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Cueva Fiesta 2006
Brian Williams
Spring has arrived, sort of. Although it only seems to last one week in Florida, there’s no doubt of its arrival announced by the return of seed ticks, azalea blossoms, and the annual Florida Cave Cavort. Some folks determine the seasons by the calendar; for cavers, the seasons are defined by the spring cave cavorts, summer cave carnivals and fall cave-ins.
The Florida Cave Cavort is an annual springtime gathering of cavers for a weekend of fun, feasting, bonfires, beer, dancing, raffle drawings, photo contest….and caving. There are 4 grottos in Florida and each one takes a turn hosting, and naming the event. This years Cavort was the 23rd anniversary and titled, "Cueva Fiesta". Hosted by the Tampa Bay Area Grotto, their members and friends did an outstanding job and put together another successful event.
The raffle is one of the highlights of the Saturday evening festivities and this year we had loads of great door prizes to offer, thanks to the generous donations of manufactures and private individuals. Dive Rite, Karst Sports, Dragonfly WaterSports, and others donated everything from ascenders, helmets, back-up lights, and finger spools, to sleeping bags, maps, and gift certificates.
The photo contest is another highlight of the Saturday evening events. This years contest was dedicated to the memory of Bruce Brewer, a fellow caver, conservationist and professional photographer. Bruce exemplified what many of us try to accomplish as amateur photographers who enjoy the challenge of capturing an image that conveys our love of caves and thrill of exploration. A film crew was present during the entire weekend, working on a documentary of Bruce’s life, interviewing his friends and fellow cavers to record how his life made an impact on the caving community. This year’s entries included digital and print formats. Digital photos were displayed on the big screen against the barn, along with slideshows of recent cave trips.
Categories for the photo contest were:
"Best of Florida": winner, Brian Williams for "Cathedral of Light"
"Best of Travels": winner, Lee Florea for "Shoots and Ladders"
Of course, there was plenty of caving going on, as well. Many cavers started early on Friday to get in a few caves before they even got to the campsite. Saturday morning found organizers scrambling for trip leaders to accommodate all the beginners that did not know their way around the Withlachoochee Forest. I’m told the trip to Werner Cave was the "Cast of Thousands" trip for the weekend. Others cavers spread out across the Forest to explore some of the finer sites including: Legend, Bottlecap, Bigmouth, Dogdeball, Blowing Hole, Dames, Girl Scout, Peace, Dog Drop, Football, Mosquito, Rockpile, and the Trail 10 caves.
There were plenty of other activities to enjoy including rope climbing at the campground, mountain biking, and kayaking and canoeing on Gum Slough and the Withlachoochee River. Perhaps the best part of these events is the camaraderie enjoyed with other cavers from across the state and even across the region. Old acquaintances are renewed and new friends are made. Some cavers were there from as far away as Tennessee, Georgia, and even Virginia.
This family friendly event is always a welcome sign to cavers that spring is finally here!
Captions
1. Dan Straley and Tom Farnell at the Registration booth
2. TBAG members dish out the black Beans and Rice on Saturday night
3. Danny and Annette Brinton at the Bonfire
4. Matt Vinzant heads into Catacombs cave
5. Brian passes a low spot
6. The underwater beauty of the Catacombs
7. Tom Turner gets interviewed by the Documentary film crew
8. Bill Birdsall looks over the Raffle prizes while Bernie Van Horn sells more tickets
9. Erik, Matt and JoJo in the back of Legend Cave
10. A bit of a squeeze to this entrance
11. Erik checks out a tight spot in Bottle Cap Cave
12. Matt Climbs a fissure in a Withlachochee Forest cave
13. JoJo Amsbury at the entrance to Bottle Cap Cave
14. A big room in a forest cave
15. Tom Feeny at Bottle Cap cave station with a Legend Cave water sample
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