TSA Colorado Bend State Park Project

Project Leaders:

Rafal Kedzierski and Team

Links to Information of Interest:

Map to The Project Location

Photos from the CBSP Project

Slideshow from the CBSP Project

Texas Parks and Wildlife Web Page

Texas Speleological Survey (TSS) Page

Web Site: (Not up to date)

Project Dates:

The Project dates are the weekend of the second Saturday of:

October 12-14, 2007

November 9-10, 2007
20th Anniversary of the Project!

January 11-13, 2008

February 8-10, 2008

March 7-9, 2008

April 11-13, 2008

May 9-11, 2008

NOTE:  The first date is Friday night when most people arrive

Location:

CBSP is located in San Saba County, 1/2 hour west of Lampasas near the small town of Bend.  At the Bend stop sign, turn left, and you'll soon cross a cattle guard. The road rapidly turns to gravel, but is well maintained. Follow the road to the right at all turns to avoid a detour to one of the local fishing camps. After entering the park boundary (3.6 miles from Bend), take the first right turn after the park sign (about 50') then follow the road about 1000' to the camping area.

For GPS affectionados; the front gate to the park is:  NAD83 31.06498, -98.50429. The Camp site is located at: NAD83 31.06343, -98.50769!

Coming from the east (Austin) or South, take 580 from Lampasas to the small town of Bend.

From the north, down 281, take 581 at Adamsville going through Lometa to where it intersects 580 and turn right to Bend.  This saves about 35 miles driving distance over going on South to Lampasas.

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Project Rules:

The TSA camping area is in a closed part of the park, so we can get away with a little more stuff than we could in the public camping area. However, it is a State Park and we have some rules for the Project in order to maintain good relations with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Basically, the rules are thus:

• Take home all your trash (including empties from around the fire pit) and clean up after yourself.

• Don't bring firewood into the park. We're trying to keep the fire ants out.



• If you enjoy the fire, do your part by helping to collect wood. Any stumps or cedars are fair game. Do not damage any live trees.

• All participants on project weekends are expected to work. Cave cartography, surface surveying, digging, etc. are all needed. It helps if you have a team and objective together before you arrive. Trip leaders will be assigned less experienced people for training.

• All trips leave camp by 10 am Saturday, so be ready to go by then.

• Rescue teams are sent out by 10 pm if your team is not back in camp.

• Research Permits (available from project leaders) must be displayed on your dashboard when your car is not parked in camp. Park only in CBSP designated parking areas, not along the roadsides.

• Dogs can be off leash in the camping area as long as they are not a problem. Clean up any messes that somebody could step in. Stop barking immediately. Leash your pet when you are out of the camping area (Park rule).

  

• No obvious alcoholic beverages outside of camp.

• Be respectful of your fellow cavers in the camping area , especially in the morning __ some folks do make long drives and long cave trips!

• There is a compost toilet at the campsite (courtesy of Dale Bernard).  Use it or go to the River Camp!  THERE ARE TOILET FACILITIES AT THE RIVER CAMP - 5 MILES FROM CAVER CAMP.

• After the "productive" trip of Saturday, you are free to visit many other caves in the Park Saturday night or Sunday. Clear all Sunday trips with a Project Leader. Also talk to Project Leaders for more information or cave locations.

• Caving on non-project weekends MUST be coordinated through the project coordinators AND the park office, and will likely have fees and restrictions associated. Do NOT try to avoid these by claiming to be a caver.

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Gear:

Colorado Bend State Park is primitive and caver camp more so. You'll need to bring water, a tent, sleeping bag, old clothes for caving, a couple of changes of clothing appropriate for the weather, and your food, pots, stove, etc. The temps range from the teens in winter to 100s in summer. The group fire is often used for cooking. For caving you need hiking boots or work boots with deep lug soles, gloves, old pants, a t-shirt, knee pads, a helmet, a headlamp, and a small pack (such as a fanny pack) with water, extra lights, small first aid kit, granola bars, etc. Some caves require vertical gear, but if you are vertically competent, you likely have your own equipment. Survey gear can be provided by your team leader or by the Project. If you do not have an adequate helmet or headlamp, contact a Project Leader to arrange a loan. Bicycle helmets are not adequate for caving.

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Road Log from Bend, Texas to Cavers' Camp in Colorado Bend State Park:

We're looking forward to seeing you there!