BRG Minutes for 02/20/2026
Famous Anthonys-
Brookside 6499 Williamson Road NW
Roanoke VA 24019
Attendance:
Dave Socky Mary
Sue Socky Marian
McConnell
Susan Burr *Ben
Hester Jessica
Hester
Jeff Huffman
Barry Ferguson Helene
Ferguson
Carl Cornett Bob
Alderson Robert
Balch
*Derek Nash *Deneshia
Ferraris Trish
Geiger
*Jonathan Constatine *Wendy
Kitchens
*Guest
Chair David Socky called the meeting to order at 6:36p
Everyone was welcomed.
Introductions.
PROGRAM: “Antarctica (No Caves)(No Polar Bears)” Dave Socky visited
the continent of Antarctica in Dec.
2025. He had an amazing adventure cruise/tour, visited penguin colonies, saw
orcas and humpback whales, camped on the icepack, etc. Thrilling Dave Socky stuff, & awesome
photos! Glad you had fun, Dave!
TRIP REPORTS
12/6 – Warm River Cave,
VA – Bob Alderson; more
survey; a new discovery by Corey Hackley & Keely Owen. Found a perched water pond and other
stuff.
1/3 2026 – Ryders Mill River
Cave, KY. Bob Alderson and other CRF members continued
survey in the cave.
1/7/2026 – Roppel Cave,
KY
Cave survey by Bob Alderson and members of Cave Research
Foundation (CRF) in the ‘Chilly Willy’ section. .
1/8 – Nick Schmalenberger explored Sotano de Cuerda
Corta, Mexico with Rolland Moore, Aaron Zumpf, Julian Benson, and Amy
Bredes. This is a semi-annual
exploration and survey project in a Mexican karst area.
1/10 -Nick Schmalenberger
returned to Sótano de Cuerda Corta
with Rolland Moore.
1/17 – Paxton Cave,
VA. Susan Burr, Jeff Huffman, Lauren Appel, etc. Good, typical grotto trip
1/17: Warm River Cave,
VA. (NOTE: Warm River Cave
is closed except for science and survey trips through the Warm Springs Project
group with express permission from the owner.) Participants included David Socky, Jason Sargent,
Marissa Loftus, and Andrew Newton-Team 1, Bob Alderson and Aidan
Ward-Bolt Climb team. Corey Hackley, Keely Owen, Renee Erickson, Noah
Synowiec-Team 2. Mark Minton and Yvonne Droms-entrance dig team. Two teams went
beyond the Mouse Hole. Bob and Aidan did a bolt climb in Aberrant
Canyon (turned out to be an alcove), and Mark & Vonnie worked on a dig
near the entrance. A total of 412 feet of new survey was done for a 12-hour
trip.
1/18: BRG Winter Party. Dave Socky,
Mary Sue Socky, Keith Goggin, Lisa Goggin, Jeff Huffman, Hillary Huffman,
Lauren Appel, Jen Suggs, Helene Ferguson, Barry Ferguson, Alex Sproul, Marian
McConnell, Susan Burr, Trish Geiger, Mary Lou Holland, and Tom Beaman. Nice afternoon with delicious food and caver
tales.
1/21: Dunn's Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Joe and Carol
Zokaites, and Bob Alderson. Joe, Carol, and I surveyed in the NW branch while
Bob dug at the sand/clay dig above the Dark Hole. We were stopped by a 14-foot
drop. One or two more survey trips should finish the NW branch of the cave. We
surveyed a total of 298 feet on a fun five-hour trip.
1/31 – Dunn’s Cave,
VA More digging, exposing passage and surveying by Bob Alderson
& WSP Survey team.
Jan 2026 – Jonathan Constatine did some puttering around in Island
Ford Cave, VA.
2/4: Dunn's Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bill
Koerschner, and Bob Alderson. We had to use crampons and micro spikes to
get to the cave since the snow-covered ice was too slippery with just regular
boots. Coming back out, though, we glissaded down the hill - lots of fun! We
finished the survey of the smaller NW branch, except for two side leads on the
southeast side of the branch. The 14-foot-deep pit turned out to be free
climbable. Bob put in three nails using my drill to make the climb a little
safer. We surveyed to the very end of the section, pushing all leads as much as
we could. It was a 6-hour trip with 160 feet surveyed.
