Spring 1971 - Virginia Region of the NSS

1941-1971
30TH ANNIVERSARY
THE
RECION
RECORD SPRING
1971
THE D.C. GROTTO LIBRARY
RECION
RECORD
Vol. 1, No
Spring, 1971
4
.
GUIDEBOOK
Introduction
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Map of VPI Campus
.
.
. .
74·
. . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
75
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .
77
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
.
.
SECTION 1
Cave Descriptions: Virginia
SECTION 2
Cave Descriptions: West Virginia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1l3
SECTION 3
Convention Special Tours
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
123
SECTION 4
Index
. . . . . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . .
139
THE REGION RE CORD is the official quarterly publication of the Virginia Region of the National Sp leological
Society.
Subscription
rate
is
$3.00 per year. Single copy price is $1.00. All contributions are encouraged.
When available, please include illustrations or photographs with articles. Maps should be mechanically
lettered or lightly hand lettered in pencil. Send all correspondence, including subscriptions to: TllE REGION
RECORD, BOX 3585 C.R. S., JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE 37061. Managing Editor of THE REGION RECORD
is R. E. Whittemore. Associate Editors are Tom Williams and Kim Smith. Contributions for publication should
be submitted at least one month prior to the publication dates of January, April, July and October
Vol. I, No
.
4
Spring, 1971
.
.
73
.-
.
r'
,
\
INTRODUCTION..
This
interest
Guidebook
to
is
persons
designed
attending
to provide information on caves and other points of
the
NSS Convention in Blacksburg, Virginia. To
1971
34
caves within
this end, locations and descriptions of
are
included,
along with three
cursion
to
all-day
local
guides
Southwestern Virginia,
Appalachian
reational Interest
in
a
Geology
to
convention
Biological Tour
Field
Trip.
A
a two hour drive of Blacksburg
field trips-The Karstlands Ex­
of
Greenbrier Caverns, and an
guide
to points of scenic and rec­
the Blacksburg area is also included for those desiring unguided
tours.
'
To use the Guidebook more effectively, it is recommended that one acquire road
maps
of Virginia and
directions
devoted
listed.
to
West Virginia.
The
astute
describing
themselves.
Need
how
we
Blacksburg is the starting point for all highway
reader
to
restate
get
will
to the
that
it
notice
that in most cases, more space is
caves than is given to describing the caves
is much
easier to become lost outside
a
cave
than it is inside? Since most cavers are quite capable of finding their own way through
a
cave
(and
in
fact,
may
prefer to) cave descriptions are provided primarily as aids
in helping you prepare for your trips.
In addition
to a road map, it is well that a visiting caver arm himself with some
knowledge of Virginia and West Virginia County Road systems. Throughout this Guide­
book, County Roads will be abbreviated 'CR'. Virginia County Roads are seldom marked,
except at intersections,
indicate
are
the
roads
numbered
more
where
white
posts are located. Numbered signs on the posts
which they parallel, much like street signs. Virginia County Roads
between
informative,
and
600
perhaps
999.
including
West Virginia County Road signs are generally
an
arrow
and
the
name of a distant town. West
Virginia county route numbers often consist of two distinct numbers, such as CR
219/2
(as it will appear in the Guidebook). This marking would appear on signs as a horizontal
line
with
above
'219'
it and
'2'
below it, surrounded by a circle. What could be more
simple?!
Federal highways in both states are marked, of course, with the standard shield­
shaped
signs.
State Routes
triangles,
while
in
West
reminded,
in severe
in Virginia are marked with signs in the shape of rounded
Virginia
cases
of
they are marked with square signs. Travelers are
being lost,
to inquire locally. No guide (or subsequent
responsibility) is provided here to understanding the local jargon!
A
cellent,
Note
and
This will
on
it
Conservation-Cave
is
require
the
wish
strict
of
the
owner
relations
in this
area are generally ex­
cavers of the Region to preserve this relationship.
observance
of
all
rules of courtesy. It should be pointed out
that several caves are closed at the request of the owners. No attempt should be made to
enter these caves, as such action would only aggravate attempts to re-open them. These
caves (all Virginia) are: Lowman Quarry Cave, Alleghany County; Butler's Cave, Bath
County; Catawba Murder Hole, Botetourt County; Newcastle Murder Hole, Craig County;
Canoe
Cave,
Giles
County;
Starnes'
Cave,
Giles County;
New Dixie Cave, Roanoke
County. It is possible that special trips may be arranged to some of these caves. Perti­
nent information will be posted on the field trip bulletin board at the Convention Center,
and
where
closed caves are
described
in
this Guidebook, appropriate notes indicate
their restricted status.
The preparation of the Guidebook would not have been possible without the assis­
tance
of many area cavers. Credits for written contributions have been included. THE
REGION RECORD staff and their assistants, along with all the aforementioned contribu­
tors and a legion of un-named but much appreciated workers hope you find this Guide­
book useful, and that NS S
71
will be a memorable time for each of you.
--RE. Whittemore
Guidebook Editor
74
THE REGION RECORD
'-
5
.... h
I
i
I
9
-
I
....
Vo1 . 1 , No. 4
.
Sprmg, 1971
75
---.
