BLUE RIDGE GROTTO of the National Speleological Society
BRG Minutes 9/15/23
Jersey Lily’s; Roanoke, VA
Attendance:
|
Lauren
Appel, Chair |
Marian
McConnell, Secretary |
Dave
Socky, Newsletter |
|
Mary
Sue Socky, Treasurer |
Cyndi
Hutchison |
Lynn
Ott |
|
Susan
Burr |
Barry
Ferguson |
Helene
Ferguson |
|
Jeff
Huffman |
Kelly
Perkins |
Margo
Soucek* |
|
Emily
Traud* |
Isaiah
Hall* |
Erin
Bejjani* |
|
Dustin
Widmann* |
|
|
*guest
Trip
Reports
8/19 – Rimstone Falls Cave, WV
(Susan Burr) – see write-up in Carbide Dump
Dave Socky Trips:
8/12: McClungs Cave, WV.
Participants included David Socky, Bill Koerschner, Jason Williams, Scott Zagrodny. Kelly McCarthy, Aaron Clair, Matyes
Ginishl, and Danial Wilson were on the other team. We
split up into two teams of four. Kelly's team did little leads around the end
of Megalithia. We went to Bill's Crystal Pool lead. But to get there you had to
go through this narrow slot in the floor. I didn't fit. We hammered at it for
close to an hour, but I still couldn't fit. Even took my coveralls off. So, we
did a couple of come-arounds and then went to the west end of Wafflefoot. We
didn't pick up from where Kelly had left off because there was a tight spot I
wouldn't fit through at the start of the east end. We surveyed until 8pm getting
43 stations. We got out at 11:00pm, making for a 12.5-hour trip with 542 feet
of survey. We did break 25 miles for McClung Cave on this trip!!
9/1: Simmons Mingo Cave, WV.
Participants included David Socky, Kelly McCarthy, Daniel Wilson, and one other.
We went into the upper big entrance and did LOTS of down climbing. We went in
for about 4.5 hours and then headed out the same way we came in. But we missed
a turn and took a lower smaller route back. We did bypass some of the funky
climbs we had done on the way in. It was a fun OTR cave trip.
9/9: Dry Cave, WV.
Participants included David Socky, Alex Faunce, Josh Williams, Aidon Ward, and
Renee Erickson. Second team: Greg Springer, Eli Meyers, Sydney Hansen, and Zoe
Hoelmer. We entered Dry at around noon. The plan was to go to Bobcat Creek with
3 survey teams. Got to the Blowhole and I found that the new O-rings I had
gotten for my Darin drum didn't work. In spite of tightening the lids, they had
worked loose and both drums leaked a bunch. Luckily, I had put my polypro
inside a small plastic bag inside the small Darin drum, so my clothes weren't
wet. But everything inside my large Darin drum got soaked. And to top it off,
my DistoX case had the cord caught in the lid, so the case wasn’t sealed shut and
my DistoX got soaked. It didn't work. The laser wouldn't come on. So, we were
down to two distoX's for three teams. I offered to go
out along with Eli (who offered) and let the rest continue in as two teams. But
Greg decided it would be best to abort Bobcat and do a backup plan of surveying
in the upper levels at the Liberty Bell spot in some larger cave they had found
on the last trip that needed surveying. Everyone admitted later they were
somewhat relieved that we did the shorter trip because a trip to Bobcat is long
and hard. I hope they were being truthful and not just being nice. Anyway, Alex
sketched on our team of 5 while Greg sketched on his team of 4. We exited the
cave around 9:30pm.
9/12: McClungs Cave, WV.
Participants included David Socky, , Addie Shanor, Joe
Zokaites, Bill Koerschner. We went in the Lightner entrance. Addie did fine on
the vertical. In Chocolate Ave, Joe found a small juvenile crawfish for Addie.
