Monday, February 2, 2015

January 2015 General Meeting Minutes

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.

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