BLUE RIDGE GROTTO of the NSS
Monthly Meeting Minutes – Jersey Lily’s Salem, VA
April 15, 2022
Attendance:
Marian McConnell – Chair Dave Socky -
Treasurer Mary Sue
Socky – Secretary
Lauren Appel – Vice Chair Larry Manning Nick Schmalenberger
Jeff Huffman Susan
Burr Karen
Kastning
Lynn Ott Kevin Johnson Carrie Doupnik
*Kelly Perkins (*
denotes guest)
Meeting called to order
6:37p by Chair Marian McConnell. Everyone was welcomed, Introductions were
made.
Trip reports:
3/19/2022: McClung Cave,
WV. Participants included David Socky
and Bob Alderson. Bob did the bolt climb/traverse in the breakdown room at the
end of Musser's Mess. We surveyed 235 feet (200 included) but it ended in a
breakdown collapse. The passage was nice walking trunk 7 to 10 feet high by 20
to 30 feet wide. Too bad it ended. Nice 8-hour trip.
3/23: McClung Cave, WV. Participants included David Socky and Carl Amundson.
Carl Amundson and I did a great 12-hour mid-week trip into McClung Cave. We
surveyed 1050 feet in the Seven Fingers area which included about 328 feet of
new (but not virgin) cave. In the new passage, we were only stopped by a tight,
but 3- foot diggable squeeze which opened back up into going passage.
3/27: McClung Cave, WV. Participants included David Socky and Bill
Koerschner. Finished off the fourth finger of Seven Fingers. We dug through the
lead we left last trip and surveyed a bunch more new stuff. I estimate we got
around 400 feet of new cave on a nice 13-hour trip. Our total survey for the
day was 807 feet.
4/1: McClung Cave, WV. Participants included David Socky and Joe Zokaites.
No joke, on Friday, April 1, we finished the survey of finger number 5 in the
Seven Fingers area of McClung Cave, except for 3 high leads (nails/bolts) and
one ‘small person’ lead. We surveyed a total of 918 feet, of which about 240
was new footage. It was a good 12.5-hour trip.
4/6: McClung Cave, WV. Participants included David Socky, Joe Zokaites, and
Bill Koerschner. Surveyed the 7th Finger in the Seven Fingers area (skipped the
narrow 6th Finger). Mostly big walking passage except for the very end, which
was a low, wet, and muddy crawl off the right side of the main passage. We did
one shot down a mucky belly crawl where at the end, Joe couldn't fit. Bill went
in to check it out and was able to get through. He got into a segment of 20
foot wide by 50-foot-long trunk passage which was bounded by breakdown but
reported that could possibly get through with judicial use of a hammer. Bill
says he saw maybe 80 to 100 feet of passage that we still need to survey. It
was not virgin, but definitely is not on the old map. Both Joe and Bill got
totally slimed, after which they didn't feel enthused about surveying the 6th
Finger. We headed out about 7pm and exited to a warm evening with no rain at
9pm. We surveyed 1040 feet on a good 10.5-hour trip.
4/10: Red Skull Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Susan Burr, Doug
Feller, and Jeff Huffman. Owners: Tasha Lacks, Jessie Lacks, Xander Lacks
(son), and friend Nelson Oliver. This is the small cave we checked out for the
Lacks. They had contacted Susan about a cave they wanted checked. Turned out to
be 350 feet long, with two parallel passages and a buried ammo box. Lots of
coon poop. Very dry. Everything ended eventually. No digs or small squeezes.
4/13: Catfish Pit, VA. Participants included Socky, Brian Williams, and Joe
Zokaites. The owner had contacted cavers via Facebook. Steph Petri, Brian, and
I were supposed to go out in February, but heavy rains cancelled the trip. This
time we made it. It was reported to be a six second pit! We were expected at
most a 100-foot pit. Turned out to be a very nice 135-foot-deep virgin pit up
near the top of the ridge near Lower Copper Creek. It was a bit of a steep
climb to get to it. We put a 160-foot rope in first, but it seemed like it
wasn't on the bottom. Jaydon actually offered to run down to Brian’s truck and
bring back the 300-foot rope. We accepted the offer. That one was long enough.
Brian went first, then I went down, then Joe. The 160-foot rope was just barely
touching the bottom. Nice fluted walls and a free fall rappel. The floor was
covered in logs, branches, and leaves with the northern end dipping down a few
feet to where the water drained through the dirt. The diameter as about 30 feet
by 15 feet. There were a couple of little leads at the bottom, but they were
way too tight little drain cracks. There was a high lead near the top against
the back wall, but it would take some funky bolting to get to it and the
likelihood of it doing anything is low.
