Blue Ridge Grotto of the NSS
MEETING MINUTES
March 15, 2013 - 7:30p – Vinton Firehouse
Attendance:
Dave Socky –Vice Susan Burr Pat Sims Marian
McConnell – Chair
Trish Geiger Mary Sue Socky – Sec. Al Stewart Stephanie Petri – Treas.
*Thomas Mitchell Carl Cornett *Ivy Lidstone Cyndi Hutchison
*Eric Hill *Adam Dorris *David
Tudge
* denotes guest.
Trip Reports:
2/23/2013: Pat Sims, Doug Feller & Susan
Burr were going to take a group of Roanoke College students to Paxton Cave, VA. When they arrived at
the College, there were 8 participants. After kicking half of them out for NOT
having boots or proper clothes (long pants) they were down to 4. Susan reported
“Since Pat & Doug & I were already there we decided we would still take
them on the trip. We watched them all get their helmets assigned to them.
I even told the girl last time to always take an extra helmet or two. When we
arrived at the cave they got out of the van & asked if we had an extra
helmet. Apparently they forgot a helmet. I cancelled the trip right then &
once I sent them on their way, Doug, Pat & I went caving. We played around
in the front maze, finally figured out where we were, then Doug let me lead in.
We did end up climbing up into the section to look for the Worm Garden, but of
course we did not find it! We did a lot of crawling up there though. I would
say we were in the cave about 2-3 hours. It was a quick, but fun trip. I did a
pretty good job of knowing “exactly where we are!”
2/23/2013
Gap Cave, VA: David Socky, Stephanie
Petri, Bob Alderson, Joe Zokaites, Matt Tomlinson. Entered cave at
11:55am. Split up into two groups. At
end of the Little Big Room, Stephanie and Dave headed upstream past the turn
off for Cascade Extension while the rest went to do the "Worm Hole"
in the Big Dork area. Stephanie and David surveyed the crawlway at the end of
the LX survey (171 feet) and then did the Bypass Crawl that bypasses the stream
when you get down to the stream from the Little Big Room. We headed out at 11:30pm and exited the cave
at 3am. Bob and others got out of the
cave at 5am.
2/23/2013: Rescue in Norman Cave, WV. Two new
cavers from Northern NJ Grotto attempted a thru trip from Bone Cave to Norman Cave. They got through the Devils Pinch, the maze,
and got to the Norman waterfall, but could not figure out how to get up/around
it, so they turned around, tried to retrace their steps, and got lost. (They were SO Close to the Norman Entrance;
if they had a third, experienced caver with them who knew the way, they would have
had no problems.) WVACS cavers did an
initial search for the overdue cavers, and then called VPI Cave Club to help,
with BRG as standby. Nick Socky went up
with VPI to search. The lost cavers were
found, everyone was out of the cave by 3a Sunday.
3/9/2013
Maxwelton Cave, WV: Bob Alderson,
David Socky. Two
person survey trip during WVACS Weekend.
They decided to tackle the area around the old Airport Entrance and the
Hangar Room. They climbed high, crawled
through phreatic passage, kicked loose rocks, found
“fan-like” rimstone dams, water, and a floor of black calcite. They found an old climbing pole, too. They left one high lead to check on another
trip. Their 9.5 hour survey trip netted
350 feet of passage.
3/8-10,
2013: Stephanie Petri and Brian Williams went to the Cave Cavort in Williston, FL.
They snorkeled in Ginny Springs/Santa Fe River, Blue Hole/Ichetucknee
Springs.
3/9: Brian Williams, Stephanie Petri and
several FLA cavers visited a “dry” cave, the
Catacombs. It was a 4 hour
trip. You have to squeeze thru the tiny
gate opening, then prussic down a 70’ slope to the Florida aquifer! It was gorgeous, clear, 70F blue water
(blue water & springs denotes deep water).
Stephanie did not pee in the aquifer.
Oh yeah, there were lots of active, healthy bats in the Catacombs, and the fossils in the cave
walls are incredible. After that, Brian
and Stephanie went to Archer, FL to visit a bunch of small “Archer Caves” amongst the Live Oaks
(Trip Reports – cont.)
and Spanish
Moss. They visited Catfish Cave, Alligator Lair, Dessert Cave (Brian’s favorite,
contains nice draperies and flowstone) and Dolphin
Cave. In Dolphin Cave, Stephanie found almost complete stone crab fossils in
the limestone walls.
3/10: They went “gator watching”, then got
in the truck for a 9 hour drive back to VA.
Stephanie hopes to make a program on her most excellent journey.
3/13/2013:
Nick Socky, Tommy Poulson, Daniel Bishop, Calvin Long, and a Park Ranger
checked out several small caves in ”The
Cedars” area of Lee Co. VA during “Filthy Young Women” (FYW). They were exploring the longest cave, a
200-footer, and found a 20’ pit in the back.
Nick and Tommy did a hasty rappel into the pit to check for leads at the
bottom (it did not go) and then discovered – they could not hand-over-hand up the
webbing. Still, they tried for an hour
or so. The folks at the top were very
entertained. The Park Ranger went for
help. Wil Orndorff appeared about an
hour later, with a rope, harness, and full climbing gear. Nick and Tommy owe Wil and VPI a keg over
this rescue. BTW, the cave shall be
known as Lesson Learned Cave, VA.
