BLUE RIDGE GROTTO

Meeting Minutes

September 16, 2011

Vinton Fire House, VA 7:30p

Attendance:

Mary Sue Socky, Vice	Dave Socky	Al Stewart (Fossil #1)
Marian McConnell, Secty	Alan Staton	Doug Feller
Trish Geiger, Treas	Susan Burr	Nichole Smith*
Dusty Gulden*	Becky Frederickson*

*Guest

1. CAVE TRIPS:

Maxwellton, WV – July 16^th trip – had to do a redirect at the “hanging rock of death.” It was a fun cave. Pat Sims, Doug Feller, Alan Staton, Carl Cornett, Aaron Moses (trip leader) all went.

Links and Smokehole, VA – August 20^th – Susan Burr, Pat Sims, Trish Geiger, Doug Feller (leader), and Stephanie Petri went. They saw lots of spiders and found out Stephanie hates them. In Smokehole they went back to the big room and another group was in the cave. They went out through the water exit.

Culverson Creek, WV – September 4^th, Susan Burr, Aaron Moses (leader), Doug Feller, Pat Sims, Brian Wilson, Bill Walker, Carl Cornett, and Stephanie Petri all went. Lots of monster “UFO” bugs. Nice and warm; but some stinky organic areas. They went in the culvert entrance and went to see the big log jam, then exited through the Culverson Creek entrance.

Dave Socky climbed Granite Peak in Montana (3 videos).

OTR – September 3-5 – Trish Geiger, Al, Becky; OTR “virgins” had to do a naked beer run. Attendance was 1,542. It was hot and humid. Becky’s son, Eli, was the overall winner and won $175.

NSS 2011 Convention (Dave, Mary Sue, and Nicholas Socky): July 18: "The Fairy Caves", Glenwood Springs Adventure Park, CO. NSS Howdy Party. Visited Upper Caverns to Inspiration Point and back, then patiently waited in line for entry in the "Lower Caverns". Lots of limonite in the entrance area. Then down the long stairsteps and through the second airlock into this beautiful room! Alan and Meredith Weberg were in our group. July 20: visited the Yampah Vapor Caves, Glenwood Springs CO. Nick Socky, Mary Sue Socky, and various other "lounge abouts" paid for a nice afternoon in the hot springs caves along the Colorado River. That water was HOT!!! Place had just re-opened (water levels had been too high). Some rooms were empty because there was ankle deep hot water pooling on the floors. So everyone squeezed into one or two steam rooms. Interesting - natural caverns created by hot springs, used by the Ute Tribes, then the settlers and now cavers. July 25: Drove up on the White River Plateau, accidently found the entrance to Groaning Cave, CO. (Cave is closed, gated). We stayed in the parking lot, admiring the view, but a group of non-cavers did hike over there. It has been 25 years since we were last up on that plateau! July 29?: Dave, Nick and Mary Sue Socky attempted to visit Black Bart's Cave, in Casa Bonita (Denver CO) but were stopped by three CB employees, who insisted that each person had to buy an overpriced pseudo-Mexican dinner BEFORE they could visit the cave. The Socky's declined, and left the building.

Aug. 13: WVACS 50th Anniversary! Dave, Nick and Mary Sue Socky visited Maxwelton Cave, WV. Mary Sue, Tanya McLaughlin, Julie NLN Dave NLN, another guy, and "Snakeman" stopped at the rebelay. Their group was escorted out by Dave Socky, who then returned to the drop and did the rest of Maxwelton with Errol Glidden, Drew Toth, and Nick Socky.

Aug. 27: Mary Sue, Dave Socky and Pat Sims went up for the day to Fountain Cave, VA. Worked with Jim McConkey, etc. on the old trail route. Took Grand Caverns Manager and her granddaughter? grandniece? along, showed them what projects were ongoing in Fountain. Came home in blinding rain from the hurricane.

Sept. 10: Group of WVACS cavers went to Piercy's Mill Cave, WV for Dale Lofland's LAST wild cave trip. Phil Murray led; Dale, Bob Frostick, Chuck and Claire Frostick, Tommy and Sam, and Mary Sue Socky got all the way into the back, where the HUGE rimstone dams are. Was a 6 hour trip.

BRG Annual Pool Party – August 21^st – Had a rain storm but had fun too. Mary Sue exploded the grill. Marian posted group photo on Facebook.

September BRG trip will be to Norman Cave on September 17th; meet at HROM. There have been accidents in this cave at the waterfall.

October BRG trip will be to Giant Caverns in Narrows, VA on October 22^nd – Dan McConnell will lead and Susan Burr will contact the owner for permission. Please RSVP to Marian McConnell. BRG members have priority.

2. PROGRAM: Second half of “Nula Bore Dreaming” from 1989.

3. TREASURER’S REPORT:

Petty Cash 100.00

General 4,820.00

Conservation 266.59

Equipment 246.12

Cave Bucks 143.30

TOTAL 5,576.01

4. NEWSLETTER: Thanks for all the submissions; can always use artwork, articles, photos, etc. Our February 2010 cover won a Merit Award at the 2011 NSS Convention.

5. MEMBERSHIP: 57.

6. ROCKS: Nothing. VSS meeting is next morning during VAR.

7. SAFETY: Let Dan McConnell know of any safety and techniques training ideas you have.

8. MEMBERSHIP PROPOSALS: None.

9. OLD BUSINESS:

a. Need to send updated cave info to the Roanoke Outside webpage still pending.

b. Cave Rescue communication streamlining still pending.

c. Celebrate Catawba – Marian handed out lots of Bat, Cave, and WNS info at the August 13^th event.

10. NEW BUSINESS:

a. BRG Christmas Cards – bring design ideas to next month’s meeting.

b. BRG Christmas Party – Marian and Dan are willing to have it at their place – will discuss at next month’s meeting.

c. Nominations for Officers at next month’s meeting.

11. ANNOUNCEMENTS:

a. Movie “Contagion” blamed the virus on bats; BCI concerned about the bad rap this gives bats.

b. WNS – Little browns are showing some resistance to WNS.

c. TAG Cave In will be October 7-9.

d. Fall VAR will be October 14-16; Mary Sue has directions if you need them.

e. Bridge Day (New River Gorge) is October 15^th.

f. The 2012 NSS Convention will be in Lewisburg, WV June 25-29.