4/13: Catfish Caverns, VA. Participants included David Socky, Brian Williams,
and Joe Zokaites. Jaydon told us about another caver along the ridge, so we
checked it out. Beautiful large entrance at the base of a limestone headwall
near the top of the ridge. The entrance was large and dropped steeply down into
the hillside. Steep dirt slopes covered with leaves with one spot being a drop
off of about 5 feet. We put a rope down for a handline, which made the climb
back up a lot easier. The slope closed down to a smaller opening and eventually
developed into a narrow tall canyon that wound around north, south, and then
finally east were it got too tight at a 55-foot narrow dome. A rock hammer
could potentially be used to know off fins and protrusion to make it possible
to progress a little more into the narrow canyon. But it probably is too tight
to continue. The canyon is old and phreatic with very old formations and
flowstone. It was pretty dry except for dome where it was a bit drippy. Plus a
bunch of brown banded crickets were living back there. The canyon was about 50
to 60 feet high, but it was narrow. We had to climb up off the floor where we
could traverse. We surveyed a total of 183 feet.
4/14: Lowmoor Cave, VA. Participants included Socky and Jessica Bowser.
Jessica Bowser does a Podcast on Virginia outdoors activities. She went on a
trip to Butler with Mark Hodge back in May 2021. I took her to Lowmoor, and we
spent about 5 hours touring the cave. She took lots of photos and videos with
her phone. She did well and enjoyed the trip very much.
3/19: James Cave VA (BRG trip).
Participants included Doug Feller, Susan Burr, Lauren Appel, Jeff
Huffman, Nick Schmalenberger, Kelly Perkins.
Nice trip. Went in main entrance,
exited via the roadside entrance – Thru trip!
Date??: Cricket
Maze Cave, WV. Participants included Lynn Ott, Gene
Harrison, Bob Gulden, Dusty, Odin and Orion Gulden, Kim Fleischman, and one other. This
was basically a “surface trip” to clean up and repair the property. Of course the gate was checked and
entered! Cricket Maze Cave is doing
fine.
4/3: Nick
Schmalenberger, Jason Delafield, Alex Faunce, Jason Davidoff visited Pig
Hole, VA. They did the
Eliminator. Below ground vertical
work. Jason (which
one?) was bolt climbing, trying to ascend a tight chimney. They entered and exited via the “dug”
backdoor culvert entrance.
4/9: Larry Manning and
NCRC cavers have been doing many scouting trips for the upcoming NCRC Weeklong
in July 2022.
Lowmoor Quarry and Lowmoor Cave, VA were checked out. WVACS cavers took them to a bunch of WV
caves, including McClung (historic and Lightner entrances) and Higginbotham
Caves 1-3.
4/10: Larry Manning scouted out Crossroads Cave, VA
and the cliffs at Clarks Cave, VA for NCRC. The Weeklong NCRC classes have been moved to
Dabney Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, VA.
4/15: Karen Kastning and a few NRVG folk did yet another
cleanup at Hickman Cemetery Road/James Cave, VA. They collected 21 bags of garbage. Karen found a backpack with personal info and
8 credit cards, etc. – the police were notified because this appeared to be
stolen property. Never a dull moment
when you are cleaning up an ‘dumping area’.
Good job, NRVG!!
4/12: Marian McConnell and Cole Frantz invited friends in a
hiking group (Tom, Beth, Frank, and Melissa) to see Catawba Murder Hole, VA
and the Miracle Ridge property.
UPCOMING TRIPS
Tomorrow Sat. 4/16/2022: BRG trip to Cave Spring Cave, Lexington,
VA. Sign up with Susan Burr.
Next Month’s Trip – To be announced. Since there will not be a May BRG meeting,
look for cave trip info in the CARBIDE DUMP and via Susan Burr. There
will be many interesting cave trips at Spring VAR, too.
BUSINESS MEETING
4/15/2022 BRG Treasury
Report – Dave Socky, Treasurer
Fund Amounts
$ 15.96 Cave Bucks
$ 1.00 Conservation Fund
$ 104.12 Equipment Fund
$ 4199.20 General
Fund
$ 4320.28 Total Funds
*Cave Bucks: All Cave Bucks donations are voluntary; funds
go to cave conservation programs.
Committees:
Newsletter – Another
successful DUMP. We mail 10-11 DUMPS
each month. Postage will be going up to
.60 in June 2022.
Membership – BRG has 56 members
and 5 subscribers. There is voting on a
membership application tonight, AND a new membership application.
ROCKS – Surveyed Cow Cave, VA, and Red Skull Cave, VA.
Both are in Botetourt Co., VA.
S&T - Dan’s shoulder replacement went well. He has many more months of post-op and
rehab.
Membership Proposals: Pat Banks, one of Al
Stewart’s former students and member of VWCCCC (1960’s). Pat could not attend this BRG meeting. Mary
Sue Socky is Pat’s sponsor. VOTE – 11 in
favor; Pat Banks is BRG’s newest
member.
Kelly Perkins submitted her BRG application. Susan Burr is Kelly’s sponsor; seconded by
Lauren Appel. Kelly’s application is
tabled until the June 15 BRG meeting. (Because
there is no May BRG meeting. Go to MAR/VAR!)
Old Business:
BRG Call-down rescue list
updates. Our current call down list has
3 contacts. Is anyone interested? No response.
Show
Cave Conservation cleanups – Endless Caverns, VA cleanup is April 22-23, 2022.
