Area NSS Projects and Surveys
Williams Canyon Project
Exploration, surveying, and scientific study of the caves of Williams
Canyon in east-central Colorado, including the commercially operated
Cave of the Winds. Efforts by project members have resulted in the
discovery of numerous new passages in the popular show cave, increasing
the surveyed length to nearly two miles. Best known of the discoveries
to date remains Silent Splendor, discovered by excavation in 1984,
Project director: Richard Rhinehart, 6565 S. Syracuse Way #2308, Greenwood
Village, CO 80111.
Colorado Cave Survey
The Colorado Cave Survey is an elected body of cavers who serve as a liaison between the Colorado caving community and various land management agencies. As such, the Colorado Cave Survey differs in scope from many other state cave surveys. Although the Colorado Cave Survey does maintain files on many caves in the state, the Survey has not served historically as a central repository of information on the caves of Colorado; the Survey also does not collect survey data resulting from cave mapping projects.
Fairy Cave/Glenwood Caverns
Fairy Cave/Glenwood Caverns has been
a project for Colorado
Cavers for almost ten years. Cavers have put in thousands of hours
of labor
to help owners Steve and Jeanie Beckley and Phil Kriz reopen the cave
as a
commercial show cave. Under the original name, Fairy Cave, it was one
of
the first caverns in the United States to be electrified, but closed
during
WW I. Since reopening, it has hosted many thousands of guests on the
commercial tour, and also provides an outstanding wild cave experience.
With the opening of a tram from Glenwood Springs up to the cave in
May of
2003, the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is now open year-round. During
the past winter, the emphasis for caver weekends has shifted from site
work
to pushing new cave. A number of promising leads exist within the current
known cave (just over 3 milles of surveyed length) and a dig is currently
underway higher on the mountain. Caver Weekends are held the first
weekend
of the month, October or November through May. All caving must be done
with
approved trip leaders, who can arrange for work, exploration, and survey
trips at times other than scheduled caver weekends. For more information,
contact your Fairy Cave Grotto Rep.