2/7: Benedict Cave, WV.
Participants included David Socky,
Nick Socky, and Andrew Allard. This was a day trip on a cold (15 degrees F)
Saturday. It was a little slippery from the ice getting into the entrance but
not bad. We surveyed mostly big walking trunk passage. I enjoyed the break from
sketching very much. Andrew was good at pushing all the tight side leads, most
of which didn't go or were too tight. We finished up at the main intersection
where the trunk passage splits into two passages. We surveyed 1062 feet in 6
hours! Good trip
2/ 8 Derek Nash and
Dave Socky checked out the rumor of a cave in an old NE Roanoke quarry. There are several potential candidates. All leads must be reached by boat or by
rappelling in. Derek will get more info.
2/9 Dixie Caverns, VA. Participants included David Socky and Mary Sue Socky.
Went to the back of the cave to clean up the now small but still-muddy Wedding
Party Pool. Took a shop vac to suck up all the pool water and mud. Tested the 1-gallon sprayer. 2-hour conservation trip.
2/11 Dunn's Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bill
Koerschner, Joe Zokaites, and Bob Alderson. Bill and I finished the two
leads in the NW branch of the cave. We also did a test dig at the drain in the
Knife Edge Pony Room. We dug down about 1.5 feet through mud and clay. You can
see down into the drain about 6 or 7 feet, but there is no air. We then went to
the clay/sand dig in the main upper branch where Joe and Bob dug all day. There
is still a tight spot that Bob can't get through, but you can see into a bigger
room or passage. Could be walking and there is air movement. The dig face is
rock, but the floor up to it is really muddy. It was really drippy in the whole
cave this day because of the melting ice and snow outside. We did use our micro
spikes and crampons to get to the entrance. We were out by 4:30 pm with 116
feet of survey.
2/14 – Shovel Eater
Cave, WV. More exploration and survey
by Bob Alderson and members of the
Germany Valley Karst Survey (GVKS).
2/14 – Organ Cave,
Lipps Entrance, WV – Nick
Schmalenberger, members of Greenbrier Grotto: Mystik Miller, Randy Wilfong,
Jenny Varuska, Angela Rao visited Organ Cave via Lipps entrance for Mystik’s
birthday.
This Month’s grotto
trip: Lowmoor Cave, VA. Jeff Huffman and Susan Burr are trip leaders.
Next Month’s grotto
trip: Susan is not sharing.
Upcoming trips: 2/21 – WSP Survey in Warm River Cave, VA. Survey and exchanging data
loggers.
2/28 – Bat
Count in Hellhole Cave, WV. Coordinated
with GVKS and the WVa DNR.
BUSINESS MEETING
February 20, 2026 - BRG Treasury Report –
Fund Amounts
$ 117.96 Cave
Bucks
$ 2.00 Conservation
Fund
$ 144.12 Equipment
Fund
$ 5,498.82 General Fund
$ 5,762.90 Total Funds
Committees:
Newsletter –Feb. DUMPs were published. Articles, photos wanted. Thanks
for sending stuff in!
Membership – BRG has 50 members and 4 subscribers. Pick up your membership packets.
ROCKS – The Warm Spring Project (WSP) every Wed. and 4th
Saturdays. Exchanging data loggers this
trip.
Safety & Techniques –
Upcoming events:
·
Mar 7-14: NCRC Level 1 class will be in Blacksburg VA https://ncrc.regfox.com/ncrc-level-1-blacksburg
·
Mar 7-10: SPAR
class will be in Menlo, GA
·
March 12-15. SPAR
class will be in Menlo, GA
·
May 9-16:
National NCRC Week-long will be in
Mentone, AL
Membership
Proposals: Ben Hester
Ben is sponsored by Susan
Burr and Lauren Appel. Ben was voted in as BRG’s newest Associate Member. Welcome, Ben! BRG now has 51 members!
Old Business:
·
Thank you, Marian McConnell, for keeping in contact with the folks at
Famous Anthony’s.