"'Canyon Room"·. Clover Hollow Cave - ··Photo by Guy I Turenne
76
THE REGION
RECORD
SECTION
CAVE DESCRIPTIONS:
VIRGINIA
--
ALLEGHANY COUNTY
BATH COUNTY
Paxton's Cave
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Warm River Cave
Breathing Cave
Clark's Cave
Porter's Cave
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
Bane's Spring Cave
Newberry-Bane's
GILES COUNTY
.
. . . . . . . . . .. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Buddy Penley's Cave .
.
CRAIG COUNTY
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Crossroads Cave
BLAND COUNTY
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cave
. . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . .
Newcastle Murder Hole
Rufe Caldwell's Cave
Clover Hollow Cave
Giant
Link's
Caverns
Cave
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New River Cave
. . . . .
Smoke Hole Cave
.
. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .
Spruce Run Mountain Cave
Straley's
Cave
. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .
Tawney's Cave.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Giles County Caves
.
. . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
78
78
81
81
81
85
85
85
87
9Q
90
90
91
92
92
92
92
100
100
100
-.......
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Aunt Nellie's Hole
Old Mill Cave
. . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .
Slusser's Chapel Cave
Vicker Road Cave
PULASKI COUNTY
James Cave
. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Miller's Cove Cave
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY
Cave Spring Cave
Spring, 1971
.
. . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .
ROANOKE COUNTY
Vol. I, No.4
.. . . . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .
100
100
106
106
106
109
109
77
Alleghany- Count't-
Paxton's Cave
Location: Take US 460 west out of Blacksburg
for 9 miles and turn right onto SR 42. Go though
Newport and continue north on 42 for 30 miles to
Newcastle. Turn left in town onto SR 311 and travel
north over Potts Mountain to Paint Bank. Turn right
onto SR 18 and drive east for 14 miles. Just beyond
the bridge over Potts Creek, turn right onto a county
road. Go 1.5 miles and turn right again. Go another
hlilf-mile. Mr. Paxton's house is on the left and the
cave is behind his house.
Description: The entrance is in a sinkhole with
a stream entering. Immediately inside the entrance,
the passage divides.
The left-hand passage leads
into a maze of high canyon passages which were,
at one time, believed to be the entire extent of the
cave. The right hand passage leads through a low
crawlway into the mor:e extensive parts of the cave.
The general layout of the cave is a labyrinth of joint
controlled passages in fairly horizontal l i m e s t on e.
Many hours may be spent exploring. and space does
not permit a full description of the cave. The right­
hand section of the cave does boast some of the most
attractive small formations in this area, and a
speCial photographic tour has been scheduled. The
cave is generally dry and no special equipment is
needed; however, a camera is recommended. There
are 17,000 feet of mapped passages in Paxton's.
--R.E. Whittemore
Warm River Cave
Location:
Take US 460 East for approximately
7 miles, turn left at the "Roanoke" sign. Proceed
to US 11 North intersection, turn left onto US 11.
Follow US 11 to the 1-81 North exit. Follow 1-81
to the US 220 North exit (beyond Roanoke), then
follow US 220 North to Covington. Continue past
Covington on US 220 for about 7.5 miles where the
road enters the Falling Springs Valley and CR-640
joins with US-220. The stream observed flowing
from this valley resurges from a lower, impassable
78
entrance of Warm River Cave. Continue on US 220
for another half-mile and turn right down a lane
to the first residence (a large new brick house). Do
not park in Mr. Porter's driveway. but rather by
the electric fence to the left of the drive.
Although Mr. Porter does not actually own the
cave, permission should be obtained from him and
every courtesy extended to him. as he could easily
have the cave closed.
To reach the upper cave entrance, follow the
rocky lane through the electric fence and up the
hollow for about a quarter-mile. The lane will become
less distinct and a small clump of trees and brush
will be observed half way up the valley clearing
on the left. The pit entrance is located in the trees.
It is possible to climb down the entrance with
the use of a handline, or a 70-foot rappel can be
rigged. Warm River Cave contains very little walk­
ing type passage, but is well known for its thermal
water. The streams are hard to find, but a caver
with perseverance
bath!
will be
rewarded
with a warm
At the bottom of the entrance drop is a room with
a ridge of breakdown. Go directly over the ridge,
down the crevice on the other side and down a 20-foot
drop (may be climbed. with belay). Turn left at the
bottom of this climb and crawl through a crack
without descending. Here you will be in the top of
a large sloping crevice called The Slit. Traverse
across this slit and· follow the tracks down through
the breakdown till the stream is reached. This stream
will be the "cold" stream, which is usually 72-degrees
in the summer.
Downstream, there are a couple
of interesting climbs to avoid, a Siphon, and the
luxury of several hundred feet of walking passage.
Upstream, a large pool of water, called Cold Lake,
is encountered where a most enjoyable swim can be
taken. However the thrill most everyone seeks is
the "hot" stream which merges with the "cold"
stream at the foot of Cold Lake. The Hot Stream
consists of a series of long crawls half-filled with
water, and deep pools and near duck-unders filled
with water with a temperature of 85-100-degrees
during dry weather. Enjoy yourselves!
--Phil Lucas
THE RE GION RE CORD
-
'
,.
<I
-.J
-<
o
h-'
z
o
"Cold Lake"
Temp. 65F
oj:.
..,
RIVER
WARM
(
ALLEGHANY
CO •
•
CAVE
VA.
5'
oq
....
<!)
