BRG Minutes 04/17/2026

Famous Anthonys- Brookside 6499 Williamson Road NW Roanoke VA 24019

Attendance:

Dave Socky Susan Burr Mary Sue Socky

Marian McConnell Ben Hester Jessica Hester

Robert Balch Nick Schmalenberger Doug Feller

Carrie Doupnik Kevin Johnson John Pearson

Tom Beaman *Mary Lou Holland Joey Fagan

*Bambi Marshall *Tim Nash *Jonathan Constantine

*Tim Barnes *Megan Christy *Guest

Chair Dave Socky called the meeting to order at 6:34p

Everyone was welcomed. Introductions.

PROGRAM: “Amazing Hawaiian Adventures – Fire and Ice.” January 2026. Bambi Marshall had an amazing adventure on the Big Island of Hawaii. She, members of Dogwood City Grotto other cavers attended the Hawaii Cave Week Symposium (Jan 18-24, 2026). There was much cave surveying, and searching for sinkholes and skylights in the lava fields. Gorgeous scenery, ferns, and waterfalls! Best of all, Kilauea volcano erupted (Episode 40?), showering them with tephra and closing Volcanoes National Park! Bambi’s slide show was outstanding!

REPORTS

2/25: Dunn's Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bill Koerschner, Joe Zokaites, and Bob Alderson. We dug through the tight spot and found 12 feet of barely walking passage. The room devolved into another technical dig. We did make a voice connection to D19, about 20 feet away. But it still may be worth digging further. We surveyed a whooping 42 feet. It was a fun 5-hour trip.

2/28: Warm Springs Project Digs, VA. Dave Socky attended a dig in the Warm Springs Project area with 22 cavers! We dug on 3 new blow holes just up the road from Jenga on the right in the woods. Two of the blow holes were blowing LOTS of warm and humid air. The temperature was measured at 65 degrees F! The 3rd blow hole was blowing cool air. Lots of technical digging, but still more digging is needed. The two warm blowholes seem like they might be connected by a narrow canyon. It was a beautiful and warm day - mid 60s or higher.

3/2: Shenandoah Wild Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Blaine Schubert, Davis Gunnin, Shea Gunnin, Dave Hubbard, and Greg McCoy. Carol Tiderman was surface support. I was one of the first in and helped get packs down the entrance series. While the main science crew headed into the cave, I helped Greg set 2 bolts for the second drop. The bolts went in the ceiling making for a very nice on/off lip. Plus, a clean rope was very nice. We then met up with the science crew who were working at two sites. After a lot of working in tight, muddy, cramped conditions our time limit was finally up. Things got packed up and we started moving out at 4 pm. The ropes were very nice, and the top of the second drop was sweet. Greg and I used his haul system to pull packs up. We finally got out at 6:20 to a half inch of snow.

3/4: Lowmoor Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky and Bob Alderson. Bob and I drove up to Lowmoor to find and return the iron ladder that had been removed last year. See article on page 18.

3/7: Benedicts, WV. David Socky, Bob Alderson, and Bill Koerschner. We continued the survey up the Persinger Creek tributary, tying into Greg Springer’s REC survey. It was a warm sunny day. The survey started easy (I was sketching), but we soon got into a breakdown mess. Huge blocks with multiple levels and leads all over. It was an area that was complicated and hard to draw. There were high leads that were very scary to climb or would require bolts to do safely. We did one loop and surveyed 650 feet over 32 stations. I was a fun 8.7-hour trip.

3/11: Dunn's Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bill Koerschner, and Bob Alderson. We did more technical work in the sand/clay dig. We spent five hours working on the ceiling, making it big enough to continue to what looks like larger passage. The echo was really encouraging and there was some air. Next trip we’ll probably get through.

3/14: Benedicts Cave, WV. Participants included David Socky, Nick Socky, Rob Wardell, Sunny Martin. This was the WVACS project weekend, but we ended up with only our team, although Riley Stienaker did one shot at the third entrance solo. We continued the survey downstream in Persinger Creek after doing a short loop. We got to the point where the passage turned into an army/belly crawl. This is a section that Riley had wanted to do, so we went back to where we started and surveyed into the right-hand lead (which leads to the rest of the cave). There were a couple of spots through formations which were tight, one of which was close to my limit. We surveyed until we got to a large intersection (West Virginia Turnpike was one of them). At this point, I took over as sketcher and Sunny was point. We surveyed around 1250 feet on a 10-hour trip. After we finished cleaning up loops in the junction room, we did a quick jaunt down a crawl to go check out the drop into the main cave. On the way we had to go down and traverse in a canyon and do some sketchy down climbs and up climbs with 15 to 20 feet of exposure. Webbing handlines would be really helpful at these two spots. The drop into big passage looked pretty easy and was about 30 feet deep.