·
Dixie Caverns Conservation Project: Progress was made at the
Wedding Party Pool. Dave Socky used a shop vac that removed most of the water, gravel,
and mud. The 1 gal. hand pump was tested. The cave was very dry 2/9/26. That will change when the surface snow and
ice melts. BRG hopes to have a Saturday
conservation trip during spring.
New Business
·
VA Cave Week – does BRG have anything planned? The VA Cave Board would like to know.
o Members discussed options, what was done last year
(kiosk, squeezebox, info)
o BRG will do something @ Dixie Caverns 6/6/2026
§ MSS to discuss idea with Dixie Caverns owner.
§ Susan Burr will talk with Paige of SWVWC about BRG and
the Wildlife Center partnering for some sort of display on June 6.
·
Call for
Resolutions for the 2026 Congress of Grottos. Submissions should be in the
form of a motion and from an Internal Organization of the NSS or a grouping of
eight or more members of the NSS. Please
send submissions to cog@caves.org
·
This Sunday, 2/22/26 – SWVWC “Baby
Shower” from Noon – 4p to raise funds for the wildlife center. If you want to feed Koda (Big Brown Bat
ambassador) a mealworm for $10.00 donation, let Susan Burr know ASAP. Feeding commences @12:45 p @ Nature’s Emporium. Wear your BRG shirt!
Announcements:
·
Vote for your
Favorite Five!
·
Registration is
now open for the NCRC Level 1 class to be held March 7-14, 2026 in Blacksburg,
VA. https://NCRC.regfox.com/ncrc-level-1-blacksburg
·
VAR Updates: Tri-State is hosting 2026 Spring VAR @
Endless Caverns! May 8-10, 2026.
·
New access policy for New River Cave Preserve. EVERYONE, CAVERS and Surface Hikers, needs a
permit! Eli Myer is
Preserve Manager. https://permits.saveyourcaves.org/
·
T-Shirts –Limited
colors, sizes L and XL. $12.00 each.
Contact Susan Burr pondlady97@gmail.com for more information.
·
NSS Mill Creek Spring Property in FL under attack from nearby
developments – Has been Saved in court!
FL Conservation laws protected the spring. ronodtseSp1y3na89ch0 rt70g fuc175Alt29M:2t 0ua2lmJ7tlcai1h19
·
May 1-3, 2026:
VAR Conservation project – Remove Spray Paint in Lowmoor Cave, VA. Please RSVP. See
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pui_xmKg6qgZNzx1tQLufCADc7YRCpOmGjeXJsQyLos/edit?tab=t.0
(Announcements – cont.)
·
Winter Bat
Closure for some caves – Winter closure may affect different caves
(hibernacula).
WV:
closed Sept 1 - May 15 VA: closed Oct. 15 -
Apr. 15.
Caver Calendar:
Mar 20, 2026 - BRG meeting
6p @ Famous Anthony’s – Brookside.
Roanoke VA
Apr 17, 2026 - BRG meeting
6p @ Famous Anthony’s – Brookside.
Roanoke VA
May 1-3, 2026 – VAR
Conservation project at Lowmoor Cave, VA.
May 8-10, 2026 – Spring
VAR @ Endless Caverns, VA.
May 8-10, 2026 - Spring MAR, @ McClure Bean Soup and
Festival grounds in McClure, PA.
May 31-June 6: Virginia
Cave Week
June 6 – VA Cave Day
June 12-14 – WVACS Classic
Weekend in Greenbrier Co. WV
July 6-10, 2026 - NSS
Convention, Corydon IN.
Aug 22, 2026 – BCCS Open
house, more info soon. See www.butlercave.org
Sept 22-26: Hypogea
2026 International Congress, @ Tiblisi, Georgia (Europe), hosted by
UIS. the patronage of the Union
International de Speleologie (UIS). Abstract submission deadline is March
15. For more information: https://hypogea2026.com/ "
Sept 25-27, 2026 - Fall MAR @ Newville Lions Club Fairgrounds
in Newville, PA.
Fall 2026 – Fall VAR
hosted by VPI Cave Club.
7:59p Cold Beer!
Minutes
submitted by Mary Sue Socky, Secretary