..,
....
liThe
"hot II streams
_
r Imstone dams
near duckunder
cl imb
cold stream
"HOT STREA ... u
or cl imb
f
'
"'-..
"Bad Air" sec;tion
crawl way with 4" air clearanc
room
SCALE
o
to spr i ng
resurgence
i
..,
<!)
ENTAAN CE PASSAGE
X
- SECTION
.
25
50
75
100
r
""""",, -+-siphon
)
'-.....-
BREA THING
o
CAVE
500
feel
JUNCTIOH
S COHO
¢SIPAOH
80
THE REGION RECORD
Bath County_
Breathing Cave
Location: Take US460 East for approximately 7
miles, turn left at the "Roanoke" sign. Proceed to
US 11 North intersection, turn left. Follow US 11 to
1-81 North exit. Follow 1-81 to US 220 North exit
(beyond Roanoke). Proceed on US 220 to Clifton Forge
where where you pick up US 60 East. Follow this
route for about 15 miles, then turn left onto CR 780
to Goshen (9 miles). At Goshen, turn onto SR39 and
follow it for 8 miles to Millboro Springs. From
Millboro Springs take CR 678 about 20 miles to
Williamsville. Continue through the town (small cross­
roads with bridge on the right) on CR 678 following
the Bullpasture River to the first left, 3.5 miles
past Williamsville. Turn left here and look for a
big white house on the left. You must stop here and
ask permission from Mr. A.E. Lockridge, and sign a
release form.
The forest service road which runs past the cave
is about four miles from where you turned left (a
little over three miles from Lockridge's house).
If the gates are open, you may turn right onto the
dirt road and drive to the cave. If not, park on the
paved road. The cave is about a one mi le hike from
the paved road. Go through both gates and continue
until a jeep trail descends steeply to the left. Follow
this trail for 100 yards to a sharp left fork. Proceed
an additional and even steeper 100 yards. Look for
a footpath off to the left when you reach a small
clearing.
In case the first gate is open, you may park in
the clearing. It is suggested, however, that only four­
wheel-drive vehicles use the jeep trail as it is quite
rough. If it rains (a daily occurrence in June) , getting
ou t could be a problem for a regular car.
Description: It is strongly suggested that you take
an experienced guide along on this trip as the cave
(as well as the directions to it) is rather complicated.
If a guide is not available, the map, a compass and
the knowledge that the cave exhibits strong jOint
control may see you through. There are a lot of
short climbs, none of which are too difficult, but
which definitely rule out taking a rank novice. If
you should reach the first siphon waterfall, a 30-foot
handline is appropriate. It's a 20-foot climb in a
waterfall. It is possible to climb down farther over
to the right (facing in), but it is a very difficult
maneuver. The first siphon is the end of the normal
"tourist route". The second and third siphons require
approximately 300 feet of rope to get to them.
--Dale Parrott
Vol. 1, No.4
Spring, 1971
C lark's Cave
Location: Follow Breathing Cave directions to
Millboro Springs. Travel west on SR39 from Millboro
Springs for 6.5 miles and turn right on CR-629
towards Williamsville. Turn left after a half-mile
onto CR 625 and continue for 2.5 miles, where the
Cowpasture River is crossed. Mr. Clark's house is
the third house on the left and is a half-mile from
this point. Permission must be secured before entering
the cave. There is a lane going up the hill behind
the house. As you approach the top of the hill, bear
to the right away from this lane. Clarks's Cave
has five entrances located in the side: of a large
limestone cliff overlooking the Cowpasture River.
A chain ladder is rigged down the cliff face to one
of these entrances.
Description: There is no preferred route into
Clark's Cave as the passages are all very similar,
and the maze-like pattern makes it easy to become
confused. However all passages will ev ntually lead
out. However, since only one entrance haS the ladder
rigged to the top of the cliff, one must return to
this entrance to get out." In time, though an ac­
complished explorer of Clark's can flit from entrance
to entrance like he knew what he was doing.
The cliffs afford
interesting climbs.
excellent rappelling and some
--Phil Lucas
Crossroads Cave
Location:
Follow Breathing Cave directions to
Millboro Springs. Travel west on SR 39 from Millboro
Springs for 6.5 miles and turn right at the intersection
of CR 629 towards Williamsville. After a half-mile,
the intersection of CR 629 and CR 625 is encountered.
The entrance to the cave is located in the base of
the limestone bluff in the southeast c6rner of the
intersection.
Description: Crossroads Cave c o n t a i n s many
rather pretty formations, maze c r a w I s, canyon
passage, stream passage, and very definite jOint control
which
"shifts"
beyond a certain point lin the cave.
If you manage to find your way to a l rge vertical
passage where a climbdown is necessary for entrance,
you are on your way to the back of the d.ve. Continue
down this passage until it constricts' at its base.
From here it is a very interesting trayerse across
81
CLARK'S CAVE
BATH
COUNTY,
o
82
50
VA.
100
THE REGION RECORD
the top for several hundred feet and from what seems
like several hundred feet down a stream can be heard.
Eventually this overhead traverse descends to stream
level and as you follow the stream, the passage
changes character from the rest of the cave and
becomes wide and flat with mud banks.
This passage seems to end in a siphon, but
recently 800 feet of new passage was discovered
beyond it. Hardy souls are welcome to explore
what at least one caver conSiders some of the
worst sewer passage available!