3/28: Hot Air Digs, WSP, VA. David Socky and the usual crew. More digging with a large crew. Really good air – hot and humid. It has to be Warm River air.

4/4: Hot Air Digs, WSP, VA. David Socky and the usual crew. Even on a 75 degree day, there was still plenty of air blowing out. After a number of hours of digging, we made a small breakout. Got down a tight man-sized vertical tube (6 feet long) to find 2 small sloping breakdown rooms. There is an easy dig into a crawlway that looks like it opens up after only a few feet of digging. To be continued…

4/8: Dogwood Cave, Reversing Vine Pit, and Hide-A-Hole Pit, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bill Koerschner, Joe Zokaites, Keith Sweeney, Jim Schurman, and Rick Lambert. Dave dropped the pit in Dogwood Cave to recover a temperature logger that a cave rat had gotten into and dropped down the pit. While Dave was doing Dogwood, Bill got bored and found two pits. Joe Zokaites surveyed Reversing Vine Pit. It was dead bottom and 25 feet deep. While Joe was doing this, the rest of the crew dug open Hide-A-Hole pit only a few feet away. Dave got in but was presented with a constriction 20 feet down. More digging will be required to get to the room that can be seen. The pit is probably around 40 feet deep, but there was not much air. To be continued….(Robber Walnut Cave was a 20-foot-deep slot Bill checked out that ended. It wasn’t surveyed)

4/10: Benedicts, WV. Participants included David Socky, Joe Zokaites, and Bill Koerschner. We surveyed the breakdown mess part way down the right-hand lead just before the Y intersection in Persinger Creek. We did the lower level and then the upper part and tied into NDT25 that we had left last month. We found the route into the upper tube that doubles back over the top of the lower passage. We looked at the end of the upper passage and Bill thought he could get through the tight flowstone crack. Little bit of air. Good lead if it goes. We surveyed 387 feet on a 7.5-hour trip.

4/11: Benedicts, WV. Participants included David Socky, Rob Wardell, and Chad Burrass. We were going to go to the big right-hand lead, but Chad couldn't fit through the tight spot near the start of our survey. Once I realized we wouldn't get to our goal, I saw on the map that a loop near the entrance hadn't been done yet. So, we headed back there and surveyed that. We got the loop done, tying into previous stations. We got 360 feet in the book for a nearly 7-hour trip.

4/15: Dunn's Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Joe Zokaites, and Amos Mincin. Amos was able to knock out a huge piece of the ceiling with his hammer and chisel. It was too big to move so Joe used our technical digging to reduce the rock to rubble. We moved a LOT of rock out. When all was said and done, it was easy to get into the next room. Joe and I surveyed while Amos worked on the next dig. Amos was eventually able to get into the next room only to discover, wait for it, another dig. We surveyed 50 feet.

3/21: Jonathan Constatine visited Island Ford Cave, VA again, and focused on the sump on the way to the Jackson River. He cleaned a total of 6 beer cans out of the water! It was tight down there.

3/22: Nick Schmalenberger, Deneshia Farris, and Bambi Marshall visited Pig Hole Cave, VA.

3/21: BRG trip to Helectite Cave, VA. Susan Burr was leader. It was a great trip, lots of outstanding photos, but we could not find our way into the Attic.

3/28: Nick Schmalenberger accompanied Greenbrier Grotto and a Boy Scout group into Haynes Cave, WV.

3??? : Jeff and Hillary Huffman, Theo, Stormy, Jess Hester, and Susan Burr took a ‘kid trip’ to Island Ford Cave, VA. The kids became more outgoing as the trip progressed. It was dry in the cave – no salamanders.

1/2026: Kamana Caves S.P. Hawaii – John and Lyn Pearson jointed tons of tourist spelunkers on the Big Island. The lava tube cave has two entrances, and beautiful ferns.

