NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Attendees: Howard Holgate, Hayden Holgate, Zeke VanFossen, Martin G, Luke Mitchell, Bryce Schroeder, David T., Ava Pope, Mark Daughtridge, Lisa Foley, Robert Harris, Ken Walsh, Peter Hertl, Melissa Swazey, Marcie Rush, Trevor Rush
General socializing 7:30 to 7:41
Meeting start 7:41
Old Business- T-shirts- no real progress, still want a design
Pete rigging rope at his house, near fairgrounds for vertical training/practice details still TBD
New Business
Bryce asked about getting carbide through the mail? May get in small quantities through special shipping. Miner’s grade is good, nut grade is less desirable. (Used for light underground, dirty burn but bright.)
Trip Reports
Spring VAR 4/29- Amanda went.
Ken, Dave, Tanya- Worley’s survey continued, new section sloppy, low getting in, but opened up after. Live raccoon blocked way to waterfall. New section smelly, raccoons have been living there. Map shaping up, runs along a straight plane, about 23 degrees, lots of chert, 23 stations, 300ft of survey. Racoons seem far from any entrance or light source. Landowner suggested new cave possibilities too including other landowners, including a sinkhole that locals have cleaned out for scrap metal. They pulled out 15 cars. Now clean enough to clean further and look for entrances.
Also explored other minor caves in the area and a nice hiking area on Sunday.
Robert knows a guy who thinks he may have caves in his land.
Upcoming Trips
Vertical training- date to be confirmed
May 28th weekend, Lost World Caverns in WV celebrating a long time caver who died of old age recently.
5/26-28 Kentucky Speleofest
6/4 Ken wants to go caving. Anything but vertical
6/25 -26 TriTrogs Grotto trip Howard and Bryce organizing, cave TBD, fun, horizontal about 6 people say they can go.
SERA summer cave carnival in TN, in mid July
Gilleys, part of ACC is closed for WNS, so that trip won’t go.
7/18-22 NSS convention in Colorado, Glenwood Springs, in mid western CO. Howard is going, Ken probably going, Peter might. Howard can pick folks up at airport.
8/6 Fountain Cave Photography trip With Ericka Hoffman (near Grand Caverns commercial open since 1804) (in August to avoid the Civil War re-enactment event at Grand in July which may also be of interest to some) easy cave, nice formation
Labor Day weekend OTR- Old Timer’s Reunion, Thurs-Sun 8 hour drive from Raleigh, lots of vendors, bands playing music, lots of caves around, $35 covers it all including beer. Must register early. See OTR.org for details.
Program World’s Biggest Cave video
Watched the first half (20 min), 2nd half for next month.
Meeting ended with some folks heading for food and beverage.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
TriTrogs General Meeting April 2011
TriTrogs General meeting
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Attendees: Howard Holgate, Mark Daughtridge, Lisa Foley (1st meeting!), Robert Harris, Ken Walsh, Susanna Clark
General socializing 7:30 to 7:45
Meeting start 7:45
Old Business- Nothing new on T Shirts or Vertical Training/practice
New Business- None
Discussion of gear and other things to know for new cavers. List of gear is on the web site.
Trip Reports
Lover’s Leap- Ken, Mike, Lisa See trip report on web site. Very interesting surveying in the deep slot. Pretty formations within the slot. Found 2 more pits at the bottom . About 30 feet of floor between the new/lower pits. Surveyed 2 other leads, one concludes, one needs digging. The other passage went to a nice room with 12 foot ceiling and small drain hole. Rain outside made it very tricky getting back up the hill outside the cave. It snowed as they descended the hill to drive to Pizza Hut.
Near Pittsboro/Siler City old Iron Mine- Revolution/Civil War used, about 12-18 mines on Conservancy land to look for bats and identify which species if any. Old iron furnace. Pics on web site. Potentially good place for vertical training? Spotted about 9 bats, and some turkey vulture eggs underground. A vulture startled Ken as it flew out. All bats were Tri-Color bats (Eastern Pipistrelles). No evidence of WNS was found.
