BLUE RIDGE GROTTO of the NSS
Monthly Meeting Minutes – via Zoom
January 15, 2021
Attendance:
Marian
McConnell – Chair Lauren
Appel – Vice Chair Dave
Socky – Treasurer
Mary
Sue Socky – Secretary Bob
Gulden Jen Suggs
Gene
Harrison Lynn
Ott Bill Walker
*Mystik
Miller Susan
Burr *Brianna
Bennett
Kevin
Johnson *Carrie
Doupnik *Pat
Banks
*Sharron
Vass *Blake
Jorden (* denotes guest)
Meeting called to order 7:01p by Chair Marian
McConnell.
After
introductions, guest speaker Bill Walker told us of his recent adventures in Columbia, South
America. Using PowerPoint and video,
Bill told of the El Penon, Columbia karst area he visited in December
2020. The area has been little explored, is covered,
and contains huge sinkholes, pits, and caves.
Bill hiked all over the high-altitude cloud forest with friends Jesus Fernandez Auderset, director of Espeleo-Colombia,
and cave
diver Dan Staley (Tampa Bay Area Grotto).
They found and explored Phantom Cave - a huge 300’ deep heart-shaped sinkhole pit. (See
video https://vimeo.com/266044084 ), and Cave of the Winds, which features a
400’ deep pit and 9000’ of cave. All
sort of neat things, including paleo art and fossils were discovered in this
cave. An upcoming article in the NSS
News will detail
their findings. Thanks for sharing your incredible adventure
with BRG, Bill!
12/9: McClung Cave, WV. David
Socky and Bill Koerschner. Surveyed the Beetle Run passage, including the
Beetle Run Room. Did not do any of the side leads to the north of Beetle Run
but did do the whole side lead that heads down close to the historic entrance.
However, we didn't finish, so one more trip will need to go to the end of that
passage. We surveyed a total of 1029 feet with 130 feet being new to the
survey. We were in the cave for 13 hours.
12/12: Maxwelton Cave, WV.
David Socky, Casey Tucker, and Nikki Fox - team 1. Nick Socky, Eric Pelkey, and
Carl Amundson - team 2. Nicks team got 901 feet of survey for a total of the
day of 1665 feet. We killed the leads at the end of the Crawlmaster 900. The
main canyon, the NordicTrack, ended in a slump, which, as it turns out, is
probably connected to the Die Autobahn. It is only 94 feet and pretty much at
the same elevation (7 feet). Nick, Carl, Nikki, and I entered Friday night at
about 5:30pm. It took us 4 hours to get to camp. Nick carried a rope in for
Cousin It Pit. Nick and Nikki also blasted some of the rock away from the top
of Cousin It Pit to make it easier to get on and off rope. A redirect was also
installed. Eric and Casey showed up around midnight. Since our lead ended in
the NordicTrack, we got back to camp early, around 11pm. Carl and I led the
way-out Sunday morning.
12/19: McClung Cave, WV.
Participants: David Socky, Bill Koerschner, Philip Balister, & Bob
Alderson. Surveyed from Second Breakdown toward the First Breakdown where we
tied into Nick's survey team that went from the Gate toward us with the ADH
survey. It was a 12-hour trip with 1621
feet surveyed.
12/27: McClung Cave, WV.
Participants included David Socky, Greg Springer, Bill Koerschner, and Bob Alderson.
Surveyed the main connector between the passage after the First Breakdown and
the Junction Complex (DAN survey). Nick, Alex, and Jonny surveyed in the First
Breakdown. Our survey designation was GDS for Geezer Deluxe Survey. It was a
12-hour trip with 1413 feet surveyed.
1/3/2021: McClung Cave, WV.
Participants included David Socky, Greg Springer, Bill Koerschner. Lower level
of breezeway from turnoff to Junction Complex toward the gate. We also did the
stream bypass between the Breezeway and the passage after the First Breakdown.
Both Greg and I sketched. Nick Socky, Alex Faunce, and Jonny Prouty surveyed in
the First Breakdown, but we never saw them. Also, Shawn Hogbin and Coleman
McHose surveyed beyond the Muddy's on Saturday and got 1181 feet of survey. It
was a productive weekend.
1/9/2021: McClung Cave, WV.
