Exploration Projects in Butler Cave
This page is a list of leads, digs, surveys, and other worthwhile projects in Butler Cave. The purpose of this page is to give BCCS Friends and Members suggestions for BCCS Expeditions and other project trips, and to serve as a reference page for Expedition planning. Open leads and projects are listed first, closed leads and completed projects are listed afterwards. Each project has been given a unique identifier with the prefix "BL" for "Butler Lead" so the leads can be easily referenced and disambiguated.
This list is maintained by Tony Canike. I update this list periodically, but if you are planning a trip, it is best to check with me to ensure that someone didn't already complete one of the projects. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact me, my email address is in the NSS Members Manual.
One etiquette note: If a project description includes the name the individual who first identified the project, or who has been working the project, please contact that individual to ensure that they don't have upcoming plans for that project.
Note that most of the map attachments are the result of overlaying the most recent (2010) line plot on top of Les Good's map drawn in the late 1980s. Since the line plot has been improved over the last 20 years, the plot does not always properly overlay with the passages drawn on the map. Also, in some of the attached maps there are scans of sketches from surveys that occurred after the map was drawn, so you may see overlays of multiple sketches.
Going Exploration Projects in Butler Cave
A list of open leads, going digs, uncompleted surveys, and other available exploration projects.
BL-12. The Air Dig - posted 1/6/2010, updated 6/28/2011. STARTED, NOT FINISHED.
This dig was restarted in 2009 and has been going strong. Significant progress has been made over the last two years. Easy digging, close to entrance, dry conditions. It's heading into a blank spot on the map. Phil Lucas installed an amazing tram to move the dirt out. And yes, there is air. Needs a team of 6 people to dig and move dirt, easy to get 100 buckets in 8 hours. This dig was written up in a report by Canike about a January 31, 2009 trip. Also see the 1993 BCCS Newsletter (V19, p15 of the 2009 digital reissue) for a trip report about the Air Dig and the sand crabs. More trip reports are here.
BL-5. The Bottom of the Bean Room - posted 1/6/2010. Updated October 31, 2010. STARTED, NOT FINISHED.
Believe it or not, the bottom of the Bean Room has not been surveyed. I've highlighted this in pink, and thanks Nevin for pointing out this opportunity. On April 24, 2010, most of this survey was completed by Nevin W. Davis, John Sweet, Jean Vargas, and Nathan Farrar, here is John's trip report. However, the lowest end of the Bean Room (the stream crawl) needs to be finished and tied in to a station in Difficulty Creek near the bottom of SEG passage (perhaps AK__60). Here are scans of the 4/24/2010 surveys. For these surveys, please reference this overview map and this detailed map. The supposed-map-redrawer (Tony Canike) is using this unclosed loop as an excuse to postpone the redrawing of the Butler Map. So, he's laying on a beach sipping cocktails instead of drawing the map until this is finished :-)
BL-13. Neptune's Throne Bolt Climb - posted 10/31/2010, updated 11/16/2010
In August 2010, Nathan Farrar found a bolt climb lead in a side passage at the top of Neptune's Throne that is not shown on the Good maps. On that August trip we were dropping Neptune's Throne, and we left a static rope at the top of the throne that can be used for this climb.
BL-14. High Lead between Snake River and Elephant Graveyard -- posted 6/11/2011
On the 6/3/2010 trip to the Greaserack Climb, Mark Minton discovered and began pushing a high lead between Snake River and Elephant Graveyard. Here is Mark's Trip Report.
BL-15. High Leads at and near Ike's Fissure and the Up climb -- posted 6/11/2011
Mark Minton noted a couple more good leads on the 6/3/2010 trip. Here is Mark's Trip Report.
BL-16. Evasor Gallery In-feeder Dig -- posted 10/31/2010
There is a long standing dig in the Evasor Gallery In-feeder stream right off the Pool Room. Nate Walter has been periodically taking people to this dig for a few years now. Lookup the trip report by Canike from January 31, 2009 about a visit to the dig. It's going in a very good direction...
BL-3. Dig and Mine South-East portion of Evasor Gallery -- posted 10/31/2010, updated 6/11/2011
There is a very old dig with some air in the southern passage in Evasor Gallery, especially the SE end that heads towards Backyard Cave. We call this area "Left Left" because you turn left when you hit Kutz's Pit Junction and then left again when you hit the T junction shown below.
