2015 Luminary Series – Stan Sides

Dr. Stanley D. Sides became a member of the NSS while still a young boy growing up in the southeastern portion of Missouri. Beginning his caving career close to home, Stan, plus two of his ham radio friends, squeezed through a tight keyhole in a cave near Perryville and had the joy of exploring a walking stream passage for the next 5 hours. This cave, now known as Crevice Cave, is Missouri’s longest cave with over 30 miles of surveyed passage. Barbara MacLeod was introduced to Stan at his first MVOR, and she became a catalyst for Stan’s future adventures. Barb wrote to Stan and mentioned that she had participated in some work at Floyd Collins Crystal Cave. Thus informed, Stan would soon be catching a Greyhound bus to St. Louis in order to join up with Red and Patty Jo Watson for a ride in their VW van to CRF expeditions. Stan did numerous trips with the CRF, including surveys of the Bretz River complex. In addition, he participated in expeditions that pushed and surveyed miserable passages under Houchins Valley. To this day, Stan continues his documentation of the historic names and cultural uses of the more obscure caves under Flint Ridge.