Upcoming Trips
This weekend:
Spring VAR 4/29
MVOR Missouri 4/29
Dave/Dawson 4/29 may go caving/ridge walking
Survey trip for 5/8 or 5/15?? Dave Duguid considering
Vertical training- date to be confirmed
5/26 to 28 Kentucky Speleofest
6/25 TriTrogs Grotto trip Howard and Bryce organizing, cave TBD
Mark Little to look into Gilley’s Cave for some future trip.
7/18-22 NSS convention in Colorado, Glenwood Springs, in mid western CO.
8/6 Fountain Cave Photography trip With Ericka Hoffman (near Grand Caverns) (in August to avoid the Civil War re-enactment event at Grand in July which may also be of interest to some)
Program
Howard previewed the NSS convention in Colorado
Glenwood Springs was a mining town in 1890, changed from "Defiance" to GS at request of a homesick resident
Large geothermal pool there was used to treat TB, hospital for WWI and II.
One of first electrified hotels is there, Hotel Colorado. Teddy Roosevelt enjoyed the area.
Glenwood Canyon Highway construction started in mid 1960’s and is most expensive per mile in US. Has a heated road surface reportedly. Rafting/canoeing, bicycling in the area.
Airports in Grand Junction, Denver (cheapest), Montrose. Nice drives from the further cheaper ones. Nice gold mine in Idaho Springs on way from Denver
Commercial Glenwood Caverns is nicely decorated and has tourist and wild trips.
Doc Holiday’s Grave is up on the mountain, high lake, and gondola rides to top of mountain.
Part of Green River formation. Huge Oil deposits in Shale, difficult to extract
An experimental nuclear explosion was done there to try to extract the oil.
Wild horses and other interesting natural resources atop Grand Mesa and beautiful views. Good trout fishing in the lakes
Marble Colorado is there, best marble in world. (Says Howard who grew up there :-)) Used in Tomb of unknown soldier and lower half of Washington Monument. (finished with cheaper marble from Alabama). Town was wiped out repeatedly by avalanches, floods, etc. Scary gravel road to the marble quarry. Redstone Mansion is there, home of mine baron. Checkered past, not sure if it’s open to tourists now.
Colorado Monument in Grand Junction, cowboy museum, dinosaur museum.
Dinosaur National Monument park is a day’s drive away in Utah
Aspen is 2 hrs north with Maroon Bells park etc.
Convention provides cheap camping, cave gear is available to rent- check the website and avoid bringing protentially WNS infected gear.
See details of convention at www.caves.org
Geology field tour precedes convention. Lots of educational sessions at convention. Fascinating new exploration reports, technical sessions, cartography, etc , etc Thursday night slide show competition is great. Big banquet on Friday night with awards and great food. Hosts are very welcoming. Lots of vendors for gear discounts. Howard will be out there early and can pick us up at closer airports.
After the meeting dinner was at Armadillo Grill on Glenwood at about 9:30 pm
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Attendees: Howard Holgate, Mark Daughtridge, Lisa Foley (1st meeting!), Robert Harris, Ken Walsh, Susanna Clark
General socializing 7:30 to 7:45
Meeting start 7:45
Old Business- Nothing new on T Shirts or Vertical Training/practice
New Business- None
Discussion of gear and other things to know for new cavers. List of gear is on the web site.
Trip Reports
Lover’s Leap- Ken, Mike, Lisa See trip report on web site. Very interesting surveying in the deep slot. Pretty formations within the slot. Found 2 more pits at the bottom . About 30 feet of floor between the new/lower pits. Surveyed 2 other leads, one concludes, one needs digging. The other passage went to a nice room with 12 foot ceiling and small drain hole. Rain outside made it very tricky getting back up the hill outside the cave. It snowed as they descended the hill to drive to Pizza Hut.
Near Pittsboro/Siler City old Iron Mine- Revolution/Civil War used, about 12-18 mines on Conservancy land to look for bats and identify which species if any. Old iron furnace. Pics on web site. Potentially good place for vertical training? Spotted about 9 bats, and some turkey vulture eggs underground. A vulture startled Ken as it flew out. All bats were Tri-Color bats (Eastern Pipistrelles). No evidence of WNS was found.