-Phil Lucas
Porter's Cave
.-
NOTE: This cave is gated. Inquire at the Convention
information desk when planning trips.
Location: Follow Breathing Cave directions to
Clifton Forge. East of Clifton Forge on US 60, turn
onto SR 42 North. After 5.5 miles, you will cross the
Cowpasture River. The house of the owner, Mr.
Anderson, is 2.5 miles north of the river and is
the fourth house on the right and is surrounded by
a stone walL You must show your NSS membership
card to obtain permission.
Continue
house
sign.
side
gated
north on SR 42
from Mr.
Aillderson's
for 0.3 mile and park near a higpway road
Follow a path up the steep bank on the east
of the road and you will soon come
to the
.
entrance of Porter's Cave.
Description: This cave contains many beautiful
formations with very little vandalism, which attests
to the success of the gating project. Once inSide,
Grand Avenue is quickly reached. By f<?llowing a
passage to the right and up the Big Slit, the gypsum
area and Helictite Pass can be enjoyed. To reach
the big room one must return to Grand A venue
and continue east toward the entrance ithrough a
crawlway and a tight squeeze. Many helictites and
soda straws are found in this section.
Over 8500 feet of passages are mapped in this
cave, and many enjoyable hours can be: spent ex­
ploring it.
--Phil Lucas
Bland County_
Buddy Penley's Cave
.-
Location: From the intersection of SR 100 and
SR 42, 10 miles north of Dublin and 10 miles south
of Pearisburg, go west on SR42 for 10.5 miles
to Crandon.' Turn left onto CR 608. The house of
the owner, Mr. Buddy Penley, is reached after 3.5
miles and is the second brick house on the left.
Distance from Blacksburg: 50 miles.
Froin the owner's house, drive back (east) on
CR 608 0.3 mile to the first gate on the right (south).
Park here. Walk approximately one third mile south
up the hollow to the site of an abandoned saw mill.
From the horse shed, go 120 feet NE to an old
logging road. Follow the road in an easterly direction
240 feet to the cave. The cave, wi th an en trance
40 feet wide and 5 feet high, is in the hollow. just
inside the woods.
Description: The upper section of the cave has
a half-mile of three-dimersional maze in an area
VoL 1, No. 4
Spring, 1971
of about one acre. At the southern corner is a 100­
plus-foot drop Into the lower section. The lower
section, with another half-mile of passage, comes
within 400 feet of Newberry-Bane's Cave before
turning south into the valley. A 150-foot rope is
necessary to reach the lower section where a 30­
foot ladder and a 50-foot belay rope ar
required .
Precautions: Trips to the end of the lower section
generally take 10 to 14 hours and require stamina
and good climbing skills, and probably should not
be attempted without guidance. The upper section
can be fun for anyone but care should l:Je taken not
to get lost! Most passages heading north will return
I
you to the entrance room ... eventually!
--Ed Morgan
Bane's Spr ing Cave
(MAP fAGE
104)
Location: Follow directions to Buddy Penley's
Cave, except stop at the first brick house on the
left to ask permission of Mr. Harry Bane. the
85
,
\
Enter
owner. He will direct you to the parking area. Just
before
farm
road
barn
along
through
an
CR 608
is a
orchard-do not
uphill
field
to
and
over
the left,
mountain.
the
first
heading
The
spur
the
for
entrance
in the
Bane's
Spring
Cave
hollow at the tree
from
the
in
Cave, the northern­
there.
high
(and
dry)
where
possible.
The cave is developed on two levels with most of
9000
feet
of passage
on the lower level. Most
T h e r e a r e a few unvandalized for­
mations, but for the most part, the cave is colored
grey and brown.
mudrock.· The concrete box
above the entrance catches water during heavy rain­
--Anne Whittemore
fall which was formerly piped to Mr. Bane'S house.
fO
Stay
interspersed.
trance is in an intermittent stream bed at a contact
Hole up
left side and make your
cave demands crawling with walking and chimneying
middle Ordovician limestone, the en­
between limestone and
the
of the passages are parallel in two directions, north­
eas-southwest and almost due east-west. Much of the
most cave of the Skydusky Hollow caves, is horizontal.
Developed
on
a stream passage. A big rock all but blocks the pas­
sage; go under it and follow the stream passage
tree line of the
line. Bane's Spring Cave is 300 yards to the left,
along an old road beyond the tree line, and in the
next hollow.
Description:
cave
down. Stay above the lower level of pits and head
right through a narrow crawlway which puts you in
drive up
to Bane's
the
way to a lower level by climbing down through break­
grass covered
hills. From the parking area, follow cow paths
the
is
the
-.
E""onCt" Room
ENfRANCE 30' Wid..., 7' High
--
Up OndOu!
PENLEY'S CAVE
VIRGINIA
BLAND COUNTY,
o
86
10
20
dO
60
80
10011.
THE REGION RECORD
Newberry- Bane's Cave
(MAP PAGE 98)
away
from loose material. From the bottom of the
drop,
head
follow
up
down into a sinuous, muddy canyon and
until
to the
room,
Location: Bane's Entrance-See directions to Bane's
it
right
passages
it widens out into a low room. Bear
into
a
large
radiate out
dry room. From this
to most
parts
of the
cave.
