BLUE RIDGE GROTTO
Meeting
Minutes
August
21, 2020
Attendance (Jersey
Lily’s)
Susan Burr – Chair |
Trish Geiger – Treasurer |
Marian McConnell – Secty |
Dave Socky – Vice Chair |
Carl Cornett |
Brandon Phipps +
wife Alisha + kids Alexa + Bryson |
Kevin and Carrie Johnson* Guests; Kevin says he was member in 1991 |
|
|
Introductions & Trip Reports:
7/18
– Norman Cave, WV – Doug Feller- leader,
Lauren Appel, Jeff Huffman, Susan Burr.
Found
cave, no problem thanks to Mary Sue finding the name of the road we had to take
off Rt. 219. We basically went in, dropped down into the stream & followed
it downstream until we decided we had had enough. The water levels were
manageable. The most I got wet was mid-thigh while standing on my tippy toes!
We saw a couple of baby salamanders, a couple of adult salamanders, most where
in the water. We also saw a couple of crayfish. A lot of the stream passage is
lined on one side or the other with nice formations. The large waterfall, which
we took the bypass to get down, was actually flowing nicely. We also saw 2
other small waterfalls. One we saw as soon as we dropped down into the stream
& one near where we decided to turn around at the 2 hour mark. Of course it
only took us a little over 1 hour to get out. We did have a few mishaps with
all of us falling at some point, but everyone was fine. Overall a really good
trip.
7/4: McClungs Cave, WV. Participants included
David Socky, Joe Calderone, and Rebecca Stewart-Calderone on team one. Kelly
McCarthy, Alex Faunce, Taren Woelk, and Chad Casella
were team 2. Joe, Rebecca, and I went back to the stream crawl we had left off
the 2nd Breakdown side lead we had done a month ago. It was low, wet, and muddy
and got worst as we went in. Finally, Rebecca called Uncle, so Joe went in
about 50 feet and found it kept going as a belly crawl in water. We then went
back to the broomstick room we had left a month ago and surveyed in there. We
didn't finish that either, so we have to go back there too. The other team did
the side lead on the left before you get to the 2nd Breakdown. They finished
that, but it is a dig lead. We got out at 7:30pm. It was a good 9-hour trip with
433 feet of survey. We had some great fireworks at the field station thanks to
Carroll Bassett, Dave Smallwood, and Hunter.
7/11: BASH Cave, WV. Participants included Dave
Knox, Hunter Campbell, Nikki Fox, and David Socky. I've been BASHed! We went on a tough 12.5 hour trip to BASH cave and
surveyed nearly 500 feet of virgin stream passage. But BASH cave really gives
you a workout. I didn't take many photos - too busy sketching. We did find a
likely 2nd entrance, but it had been blasted shut sometime in the
past. There was no way for us to dig it out, so we had to go all the way back
through to get BASHed again.
7/14: Windy Mouth, WV. Participants included
David Socky, Bill Koerschner, and Bob Alderson as team 1. Nick Socky, Alex
Faunce, and Nathan Otto on team 2. Bob, Bill, and I went all the way back to
the upper levels to pick off a good lead off the PA Survey. Of course, it was
wet and low. We got 607 feet of survey done. It was enough to make 1000 feet
for both teams and push Windy Mouth over 16 miles. It was a hard, but good
13.5-hour trip.
7/18: Maxwelton Cave, WV. Participants included
David Socky, Nikki Fox, Silas Springer on team 1, and Nick Socky and David
Smallwood on team 2. This was a camp trip into Maxwelton, Sweetwater. We
entered Friday evening and surveyed around Covert Creek on Saturday. Team 1
killed the Tilted Tunnel after 123 feet. We then surveyed a side lead upstream
until we were stopped by a 60 foot waterfall, which is downstream of the ram
pump in Covert Creek. Nick and Dave finished Gremlin Falls, tying in at the
bottom of the drops for Covert Creek. Then they did the
flowstone
climb at the top of Cousin It Pit. It led to the Day Spa and eventually got to
a point where they could see the ram pump in Covert Creek. It was a solid 10-hour
day of surveying. We exited on Sunday, getting out at 2:30pm.
