Mike Broome, Matthew van Fossen, Rob Harris, Duke Dooley, Lisa Lorenzin, Howard and Hayden Holgate, Diana Gietl, Mark Little, Mark Daughtridge, and Ken Walsh were in attendance. Diana Gietl presided over the meeting and announced that the evening's video program would be "Tag, You're It!" Attendees were encouraged to ask about possible future programs or volunteer to do them. The June slot is still available.
Mark Little accepted dues. Mike Broome announced that he began work on the Volunteer Values portion of the web site and that he hoped it would be available by the end of the week. It will likely be posted in the Members Only section or on the Trip Report page. Mike shared the Members Only section access information.
Diana sent out the letters regarding the CBD petitions on May 24. Only eleven people responded to her email requests, so she signed only her name as the TriTrog Vice Chair. She sent the letters to the Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Agriculture, Senators Hagan and Burr, and Congressman Price. Ken will send a copy to Congressman Miller, and Diana will send a copy to the NSS through Peter Youngbaer. This item will be taken off the agenda for future meetings.
Diana announced that there is still a Chair position available in the TriTrogs.
Rob Harris reported on a Raleigh mine near Ridge Road that he explored as a child. It was supposedly a graphite mine from the Civil War. Duke suggested that Rob consider a Geiger counter to screen for radon. Rob may have a look at the mine this week.
In terms of trip reports, Ken Walsh and Rob Harris reported that Piercy's Mill Cave was in flood stage, so Phil Murray instead led them to Higginbotham's #4 Cave. Rob decsribed Higginbotham's #4 as mostly walking through water and it got colder. His shoes are still really wet, and the water was thigh deep. He learned to carry extra clothes in plastic bags. Conversation then turned to how to get water out of boots. Diana advised that one never remove all of the water, but leave a little bit in stay warm. A second flush of cold water in a stream is not the result if one leaves some water behind.
A side discussion arose from there about the grotto ordering neoprene and making our own pieces at a tech shop. A parachute rigger may have access to neoprene, and rubber cement might work as a sealant after the stitching.
Mark Daughtridge described a cave he found near a Mt. Mitchell footbridge near I-80. It was filled with water but looks like it goes back a ways (at least 20’).
Upcoming trips were discussed:
—Lovers Leap and Easy Way Down in Marion, VA on June 11
—SERA Summer Cave Carnival in Monteagle, TN on June 17-20
—NSS Convention in Essex Junction, VT (marble caves) on August 2-6
—Grotto trip--possibly to the Wildcat Entrance to Culverson Creek Cave
Diana introduced the TriTrogs to the Quebec Vertical Training School. It has a weekend training class in French (maybe next year a class in English) and features a wall bolted many different ways. Classes will teach you how to be autonomous on rope, how to rig, how to self-rescue, and both horizontal and vertical rescue techniques on different weekends.
The program was the TAG--You're It! video from the NSS Library.
The after-the-meeting meeting was held at The Diner on Glenwood Avenue.
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