February 2011 TriTrogs General Meeting Minutes

February 22, 2011
Ken Walsh, Robert Harris, Steve Molnar, Grant Molnar, Zoey Shepherd, Mike Broome, Matthew “Zeke” Van Fossen, Howard Holgate, Mark Daughtridge attending

Meeting began about 7:30
T- Shirt discussion- Majority present interested in making/buying a new t shirt design.
“Mythbusters” booth run by at Wylie Elementary March 10th, ?? pm till

8:05 pm Mark D was duly elected as secretary and began taking minutes at that point.

Zeke reports Bic lighters 10 years old from Hancock cache did not work, in fact sprayed butane when attempting to light. Candles worked fine. Butane was still flammable but starters did not work. Conducted experiments at his desk, suggests outdoors for further experiments.

Trip Reports:
1) Ken, Mike, Lisa, and Dave Duguid went last weekend to Smyth Cty VA, stayed w/ Tanya, arrived Saturday, got to cave at 1pm after bbq lunch w/ Tanya. Copenhavers Cave survey added 22 stations, 600 ft, went back on Sunday, 8.5 hrs total Big muddy room left hand wall primary survey target. Cave is on a farm. Many cows and a goat supervised changing. Some Ninja black cows appeared under cover of darkness. Climbing and belaying needed to get to a pool they struggled to measure as at least 2 ft deep. Saw hell bender lizard about 10 inches long. (grew 2 inches during tonight's meeting . . .) Tanya and Lisa did surface surveying and found interesting sinkholes on Sunday. Wrapped up several leads, ~12 survey stations / 80ft on Sunday. Hail and rain while underground nearly got Ken’s car stuck getting out. Tanya wisely parked at the top by the road. Finished cave with about 1700 ft. Could be some high climbing leads or submerged leads.

2) 4 ppl went to see Sanctum on Super Bowl Sunday

Upcoming Trips:

What types of trips are desired? Photo, Survey, Digs, Sport ?
May 1, Spring VAR , vendors expected, Durbin WV, link at Tritrogs web site in calendar (may not work)
July 19-22 Convention in CO
Ken is Looking for NCRC rescue classes
Gap Cave at TN/VA/KY border. survey trip last weekend of each month- CRF, must join CRF to participate. Easy to join now.

Rob heading to Blacksburg around Easter
Grand Caverns cave Restoration April 23-24th (Easter) weekend. Great food provided. Make walkways, change light bulbs, list of projects. About 40 cavers usually show up. Spend all day in and out of tourist cave. Shenandoah Valley in town of Grottos. Last year went to Shakespeare play in Staunton afterwards

Break 8:37

Robert passed around National Geographic cave article
Program:
Ken led discussion about safety based on mistakes from the movie, Sanctum:
Attitude/Machismo /respect for life
Didn’t bring backup tanks as assigned
Pushing rebreather through restriction
Waiting too long after losing surface contact
Failure to respect weather forecast
Weather problems
Long Hair loose on rappel
Novice- Failure to listen to leader
Improper warmth gear
Hypothermia- failure to wear deceased persons gear even when crucial to do so
Knife near rope
Food shortage
Going off alone
Ran out of light
Improper rest
Couldn't dive, got bends
Didn’t tell anyone where he was going,
Leaving a member behind
No backup plan if weather did go bad or cave in blocked exit
One member not mentally up for the dive, pressured to go anyway
Poor diving/buddy breath technique,
Poor climbing technique- Rig point moved
Cable ladder in a waterfall

1) What are duties of surface support team? Are they stated or just “Understood”?
Suggestion that we may want to refine suggested instructions for surface watch.
2) What cave obstacles will you introduce to novices? How should they be coached?
Discussion suggestions: Don’t have someone get on rope for first time underground.

3) What should you consider when rigging ropes, hand lines, and cable ladders? What about handling knives?
Learn good techniques for anchor building, self rescue, etc. Be accountable for your own safety. Don’t just assume leaders know or are using safe techniques.
4) How can spectators disrupt a complicated move?
Too many voices. Distracting. Don’t shine light in someone’s eyes
5) How should you react to the weakest links? Leave them in back?
Have a strong person as the sweep position. No one ever gets out of earshot from the group. Everyone is responsible for the whole team.
6) How do you prevent the onset of hypothermia?
Dress properly, stay dry, keep moving, cover with garbage bag, body heat, (a body on either side) Plan wet stuff for last
7) When packing gear for a trip, how many hours of food, water and light do you plan?
More than you need for the hours you expect to be gone.
Recommended book: Deep Survival talks about general survival ways of thinking that work and those that don't

Meeting concluded with debate on where to eat afterwards, and a few ended up at the Diner on Glenwood.