And then further upstream, I caught a small crawfish, but it got away. Then Addie
was able to find and catch 3 large crawfish. She was happy! The crawfish got
placed into Ziplock bags with water and left along the stream to be carried out
on the way back. We went on over the top of Third Breakdown. I thought we’d try
the long way around to avoid all the crawling and small spots. But it wasn’t
that much better and was a long way around. There were a lot of complaints 😊. Once we found
MMD27 I didn’t have any problems finding our lead into the Nina, Pinta, Santa
Maria Room. We started at TBN12 and surveyed everything we could, even tying
into JWW22, which was a tight belly crawl and was the other way into the room.
We surveyed into the tight sandy crawl but didn’t get very far before it was
too tight. This crawl will take some tiny cavers plus some easy, sandy digging
to continue. There was air blowing out of the lead. After this we headed out
the normal way using the map as a guide to find the way through. It was a fun
12-hour trip where we surveyed 247 feet.
(Date?) –
Tawney’s Cave, VA – (Jeff, Susan, Isaiah) – did a basic trip to give
Isaiah an orientation to wild caving.
Upcoming trips –
9/16 - Paxton Cave, VA - (Susan
Burr) – meet HROM 8:30a
9/16 - Blue Ridge Tunnel Crozet,
VA (Mary Sue Socky) – meet HROM 9:30a
10/1 – Low Moor, VA (Lauren
Appel) “pick up” trip, details TBA
Next Month’s grotto trip
– TBA
|
BUSINESS
MEETING |
Treasury
Report – Mary Sue Socky, Treasurer
Fund Amounts
$ 45.96 Cave
Bucks
$ 2.00
Conservation Fund
$ 144.12 Equipment
Fund
$ 3,343.46 General Fund
$ 3,534.54 Total
Funds
Committees:
·
Newsletter –
Thanks to all who submitted photos, articles, etc. Alex Sproul said it was one
of the best newsletters he’s seen lately. The article by Doug with photos by
Kelly has been accepted for printing in the NSS News (not sure of date yet);
somewhat condensed due to space.
·
Membership
– We currently have 56 members & 5 subscribers.
·
ROCKS
– Nothing new.
·
Safety & Techniques
– [Nick Schmalenberger was not at the meeting; home with COVID.] Bob Alderson rescue in Mexico updates; he is
in good hands in Mexico recovering from his injuries. There is a Go Fund Me
page on Facebook for him, as well as for Mark Dickey who was rescued out of Morca Cave in Turkey.
Membership
Proposals: (None)
Old
Business
·
Vertical training areas in Roanoke,
VA; possibility of using River Rock Indoor Climbing Gym. Pending Nick
Schmalenberger.
·
Marian’s Murder Hole Cave rainbow
photo shoot idea – Tabled until next year Summer for best sun position.
·
Brick engraving in memory of Al
Stewart – Info and check was mailed per Mary Sue.
·
Fall VAR will be hosted by Tri-State
Grotto October 20-21 near Sharpsburg, MD. *** This is the same date at the
October BRG meeting; again. BRG nominations are in October (20th). We
WILL have BRG meeting.
·
Dave created an Auction link for
Carl Cornett’s caving gear being auctioned. Tonight was the last day for BRG
members to bid; Kelly, Jeff, and Susan participated. Now will be open to
general caving community.
·
Nominations for 2024 NSS Awards. It
is time to nominate deserving cavers for NSS awards to be presented at the 2024
NSS Convention in Suwanee, Tennessee July 5, 2024. Please submit nominations to
the appropriate award sub-committee chair by the firm deadline of November 15, 2023. Award information, including the
selection process and what a well-written nomination should contain, is
published on the NSS Awards web page (https://caves.org/nss-awards/). This
includes Fellows, and also the Arts and Letters award – Marian is new Sub-Chair
- Hoping to get interested members to nominate Dave Bunnell who was NSS News
editor for 26 years. You can nominate anyone else who qualifies. Nominations
must be in to Marian by November 15th! Two other people are in the running:
Angelo George and Matt Pelsor; if you know them and want to submit
documentation, do so. Contact Marian if you have questions.
