BLUE RIDGE GROTTO

  of the National Speleological Society

BRG Minutes 2/16/24

Jersey Lily’s; Roanoke, VA

 

Attendance:

Nick Schmalenberger, Chair

Dave Socky, Vice Chair

Kelly Perkins, Treasurer

Marian McConnell, Secretary

Lynn Ott

Gene Harrison

John Pearson

Susan Burr

Trish Geiger

Lisa Graves*

Jeff Huffman

Doug Feller

Dylan Kelly*

 

 

*Guest

 

Trip Reports:

 

Dave Socky

·         1/20: Butler Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Paul Winter, Kat Taylor, and Dalton Emig. We surveyed at the start of Sand Canyon, going upstream towards the Natural Bridge. I sketched, using a clipboard and gridded 8.5 x 11 paper. It was complicated, so I got sketcher burnout after 1300 feet of survey in 10 hours.    

·         1/27: McClung Cave, WV. Participants included David Socky, Nick Socky, Eli Meyer, and Ned Rose. Nick and Dave worked on the bolt climb (Dave belayed) at the end of the second entrance canyon section. The climb took about 12 bolts, but unfortunately the lead didn’t go, it was just a wide alcove. Eli and Ned had gone back into the Breezeway to survey the going passage at the top of the bolt climb that Nick had done a while ago. When Nick and Dave got there at 5pm, they were just getting ready to come down. They had surveyed about 12 stations of tight canyon/crawlway. It was still going. We exited the cave at 6:30pm for a 7.5-hour trip.

·         1/29: Shenandoah Wild Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Carl Amundson, Casey Tucker, Eric Zieg. Shenandoah Wild Cave is a project of the Shenandoah County Cave Survey. The cave is only open for the survey. This was the last of the survey trips to finish the cave. The trip was also to check for a voice/light connection between two spots in the cave that should be close together. We made the voice and light connection - a dig of about 5 feet which was not deemed worth it since both sides were in known cave. It will be noted on the map. We then did a check for a connection at another location, near the bottom of the second rope. That connection was not as clear as the first. The next task was a bolt climb traverse with some survey. We were out of the cave by 3:30 for a short 5-hour trip.

·         1/31: Hoover Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Billy Pickett, Keith Sweeney, Rick Lambert, Bill Koerschner, and Tom McIntyre. We put in a ladder at an exposed spot in the room after the connecting crawl. The ladder was put in to make it safe for the owner to visit the cave in a safe manner. We then put in the entrance cover, pouring 5 bags of quickcrete to lock it in place.

·         2/3: Banes Spring, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bill Koerschner, and Eli Meyer. This was my first time in Banes Spring. Bill wanted to get a good sketch and cross sections for a section of the cave about 2 hours from the entrance. The trip was quite 'sporting'. Lots of crawls, canyons, climbs, and gnarly spots. Stemming and crossing deep canyons at the top with lots of exposure. There were three belly crawls which Bill had told me I should be able to do since Joe Zokaites had been able to fit. Luckily, I fit through all of them. The section we surveyed was mostly walking with sections of short crawls and obstacles. The last part was a confusing mess of breakdown. I'm glad I wasn't sketching. We did an actual survey up into a virgin room - about 40 feet of new cave. We left one lead I had checked which would get about 50 feet of virgin cave, but that lead ended too. The trip out seemed to go faster than the way in. We were out by 9:30pm. A fun and strenuous trip of 10 hours.          

·         2/7: Glass Menagerie, VA. Participants included David Socky, Rick Royer, and Foster Murray. Surface support (Hoover Cave) Rick Lambert, Keith Sweeney, Billy Pickett, and Dagan Hunt. Rick went down first, then Foster, and then me. While Foster and I were going down, Rick dug at the lead with digging tools. When I got down, we switched places so I could take a look. The dig was a lot bigger than when we were there last. It was still too tight to get into. A little technical digging and we were in. Immediately through the crawl, the floor dropped down into a slot which dropped down to the lower level 22 feet below. But the slot was only 5 inches wide, so there was no way to fall through. We surveyed the new cave with 5 shots – a total of 45 feet. We had finished the cave.

·         2/10: McClung Cave, WV. Our team: David Socky, Kelly McCarthy, Kat Taylor, Andy Bui. There was a total of four teams in the cave for a total of 15 cavers. Our team went to the Ram Room to bolt up to the ledge where there was at least 600 feet of passage. When we got there, I reached up onto the ledge and was able to grab the webbing up on the ledge. I pulled it down. It was an etriere! Not a very good one - it only had two-foot loops. But everyone was able to climb up, with some help from below. I waited until Kelly put a couple of bolts in place and rigged a safety rope. Our lead started out as a nice walking canyon. It soon got to a stoop walk with some obstacles. then a hands and knees crawl. But it was dry and fairly comfortable. Near the end was a really neat echo, indicating some water and an end. The passage got to be a belly crawl with a shiny mud coated flowstone. Kelly, doing point, got soaked from damp mud. It ended in a flowstone plug with a 5-to-6-inch flowstone covered floor to the right. There was no air. We declared it to be the end. We had surveyed 617 feet for a good 11-hour trip.

