The officers of ASS plan several trips throughout the semester. While our goal is to plan at least one trip each month, often there will be two or three available to any member who is interested.
Trip attendance is not mandatory for membership in ASS. In fact, it's quite unlikely that anybody will be able to attend all of the trips, so by scheduling one or two every month, members are sure to have plenty of opportunities to attend at least a few trips each semester.
The best way to get information about any trip is to attend the meeting on the Thursday beforehand. Also, the club listserv often has useful information regarding trips and other activities. To join the listserv, send an email to Alan Blevins: blevinsa@neo.tamu.edu.
If you use Google Calendar, you can add our calendar by clicking this button:
Spring 2008
February 2 (Saturday): Whirlpool Cave, Austin, TX - Whirlpool is the classic Austin cave. There's crawling, squeezing, mud, and even a few cave formations. It is a perfect cave for beginners or anyone who wants to have a fun time getting dirty. This will be a day trip.
February 9 (Saturday): Bracken Bat Cave, New Braunfels, TX - During late spring through late fall, this cave hosts one of the largest bat populations in the world (20-40 million). Every year in February, Bat Conservation International hosts a guano-dig to supply the guano needs of the caving community (guano is an excellent fertilizer). After the dig, the cave will be open for exploration. More info at the TSA Calendar page.
February 23 (Saturday): Maple Run Cave, Austin, TX - This cave is smaller and more of a physical challenge than Whirlpool, and is a great way for beginners and experienced cavers alike to practice their squeezing and cave-maneuvering skills.
March 7 - 16 (Spring Break): ????? - Many options for a Spring Break trip. Some say Mexico, some say the Guads in New Mexico, and one might even mention the famous caves of the Tennesse-Alabama-Georgia (TAG)region. Who knows? A trip will be planned based on interest and availability.
March 15 - 16 (Saturday - Sunday): NCRC Cave Rescue Training, Colorado Bend State Park, Bend, TX - Cavers interested in getting an orientation to cave rescue techniques are invited to attend this workshop. ASS will cover the registration fee for any caver who wishes to attend. You must be familiar with vertical techniques to attend this training. More info here.
March 28 - 30 (Friday - Sunday): Buttercup Creek Cave, Cedar Park, TX - Buttercup Creek is a fairly strenuous cave, but it has its rewards. After toiling through a most difficult entrance and the passages that follow, cavers will end up in an underground stream that will float them past fossilized turtle shells, beautiful, pristine cave formations, and to a hole that has not been dropped into in many years. If weather permits, we plan to explore this cave to its extent.
April 11 - 13 (Friday - Sunday): Honey Creek Cave, Spring Branch, TX - At over 32 kilometers surveyed, Honey Creek is the longest cave in Texas. In exchange for some work around the ranch on Saturday, cavers will be allowed to take a trip through the cave on Sunday. Honey Creek Cave is essentially an underwater river, and one can float from the man-made well entrance out to the natural entrance over the course of four hours or so.
April 25 - 27 (Friday - Sunday): John Knox Ranch, Fischer, TX - Camping, swimming, and possibly some vertical training. A good weekend to de-stress before finals.
More trips / updates may be anounced later!