Upcoming Trips:
·
3/16: Grotto Ridgewalk: BRG will visit Blue Ridge Vineyards
to check out caves on the property. There
is a sinkhole at the top of a hill, and a possible resurgence. Marian McConnell is trip leader. Carl Cornett will bring a rope, in case they
find vertical caves.
·
3/23: Susan Burr will be leading a beginner cave
trip to Porter Cave, VA. Contact Susan if you want to go caving.
·
4/19: BRG trip planned to Poor Farm Cave, Greenbrier Co. WV.
Pat Sims is leader.
·
5/18: There will
be many cave trips offered at Spring VAR. Go caving!
·
6/22: possible rescheduled trip to Steele’s Cave, WV. Dave Socky is leader.
Program: the second half of video “Blanchard Springs Caverns, AR”.
Beautiful commercial cave!
BUSINESS MEETING
TREASURER’S REPORT (Stephanie
Petri):
3/15/2013 Balance Sheet
Petty Cash 110.00
General Fund 3,824.94
Conservation 266.59
Equipment 225.36
Cave Bucks 164.30
TOTAL BALANCE:
$4,481.19
NEWSLETTER –
Thanks for the artwork and articles! Extra hardcopies of the DUMP are available
at meetings.
MEMBERSHIP –
See Susan Burr to pick up your membership packets. BRG has 50 members, 3 subscribers.
ROCKS –tomorrow
is the Botetourt Co. search for caves.
SAFETY & TECHNIQUES – Dan will set up vertical sessions at Catawba Murder
Hole if people want to practice. Also, thank
you to everyone who volunteers for cave rescue call outs!
MEMBERSHIP PROPOSALS – Ivy Lidstone submitted her membership letter. Carl Cornett is sponsoring Ivy, and proposed
her membership in BRG. Susan Burr seconded.
Ivy’s membership is tabled until the next meeting.
OLD BUSINESS:
·
Dixie Caverns
Cleanup – no word from Dixie. Mary Sue
Socky will inquire.
·
BSA Troop 221
cave presentation went well. Cave trip? Probably nothing until the fall.
(Old Business – continued)
·
BRG Grant
Proposal: “Should BRG offer a small grant to members who wish to further their
training/rescue skills, provided the attendee will share their knowledge/skills
with the grotto? Discussion:
o Pat Sims does
not think it is a good idea; it would “open a can of worms” and may cause
problems, favoritism, BRG money should not go toward individual equipment or
advancement.
o Dave Socky suggested that perhaps BRG could put a cap
on the amount.
o Pat Sims would agree to a “student-type grant” for
someone who is destitute and really needs the money.
o Marian suggested that, BRG cavers can privately help
each other. Since there is resistance to
the proposal, we should “put this discussion on the shelf”. Proposal is tabled indefinitely.
NEW BUSINESS:
·
Rick Lambert of
VSS has contacted Mary Sue Socky to see if BRG would be interested in helping
re-mark the Breathing Cave trail blazes. Do we want to help? BRG members want to help, with marking,
getting rid of downed trees, etc. Good
dates would be April 13, April 14. MSS
will get back with Rick on the offer of help, and dates.
·
River Rock
Climbing Wall opened 3/13/2013. Carl
Cornett went to check it out, said it was small, but nice, with reasonable
rates. Perhaps BRG can rent it for a
vertical training session.
·
Victoria Keenum
of the BRFAL chapter of VA Master Naturalist contacted Mary Sue Socky, wants an
outreach on bats, a cave trip, and educational posters, handouts. Her requests would be at least three
outreaches (not sure what she wants).
She said she will get back with BRG.
Marian mentioned this group might be happier with a “Project
Underground” workshop.
·
Some BRG lights
need replacing. They have black MOLD
growing in the reflectors! BRG voted 9
yes, 1 no to replace three lights with the $15.00 Energizer lights at Wal-Mart.
·
Susan Burr
requested that she be able to borrow helmets, lights for her upcoming beginner
cave trip. BRG OK’d the request.
·
A new animated
movie, “The Croods” (DreamWorks) about a family of cave people is coming to
theaters. Would we like to have another
“BRG at the Movies” date? YES, Marian
will check into dates and times.
ANNOUNCEMENTS, MAIL BAG, ETC.
·
NEW WNS Decon
protocols – HOT water (122 F) for 20 min.
will kill WNS spores
·
Spring VAR is now May 17-19, 2013, @ Camp Buckskin, near Marlinton, WV. Hosted by Tri-State Grotto.
·
NO May 17 BRG
meeting. Go to Spring VAR instead!
·
Spring MAR has
moved its date to May 4-5, 2013 so it will not conflict with Spring VAR.
·
NSS Convention 2013 will be in Shippensburg, PA, Aug
5-9, 2013. Forms on desk. Mail in your registration with a check today to save the NSS money. Pre-registration special discount ends
1/31/2013.
·
MURDER HOLE book by Marian McConnell is available and is selling
like hotcakes!
o Marians next book signing is 7p, March 19, 2013, at
the Fincastle Library.
o Marian’s next book signing is 7p, April 15, 2013, at
the Salem Historical Society.
o NSS members can get discount if they order MURDER
HOLE through the NSS Office.
Meeting adjourned at 8:55p.
Minutes Submitted by
Mary
Sue Socky
BRG Secretary