Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 23, 2010 13:13:10 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Was out clearing horse trails down canyon the other day and I discovered an interesting new area of the ranch to explore, a series of limestone half pipe caves and grottos. So, this ,morning I took the camera and went on a short but really interesting little hike. These grottos are about 20 degrees cooler than the dry hillsides so I figured maybe there'd have been some Indian activity in the area too and there was. Thanks for lookin.....Mel Here are the first looks at the pipes from either end: Now maybe you'll notice some odd brown fuzzy patches on the ceiling of the pipe. Well, guess, what they are? Not moss, nope. These are large masses of Harvestmen/ Daddy Long Legs, a spider relative and I mean millions in several huge wooley piles: Largest pile is about 2 X 3 feet and several inches deep in creepy crawlies. Closer shot: Another: Umm, why does this remind me of the hippy gals back in the sixties? *L* Closeups of the critters. When my flash went off a huge mass detached from the clump, fell to the tunnel floor, broke into a zillion scurrying critters and ran back up the walls. Definitely not the place for anyone with a fear of spiders or bugs *L* Mass starting to detach: Why the Indians like this spot, a huge long six inch thick vein of Edwards Blue Flint ( actually black) weathering from the walls, that the Indians had been mining. Spring and fern grotto at the end of the pipe: And finally, a nice four inch flint knife I found laying right in the trail by the grotto.
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Post by Toad on Aug 23, 2010 13:37:46 GMT -5
Great pics - creepy spiders.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Aug 23, 2010 13:49:42 GMT -5
Great images and story Mel! Congrats on the knife, too!
So why do the spiders huddle like that? Keeping warm? Water source? Protecting eggs?
Chuck
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 23, 2010 14:09:12 GMT -5
Chuck: I looked that up and the scientists say they huddle to keep warm but heck, it's hotter than the backside of the devil here so I don't see why they want to be warmer. Maybe it has something to do with breeding but I don't really know. Never seen these guys in these numbers before.....Mel
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Post by rockrookie on Aug 23, 2010 14:35:57 GMT -5
very cool finds !!! thanks for sharing ! --paul
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Post by tkrueger3 on Aug 23, 2010 14:37:19 GMT -5
Thanks so much for the pictures, Mel. Looking at them, it took me back to another age, when I was a new teenager, and my grandparents had a ranch outside of Leon Springs. There was a little spring hidden away on the back side of a hill, and my grandma and I would go there and just sit a spell sometimes. Wonderfully cool, and the purest, coldest limestone-filtered spring water you'd ever want to wet your lips with.
Thanks for the memories.
Tom
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Post by frane on Aug 23, 2010 19:10:44 GMT -5
EEEEK! I would have been shrieking just as soon as I realized that was not moss! Not too bad when you have a few but in the thousands! I do love that you found this have pipe. How cool is that! I love it (aside from your arachnids)! Fran
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Aug 23, 2010 20:10:15 GMT -5
Thanks Mel! That is so neat. I always learn new things from your reports. I've never seen anything like the 70's hippie chick spiders...crazy. I would have had a heart attack if I had been there and they all decided to detach on top of my head. Great little score too. I'll bet you'll be back looking closer. Steve
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Aug 23, 2010 20:19:46 GMT -5
Super cool Mel! Those daddy long legs are freaking unreal. What's the source of that erosion? Is there a creek there? That's sweet you can just step right up and find a knife like it was made yesterday!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 23, 2010 22:13:18 GMT -5
North: I think most the erosion is stream cutting but there is also rain runoff down the banks and that plus lots of springs and seeps seems to selectively round and cut away the softer areas of the hard Edwards Limestone. Water intrusion plus winter freezes seems to shatter the more friable Glen Rose Limestone.....Mel
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Post by Roller on Aug 23, 2010 22:27:54 GMT -5
Thats a truly amazing discovery ... I just love exploring and finding rare scenes like that ... and then the pictures capture a moment in time seen only by you and shared back to us rth ers ....Great work ...and a big thanks ...
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181lizard
Cave Dweller
Still lurking :)
Member since December 2005
Posts: 2,171
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Post by 181lizard on Aug 24, 2010 12:03:15 GMT -5
Hmmmm...everyone but Steve seems to be skirting the hilarious connection you've mentioned Mel. I prefer to think of it in terms of the ancient and rare bearded clam fossil. Hahaha!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,711
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 24, 2010 19:43:46 GMT -5
Cool pics and nice find on the flint......
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Post by drocknut on Aug 24, 2010 22:46:39 GMT -5
Creepy spiders, I would have been out of there once I found out what they were. I'm not a fan of spiders. Hmm, the hippy thing reminds me I need to buy a new razor...LOL.
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