up of Brent Aulenbach (sketcher), Terry Bigioni, Sara Keys (ghost sketcher), and Wm Shrewsbury. This team's task was to connect in the hanging "I" survey along the main streamway from the last survey trip. We started the survey at station E16 at 10:50 am. This was an interesting passage, as there were several different streams entering and exiting the passage, and at one point, we crossed a drainage divide and started going downstream, and then the passage went upstream again. It took most of the day to connect the survey. There was some confusion where the tie in station was, and we mistakenly did not tie the survey in the main passage, but in a high dome side passage. We then completed the survey of this side passage that required a small amount of digging of the mud floor to survey through and connect a loop. We finished the survey at 6:15 pm and exited the cave at 6:55 pm. A total of 26 survey shots (continuing the E survey) were taken for 842.7 feet of survey.
Sara did a good job ghost sketching. First I showed her how I sketched to scale. Then she started sketching as I coached her along. Then she worked along with the survey. She learned pretty quickly. The only difficulty she had was getting the passage proportions correct on the longer shots. In hindsight I should have had the survey team make shorter shots. Her sketches are included as part of the attachments.
A second team was made up of Lesley Colton, Chrissy Frotten, Brad Long (sketcher), and Jessica Maddox (new surveyor). They started surveying from H13 in the eastern passage going south. This passage is an upper level passage. Near the end of their survey, there were two drops down to the lower level streamway approximately 12 down. A handline is required and a bolt may need to be set. The team finished their survey at 4:30 pm. A total of 15 survey shots (continuing the H survey) were taken for 248.6 feet of survey.
The third team was made up of Kim Bigioni, Lawrence Tognetti (new surveyor), and Stephen Collins (sketcher). They started surveying at 11:35 am at the junction where the southern passage splits. They surveyed the first section of west most passage trending south. A total of 17 survey shots were taken for a total of 262.8 feet of survey including one loop. The team finished up the survey at 5:32 pm and exited the cave at 6:27 pm.
A total of two loops were surveyed on this trip which provides an estimate on the accuracy of the survey (see attachment). The loops had errors of 1.4% and 0.5%, which should be considered quite good.
Everyone did a good job surveying. We had three new surveyors, two who learned how to read instruments and set tape, and one who learn how to sketch. Eight of the eleven people who participated had not been on a trip before. So far, 35 different people have participated on the project in five days of trips. Unfortunately, I had to turn a few people away as more people that wanted to sign up than I could take. Several people who had been on previous trips were accommodating, allowing people who hadn't been on a trip a chance to participate.
Brent Aulenbach was designated by the head SCCi Frick's Cave Property Manager as the SCCi representative.
The survey currently stands at 342 survey shots and 9236.8 feet surveyed. After excluding surface surveys, spray shots and setup shots, the cave has been resurveyed to approximately 1.5 miles long and 131 feet total vertical extent.
The next trip will be in the fall after the bachelor colony leaves. A priority will be to try to survey the low wet passages in the drier fall months.
Respectfully Submitted,
Brent T. Aulenbach, Frick's Cave Resurvey Project Coordinator
Cc:
Diane Cousineau, SCCi Chair
Dan Barnick, GSS Chair
Brad Long
Stephen Collins
Sara Keys
Brian Williamson
Attached:
Copies of all survey notes with survey data files from Compass
Copy of existing map with passages mapped thus far highlighted
Line plot of cave from Compass
Survey statistics from Compass
Reduced station locations from Compass
Loop closures from Compass
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Last modified: Wednesday, 27 March, 2002 bta