| January/February
1998 During
January and February of 1998, 1,843.55 feet or 0.34 miles of cave was surveyed
and inventoried in Wind Cave on 5 trips, raising the cave from 81.21 miles to
81.56 miles. A total of 104 stations of previously surveyed cave was also inventoried.
1/10/1998
Hazel
Barton, Evan Anderson & Sean Kramer
Hazel led a 12
hour trip to the Egg Hatchery area, where they surveyed 800.25 feet in 46 stations
(Avg. shot 17.3 feet). The last lead they checked was a small crawl with a rock
in it. After pushing the rock aside and squeezing through, they entered a virgin
passage that opened to 15 x 20 feet. They also inventoried 21 existing stations
along the EHB and EHC surveys. Myk
Coughlin, Marc Ohms, Kelly Mathis & Mike Wiles
Myk
led a four hour trip to the Spillway area, where they surveyed 136.3 feet in eight
stations (Avg. shot 17 feet). They also inventoried 12 stations along the UZ survey,
where they discovered a 1951 "Spelunking Tour" ticket and some overlapping
survey (between the UZ and the JD surveys).
Jamie Sherer, Kathy Petty, Sandy Kramer & Steve Turner
Jamie led a 10½ hour trip to the Historic Section and inventoried 41 stations
along the WC, UK and UJ surveys. While inventorying, they noticed lots of unsurveyed
leads along the UJ survey and a couple of pools with heavily dripping.
James Wilson, George Fredricks, Todd Durrum & Steve Lipshrr
James led a 14 hour trip to the K survey in the Half Mile Hall area, where they
surveyed 165 feet in nine stations (Avg. shot 18.3 feet).
1/13/1998
Donald
Davis & Stan Allison
Stan led a trip to Calcite Lake
to show Donald some unusual features he found on the wall that resembled folia.
Donald felt that they were bedrock features instead, probably fossil stromatolites
or something related to them.
1/15/1998
Donald
Davis & Stan Allison
Donald entered the Monument Hall
area in the Historic Section of the cave to check on some reported helictite bushes
that had been vandalized by Alvin McDonald in the 1890s and are located in a parallel
passage 1,000 feet east of the other Wind Cave helictite bushes. Donald determined
that although they have the same shape as the others, these grow from boxwork
fins projecting from nearly vertical surfaces, instead of out of floor crust.
2/14/1998
Sandy
Kramer & Jamie Sherer
Sandy led a 11 hour trip to the
Historic Section and inventoried 30 stations along the VH, UK and AI surveys.
They located some bat scratches and a lot of delicate cave.
Greg Glazner, Jim Wilson & Tim Moreland
Greg led a
12½ hour trip to the Club Room, where they surveyed 266 feet in 20 stations off
the PZ survey (Avg. shot 13.3 feet). They found a 20-foot diameter room heavily
decorated with frostwork. Jim reportedly scooped extensive passage beyond this
room.
Hazel Barton, Evan Anderson & Shawn Kramer
Hazel led
a 14½ hour trip to the Club Room section, where they surveyed 476 feet in 41 stations
(Avg. shot 11.6- feet). They surveyed some tight, nasty crawls that eventually
tied into the EI survey, closing a 500-foot loop. March/April
1998 During
March and April of 1998, 703 feet or 0.13 miles of cave was surveyed and inventoried
on 3 trips in Wind Cave, raising the cave from 81.56 miles to 81.69 miles. A total
of 94 stations of previously surveyed cave was also inventoried.
3/14/1998
Tim
Moreland, Dennis Laird & Andy Christiansen
Tim led
a survey trip to the Red Crystal Canyon area of the Colorado Grotto Section, where
they surveyed 286.3 feet in 15 stations during a 13 hour trip (Avg. shot 19 feet).
They also inventoried 19 stations of the IH survey.
3/14/1998
Jamie
Sherer & Steve Turner
Jamie led a 11½ hour trip to
the Historic Section, where they surveyed 102.1 feet in six stations (Avg. shot
17 feet). They were also able to find a survey blunder in a bad loop. In addition,
they inventoried 24 stations along the UK survey.