·
Doug Feller has made great progress
on recovering from his injuries, but still in pain so keep him in your thoughts
and prayers; has some bursitis.
New
Business:
·
Cave Rescue Protocol: Sign up if you wish to be contacted for cave
rescue at: Information-on-eastern-region-ncrc@googlegroups.com
There is a new process for cave rescue call-out protocol – it will be in the
next Carbide Dump. Basically call 911 – don’t use the old cards we used
to carry, that phone # is no longer in service. There is also a Caver Alert
Information for each of us to fill out for their files; it was in the last
issue of the Carbide Dump.
·
Do we wish to have a 2023 Landowner
Christmas Card? Yes – send or bring your photos, artwork, ideas to the October
meeting.
·
Do we want to have a BRG Holiday
Party? Yes, Sunday December 17th at the Socky’s home. Pot-luck,
BYOB.
·
Next month is BRG Officer
nominations. Officers may hold office
for one more year. Susan Burr made a
motion that the current slate of officers be carried over for another year
(2024); Cyndi seconded. Note: No vote was taken so I assume we will vote on this at October
meeting?
Announcements:
·
Wedding congratulations card for
Sarah Rowland and Philip for signatures. Marian will mail.
·
Get well card for John Pearson was
passed around for signatures – Mary Sue will mail.
·
Birthday card was passed around for Mary
Sue Socky for signatures and given to her with singing.
·
Healthy Caving – let’s be healthy
going underground. Rules were posted in the DUMP.
Please send
verified cave info updates for https://var.caves.org/index.php/conservation/closed-caves/closed-cave-list to Brad Blasé.
·
Winter
closure dates for bat caves in West Virginia is September 1 –
May 15.
·
Winter
cave closure dates for bat caves in Virginia is October 15 –
April15.
·
“Aquanaut”
by Rick Stanton was offered for reading by Marian – Cyndi took it to read and
pass along. It’s about the Thai rescue of the 13 Soccer team boys and coach.
·
Fred
Grady, long-time caver, paleontologist, passed away on August 26th.
Although he is not a BRG member, we have caved with him and worked with him the
past; e.g., he led the dig in Island Ford for the Cave Bear whose bones are now
in the Smithsonian. Marian will get a card and mail it to his brother (Lynn Ott
provided info: Mike Grady,
8800 Oakland Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122).
·
Lynn
Ott will provide info from Steve Luke (OTR Reunion Museum) – 19 on the list
with 5-6 new names to be recognized next year as those who have gone on to
Caver’s Heaven; including: Bob Gulden,
Karen Kastning, Ray Sira, Marion O. Smith, Al Stewart. He also suggested cavers pre-write their obit
and send to him at oldtimersreunionmuseum@gmail.com for future reference. Include: Name, NSS #, OTR's attended to date,
Grotto(s), Contact Information (will not be published - just used by museum
staff if questions or clarification needed), and Significant information about
YOU - or who you are writing about. OTR
stories. What have you done within the
caving community.
·
Per
Mary Sue, Wm and Carolina Shrewsbury have sold “ON ROPE 1” and are moving to
Hawaii. The new owner(s) will be announced at TAG.
2023
CAVER CALENDAR:
·
Oct 5-8 TAG Fall Cave-in; Menlo, GA
·
Oct 20 – BRG Meeting at Jersey
Lily’s
·
Oct 21 – Bridge Day; Fayetteville,
WV
·
Oct 20-23 – Fall VAR near
Sharpsburg, MD
·
Nov 11 – WVCC Cave Banquet in
Lewisburg, WV
·
Nov 27-29 – NCRC
Orientation to Cave Rescue? Where?
Cold
Beer 7:45p
Program:
Japan Sportscope - Caving from NHK (Japanese Public
TV) provided by Nick Schmalenberger [Hilarious]