Ed Kehs, Scott Molnar, and Andy ?unknown? checked this out 11/20/2010, and report a dig worth digging. It will likely require mining. And Nevin has an air connection with Backyard Cave here. Ed Kehs has planned to start mining Memorial Day Weekend 2011 but the trunk passage was flooded.
BL-17. Evasor Gallery Bolt Climb "Cock-Eyed Climb" - posted 12/1/2010, updated 6/1/2011 and 8/12/2011.
On 11/20/2010, Nate Walter, John Groh, and Terrance Lovell surveyed the "President's Regret" passage (see trip report emailed to BCCS list) and found (or refound) this climb. On January 8, 2011 Tony Canike, Nate Walter, Jean Vargas, and Brad Cooper did the first half of the climb (see that report emailed to the BCCS list.) Tony and Nate planned to go back and finish over Memorial Day weekend 2011, but were stymied by sumped Butler main trunk passage that resulted from the May 2011 rains. On July 3, 2011, Maret Maxwell, John Groh, and Tony Canike returned to the climb. A hand-line was rigged over the canyons leading to the climb, and the climb was continued upwards until thinly-bedded limestone with shale (?) layers was encountered. Longer bolts will be needed to finish this climb. Read more in the trip reports.
BL-18. Downstream Trunk Channel Bypass - Upstream Dig - posted 6/10/2011.
Keith Wheeland has been scratching at two digs in the Bypass passage off the main trunk channel downstream. The "Bypass passage" bypasses the low wet area in the trunk stream channel, and is shown as sketched in on Les Good's Section 5 (4/90 revision.) This first dig is in the upstream section of the bypass. On Les's map, it is the bit of passage that points downward on the paper (SE mag). Keith Wheeland, Nathalie Hirneisen, and Ed Kehs dug here on the 4/24/2011 Expedition Weekend. Last reported activity was digging by Nate Walter, Maria Andrews, John Groh, and Tony Canike on January 22, 2011 Expedition.
BL-19. Downstream Trunk Channel Bypass - Downstream Dig, aka "Gussey's Dig" - posted 6/10/2011.
Keith Wheeland has been scratching at two digs in the Bypass passage off the main trunk channel downstream. The "Bypass passage" bypasses the low wet area in the trunk stream channel, and is shown as sketched in on Les Good's Section 5 (4/90 revision.) This is the second dig, also known as "Gussey's Dig", and it has not been worked in a while. It is in the very downstream extent of the bypass, in the little passage that goes right on the paper (NE mag). Lookup the trip report by Canike from January 31, 2009 about a visit to the dig. Also see Keith's report of the Downstream Bypass - Dig in the BCCS Newsletter Vol. 9, p. 16, 1983
BL-20. South Crystal Gallery Dig - posted 6/10/2011.
Keith Wheeland has also been scratching at dig near the end of Crystal Gallery. It's an upward dig, pulling down cobbles from a drippy ceiling/corner. It's on Les Good's Section 2 (4/90 revision.), and is in area on the south with a ceiling height of 5' that shows breakdown blockage. Last reported activity was when Keith Wheeland took Tony Canike and a Nittany Grotto contingent there ca. 2010 or 2009.
There are other "goes" on Les's map in that area.
BL-21. Survey Fools Gold - posted 6/27/2010. NOT STARTED.
As you can see on this map, the Fools Gold section beyond Penn State Lake has never been surveyed and needs a team to go clean this up.
BL-22. Lead in Ceiling at C19 - posted 6/27/2011. NOT STARTED
On section 8 of the Good Maps, there is a note "lead in ceiling, bolt or pole" near station C19.
BL-23. Fred L. Wefer Memorial Highway - posted 6/27/2011. NOT STARTED
It is tight and narrow, but Keith Wheeland reports that the wind blows through there. There is a note on Sectional #8 of the Good Maps "Dig - Air". What more do you want? Keith used the word "wind". Come on now, how can you be proud of yourself and not go work this one? It probably needs some shaving to make it workable. Could get us over the sump....
