Emerald survey
From LagWiki
| Emerald survey
| |
|---|---|
| Location | High Guads |
| Author | William Tucker |
| Date | May 12, 2012 |
Emerald cave is a small but interesting cave especially from a cave inventory point of view. For a few months, I was given the opportunity to survey this cave as part of the regular High Guads Restoration Project activities. On May 12, 2012, we concluded the Emerald survey with one final trip.
Personnel
On this trip, Tammy Tucker was assigned to inventory; Phil Thommes was on lead survey and backsights; Mark Bulman was on instruments; and, I sketched. We left camp at 9:30 AM and returned to camp at 7:00 PM. Everyone did an excellent job and we worked well together. The goal was to survey the right (east) side of the back passage. This side is very rugged; inaccessible except in a few places; and filled with large breakdown boulders and complex passages underneath them. Phil did an excellent job of leading the survey through this breakdown and allowing me to get a good impression of the right side of this passage. Mark followed doing foresights, Tammy performed inventory and I was kept very busy sketching this complex section of cave.
The hike
The difficulty of the hike should not be underestimated. I have now performed this hike many times in various seasons and conditions and it is to be performed with care, caution and patience. On this trip, Phil noticed a beautiful horned lizard and I took the opportunity to photograph it.
I also saw two large scat deposits. These were very full of hair so are from some type of carnivore. I would say a cat of some kind; but, they were quite large, so, if it was a cat, it was a big cat. One of them may have had some berries of some kind associated with it so it could be a bear.
The cave
 Horned lizard |
 Scat (cougar, bear or something else?) |
 Flowstone |
 An unusual soda straw stalactite |