You must pre-register. A future cleanup at Dixie Caverns may happen in the
summer/fall of 2022. Dixie Caverns is
closed on Tuesdays.
MedWAR Challenge course (N. Schmalenberger) Did not
happen. He and Mystik Miller could not
find a third team member.
NO
May BRG Meeting (how many times will this be mentioned?)
New
Business
(Karen Kastning) A
Celebration of the Life of John W. Fox , caver, father, husband, brother,
friend, “dancing bear”, lover of bats, music and people will be held on May 22,
2022, at 2pm at Unity Christian Church , 400 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA.( via
I-81 X104 ) Anyone wishing to
visit with the family is welcome to the family home after the 2p service. Address 204 Fifth Street, Radford, VA.
On
Monday, May 23, 2022 John will be interred at the Southwest Virginia Veterans
Cemetery at 11am. There will be a short
service with military honors. The address is 5550 Bagging Plant Road, Dublin,
Virginia. All are welcome to attend.
Tyler Huth, post grad.
Student in MO, requests water samples in caves across the USA. Drips, streams, lakes are OK. He needs one to two samples per cave; vials
will be provided. (See email). Dave Socky is interested, will contact Tyler
directly.
(Susan Burr) suggested
that BRG and Greenbrier Grotto combine forces, purchase “group tickets” and go
on the Beckley Coal Mine tour. (15+
people are required for a group discount.
Susan motioned that BRG agree and participate in this outing, sometime
in Summer 2022. Second by Marian
McConnell, Nick Schmalenberger, MarySue Socky.
This may be done in place of a grotto/cave weekend.)
American Cave Conservation
Association (ACCA) is contacting all members to help a grassroots effort to
stop a highway being built in Indiana.
Please write to the names, addresses of IN state officials and tell them
the road is not needed and to support the NO BUILD OPTION. (See email)
Announcements:
·
Congratulations to Bob Gulden on receiving the Karst
Water Institute Award!
·
Karst Workshop Karst Workshop,
Fairlawn, VA. Contact nicole@nvrc.org (see flyer)
·
Spring
Restoration will be held @ ENDLESS CAVERNS Apr. 22-24, 2022. You must pre-register so there will be a head
count for Saturday dinner.
·
Hopefully CaveSim will be coming to the VA/MD area
this fall 2022!
·
Last chance to register for the
Karst Field Studies 2022 program, Bowling Green, KY.
·
Al Stewart updates.
·
Pandemic Caving – let’s be healthy going
underground. Rules have been posted in
the DUMP.
·
Closure for bat caves
o West Virginia Still Closed.
These caves may be open May 15 – Sept. 1
o Virginia
Open. These caves may be open
Apr. 15 – Oct 15.
o Reminder: there are summer cave closures for bat
maternity colonies, too.
2022 CAVER
CALENDAR:
Apr 15: BRG meeting, 6:30p, Jersey Lily’s-Salem, VA.
April 22-24 –Spring Restoration @ Endless Caverns, VA. Contact Meredith Weberg merecaver@yahoo.com to register. Free camping.
Apr 30: Silers Cave Open House. Contact Jim McConkey at mcjames@verizon.net for more info
May 3-4 – Karst Workshop, Fairlawn, VA. Contact nicole@nvrc.org (see flyer) NEW
May 13-15 – SEKCI 2022, in SE KY. Hosted by Pine Mountain Grotto (see card). NEW
May 20 – NO BRG MEETING! Go to VAR!
May 20-22, 2022 – Spring VAR/MAR, @ Grand
Caverns -preregistration is OPEN! $33 pre-, $38 on-site. There will be pancakes
and hot coffee on Sunday morning (a$ a fundrai$er).
May 22- John Fox Memorial Service, Radford,
VA 2p.
NEW
June 3-5 – NCRC (OCR) at the Upper Tract
Training Center in Upper Tract WV. See
newsletter. NEW
June 5-11 – Virginia Cave Week
June 13-17, 2022 – NSS Convention, Rapid City SD.
June 17: BRG meeting, 6:30p, Jersey
Lily’s-Salem, VA.
July 8-10: WVACS
Classic, at fieldstation in Renick, WV.
NEW
July 8-10: Karst-O-Rama, Great Saltpetre Cave
Preserve, Mt. Vernon, KY http://karstorama.com
July 16-17: 18th Lutz Field Station Jamboree,
hosted by PSC. More info soon. NEW
July 16- 21, 2022 – NCRC National Weeklong,
which will be held in Covington, VA.
Sept.
3 — West Virginia Speleological Survey meeting. OTR site, 6:30. Contact Dasher NEW
June 26-30, 2023 – – NSS
Convention, Elkins, WV. NEW
Meeting ended 7:52pm
Cold Beer!
Program: Larry Manning discussed Reviewing Your
Caving First Aid Gear – Minimum safety gear you should have in your pack,
and multiple uses of gear on hand to aid in a cave rescue. Excellent talk! Thanks, Larry!
Minutes
Submitted by
Mary Sue Socky, Secretary