Report #4 of the EJIDO JACINTO PAT EXPLORATION EXPEDITION

Monday, June 10th.
Third of Exploration.

We got hit all day with rain.
A tropical storm moved into the Yucatan coast. I'll take a tropical storm anyday over a hurricane. Rain makes things sloppy but it keeps everything cool. This third day went super smooth. Most everybody is getting into the "groove". I hiked out to Basecamp to help with surface support. It's been two weeks since I was last out there. The Basecamp was 1000% improved. Beautiful! Everyone is impressed. The portable compressor is running like a champ. Macco - our full time cook has set up a kitchen that the Waldorf Hotel in NYC would be envious of.
Kevin Renton, Pierre Turgeon, Buddy Quattlbaum and the Mayans have really shined. Benches for tanks. Tarps everywhere to protect everything from the rain. Generator system that charges all batteries without a hitch. I was impressed. Buddy has a system for divers entering the water with assignments. Each explorer has a specific task in hand. I studied Rosemary's map of all the lines that have been installed. She announced as of Sunday night we have put in 19,500 feet of line. Monday we added 2500 feet of line with one team - Ed Grossenbacher of Austin, Texas still out. Buddy calls him the "electric Eel". This guy delivers. Ex-student of Jim Bowden. 27 years old and spending the summer in Akumal. Rookie two weeks ago. Now a seasoned pro.
Rosemary's map was impressive. We have one huge trunk line going west. It is called "Frontierland". To get there, automatic scooter with two stage bottles. We have four divers specifically being underwater cave sherpas hauling extra stage bottles 2,000 feet in. Paul Heinerth and Jill Rabjohn put in 680 feet with Brian Kukak (I mispelled his named before) added 750 on top of it. Big, gorgeous, beautiful cave passage. Bian's lined pushed the distance past 5,500 feet. We he turned he was ascending up a hill and reached 9 feet in depth, black dirt with lots of catfish swimming around. Our miracle we have been praying for may happen today. A Cenote! We need a Cenote so we can leapfrog ahead. Traditionally, in the past, we have always hit a cenote within 7,000 feet of any direction. We think today will be the day.
We have the Mayans ready to make a trail. ... Today, we hope the cenote we dream for will come true. We are now at 140,000 feet approximate total for DOS JOS. The connection on Saturday by Brian Kukak between Macco's marvels (M1) and Cenote Kentucky Castle has kept us on schedule and we are still a few days ahead of our planned schedule. But, you never know what's going to happen. That's the game of exploration. You never know until you go.
Maintain. STEVE GERRARD