Spring Cave. Newberry Entrance-Follow directions to
Buddy Penley's Cave and ask permission at Mr. Pen­
ley's
house.
mile to
Drive back (east) on CR 608 about 0.5
the
second
field and park.
gate on the right. Pull into the
Head away from the road, toward the
There are two ways of leaving the cave. First,
you may return to the bottom of the l70-foot drop and
climb to the top of a dirt slope to where a winding,
boulder-filled canyon parallels the big drop. A
climb
woods, along the fenceline to the left. About halfway
up leads to a window overlooking the top of the drop,
to
however you should continue walking up the hollow.
and a doubled-rope back rappel (100 feet needed)
places you at the bottom of the twelve-footer. Another
About 100 feet into the edge of the treeline you will
way
see a large overhanging boulder. The cave entrance
rope needed) and prusik out.
the
trees
the
fenceline will turn and head east,
is
to
pre-rig
the
Bane's
entrance
(IOO-foot
is a narrow slot to the right of the boulder.
If
Description: While not a difficult system to explore,
should choose to tackle this ca've by way
does require knowledge of (if not
neede,d. At the bottom of a long talus slope is a pit.
climbing techniques. For the entrance drop
Step across this pit and continue back into the cave,
Newberry-Bane's
skill in)
you
of the Bane's entrance, a 100-plus-foot rope will be
(Newberry entrance),
equipment
is
a 100-foot rope is needed. If
to be passed up or down, a "middle­
staying as
low
drop.
person
One
as
possible
until you arrive at the
should then
chimney
to
the top
man" at the first ledge is practically a must, due to
of the canyon and rig the rope to a projection here.
the
The pit is about 60 feet deep. At the bottom passage
sinuous nature of this drop. Continuing down a
winding
stream
passage,
it
is
necessary to cross
trends in two directions. Continuing on awa y from the
a rather deep chasm. A trolley line is recommended
Bane's entrance, the passage leads to the ,Newberry
here
section; the passage leading back under the entrance
'
will bring you to a formation section.
if
the
traverse is wet or muddy. Beyond this
pit is a twelve-foot drop. A ladder is recommended
here. Below
pit
which
is
the
twelve-footer
best
rigged from
is
a
the
l70-foot
far
deep
right side
--R.E. 'vVhittemore
>
a:
c
i
...
...I
0
,-
1000 Feet
I
0
a:
"
•
U
C
•
N
0<
...
0
u
LOCATION OF BLAND COUNTY CAVES
Vol. 1, No.4
Spring, 1971
87
NEW
CD
CD
CASTLE
CRAIG
MURDER
VIRGINIA
COUNTY.
"'-
l
Sf'ELEOQENEStS
FRACTURE,
WITH
LENGTH
TTPE
lliE
IS
ALONG
SALTVILLE
6.sso
FEET
ON THE
SINKING CREEK
$£cnOH
ABOvE
IS
SIPHON
OEn.ILEO
SOLUTION
THE
OROQVICIM LlMES'TON'E
LIMe OF
,"
A
STRIKING N.45"w, AND DIP
A$SOCIA1ED
PASSAGE:
IS
,"
R
IN
TENSION
SACIC
'
5[CTl
'lCET
LT
lOWER' hllOOlE
/
SOUTHEASTERN
,
\
ANTICLINE
PROFILE
BLOCK OF
=
o
10
(0
O· NE..
THRUS1"
',
.-
( :-. '
NEW SECTION
II,
.
THROUGH
THE ELEVA'fOR.
"
,"
...... ....... -- .... 4.5' ENTRANce PIT IN LARGE SINK
Z
HISTORICAL
SECTION
OEPTH 8ELOW ENTRANCE
50
I....... .
.<'E. ; ��:::t.\
:>0
'"
(':
50
' 00
'LO NGITUDINAL
r
seA L (.
30
90
120
FEET
PROFILES
II!
::r:
M
M
HISTORICAL
8
SEC110N
'00
o
z
II>
'50
M
o
o
200
tJ
1
250-
.-
--��
(,
I
,Ii
230
_.l
!-;,
HOLE
-::::li"":::;
SIPHOH
0lJ [
"$SURE
WELLS
BARRIER
!
<:
....
z
o
ENTRANCE
.t>.
/
+-
Climb down into sinkhole
35'
deep
Surface Slream fal/ing into sinleho/
'"i
:;.
(]Q
3'
Drop
in Crawl
....
CD
...,
>-"
_
;""". -... -:=:'"'"
, -
",:-.'
r
;o
.,"
Mud fill in corner.
_--.."...',\
"
... \
\ '\
\,\\
".,
"
"
Stream in slit
25
Crawl
&
Stoop walle in stream
IS'
below (Ioor of main possogQ
SO
100
200
RUFE CALDWELL'S CAVE
CRAIG COUNTY, VA.
_
While transparent millipedes, earthworms and large brown salamanders
"- Mvddy pool
00
CD
i,h nO hvman ovr/et
Dig?
section has the "7-second drop" and the "back pit",
Craig County_
both of which are at the extreme eastern end of the
Historical Section. The 7-second drop is a corkscrew
rappel blind pit. It can be climbed, but is very danger­
ous. The name is derived from the fact that the early
explorers noted it took a bouncing rock seven seconds
to
reach bottom.