Upcoming Trips
This weekend:
Spring VAR 4/29
MVOR Missouri 4/29
Dave/Dawson 4/29 may go caving/ridge walking
Survey trip for 5/8 or 5/15?? Dave Duguid considering
Vertical training- date to be confirmed
5/26 to 28 Kentucky Speleofest
6/25 TriTrogs Grotto trip Howard and Bryce organizing, cave TBD
Mark Little to look into Gilley’s Cave for some future trip.
7/18-22 NSS convention in Colorado, Glenwood Springs, in mid western CO.
8/6 Fountain Cave Photography trip With Ericka Hoffman (near Grand Caverns) (in August to avoid the Civil War re-enactment event at Grand in July which may also be of interest to some)
Program
Howard previewed the NSS convention in Colorado
Glenwood Springs was a mining town in 1890, changed from "Defiance" to GS at request of a homesick resident
Large geothermal pool there was used to treat TB, hospital for WWI and II.
One of first electrified hotels is there, Hotel Colorado. Teddy Roosevelt enjoyed the area.
Glenwood Canyon Highway construction started in mid 1960’s and is most expensive per mile in US. Has a heated road surface reportedly. Rafting/canoeing, bicycling in the area.
Airports in Grand Junction, Denver (cheapest), Montrose. Nice drives from the further cheaper ones. Nice gold mine in Idaho Springs on way from Denver
Commercial Glenwood Caverns is nicely decorated and has tourist and wild trips.
Doc Holiday’s Grave is up on the mountain, high lake, and gondola rides to top of mountain.
Part of Green River formation. Huge Oil deposits in Shale, difficult to extract
An experimental nuclear explosion was done there to try to extract the oil.
Wild horses and other interesting natural resources atop Grand Mesa and beautiful views. Good trout fishing in the lakes
Marble Colorado is there, best marble in world. (Says Howard who grew up there :-)) Used in Tomb of unknown soldier and lower half of Washington Monument. (finished with cheaper marble from Alabama). Town was wiped out repeatedly by avalanches, floods, etc. Scary gravel road to the marble quarry. Redstone Mansion is there, home of mine baron. Checkered past, not sure if it’s open to tourists now.
Colorado Monument in Grand Junction, cowboy museum, dinosaur museum.
Dinosaur National Monument park is a day’s drive away in Utah
Aspen is 2 hrs north with Maroon Bells park etc.
Convention provides cheap camping, cave gear is available to rent- check the website and avoid bringing protentially WNS infected gear.
See details of convention at www.caves.org
Geology field tour precedes convention. Lots of educational sessions at convention. Fascinating new exploration reports, technical sessions, cartography, etc , etc Thursday night slide show competition is great. Big banquet on Friday night with awards and great food. Hosts are very welcoming. Lots of vendors for gear discounts. Howard will be out there early and can pick us up at closer airports.
After the meeting dinner was at Armadillo Grill on Glenwood at about 9:30 pm
Thursday, March 24, 2011
March 2011 TriTrogs General Meeting
3/22/11
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Attendees: Ken Walsh, Mike Broome, Lisa Lorenzin, Howard Holgate, Bryce Schroeder, Martin Groenewegen, Melissa Sweazey, Rob Harris, Mark Daughtridge, John Plyler
General socializing 7:30 to 7:45
Meeting start 7:45
Trip Reports
Last weekend Mike & Lisa went to Butler cave pancake weekend, dug down 8 ft total, came back deciding those leads were not interesting. No blasting was done. Digging in the direction of a known cave.
Also did a commercial cave trip in Cueva Clara in Lares, Puerto Rico, which they enjoyed. Some nice formations. Mostly dry. Wild tours also available but other sightseeing beckoned.
Wiley PTA Science night thanked Ken and the Tritrogs for participating. The kids learned a lot. Ken brought the posters for us to peruse during the break, which seemed well done with interesting facts about bats.