Participants included David Socky, Chris Coates, David Smallwood-team 1. Nikki
Fox, Bill Koerschner, and Carl Amundson-team 2. Nick Socky and Alex Faunce-team
3. Between all three teams we surveyed 2000 feet. Nick and Alex started Bat
bone Crawl. Nikki and team surveyed the lead south of the Junction Complex, and
we surveyed the downstream side lead off the Breezeway that carries the Cupola
Canyon water, plus we did the lead off the Beetle Room. Our survey was wet in
belly crawl with lots of mud tossed in. Nikki's survey passage was dry.
1/10/2021: Porter Cave, VA. Susan Burr, Lauren Appel, Jeff & Hillary
Huffman, and Mystik Miller did a 3 ½ hour trip into Porter Cave. Susan and Hillary toured the Big Room while
the others squirmed through the Keyhole to parts beyond and back.
UPCOMING
TRIPS
·
January Grotto trip – James Cave, VA. Next Saturday, 1/23/2021. Meet 9am @
HROM. Email Susan Burr pondlady97@gmail.com to sign up.
·
February 2021 Grotto trip – to be
announced.
BUSINESS
MEETING
TREASURER’S REPORT
(Dave Socky)
Cave
Bucks 0.00
Conservation 0.00
Equipment 133.87
General 3289.67
TOTAL $3423.54 (1/15/2021)
Committees:
NEWSLETTER
(Dave & MarySue Socky) Thanks for your support; send in articles, photos,
and reports, and we’ll print it or use it as a newsletter cover!
MEMBERSHIP
– Pay your dues! There are only a few
stragglers. BRG currently has 45 members
and 5 subscribers for 2021.
ROCKS
– (D. Socky) been surveying in West Virginia.
SAFETY & TECHNIQUES
– (D. McConnell) Nothing.
OLD BUSINESS
–
·
All
Grotto meetings will be held virtually via ZOOM until further notice.
OLD BUSINESS (cont.) –
· Porter Cave Project (Susan Burr). Susan recently met with Alan Stanton, a former BRG member from Covington. Alan has offered to make the ladder for free and may possibly supply parts for free.
o There is a question on the culvert about its shape. It may be an ‘arched’ culvert instead of oval. The ‘arched’ culvert may be flat on one side. If that is the case, it may need to be larger in size than what was originally specified.
o A budget for the project has yet to be drawn up. The cost is estimated to be less than $500.
o It was suggested that since 2021 Fall VAR is supposed to be at the RASS site in Bath Co. VA, maybe we do the Porters Gate project then as a VAR conservation project, headed by the BRG.
o One of the points made was that we are really in no hurry because of COVID. A summertime/fall timeframe would be better because more people should be vaccinated by then and COVID should be less of an issue.
NEW BUSINESS
–
·
Does BRG wish
to make a single-time donation to CaveSim?
After a short discussion, the amount of $50.00 was suggested, and the
YES vote was by acclimation. PASSED.
·
New Home for
BRG in 2022? Once we can hold in-person
meetings, where do we meet? We could go
back to Jersey Lily’s if the space is available. Or we could go somewhere new. If you are out and about and find yourself in
a restaurant you like, inquire about meeting rooms. We need a convenient place a private meeting
room with Wi-Fi, TV, food service for 20 or so, and no rental charge for the
room if everyone orders food. Report
any suggestions to the grotto officers.
·
Vote for Your
Favorite Five! Each year, CARBIDE
DUMP covers win awards in the NSS Convention. BRG cavers know how to select the
winners! Vote for your favorite five
covers (or one cover five times). Covers
are in the Jan. 2021 DUMP.
Send votes to sockymss@cox.net Vote well & often!
Announcements:
·
Remember
that some caves are closed in the winter for bats – please respect all cave
closures. VA - Winter closure dates: Oct.15 - Apr.15.
WV - Winter closure dates: Sept.1 – May 15.
·
Spring VAR
2021 has officially been cancelled rescheduled to Spring 2022.
·
2021 Grand
Caverns Cleanup has officially been cancelled, rescheduled in 2022.
2021
CAVER CALENDAR:
·
Next BRG meeting is February 19, 2021
via ZOOM.
·
Jun 28 – Jul 2, 2021 NSS Convention in Weed,
CA.
·
Aug 13-15, 2021 Karst O Rama @ Great Saltpetre
Cave Preserve, Mt. Vernon KY
·
2021 Fall VAR @ RASS Fieldstation in Bath Co.,
VA
Meeting adjourned 8:06p.
Cold Beer!
Minutes Submitted
by
Mary Sue Socky
Secretary,
Blue Ridge
Grotto of the NSS