Steve Miller

As a tribute to one of our founding members and prolific caver, Joe Saunders, I shared an idea to rename the Splash Entrance to the Saunders Entrance with a large number of people via e-mail. The response was immediate and unanimous support for the change. Therefore, hence forth and forever more Splash will be called Saunders.

It seemed appropriate to name Joe's favorite and most often used entrance after him. He is the one who discovered it. Even before Historic was opened. Like Joe it was difficult at times but always had plenty of redeeming characteristics. An entrance to a cave is one of it's most important and prized passages. Extremely valuable. Naming an entrance after a caver is one of the most prestigious honors his peers could bestow upon him. Especially so for this group who have always shied away from naming parts of the cave after it's cavers (with the exception of L5). Changing the name to the Saunders Entrance will not alter the world but DUG will honor one of our dearest friend and most respected members forever in our little world. It seems a fitting DUG type memorial for Joe Saunders.