The
back
pit is
a
narrow, very
muddy crack. Both of these back section pits require
100-foot ropes. The New Section is reached by taking
a left turn in the first main room, about two hundred
feet from the entrance. This section has essentially
all
Newcastle Murder Hole
of
the
Total
NOTE:
Access
to this cave
is
cave's
formations,
its most challenging climbs.
restricted by the
owner. Permission has been granted for a special
guided trip during the convention. Consult the daily
CONVENTIONGRAM for the schedule. DO NOT plan
independent trips into this cave.
depth
of the
cave
as
is
well
235
as
feet
some of
below the
entrance; it has approximately 6850 feet of passage.
This is the largest cave in Craig County. The cave
is essentially developed along a northwest striking
fracture, with a 50-degree dip to the northeast, with
no apparent relative movement between the opposite
walls.
The
fracture
fracture
related
Ordovician
to
is
believed
the
Beekmantown
to
Saltville
be
a tensional
Fault,
and
is in
limestone. Other than the
rigging for the entrance drop, a single 150-foot rope
will suffice for all of the cave.
Location:
From downtown Blacksburg head west
--Paul Broughton
out of town on Main Street (US 460). After 8.7 miles
turn right onto SR 42 North toward Newport, which is
reached
on
after
SR42 for
is
about 4.5
right
onto
0.5 mile.
another
miles
CR 622
Continue
26.9
southwest
and
through Newport
of
Newcastle.
Turn
continue for 0.5 mile to the
first white farm house on the left. The owner, Mr.
Sizer,
requires
all
cavers
to
sign his log, and he
will direct you to the cave entrance on his property.
This is a closed cave, but special arrangements have
been made for this one guided trip.
Location: Follow directions to Newcastle Murder
Hole,
but
Description:
entrance.
much
turn
its
as
lowest
80 feet. The main passage has ceiling
heights averaging· 50
more
than
a
pOint, but may be rigged to be
feet, and is characterized by
dozen pits along its length. All of the
beyond
keyhole
at
Back
canyon
extensive
large
Once
the
up
and
first
sections.
loops
with
should be rigged with ropes, but
for
chimney
to
the
top
of the
leads
to the
more
The cave is developed in three
passages varying from dry walk­
devoid of formations.
pits
house
proceed into the cave. A right
intersection
Many of the
with the exception of the back section, do have
20 by
the
ways about
all,
Sizer's
A 15-foot ladder is needed at the
inSide, the cave will appear to end
pits, except the three of the "back section", connect
to the lower level, which is close to the water table.
Mr.
on the right.
abruptly.
at
continue
1. 5 miles and park along the road. The cave is in
a steep sided sink about 100 yards from the road
Description: The entrance pit is a 45-foot ladder
climb
as
Rufe Caldwell's Cave
miles to CR 622, which
30
feet, to low, half-submerged
crawlways. The 3000 feet of passages are practically
routes by which they can be climbed down. The back
--R.E. Whittemore
Giles County_
Clover Hollow Cave
Location:
Take
US460
west for
at a mailbox labeled "Eugene Lafon"
(If you run
out of paved CR 601, you just missed it!) Continue
7
miles,
turn
right on SR 42. Just beyond Newport, turn left onto
CR
90
601. About 5 miles later, turn right off CR 601
up
the
unpaved
driveway
to
a
gate.
Go
through
the gate and park anywhere on the left as long as it
is off the driveway, and make sure the gate is locked
back.
The
Lafons
I i v e in the w h i t e frame house
THE
REGION RECORD
/
.f"
...
0
\\
\\
\\
\\
1000 Feet
t-----+-----ll
LOCATION OF THREE GILES COUNTY CAVES
and
are
the
100
feet.
Do
you
do
people
to
see
to
obtain
permission.
at
the
top.
The cave is back down the road past the gate about
will take
left looks like thousands of cavers have been over it­
throughout.
the
not
climb
same.
"You can't miss itl"
The
the
gate. The fence on the
cave
is
in
at
the
A
run-through
trip with 4 or 5 people
7 to 9 hours. If no water is coming
entrance, the cave will generally be dry
from
just in the trees.
--Bill Douty
Description: Clover Hollow, named after the valley
it is in, is one of our most interesting caves, offering
both
vertical
and
horizontal
challenges.
To get to
the main part of the cave you will need a 100-foot
rope for the entrance (tie in about 6 feet up on one
side of the twin poplar tree). The next drop is the
flowstone, for which you will need a 50-foot hand­
Giant Caverns
line. The l7-foot waterfall is climbable if no water
is going over it (no water pouring into the entrance
means no water at the waterfall). The Grand Canyon
Room, a 72-foot rapel, needs a l50-foot rope to rig.
Rig by tying a loop around the end of the large break­
down boulder, then pass the rope along one side and
over the drop. Then climb down through the break­
down
to
Andrews
a ledge below
to
Drop is
another 200-foot rope will
be needed.