James Wilson, Dan Sadler, Kenny Bagby & Paul O’Brien
James led a 12½ hour trip to the Club Room, where they surveyed 315 feet in 24
stations off the AS survey (Avg. shot 13.1 feet). They located several leads for
a later trip.
Myk Coughlin, Steve & Sammy Langendorf
Myk led a 5 ½ hour trip to the
Club Room area, where they inventoried 51 stations along the IT survey. They noticed
several highly-coated helictite bushes in the area. May/June
1998 During
May and June of 1998, 752.65 feet or 0.14 miles of cave was surveyed and inventoried
during 3 trips in Wind Cave, raising the cave from 81.69 miles to 81.83 miles.
A total of 86 stations of previously surveyed cave was also inventoried.
5/2/1998
John
Sheltens, Andy Flurkey, Ed LaRock & Mike Behn
John
led a 7½ hour trip to the Back Room area, where they surveyed 450.65 feet in 18
stations (Avg. shot 25 feet). They found numerous surveyed passages with no survey
stations and multiple surveys in other passages.
5/9/1998
Jamie
& Ron Sherer, Cheryl Yearwood & Hank VanBeck
Jamie
led a 9 hour trip to the Historic Section, where they inventoried 30 stations
of the AK and AKA surveys. They located several areas where zebra rock was present
on the VH survey.
Rich Wolfert, Mike Goar, Carl Troemner & Tim Morris
Rich led a 6 hour trip to the Historic Section, where they inventoried 4 stations
on the IA survey. They located some unusual tube features.
Myk Coughlin, Marc Ohms, Shane Fryer & Dennis Laird
Myk led a 9 hour trip to the ZZ survey in the Half Mile Hall area, where they
surveyed 91 feet in 8 stations (Avg. shot 11.3 feet). They also found a going
lead on the KK survey, but abandoned it. On the way out, Myk found a pit in the
Right On Room, and scooped 400+ feet of lower middle canyon passage. It was left
for a later trip.
6/13/1998
Jim
Wilson, Skip Withrow, Dan Sadler & Howard Bartlett
Jim led a 12½ hour trip to the Half Mile Hall
area, where they surveyed 211 feet in 15 stations (Avg. shot 14
feet). They left going leads.
Mike Wiles, Steve & Sami Langendorf
Mike led a 10½
hour trip to the southern Half Mile Hall area, where they inventoried 52 stations
along the KI, EA and EB surveys. They found a lead on the KI survey and scooped
200 feet of cave. July/August
1998 During
March and April of 1998, 207 feet or 0.03 miles of cave was surveyed and inventoried
during one trip in Wind Cave, raising the cave from 81.83 miles to 81.86 miles.
7/5/1998
Hazel
Barton, Evan Anderson & Noah Daniels
Hazel led a 12
hour trip to the Navidad area, where they surveyed 207 feet in 17 stations (Avg.
shot 12.1 feet). This included a lead that went 100 feet and connected with Flat
Iron Hall. A second, smaller lead connected with the pit above Navidad and a third
kept going, but the group ran out of time. September/October
1998 During
September and October of 1998, 510 feet or 0.09 miles of cave was surveyed and
inventoried during 3 trips in Wind Cave, raising the cave from 81.86 miles to
81.95 miles. A total of 55 stations of previously surveyed cave was also inventoried.
9/12/1998
Sandy
Kramer & Kathy Petty
Sandy led a 8 hour trip to the
Historic Section, where they inventoried 32 stations along the SK survey. They
located an actively dripping decorated area and lots of zebra rock.
10/1/1998
Bruce
Albright & Dennis Laid
Bruce led a 9 hour trip to the
Historic Section, where they inventoried 23 stations along the VE survey. They
located only the second hydromagnesite balloon to be discovered in Wind Cave.
10/10/1998
James
Wilson, Dan Sadler & Eric Dutton
Jim led a 12½ hour
trip to the Half Mile Hall area where he surveyed 270 feet in 15 stations (Avg.
shot 18 feet). They were attempting to fill in the blank area adjacent to the
AS survey, but didn’t find a way into the area.
10/31/1998
Marc
Ohms, Rene Rogers & Scott Dankof
Marc led a 7½ hour
trip to the XT3 survey near the Dog Pound in the Colorado Grotto area, which is
noted for its mudcracks and happens to be directly below Marc’s apartment.