Upcoming Trips:3/26 Lover’s Leap Vertical Survey
4/23-24 Grand Caverns Restoration
4/23 -24 Rob going to Blacksburg caving party that people are welcome to join him for, will include some caving
4/29-5/1 Spring VAR, Durbin WV
5/14 Vertical Training?? - who’s interested? students: Bryce, Ken, Rob, Martin, Melissa, Mike & Lisa for another date Suggested instructors John Plyler, Pete Hertl, Diana, Mike/Lisa. Mark D will continue to pursue putting this together
5/28 (Sat workday, 5/29 Sunday caving) - Memorial Day weekend Butler Expedition Weekend
5/26-28 Kentucky Speleofest
6/25? Grotto Trip ? Crib cave? Others??
? Gilley’s - Mark Little investigating, though busy with non caving stuff now. Part of Appalachian Caving Conservancy (ACC). In VA near Smyth Co, large passages, horizontal
Missouri VOR also coming up, google for info if interested
T-shirts. Martin will check into finding an artist. All are encouraged to submit ideas for design etc.
Howard will get preliminary pricing.
Break 8:16- 8:25 General mayhem ensued. (not really)
Program : Cave Map Reading, led by Ken Walsh
The book “On Station”, with key codes was recommended
Handouts given with descriptions of several cave map symbols.
Ken then proceeded with a well done presentation projected from a laptop which explained symbols and concepts. Ken will post the presentation separately on the TriTrogs website.
Topics and map symbols/notations covered included:
Strike and Dip - tells the tilt in relation to the earth's surface
Slope- crows feet on map widen to bottom
Also explained:
Ledge, Passage height, Ceiling Change, depth below datum (entrance),
Height above datum, stalactite, flowstone wall, Drapery, flowstone, water depth, pool, Rimstone dams, tick marks to show direction facing for cross section call outs.
Breakdown, cobble, dirt or clay, intermittent sump, stream, ceiling height, pit depth etc
The presentation concluded with a very fun exercise with 3 teams competing. Mike, Bryce and Howard won delicious locally made chocolate bars. All 3 teams struggled to piece together a map and then plot a trip through the cave based on verbal instructions given before the cut up maps were available. Understanding the meaning of the symbols and discovering a path to go past interesting features gave the exercise the feel of actual caving as well as re-enforcing our new knowledge about map reading.
The traditional after the meeting gathering was outdoors at Armadillo Grill with all meeting attendees making it for the nice weather.
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Attendees: Ken Walsh, Mike Broome, Lisa Lorenzin, Howard Holgate, Bryce Schroeder, Martin Groenewegen, Melissa Sweazey, Rob Harris, Mark Daughtridge, John Plyler
General socializing 7:30 to 7:45
Meeting start 7:45
Trip Reports
Last weekend Mike & Lisa went to Butler cave pancake weekend, dug down 8 ft total, came back deciding those leads were not interesting. No blasting was done. Digging in the direction of a known cave.
Also did a commercial cave trip in Cueva Clara in Lares, Puerto Rico, which they enjoyed. Some nice formations. Mostly dry. Wild tours also available but other sightseeing beckoned.
Wiley PTA Science night thanked Ken and the Tritrogs for participating. The kids learned a lot. Ken brought the posters for us to peruse during the break, which seemed well done with interesting facts about bats.
Upcoming Trips:3/26 Lover’s Leap Vertical Survey
4/23-24 Grand Caverns Restoration
4/23 -24 Rob going to Blacksburg caving party that people are welcome to join him for, will include some caving
4/29-5/1 Spring VAR, Durbin WV
5/14 Vertical Training?? - who’s interested? students: Bryce, Ken, Rob, Martin, Melissa, Mike & Lisa for another date Suggested instructors John Plyler, Pete Hertl, Diana, Mike/Lisa. Mark D will continue to pursue putting this together
5/28 (Sat workday, 5/29 Sunday caving) - Memorial Day weekend Butler Expedition Weekend
5/26-28 Kentucky Speleofest
6/25? Grotto Trip ? Crib cave? Others??