BL-24. Gussey's Poke Hole - posted 6/28/2011. NOT STARTED
Gussey's Poke Hole is located on the right side of the Sinking Creek trunk passage as going downstream, just downstream of Pat's section. Climb up a little slope about 8 feet and you can see through the Poke Hole into a little room and/or passage. The Poke Hole is an oval about 8” in the vertical and 14” in the horizontal directions. Take a hammer, chisel, and crowbar to remove a little flowstone to make it passable. Lookup the trip report by Canike from January 31, 2009 about a visit to the dig.
BL-25. West End Crystal Gallery Dig - posted 6/28/2011. NOT STARTED
There is also a long dry crawlway at the very end of Crystal Gallery, headed towards the Sandstone Attic, that has been dug on in the past. Station 35 is marked on Les's map right next to it. Nate Walter has notes from a trip in 1991 or 1992 that read 'blast or hammer and chisel ??". Nate suggested in an email on 1/12/2011 that hammer drill, straws, and a sled would be needed.
Completed Exploration Projects
BL-1. Kutz's Pit Anemometer Experiment - posted 10/31/2010, COMPLETED 11/20/2010
Update: This project was successfully completed by Nevin Davis and his team. Nevin's subsequent analysis shows a clear air connection between Backyard Cave and both arms of Evasor Gallery.
Nevin has suggested that we perform another air experiment between Backyard and Evasor Gallery, but this time setup anemometers in multiple passages near the Kutz's Pit 4-way junction to determine which part of Evasor Gallery has the air connection to Backyard. This also requires the placement of a fan in the entrance to Backyard Cave.
BL-2. Evasor Dome Area - Clean up survey and lead checking -- posted 10/31/2010. COMPLETED 11/20/2010, Updated 6/11/2011.
Nate Walter had reported that there is passage in the same area near T11 that needed to be surveyed, and a number of leads to check in this general area. On 11/20/2010, Nate, Terrance Lovell, John Groh, and Maria Andrews surveyed the loop around T-11, and they (without Maria) surveyed passage going to the "40' up to lead" in the map snipped below (this passage is now called "President's Regret" as Gregg Clemmer and Nevin Davis poo-pooed surveying it many years ago while looking at it.) Anyway, Nate, Terrance, and John reported a definite bolt climb. This climb has since been begun by Canike, Walter, Cooper, and Vargas on January 8, 2011, and it was named the "Cock-eyed Climb."'
For your reference, I've included scans of 1975 survey by Shifflett, Igoe, and Hale, along with a working map from that data.
BL-4. Greaserack Bolt Climb - posted 6/27/2010, updated August 2010. COMPLETED.
Above station A11 in the Greaserack is a tantalizing shadow high up by the ceiling that would need bolt climbing or a scaling pole to reach. I don't remember who first told me about it - perhaps Al Grimm and Scott Olson on a trip out Mbagintao trail in 2007?
On July 5, 2008 Al Grimm, Nat Hirneisen, Scott Olsen, and Tony Canike took a recon trip to the Greaserack to assess what would be needed to climb it. Here is the trip report from that recon trip.
On Saturday July 3, 2010 a bolt climb was completed by Mark Minton, Vonny Droms, Brad Cooper, and Tony Canike. Here is Mark's Trip Report.
The Greaserack is on the trail to Mbagintao, and hence you must wade Penn State Lake to reach it. Here are three maps
Map of the route from Sand Canyon to Penn State Lake
Map of the route from Penn State Lake to the Greaserack
Detailed map of the Greaserack area and survey station tie-ins. The climb itself is above station A11. There is a chimney to the left (SW) of station NA__A9 that might lead to the same place as the bolt climb.
BL-6. Tie in down to the Bean Room from the Balcony Overlook and the Bean Room step across - posted 1/9/2010, updated 4/1/2010, updated 10/31/2010. COMPLETED.
There are two overlooks, one above the other, that look down into the Bean Room. We can tie these in to get a more accurate dimensions of the Bean Room. This is highlighted with two red double-headed arrows, as we need to make two different shots from the two different levels. . Thanks to Nate Walter for the suggestion. Please reference this map.
On April 24, 2010, this survey was completed by Scott Olson, Maret Maxwell, Brad Cooper, and Tony Canike.
BL-7. Survey the passage between the Breakdown Mountain passage and the Balcony Overlook- posted 3/13/2010, updated 4/1/2010, updated 10/31/2010. COMPLETED.