·         2/14: Singularity Cave, VA. Participants included Dave Socky, Bill Koerschner, and Amos Mincin. Rick Lambert and Keith Sweeney dug open Bee Tree while we were in Singularity. This was a small vertical cave which had already been surveyed last year. But a thorough search for where the air is coming from was never made. We looked and looked but could not find the air. It was a very decorated cave. Many photos were taken. It was a good trip, nevertheless because I am on the line for drawing the map and I now have a good idea on what the cave is like.       

·         2/14: Bee Tree Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bill Koerschner, Amos Mincin, and Keith Sweeney. Rick Lambert & Keith dug it open. While we were in Singularity Cave, Keith and Rick dug open Bee Tree Cave, which was only about 1000 feet or so down the hill from Singularity Cave. They did not enter it. Amos Mincin was the first one in. As soon as he squirmed through the body sized entrance, he said he was standing up. He said he was in walking passage and disappeared. Bill and then I quickly followed. Very nice decorated walking phreatic passage going straight into the hillside. Lots of old formations, calcite, curtains, and columns. A little bit of animal scat. After 150 feet or so it got lower and smaller and then came to an end with a little side lead to the left which was mud filled after 20 feet or so. The cave was small enough that we could survey it to finish off the day. We finished by 5:30pm. Lots of photos and the length turned out to be 161.5 feet.

 

·         1/27: Lowmoor Cave, VA on 1/27 – participants were: Susan Burr, Jeff Huffman- Leader, Nick Schmalenberger, Abby Arbeiter, Margo Soucek, Preston Pettit.  Due to weather conditions on our regular grotto weekend we changed to the following weekend. The forecast for that day had the possibilities of rain, so we decided to go to Lowmoor Cave so we could park in the mine & stay dry. Jeff wanted to check out some other areas he had found on the map. After checking out the overlooks into the mine & the pictographs, we headed in to some new sections. They we nice areas with fun passages, cool looking rooms & some nice formations. Once we checked out the new to us areas, we went to the sections we normally visit. We had about a 4 hour and 45-minute cave trip. Changing afterwards was nice since the weather was actually pretty warm. We did not hit any rain until after dinner on our way home.

 

 

·         Murder Hole & Caving  presentations at Botetourt County Libraries. Marian thanks Dave Socky, Mary Sue Socky, and Nick Schmalenberger for coming out to help with these.

o   1/30 – Blue Ridge Library at 6p – went well, 20 people

o   2/10 – Eagle Rock Library at 11a – went well, 16 people

o   2/13 – Fincastle Library at 4p – went well, 8 people

o   2/24 – Buchanan Library at 11a (upcoming)

 

This Month’s trip – Saturday, 2/17 to New River Cave, VA. Meet at HROM 9a. Leader – Jeff Huffman.

 

Next Month’s grotto trip – 3/16 to Lost World Caverns, WV wild section (will not do the vertical drop).

 

BUSINESS MEETING

Treasury Report – Kelly Perkins, Treasurer 

Fund Amounts

$    110.96         Cave Bucks

$        2.00         Conservation Fund

$    144.12         Equipment Fund

$ 6,754.08        General Fund

$ 7,011.16       Total Funds

 

Petty Cash – $240.00

 

Checking – $6,771.16

Outstanding checks (-deposits) – $80.00

Calculated Wells Fargo 2/5/24 – $6,851.16

Difference – 0

 

Non-reconciled amounts:

$100 – 8/28/23 – NSS Brick for Al Stewart – Dave/Kelly need to contact NSS to see why check has not been cashed yet (it’s been 6 months!)

-20 – 2/5/24 Jessica Hester dues – 2 years – Note:  Mary Sue followed up 2/17/24 on Jessica Hester; she should be a current Associate BRG member and has paid through 2025. She sent Kelly the money on 2/5/24, who said she would deposit it on 2/6.

 

 

Committees:  

●        Newsletter – Great February issue. Thanks for all submissions! We can always use articles, photos, etc.

●        Membership – has 52 members & 5 subscribers. Will send out membership packets in March. BRG lost 4 old members from 2023.

●        ROCKS – Nothing.

●        Safety & Techniques – Nick discussed the safety alert about the Petzel Superavanti and Aven harnesses. He contacted Petzel and they sent him some add-on’s to make the harness safer by adding an extra point of friction. The same can be accomplished by doubling back the end of the harness through the buckle, as he demonstrated. Either method should be used to keep the harness from becoming too loose around your legs.