There
Hollow
done,
rig
in for rapel. If the
Cave,
Andrews
many
and
interesting
points
in
Clover
most trips see the Thistle Tube
which leads
Room has several side leads, one of
back
up
the drop. The four-foot soda
straw and the First Expedition rooms are also recom­
mended. Trip parties should be kept small due to the
bottlenecks
Location:
about
Take
US 460
west out
of
at
both
drops;
double-rigging
is
not
recommended as foul-ups occur. A 60-foot cable
ladder may be used at the entrance if none is wasted
Vol. 1, No.4
Spring, 1971
Blacksburg
24 miles to the town of Pearisburg. One
mile beyond Pearisburg, bear left onto SR 100 into
town limits, go three blocks and turn right, then go
three blocks and turn left (third left). ·Go one block
and you will be on Cave Street. Head uphill on Cave
Street
until the
pavement
ends
and
a gravel road
leads to a brick house. Obtain permission and a key
at the brick house. The entrance is in
are
and Gypsum Room; the Library offers good reading.
The
for
just beyond the power lines.
a
fenced area
Description: The entrance is a sloping pit about
100 feet deep. A rope or ladder is required, as some
parts
of
the
necessary.
of
one
pit
The
very
are
vertical.
greater
large
part
room.
A
No
other rigging is
of the
cave consists
side passage near the
entrance leads to an intermittent pool and the now­
collapsed former commercial entrance: Another side
passage, near the flowstone
"teepees" leads to the
91
pie-crust room, floored with delicate rimstone. The
Smoke Hole Cave
light from the entrance shaft may be seen from the
far end of the big room. With a large party of cavers
spread out among the breakdown, this creates an
interesting spectacle.
Location: Follow the directions to
Link's Cave,
above, but continue beyond the owner's house for 0.2
--R.E. Whittemore
mile.
Cross
a bridge over a dry ravine, then park
on the left before crossing the next bridge. The water
flowing under this second bridge comes directly from
the
cave. The
spring
may
be used as an entrance
in dry weather, but it is usually flooded. Walk across
Link's Cave
the bridge, then veer up the hill to the left into a
cedar thicket. The entrance is a small hole surrounded
by
a rail fence. Some searching may be necessary
to locate it. It will be approximately 400 feet from
where the cars are parked, and about 100 feet above
Location: Take US 460 west from Blacksburg 9.0
miles to the intersection of the Mountain Lake
the road.
road,
CR 700. Turn right and go 0.8 mile to the intersection
of
CR 604.
Turn right
again and
go 0.2 mile. The
owner of the cave lives in a small white house on
the right. To find the cave, go past the barn and head
uphill, following the phone poles, for about 240 yards.
The entrance, three feet wide and high, is just over
the edge of the bluff overlooking Sinking Creek at
the base of a large oak tree.
Description:
passage
From
spirals down
the
entrance
room,
to the stream.
a steep
A handline,
while not necessary, may be expedient where large
groups are involved. At the bottom, head upstream.
After 200 feet, the passage will seem to end in a
large breakdown room. Climb over the breakdown to
the opposite wall and descend through a narrow chert­
lined
slot to the stream passage. After 500 feet of
mostly duck-walking, a pOint is reached where the
Description:
Link's is
a
dry, semi-maze cave.
The entrance passage, some 200 feet long, contains
large but dead formations. From the end of this
passage the cave splits into three leads, the right
one being a canyon passage which must be traversed
at
the
top.
Care should be taken here. No vertical
stream enters the main passage from the right. A
low duck-under to the left gives a c c e s s to· the
remainder of the traversable cave. About 2000 feet
of passage is developed in middle Ordovician Elway
limestone. There are very few formations beyond the
entrance area. Prepare to get wet.
rigging is necessary in the cave.
--R.E. Whittemore
--E.F. Morgan
Spruce Run Mountain Cave
New River Cave
NOTE: This cave is gated.
Inquire
at Convention
Headquarters when planning trips.
Location: Take US 460 west from Blacksburg for
approximately 7 miles to Newport, then turn left onto
CR 605.
Proceed 6.5 miles on CR 605 until you come
to the junction with CR 625 immediately after the
Norfolk and Western Railway underpass. Turn right
on CR 625 and go about one-tenth of a mile. There
will be a pull-off to the right leading up to the rail­
road. Park here. The cave is up near the top of the
Location: Take US 460 west for 10 miles to CR 700.
Travel one mile past CB 700 to a gravel/dirt road
on the left. Cars must be parked on US 460 since the
gravel road is impassable. About 50 feet from
US 460 the gravel road forks. The left fork leads
to the house of the owner, Mr. Everett Link, where
permiSSion is obtained. The right fork leads to the
steep hill across the railroad tracks. Several easily­
cave. Follow the right fork through a gate and around
a curve to the left. Just before the road curves to
seen
the
paths
lead up to the
cave.
There is no need
right,
leave the road and travel about 100 feet
at a 45-degree angle to the cave. The entrance is at
to ask permission.
the base of a large tree.
Description: New River is a good cave for a large
Description: Spruce Run Mountain Cave is a small,
trip party. It has a 6-foot walk-in entrance, large
passages, and many formations. Do not expect too
short cave about 500 feet long. The entrance passage
much beauty, for the cave is heavily vandalized.
From the large walking passage, a slide leads down to
joins with a well decorated room immediately to its
right, and also joins with a crawl way leading to the
a stream which leads to a waterfall. From here,
a series of rugged crawls lead to the final siphon
about 3000 feet farther in the cave. The cave has
back of ·the cave. Tight squeezes are well rewarded
when one reaches the back. The room is profusely
much breakdown in it and has mazes in some areas.
stream
decorated
with
flows
many unvandalized speleothems.
through most
A
of the passage leading
The Forest Room in the upper level of the cave has
to the back. No special equipment needed for this cave,
the least vandalized formations. Total length is about
10,000 feet. Standard horizontal caving equipment
although a camera is strongly recommended.
wi 11 suffice.
the large number of formations.
