Cow Springs-Steps and Boardwalk

[cavemn]

Their is not a long boardwalk. Only what was necessary to get over the eroded areas and to stable ground. It is not going to the parking lot like Peacock.



In this picture I am standing almost at the end of the boardwalk.

Do we get a chair lift too!

sorry, I just couldn't resist

 

[JamesK]

Lol. Damn fool!!!!! Lol

 

[Dive-aholic]

There seems to be an assumption that more physically fit /athletic divers that have no access issues are better divers.

I don't see that as the implication here. Rather, with a boardwalk and steps, people that might have avoided Cow in the past because it's a little more difficult to get to will now visit Cow regularly. More traffic in the cave will likely lead to more damage. River caves tend to be more pristine than the "tourist" caves because they aren't as easy to get to and people won't make the effort to go there when they can just pull up to a cave and walk to it. Same concept here with Cow.

 

[JamesK]

I don't see that as the implication here. Rather, with a boardwalk and steps, people that might have avoided Cow in the past because it's a little more difficult to get to will now visit Cow regularly. More traffic in the cave will likely lead to more damage. River caves tend to be more pristine than the "tourist" caves because they aren't as easy to get to and people won't make the effort to go there when they can just pull up to a cave and walk to it. Same concept here with Cow.

Rob,

How many people do you know that did not dive Cow because no steps were installed?

 

[Dive-aholic]

James, I don't have specific numbers on Cow. I just know that the more difficult access to a site the less traffic it will get. It would be interesting to see the data from the sign in sheets 6 months from now compared to the same 6 months last year.

 

[JamesK]

James, I don't have specific numbers on Cow. I just know that the more difficult access to a site the less traffic it will get. It would be interesting to see the data from the sign in sheets 6 months from now compared to the same 6 months last year.

I agree. However, I do not consider Cow a "difficult" site when comparing it to places like river caves. I am all for making it an Abe Davis only site.

 

[karstdvr]

Anybody remember the walk to P1 before the walkway? It would become a muddy quagmire,that you would sink above your ankle in the mud,plus adding a set a doubles on your back. To avoid this people would walk into the adjoining wooded area,and that was widdening the path,and making a larger quagmire. This became so bad that Debra Green fell with full set up doubles on,hit her head on a rock,and was sent to the ER. Did it detract from the beauty of the site? The only beauty I saw was an enlarging mud pit,that was getting deeper. I feel this was a good project,that has served the intended purpose very well,my hopes will be the project at Cow will have the same benefit.

 

[cavemn]

Anybody remember the walk to P1 before the walkway? It would become a muddy quagmire,that you would sink above your ankle in the mud,plus adding a set a doubles on your back. To avoid this people would walk into the adjoining wooded area,and that was widdening the path,and making a larger quagmire. This became so bad that Debra Green fell with full set up doubles on,hit her head on a rock,and was sent to the ER. Did it detract from the beauty of the site? The only beauty I saw was an enlarging mud pit,that was getting deeper. I feel this was a good project,that has served the intended purpose very well,my hopes will be the project at Cow will have the same benefit.

Most of the excuses surrounding erosion and accidents at these cave sites seems to be related to people in back doubles falling and sliding. Maybe these sites should be sidemount only. :lightbulb:

 

[50Fathom]

Most of the excuses surrounding erosion and accidents at these cave sites seems to be related to people in back doubles falling and sliding. Maybe these sites should be sidemount only. :lightbulb:

Sidemount fanatics, trying to make "sidemount" the solution to everything.

(After I read your post), MFW:

---------- Post added May 24th, 2013 at 11:08 PM ----------

With a little bit of:

 

[BabyDuck]

i've fallen there, too, so i'm a stair proponent...