? Gilley’s - Mark Little investigating, though busy with non caving stuff now. Part of Appalachian Caving Conservancy (ACC). In VA near Smyth Co, large passages, horizontal
Missouri VOR also coming up, google for info if interested
T-shirts. Martin will check into finding an artist. All are encouraged to submit ideas for design etc.
Howard will get preliminary pricing.
Break 8:16- 8:25 General mayhem ensued. (not really)
Program : Cave Map Reading, led by Ken Walsh
The book “On Station”, with key codes was recommended
Handouts given with descriptions of several cave map symbols.
Ken then proceeded with a well done presentation projected from a laptop which explained symbols and concepts. Ken will post the presentation separately on the TriTrogs website.
Topics and map symbols/notations covered included:
Strike and Dip - tells the tilt in relation to the earth's surface
Slope- crows feet on map widen to bottom
Also explained:
Ledge, Passage height, Ceiling Change, depth below datum (entrance),
Height above datum, stalactite, flowstone wall, Drapery, flowstone, water depth, pool, Rimstone dams, tick marks to show direction facing for cross section call outs.
Breakdown, cobble, dirt or clay, intermittent sump, stream, ceiling height, pit depth etc
The presentation concluded with a very fun exercise with 3 teams competing. Mike, Bryce and Howard won delicious locally made chocolate bars. All 3 teams struggled to piece together a map and then plot a trip through the cave based on verbal instructions given before the cut up maps were available. Understanding the meaning of the symbols and discovering a path to go past interesting features gave the exercise the feel of actual caving as well as re-enforcing our new knowledge about map reading.
The traditional after the meeting gathering was outdoors at Armadillo Grill with all meeting attendees making it for the nice weather.
Friday, March 18, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
January 2011 TriTrogs General Meeting Minutes
Howard Holgate, Mike Broome, Mark Little, Martin Groenewegen, Duke Dooley, Rob Harris, Melissa, Bryce Schroeder, Pete Hertl, Mark Daughtridge, and Ken Walsh attended the meeting.
Dues go to Mark Little ($15 for regular members and an additional $7 for family members). Mark then shared the annual Treasurers Report. He reported that we are running a balanced budget, but we still had allocated $100 for conservancy donations from a VAR door prize a few years back. The treasurers report did not include some wear-and-tear fees collected for borrowed grotto gear.
Mike Broome had no news about changes to the web site.
Howard thanked everyone who brought desserts to the Holiday Party. However, he insisted that they should go home with people in the future.
Wiley Elementary School will be holding its Science Night on the evening of March 10, and the TriTrogs are invited to come back to talk about caves again. The theme this year is Mythbusters, so Pete Hertl and Ken Walsh are soliciting input about what myths we should try to bust.
Howard announced that the NSS is now offering a membership category titled Conservation Life Members. A five-year donation of $1000 will be going toward cave conservancy efforts.
Mark Little made a motion to donate the previously dedicated $100 for cave conservancies to ACC Gilley’s Cave Capital Fund. The motion was accepted unanimously.
At least five members were interested in the TriTrogs producing T-shirts in the next year.
As the first trip report, Melissa described her first caving trip in Starnes Cave with Rob Harris. They enjoyed a formidable mud wall, an interesting waterfall, and lots of climbing on rocks and ropes last October.
Mike Broome described a BCCS expedition trip he took the previous weekend with Lisa Lorenzin. Nittany Grotto joined the expedition, so they had seven different trips headed to three different caves. Lisa and Mike changed clothes in a neighbor’s garage and then descended into Wishing Well Cave. Mike shared how the dig through sandstone was now shored up using polyurethane foam. His team surveyed for 8 hours and 550 feet of passage across a very muddy room. The Romper Room had a dry sand floor and trended downward at the same dip angle as the rest of the cave. The team took a side trip to the well-decorated Sugar Run before exiting after ten hours underground.