They were able to survey 110 feet in 10 stations in small, nasty passage (Avg.
shot 11 feet). The passage they surveyed had flagging in it, but no survey stations.
They were unable to find any other going leads. Myk
Couglin & Mike Lace
Myk led a 7½ hour trip to the Dog
Pound in the Colorado Grotto area, where they surveyed 130 feet in 5 stations
(Avg. shot 26 feet). Myk pushed through a small hole and scooped 200 feet of "nice"
walking cave with additional leads that will take some very small cavers to enter.
They also scooped a 60-foot long crawl that they didn't survey. November/December
1998 During
November and December of 1998, 2,464 feet or 0.46 miles of cave was surveyed and
inventoried during 6 trips in Wind Cave, raising the cave from 81.95 miles to
82.41 miles. A total of 63 stations of previously surveyed cave was also inventoried.
11/11/1998
Marc
Ohms, Rene Rogers & Scott Sievertsen
Marc led a 7 hour
lead-checking trip to the Forty Mile Hall area of the Colorado Grotto section.
The purpose of the trip was to push leads heading east, past the known edge of
the cave. As time ran out, Rene squeezed into a tight lead found by Scott that
opened into walking passage and a series of crawlways with lots of airflow. They
surveyed 172 feet in three passages.
11/13/1998
Sandy
Kramer, Kathy Petty, Phil Partington & Mike Hanson
Sandy led a 6 hour trip to the Historic Section, where they inventoried 32 stations
along the SKC, SKB and SA survey. They found lots of deep sand and heavily dripping
water.
11/14/1998
Ed
LaRock, John Scheltens, Andy Flurkey & Mike Behn
Ed
led a 7 hour trip into the UK survey in the Historic Section, where they surveyed
301.1 feet in 17 stations (Avg. shot 17.7 feet). They were unable to survey a
dome lead Ed remembered from the area. They also inventoried 4 stations along
the UK survey found a small disarticulated rodent skeleton.
Dennis Laird, Pat Malone & Bruce Albright
Dennis led
a 14 hour trip to the Santa’s Frosted Forest near the Snake Pit Entrance,
where they surveyed 185.55 feet in 18 stations (Avg. shot 10.3 feet).
Clarence Williams, Eric Dutton, Dan Wray & Dale Keller
Clarence led a 8 hour trip to the Spillway and the UK survey, where they inventoried
16 stations.
11/15/1998
Myk
Coughlin, Marc Ohms, Dennis Laird & Rene Rogers
Myk
led a 9 hour trip to the Half Mile Hall area to survey the Right-On Room pit lead
he discovered in May. They were able to survey 788 feet in 31 stations (Avg. shot
25.4 feet). They noticed some significant wind in this passage. They scooped an
additional 300 feet of cave that they didn't survey.
11/21/1998
Marc
Ohms, Noah Daniels & Evan Anderson
Marc led a 10½ hour
trip to the Colorado Grotto area, where they surveyed 312 feet in 20 stations
(Avg. shot 15.6 feet) between the Xerox Room and Independence Hall. They found
lots of unsurveyed passage, but were unable to determine what was surveyed and
what wasn’t without lineplots.
12/5/1998
Marc
Ohms, Myk Coughlin, Rene Rogers & Mike Wiles
Marc led
a 8½ hour trip to Forty Mile Hall area of the Colorado Grotto section to push
a lead they had found on 11/3/98. They were able to survey 565.35 feet in 29 stations
(Avg. shot 19.5 feet) and discovered a large virgin room that extended the cave
farther to the east, past the previous "fault" barrier. They named the
100 x 60-foot room, Pizza Hut and noticed lots of airflow and four unchecked leads.
They had high hopes that this lead would lead to the theorized eastern half of
the cave.
12/12/1998
Clarence
Williams & Eric Dutton
Clarence led a 7½ hour trip
into the UU survey area, where they inventoried 11 stations. They located numerous
unsurveyed leads in the area. 1998
Summary During
1998, 6,480.2 feet or 1.22 miles of cave was surveyed and inventoried during 22
trips into Wind Cave, raising the cave from 81.21 miles to 82.41 miles. A total
of 402 stations of previously surveyed cave was also inventoried. | 