 

Membership Proposals:  None.

 

Old Business: None.

 

New Business:

·         BRG Officers (Nick Schmalenberger, Dave Socky, Kelly Perkins, Marian McConnell) met on 1/23 and 2/15 at the Wasena Tap Room.

o   We discussed ideas to improve communication. Nick is setting up a Google group for BRG members. He will send out a test message and each person can choose NOT to be included; however, they will not receive any emails about our meetings, the newsletter, etc. Friends & prospective members will be cc’d on emails as appropriate.

o   Also, we brainstormed about future activities for BRG; we may send out a poll for input and ideas.  The list was shared with all present as a handout and included:

§  Attending NSS Convention in Sewanee, TN

§  Trip to TAG

§  Hosting a VAR (e.g. spring or fall of 2025?)

§  Mapping project/class

§  Vertical practices/training (River Rock Climbing Gym or Hanging Rock Cliffs)

§  Trip to Giant Caverns

§  Set up a booth at GoFest in October (try to borrow a squeezebox)

§  Cave Week special activities

§  CaveSim – Marian had contacted Dave Jackson to indicate our Grotto’s willingness and desire to help.  Dylan Kelly (who works for Roanoke City Parks & Rec) just learned that CaveSim is coming to Roanoke July 12-13; they received a grant for half the fee, but will need additional funding.  Dylan said it will be about $1,000 and will find out and let us know. Once we know, we will address this and see if BRG would like to fund that half, or at least a portion of it. Dylan said that Saturday will be for the kids in various programs (like Big Brothers/Big Sisters) and Sunday will be open to the public. They are looking for a central site, perhaps Elmwood Park. He said they are also considering inviting CaveSim to return in October for GoFest.

o   Susan Burr coordinates most of our regular BRG monthly cave trips; as trip leader she picks the cave, obtains permission from the landowner, sets a date and time, coordinates with any trip leader/co-leader, determines the difficulty level (horizontal, vertical, easy, difficult, etc.) and establishes a call-back person.  Remember - Any BRG member can organize a caving trip by taking these steps. All BRG cave trips will be shared with the mailgroup to provide information about the upcoming trip to determine those who wish to go on the trip. Any non-BRG members who go on a BRG cave trip must sign a waiver for each trip (members have already signed an annual waiver when they pay their dues).

·         Updates for back of BRG membership cards to make current. – Nick will ask Earl Suitor and/or others about the new Eastern Region rescue group re the chain of command (after calling 911) and to get a phone # instead of email address.

·         BRG logo stickers – Kelly Perkins had some samples made of our BRG logo on stickers – 3 different styles (full color, black and silver, black and bling). We could have 100 made for $130. Susan Burr moved (and Trish seconded) that we have 100 stickers made of the full color style; however, the graphic was a scan of the BRG patch so it was fuzzy.  Dave Socky will make a clean version for review. Gene Harrison suggested that we add the © symbol to protect our logo; so Dave will add that symbol to the graphic. The new version will be shared with BRG members for a vote.  The stickers would be for BRG members (current and future).

·         Kelly Perkins paid for the stickers out of her own pocket, so Susan Burr moved (and John seconded) that we reimburse Kelly for the cost of the stickers. She estimated it was about $35, but will check the actual amount and reimburse herself. Motion passed unanimously.

·         BRG patches – we are out of them; will consider bringing this up as new business at the next meeting; could use the new improved graphic Dave is working on for the stickers.

 

Announcements:

●        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.

●        Marian’s first novel, Emergence, published in 1999 by Cave Books, is still available in paperback for only $5 per copy. Fiction, but based on fact, and most of the characters are based on real people and actual cave safety and conservation.

 

2024 CAVER CALENDAR:

●        March 5 – BRG Officers meeting at 5:30p Wasena Tap Room (regular date moved up a week due to travel of one of the officers)

●        March 15 – Next BRG meeting at Jersey Lily’s 6p.

●        March 22-23 – VPI Cave Club Mock Rescue at Tawney’s (check with Nick Schmalenberger for more info)

●        April 26-28 – VAR “Earth Day” Restoration Sinkhole Cleanout – Bland, VA.

●        May 3-5 – Spring VAR at East Fork Campground; Durbin, WV.

●        June 2-8 – Virginia Cave Week.

●        July 1-5, 2024 – NSS Convention in Sewanee, TN

●        Nov 7-10 – 4th Appalachian Karst Symposium and the WVCC annual Banquet

●        2024 TAG will be in Union Grove AL on the Lazy G Ranch; date and details TBD.

 

Cold Beer! 

       

Program: “Invisible River” by Sofia Oggioni about caving in Columbia. (19 minutes)