Connect the survey in the Breakdown Mountain passage to the survey in the passage above (NW) of the Bean Room. Shown via a purple double-headed arrow. Please reference this map.
On April 24, 2010, this survey was completed by Scott Olson, Maret Maxwell, Brad Cooper, and Tony Canike.
BL-8. Tie in the KSI7 overlook down to the Bean Room - posted 4/1/2010, updated 10/31/2010. COMPLETED.
The KSI survey by Keith Christenson, Scott Olson, and Istvan on 5/25/1998 documented another overlook into the Bean Room from the passage near station KSI7. This can be tied in with a simple shot or two. This is highlighted on the map by a Teal double-headed arrow. KSI7 is really easy to get to, just a few minutes from the Rimstone Dams. Thanks to Nate Walter for this suggestion. Please reference this map.
On April 24, 2010, this survey was completed by Scott Olson, Maret Maxwell, Brad Cooper, and Tony Canike.
BL-9. SEG Passage to Difficulty Creek- posted 1/6/2010, updated 1/24/2010, updated 10/31/2010. COMPLETED.
Near station 56 on Les's section #1 map, there is a rectilinear "maze" and a narrow passage that trends north west towards the Breakdown Mountain passage and Phil's ladder. There is no record of this ever being surveyed. I've highlighted it with a green dashed line. Tying in this new survey at both ends is important, the tie-in stations could be B-9 and 56. Please reference this map.
UPDATE 1/24/2010: The SEG Passage was partially surveyed on 1/16/2010, from the lower passage near Phil's Ladder down to and past Santa Pit to the end. The survey needs to be continued by dropping the pit and surveying towards station 56. Could combine this trip with the above-mentioned Bottom of the Bean Room survey. The survey team was Nevin W. Davis, Nate Walter, Sara Good, and Tony Canike.
UPDATE 10/31/2010: The SEG Passage survey was completed on 4/10/2010 by Nevin W. Davis, Nate Walter, Sara Good, Nathan Farrar, and Tony Canike.
BL-10. PBR Loop Mining Connection - posted 12/17/2009, updated 10/31/2010. COMPLETED.
Here is a location in the cave very close to our dig that needs a little bit of survey. This map is a collage of the Les Good Butler Section Map #1 from ca. 1985 and the Keith Christenson "Left Turn Through Entrance Sequence" map documenting their 1998 survey. Keith, Scott Olson, and Istvan cleaned up this area very well in 1998, but then Phil went and changed things to make the lead a passable connection by digging open the connection between station n6 and 20r.
Looking at where the orange arrow points, Keith sketched what was a lead going to the right (NbyNE) as a dashed lead, but it now connects to the other passage. And the line plot has been improved since both the 1998 survey and Les's 1985 map, so nothing quite lines up (give me a couple years to fix that ok?)
It's been surveyed with a laser prior to the dig to make it passable, but it has not been sketched to my knowledge. We could use a sketch and a little detail please of the new connection between stations n6 and 20r.
On April 24th, 2010, this passage was surveyed by Ed Kehs, Keith Wheeland, and Natalie Hirneisen.
BL-11. Trunk Channel Bypass Survey - posted 12/17/2009. CANCELED, NOT NEEDED.
6/27/2010 Update: The survey data for this passage has been unearthed, no need to survey this. Canceled.
1/6/2010 UPDATE: (Might be best to hold off on this one until February or March when I hope to have more original survey books from Jeff Uhl and can look for the sketches and LRUD data.
Here is another part of the cave that needs attention by a survey team. The Trunk Channel Bypass is just downstream of the Air Dig. It's been surveyed twice and the DAI (distance, az, incl) data is in Compass, but we are missing the sketches and the LRUD data.
Pages 3 and 4 of a detailed map show the sketched passage on the Les Good Section #5 from the late 1980's, along with the current line plot.
Here is the Compass data for the surveys.
Ignoring the fact that the current line plot doesn't line up with the 20 year old map due to improvements by Nevin and others, there are a couple significant discrepancies between the sketched passage and the line plot that need to be investigated, such the location of the reconnection of the downstream end of the Bypass and the main trunk near station L22(?). The in-cave team will need to decide if they can just sketch on the existing line plot, or if the passage needs to be resurveyed.