7/23: Undisclosed Cave, VA. Participants included
David Socky, Nick Socky, Bob Alderson, Mark Minton, Yvonne Droms, and Zeb
Lilly. This was the first time back in over a year. We went back to the Air
Acclivity lead just past the Ear Dip, which had only 3 inches of air space. Bob
Alderson and Nick Socky did the bolt climb with Vonnie
belaying. Mark and I worked on the dig, which looked pretty hopeless. There
were two ways to go up the bolt climb, and of course the route chosen ended in
a mud plug 50 feet up. It will be another trip to complete the climb up the
other way. It was nice to get out with daylight after an 8 hour trip.
8/1: McClungs Cave, WV. Participants included
Dave Socky, David Smallwood, and Aaron Clair-team 1, Bob Alderson, Eric
Steinburg, and Chad Casella-team 2, Nick Socky, Alex Fanunce,
and Nikki Fox-team 3. Team 2 got 759 feet and team 3 got 784 feet. Total of
3005 feet! Lead towards Ludingtons looks real good! It was a long, but
productive 13 hour trip.
8/5: Windy Mouth, WV. Participants included
David Socky, Nick Socky, and Chris Coates. Surveyed in upstream Second Canyon. We
cleaned up side leads and actually got 546 feet of survey done in 10 hours.
8/8: Dry Cave, WV. Participants included David
Socky, Greg Springer, Dave Knox on team 1, and Nick Socky, Nikki Fox, and Eric
Steinburg on team 2, and Joe Calderone and Rebecca Steward-Calderone on team 3.
Team 1 pushed from the end of Bob Cat tributary and turned around in going high
canyon after surveying 30 stations. It took 5 hours to get from the end of the
survey to the entrance. The end of the cave is over 2.5 miles from the
entrance. It was a long and tough trip of 14 hours for just 524 feet of survey.
But with all three teams, we got over 1400 feet surveyed.
8/22 – Greenbrier Poor Farm, WV - This
Month’s BRG trip – with Susan. Meet
at HROM at 8:30a.
BUSINESS MEETING
Treasury Report – Trish Geiger, Treasurer 7/14/2020 |
Cave
Bucks - 0
Conservation - 0
Equipment
– 133.87
General
- 2,951.19
TOTAL $3,085.06
Committees:
·
Newsletter
– CARBIDE
DUMP August was published. Thanks to all who contributed.
·
Membership
– None
·
ROCKS
– Nothing.
·
Safety
& Techniques – None at this time.
Membership Proposals: None
Old Business
·
Goodwin
Cave, VA, has a new owner.
Lee Slover (former owner) gave MarySue the new
owner’s contact info. Lee did find his missing carbide lamp; and wants to go in
the cave if we ever are able to return.
New Business
·
Thank of ideas for Christmas card
design. (Perhaps Nick Socky’s gypsum bush that was on the cover of the Carbide
Dump?)
·
Think about whether or not we
want to have a Christmas party this year; and when and where.
·
The Guldens have offered to host a
grotto meeting at their place outside when things cool down; perhaps in October
or November.
·
Grotto Elections are in November.
Do you want to help out by serving as a member?
Or will the current slate continue to play musical chairs?
Announcements (also
see announcement packet & Caver Calendar on back)
·
Please
submit written cave trip reports to the secretary. Thanks!
·
Congratulations
to BRG on winning awards at this year’s [virtual] NSS Convention. Dave Socky’s
video won best in show! (Showed as the
program at this meeting.] Nick Socky’s photo on the cover of a Gypsum flower
won best of show in that category. Perhaps would make a great Christmas card?
·
Al
Stewart is now living at the Cave Spring Assisted Living facility on Brambleton
and cannot currently have visitors due to COVID-19, but enjoys cards and phone
calls (540-989-0483) before 8p. [Or if you send flowers, be sure to sign your
name on the card!)
·
NO
OTR, Fall VAR, Bridge Day or NCRC-OCR weekend classes.
·
Brian
Williams’ father passed away; a sympathy card was passed around for all to
sign.
Program: Connecting
Caves – the Great Savannah Cave System.
(Won Best in Show!)
Cold Beer at 7:05p.
2020 CAVER CALENDAR:
·
Next
BRG meeting is September 18th.