Mike also shared a description of the first survey into Copenhaver’s Cave in Smyth County. Dave Duguid, Matt Jenkins, Trina Cooke, Ken Walsh, and Mike stayed in the warmth of Tanya McLaughlin’s house the night before, after shoveling a few inches of snow from her driveway. They met a nice landowner and an icy cave entrance with some spectacular icicles. Matt, Trina, and Ken surveyed the upper cold part of the cave while the other three dropped the cable ladder down twenty feet. Tanya did fine going up and down the cable ladder, and Mike’s team worked their way down to a room full of breakdown blocks. Mike found a way to climb up through the breakdown to another open room before they quit surveying for the day. Mike’s suit was freezing on him as he returned to the car in 16-degree weather. While Matt and Trina went snowshoeing the next day, Ken, Dave, and Mike went back to the open room. While surveying the Zen Garden, they found a duck under lead that led into a major mud-filled room and down to pretty rimstone dams and a larger flat-bottomed room. They exited without crawling back up the mud mountain.
After the break, the officers described their duties, and elections were held. We welcome the newly elected board: Howard Holgate (Chair), Ken Walsh (Vice Chair), Bryce Schroeder (Editor/Webmaster), Mark Little (Treasurer), and the empty seat (Secretary). Anyone wishing to run for Secretary should contact one of the officers.
Upcoming trips include:
January 29—Smyth County survey (Ken)
February 6 – 3D viewing of The Sanctum at Crossroads Cinema (4:30 PM and dinner afterwards)
February 19-20—Copenhaver’s Cave--leave on Saturday morning (Dave?, Mike, Lisa, and Ken)
May 1—Spring VAR
July—Convention in Glenwood Springs
Ken Walsh shared the program “Caving with CRF in the Ozarks” where he explained what the Cave Research Foundation is and then shared vacation slides.
The After-the-Meeting Meeting was held at Armadillo Grill.
Dues go to Mark Little ($15 for regular members and an additional $7 for family members). Mark then shared the annual Treasurers Report. He reported that we are running a balanced budget, but we still had allocated $100 for conservancy donations from a VAR door prize a few years back. The treasurers report did not include some wear-and-tear fees collected for borrowed grotto gear.
Mike Broome had no news about changes to the web site.
Howard thanked everyone who brought desserts to the Holiday Party. However, he insisted that they should go home with people in the future.
Wiley Elementary School will be holding its Science Night on the evening of March 10, and the TriTrogs are invited to come back to talk about caves again. The theme this year is Mythbusters, so Pete Hertl and Ken Walsh are soliciting input about what myths we should try to bust.
Howard announced that the NSS is now offering a membership category titled Conservation Life Members. A five-year donation of $1000 will be going toward cave conservancy efforts.
Mark Little made a motion to donate the previously dedicated $100 for cave conservancies to ACC Gilley’s Cave Capital Fund. The motion was accepted unanimously.
At least five members were interested in the TriTrogs producing T-shirts in the next year.
As the first trip report, Melissa described her first caving trip in Starnes Cave with Rob Harris. They enjoyed a formidable mud wall, an interesting waterfall, and lots of climbing on rocks and ropes last October.
Mike Broome described a BCCS expedition trip he took the previous weekend with Lisa Lorenzin. Nittany Grotto joined the expedition, so they had seven different trips headed to three different caves. Lisa and Mike changed clothes in a neighbor’s garage and then descended into Wishing Well Cave. Mike shared how the dig through sandstone was now shored up using polyurethane foam. His team surveyed for 8 hours and 550 feet of passage across a very muddy room. The Romper Room had a dry sand floor and trended downward at the same dip angle as the rest of the cave. The team took a side trip to the well-decorated Sugar Run before exiting after ten hours underground.
