TriTrogs General meeting

NC Museum of Natural Sciences
February 28, 2012

General socializing 7:30 to 7:35
Meeting start 7:35

Attendees: 21 Cavers: Carlin Kartchner, Mike Broome, Martin Groenewegen, Ava Pope, Mark Daughtridge, Howard Holgate, Hayden Holgate, Matthew Weiss, Ken Walsh, Bryce Schroeder, Peter Hertl, Bob Massengle, David Dicehurst, Rob Harris' hovering head (via laptop), Riley Warehime, Nick Henderson, Jacob Jackson, Michael Caslin, Grant Molnar, Steve Molnar, Jordan Kendal

Introductions included each person's favorite cave and favorite beer if any.

Old Business-
T Shirts, patches or stickers- If interested in forming a committee to pursue see Carlin
Grotto donation of $200 to the Friends of the Museum has been completed!

New PO Box now posted on web
Payment of 2012 Dues - Mark L not able to attend, Ken collected dues
$15 for year Dues. Reviewed briefly what they are used for

Vertical Practice was set for Sunday March 4 after checking weather forecasts
Pete, Ken, Pete, Martin and Mark L have equipment for beginners to learn on. Pete targeting March.
(Addendum to minutes- practice was held Mar 4 with several exprienced and a few new climbers/rapellers attending and much was learned with hopes to do it again soon. Held at Peter's house with a static rope and another on a pulley for continuous climbing as fed by belayer)

New Business-
See article on flu affecting bats, different from WNS
Next month's Program will be on cave biology!
Let Ken know program ideas


Trip Reports-
Paxton’s Cave, Covington VA, 1-28 - Mark, Peter, Matthew W went, explored all new territory from 1-1 trip mainly in Helictite room, more details in program with photography

Feb 11 Survey Trip to Cold Sink Cave- Carlin’s project to Survey, started b/f Tgiving, continuing survey near Marion. 2 teams, down tight passage, squeeze skills valued. Dig section has water flowing, no crawling in ice cold water this trip. Snow outside, 450’ surveyed, 1300 total now, Dave Duguid also committed to it. Old bolt traverse rigged, may be ok, needs backing up, pit rigged already to traverse, need to explore expecting only 15ft, potential unfinished leads from old map. New virgin cave discovered. Digging works best with actual tools. Prolonged crawling 50 ft of very tight opens to 12 foot ceilings, vertical only needed for the next trip, most not needing vertical

No Others


Upcoming Trips-
Mar 8 – 11, Germany Valley Karst Survey, Vertical Required! See Carlin for details, (2nd weekend ea month)
Mar 9-10 Norman’s trip- See Rob Harris
March 17-18 Wilderness First Aid, Umstead Park, Raleigh, Special $55 pricing for TriTrogs!! Mark D, Pete, Ken, Matt L currently signed up. Room for more!! See Mark D.
March 30-Apr 1 Cave Rescue Class Harrisonburg, VA See http://www.er-ncrc.org See Mark D.
Apr 7–8 Grand Caverns Restoration Cleanup Weekend See Ken, clean formations, trash, change light bulbs etc

Apr 20–22 Cold Sink Cave Survey- See Carlin

Northern High School Adventure Ed looking for simple cave to do cleanup. Worley’s in TN suggested, Tanya M knows conservation opportunities too. 4-21to 22, 5/5-6 dates preferred See Ben Gaspar

4/27 – 29 Spring VAR Poor Farm Festival Grounds, Williamsburg, WV See varegion.org
Good gear vendors

May 25–28 Kentucky SpeleoFest

June 24-29 NSS Convention- Lewisburg/ Greenbrier Cnty WV (5hr drive) See www.nss2012.com consider going beyond stated dates for geology, history, etc sessions,

July 13-15 Grotto Trip- good for beginners, fun, see Ken
Early Aug- Copenhaver’s Cleanup

Break (lots of side discussions on training sessions, trips, paying dues, etc etc etc)

Program-
Matthew Weiss photos of Worley’s (TN), lighting w/ inverter power. Also photos from the elusive Helictite Maze, Paxton’s Cave
Showed pics of Inverter for lamp he built and discussed power and light details capabilities. Cool pics with light in position in Worleys, TN, some with outdoor floodlight straps, good for easy passages, water/stream pics, wall texture
Has voltage meter etc
Nice formation pics, flowstone, 20ft high
Nice effects, flowstone w/ water in foreground
Olympus stylus point and shoot with night setting, 10 sec open
"Super photon cannon” light source
Large rooms show up well
Use painting technique of moving light around with, red glow from outdoor floodlight bulb
Boy scout guide was amazed to see room he’d not really seen as well on many prev trips
Wedding cake, bacon formations
Post manipulation of photos is cheating! says Matthew

Paxton’s friendly dog and cat shown as favorite features of the cave! Position of light matters
New breakdown, freshly cleaved, awesome formations, earthquake fractures in formations.



After the meeting- Food! Drink! Merriment! at Armadillo Grill