GYPSUM KARST PROJECT (GypKaP)
New Mexico
INTRODUCTION
The Gypsum Karst Project is a 20-year project of the Southwestern Region of the NSS.
The purpose of the Gypsum Karst Project is to explore and map the caves of the vast gypsum plains near Roswell, New Mexico.
This is UFO country and a major ranchland.
The GypKaP caves are known for long, tight crawls in stream passage and encounters with wildlife such as vultures and rattlesnakes.
The gypsum plains of southeastern New Mexico
Camping amongst the Choya cactus
A rest stop near Roswell, New Mexico
You don't want to be in a GypKap cave when there's a chance of rain.
The desert southwest is known for its flash floods, and in GypKaP country all that water sumps the caves.
Cavers here all start getting a little nervous after they've been underground for 6 to 8 hours.
Everyone's mind is on the weather topside.
"GypKap" also means "Crawling"...
And crawling...
And more crawling...
And sometimes the water is really cold....
Much of the caving in GypKaP involves crawling through stream tunnels.
Some of the tunnels are dry, some of the tunnels are quite wet.
The water can be extremely nasty ("sewer water") since all of the ranchland's cow manure washes into the cave systems.
You haven't truly "lived" until you've dug through a cow-pie choke, or climbed over a bloated animal carcass.
Andrew Christiansen in Crowbar Cave
Alexandra Clarfield in Washington Ranch Cave
Alexandra Clarfield in Gyp Cave
Some of the passages in GypKaP are beautifully sculpted tunnels.
The variety of metamorphic gypsum is apparent.
My favorites are the "chicken wire" gypsum found in Crowbar Cave and the white gypsum in Washington Ranch Cave.
Carl Pagano, Linda Starr and "chickenwire" gypsum
Alexandra Clarfield in Washington Ranch Cave
Blake Jordan
Harry in Washington Ranch Cave
Some of my favorite passages are the sinuous stream canyons.
They are slot canyons, underground.
Some of the best are in Carcass Cave and Crowbar Cave.
Brian Galbraith in Carcass Cave
Crowbar Cave, showing the "chickenwire" gypsum
Of course, GypKaP is always good for getting really muddy......
A favorite pasttime at GypKaP is to sit up at night with a beer and watch the night sky.
Without the lights of towns and cities, the Milky Way is spectacular.
Satellites can easily be seen tracking across the sky.
If you're lucky, you may even see some strange lights or spacecraft streaking over the camp.
A rare photo of a "Moonbow," a rainbow created by lightning flashes during a thunderstorm at night
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