Rob gave the rundown of the agenda as people continued
wandering in. The meeting eventually began with introductions and a question
about the number of cave trips each person plans for 2015: Rob (8), Emily (5),
Carlin (12), Ken (12), Matthew Weiss (8), Glen G. (6), Eric (2), Jason (6), Peter
(12), Mark (1), Dan (1), Lisa (6), Mike (6-8), Dylan (>1), Laura (>1),
Mark D. (all the trips), Dustin Healy (as soon as possible), Kaven Healy (just
as many), Alex (as much as possible), and Erin Kirkland (whenever they go).
It was mentioned that the officers would collect WVCC
donations during the break. Carlin explained that WVCC has recently acquired
the longest cave in Smyth County (Hancock
Cave).
The email list was broken when it disappeared on January
1. The officers need to update the web
site so that people can get on the email list [completed the next day]. Facebook
posts have been effective.
Mark D. and Dan then began a discussion of their calendars
in which they determined that they have no free weekends in common. The rest of
us were bored.
Ken and Pete solicited help for Darwin Day. Matthew Weiss
and Mark D. agreed to help Ken in the morning at Darwin Day.
Trip reports came next. Both Ken and Carlin wrote trip
reports. Rail Valley Cave was new to
us—and oversold to us. We overwhelmed Joel (or so we thought) with Rail Valley,
but he liked Little Hancock Cave.
The weekend focussed on survey in Snow
Cone Cave. Bolt-climbing or
small-people-only trips are the only ones in the future to this cave. Brian Williams
posted a photo of thirty little salamanders in the eft stage in a rimstone
pool. Carlin’s trip traveled 250 feet deep in the cave. We had to hike all the
way up the hill to Snow Cone Cave to avoid losing the vehicles. Dave and Carlin also began a survey in Beaver Creek Cave. It will be easy to
survey. It’s a great one to learn in.
Martin, Matthew, and Matthew went on a trip in Martin’s
Volkswagen. He stalled the car seven times. When they went over the bump, and
Matthew could feel the ground beneath his feet. Higginbotham’s #1 Cave was a disappointingly short trip because
Matthew didn’t have his camera.
Pete went to TAG for big vertical pits over Thanksgiving
weekend and post-Christmas. He stayed in a caver campground the first time, and
the second time Pete crashed in a friend’s house packed in like cord of wood.
They dropped Mystery Falls (belled
out a huge chamber 400’ drop) on both weekends. A blue nylon rope with a
polypropylene sheath was used and had no stretch (no bounce). Valhalla Cave is a famous drop in TAG
but requires four-wheeling with big trucks (truce with the hunters keeps them
in until after dark). Tumbling Rock Cave
is a gated, horizontal cave---nice walking cave with massive air flow. They
spent six hours in there seeing all the sites: prehistoric bear scratchings in
the mud, the Christmas Tree stalagmite [they actually decorate without touching
the tree with lights], the tumbling rock in the ceiling, and equipment for
cleaning the formations and saltpeter works.
Upcoming trips include SERA, Hancock Cave Bat Count, Grand
Caverns Restoration Camp, VAR at Natural Bridge, SERA Cave Carnival and Missouri
trip to Convention.
Rob shared photos and video from his Israeli trip
underground.
We held elections and welcome the new officers: Chair—Carlin
Kartchner, Vice Chair—Rob Harris, Web Master—Mike Broome, Treasurer—Mark
Little, and Secretary—Emily Graham. They were elected unanimously.