Mike also shared a description of the first survey into Copenhaver’s Cave in Smyth County. Dave Duguid, Matt Jenkins, Trina Cooke, Ken Walsh, and Mike stayed in the warmth of Tanya McLaughlin’s house the night before, after shoveling a few inches of snow from her driveway. They met a nice landowner and an icy cave entrance with some spectacular icicles. Matt, Trina, and Ken surveyed the upper cold part of the cave while the other three dropped the cable ladder down twenty feet. Tanya did fine going up and down the cable ladder, and Mike’s team worked their way down to a room full of breakdown blocks. Mike found a way to climb up through the breakdown to another open room before they quit surveying for the day. Mike’s suit was freezing on him as he returned to the car in 16-degree weather. While Matt and Trina went snowshoeing the next day, Ken, Dave, and Mike went back to the open room. While surveying the Zen Garden, they found a duck under lead that led into a major mud-filled room and down to pretty rimstone dams and a larger flat-bottomed room. They exited without crawling back up the mud mountain.
After the break, the officers described their duties, and elections were held. We welcome the newly elected board: Howard Holgate (Chair), Ken Walsh (Vice Chair), Bryce Schroeder (Editor/Webmaster), Mark Little (Treasurer), and the empty seat (Secretary). Anyone wishing to run for Secretary should contact one of the officers.
Upcoming trips include:
January 29—Smyth County survey (Ken)
February 6 – 3D viewing of The Sanctum at Crossroads Cinema (4:30 PM and dinner afterwards)
February 19-20—Copenhaver’s Cave--leave on Saturday morning (Dave?, Mike, Lisa, and Ken)
May 1—Spring VAR
July—Convention in Glenwood Springs
Ken Walsh shared the program “Caving with CRF in the Ozarks” where he explained what the Cave Research Foundation is and then shared vacation slides.
The After-the-Meeting Meeting was held at Armadillo Grill.
Monday, November 1, 2010
October 26 TriTrogs General Meeting
Minutes recorded thanks to Mark Little.
Meeting started at 7:40, Howard presiding.
Copies of the agenda were distributed to attendees (your draft).
Howard noted the program to follow (video on caves in Italy).
Attendees introduced themselves.
Dues of 7.50 to Treasurer were announced for those who had not paid.
The holiday party will be at Howard’s house on 11 Dec. and will start at 6:00 PM. (Note that decision on the time is new.)
Howard noted that election for Grotto Officers will occur in January, and nominations are invited.
The November program will be on a lava tube cave in New Mexico.
Trip reports: None.
Trips Planned:
Conservation trip to Hancock on 20 November, with bat count on the 21st. Diana described cleanup plans. Count is now 9; plus 3 or 6 more possible. Some people who may attend will not be able to stay for Sunday and asked for a short Saturday trip into the cave.
Break before program.
Program – short video on caves in a region of Italy.
Adjourned.Thursday, October 14, 2010
TriTrog Officer Conference Call October 14, 2010
Mark Little, Mike Broome, Diana Gietl, Ken Walsh, and Howard Holgate held a conference call beginning at 8:22 PM to discuss three topics.
Howard agreed to host the Holiday Party on December 11. It will be a potluck affair, and Howard will handle the paper supplies. Howard will share a google maps link (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=3536+Pinnacle+Drive,+Cary+NC+27518&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=3536+Pinnacle+Dr,+Cary,+Wake,+North+Carolina+27518&gl=us&ei=Aam3TOrQEYGClAeB9amLCQ&ved=0CBMQ8gEwAA&z=16), and Mike will add the event to the Google calendar. Ken will send out a notice asking for RSVPs by December 4, and Diana will help by suggesting type of dishes (sides, desserts, salads, etc.) that are needed. Howard will call Dick Webb to invite him to the party.
The conservation trip to Hancock Cave is on for November 20, and Duke will bring his truck for hauling stuff. The owner knows that we’ll be there, and we shouldn’t have to worry about hunters. Diana will send out an email this weekend about the trip to get a headcount by October 24. Howard will arrange the lodging, hopefully in a Hungry Mother cabin or two. If not, then we may resort to the Rodeway Inn in Marion. We’ll worry about food issues later. We should also bring cameras along for the bat count and cleanup efforts, and Ken will print out copies of portions of the cave maps so that teams can write the number of bats (healthy and infected of the different species) in each room. The convenience center is open until 5 PM on Saturday.
The October program will be Lucio dAlberto’s video "The Karst Aquifers of Veneto", a donation from Lucio, a former TriTrog.
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