This Month’s grotto trip: Porter Cave, VA.

Next Month’s grotto trip: To be announced

Upcoming trips:

5/2- Graffiti cleanup in Lowmoor Cave, VA. Please RSVP (so they can plan for lunch, and what equipment you will bring) Camping is available at the RASS field station. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSef7OpD1QusR-tFsc_8iMPAqrUv96Ore-7ZhPJ2Nf25vFT-AQ/viewform

5/2-3 – Nick Schmalenberger, Eli Meyers , and group will be visiting Giant Caverns, VA and Pig Hole, VA. Camping has been permitted at the New River Cave Preserve property. Contact Nick for more information.

5/8-10 – SPRING VAR, at Endless Caverns, VA. See https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/spring-var--2026

BUSINESS MEETING

April 17, 2026 - BRG Treasury Report –

Fund Amounts

$ 147.96 Cave Bucks

$ 2.00 Conservation Fund

$ 144.12 Equipment Fund

$ 5,484.31 General Fund

$ 5,778.39 Total Funds

Committees:  

Newsletter –March DUMPs were published. Articles, photos wanted. Thanks for sending stuff in!

Membership – BRG has 51 members and 4 subscribers.

ROCKS – Wednesday trips to WSP Project; some Saturdays, too. Contact Dave Socky or Keith Sweeney.

Safety & Techniques – Apr. 11-12 Wilderness First Aid Class offered (NOLS) (RoCiP&R).

Membership Proposals:  None.

Old Business

· Please RSVP for the Lowmoor Cave Graffiti Clean-up. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSef7OpD1QusR-tFsc_8iMPAqrUv96Ore-7ZhPJ2Nf25vFT-AQ/viewform

· BRG has permission to have a cave kiosk/info table and squeezebox at Dixie Caverns for Cave Day, Saturday, June 6, 2026. Please sign up. 10a – 2p. Come out, wear your cave gear (or vertical cave gear!) and meet the public, tell them why you love caves.

o In addition, Koda the Big Brown Bat from SWVAWRC will be joining us from 10:30a -12:30p. Say Hi to Koda! BRG & individual cavers will cover the cost of Koda’s appearance,

o Motion: BRG will pay $250 for a two-hour visit from Koda. Individuals can chip in to cover costs, donate. Motion passes, with one abstention.

o If Koda cannot appear, Alt Bat Dave Socky will be put in a metal crate & fed gummi worms.

· The VA Cave Board wants to know of cave week activities so they can announce them. !! So do Dixie Caverns and SWVAWR for their web pages.

· Meadowbrook Library Cave Day, Shawsville, VA on 7/18/2026. 11a-3p for program, kiosk, and squeezebox., (plus set-up and takedown afterwards.) Who can help? Contact Marian 540-309-4707.

· 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 (FINAL)

· Dixie Caverns Conservation Project: The cave looks good. There will be opportunities for more work in the coming months. NOW is the time for the baby salamanders to appear. (Note: drought. Very few salamanders have been seen.

New Business

· Request for BRG to have a kiosk at BOCO WILD (Buchanan VA June 13, 2026.). No BRG could attend. Maybe in 2027.

· ACCA dues are due. BRG voted to renew at the $______ level.

· Does BRG want to take a summer break? Discussion. No Break. We will keep the June 19, July 17, and Aug 21 dates.

Announcements:

· Vote for your Favorite Five! Final Vote!

· 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 info.

· 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:

May 1-3, 2026 – VAR Conservation project at Lowmoor Cave, VA.

May 1-3, 2026 - Spring MAR, @ McClure Bean Soup and Festival grounds in McClure, PA. NEW DATE!!

May 8-10, 2026 – Spring VAR @ Endless Caverns, VA.

May 9-16: National NCRC Week-long will be in Mentone, AL

May 15, 2026 - BRG meeting 6p @ Famous Anthony’s – Brookside. Roanoke VA

May 22-24,2026- NEW!! Salem Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show, Salem Civic Center, 24153. $8 adult. www.americangemshow.com FaceBook salemgemshow

May 31-June 6: Virginia Cave Week

June 6 – VA Cave Day

June 6 – BRG Celebrates Cave Day at Dixie Caverns, VA. SWVAWC may join us

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.

7:46p Cold Beer!

Minutes submitted by Mary Sue Socky, Secretary