--Doug Perkins
92
Visitors
Lo Spruep Run Mountain Cave should exercise u mosl care
due to
--Mike Frieders
THE REGION RECORD
.
'
<
2..
2100' [lev.
>-'
z
o
>I'>
PROFILE
Ul
'0
.,
5·
- - - -'- -
(Jq
>-'
<D
-.J
>-'
--
--
'
- -- - -- - --- - "
GyPSUll
ROO'll
'\
\
\
'----::-:==='---,
1720' (Illv.
"00- (ltv.
CLOVER HOLLOW CAVE
Pl AN
Giles Co., Va.
1
\
\\01'
'
.\ 6\0\ \;)C'
....
Pau ge
U
<D
""
::'trlll.o/ wi th Facltt
up to GypsuTI Roan
01 d Canmercial Lr.tr: nce
<CJ
>I>
GIANT CAVERNS
GILES COlJllTY,
VIRGINIA
NarrowS ',uadrangle
Pool
Entrance Cross-section
The first 65 feet can be
climbed although a safety
may be needed.
The last
15 feet are free.
N
>-l
::r:
tIl
tIl
8
tIl
n
o
C""' ... /
__
-::::' 'i3
t:I
(
•
<t
·0
z
W
'\i
>
<t
0
I
'<I.
(f)
-
Z
......J
co
\l
f
19
CL
>
>l-
Z
0
0
!J)
W
......J
19
I
0
-co
0
...
D
"
..
0
I
b
."
13I
.
S'
0
I
'0
I
o
,
u.
I
u.
w
I
I
w
z
Vol. 1. No. 4
Spring. 1971
�-----+----
95
<D
0">
ENTRANCE''''
SIr.Om
CC
osy -oy
To". the
frlei,
at rood$jcJ
Formotions
PLAN
•
&
..
Q
Srr
m goes under
,odr.pi/o,
- - ---------.-'
you go cOler!
• .b
£}
••"
��,'I,
\::,.
".
'\ "\
" :..
\':,
-
N4
\\\
..:
\\
'\.
,tji:JI,}
,
c·
'
:\'\"
:"
\"
>-l
::r:
C'l
::0
C'l
01020
50
..
PROFILE
lOOf,
SMOKE HOLE CAVE
8
o
Z
::0
C'l
o
o
::0
tl
GILES
?
.
"
COUNTY,
VA,
<
From :>Urface
......
z
?
oj:>
(fJ
'0
'1
5"
I •
, ''
,
, '
}\
......
""
-J
......
'fD-'
o
:f'
o
I
'
'/'c:::;:,'
r.
­
\:
II
.. ' '
? ;::: . :........ ;
.
:
.'
-\\
": ..,.,,"
D
'r &7h
-(\'
@l ' \
\
r -'
-"i
@I
t"'I.-'<oJ,.. \. '---\ ('.
-", ,
,
,
\
'
\
I....
,.::
\ \
..
,
\ !
•
.... ...
____
o 4 8
"
16
--
I
32
,.
c
'
ENTRAI\CE
""
""
SPRUCE RUN MOUNTAIN CAVE
GILES COUNTY, VIRGINIA
'
Straley's Cave
intersection.
Turn left on CR 603 and go about one
mile to the third house on the right. Obtain permission
for about 10 miles. Turn left on CR-730 just before
here from Mr. Lewis Lucas. Return to CR 604,
turn right and cross a small bridge over a large
spring, and park the cars on the right. Walk up the
road and turn right through a white gate. Walk up
a BP station. After 4 miles, cross New River bridge
sink to the right of the barn.
leads to the Straley house where permission may be
obtained. The cave is another half-mile from the
house, heading away from the road. Two large en­
trances in a prominent spur give access to the cave.
Description: A large, overhanging entrance gives
access to a rocky slope which winds down to the main
passage. Most of the cave is developed as a large
trunk channel along which a stream flows. Near the
downstream end of the cave, two more entrances
open onto a steep hillside above the road. Because
of its accessibility, much of the cave has been
Location;
Take
US 460
West
out
of
Blacksburg
the Sinking Creek bridge, about one half mile beyond
into Eggleston. Stay on CR 730 for about 2 more
m iles. Pass Green Valley Church on left. Go another
0.4 mile and turn left onto a dirt driveway. The drivA
These entrances are on about the same level as
the house; do not go up the mountain or i n to the
woods.
Description; Straley's is a small m a z e cave
containing an interesting variety of speleothems. The
the
ravine
200
yards to
a
barn.
The
cave is in a
vandalized, but ma.ny interesting formations remain.
No special equipment is required, and the cave is
quite easily traversed. About 4000 feet of passage
is developed in middle Ordovician Elway limestone.
cave is quite dry, and, although it contains approxi­
mately 1000 feet of passage, most of it is in the form
--R.E. Whittemore
of short, dead-end canyons. In the right-hand section
of
the cave
entrance
is
gives
a
120-foot blind pit. The left-hand
access
to
a room
that was once
Other Giles Co. Caves
mined for saltpetre. Parts of a wooden ladder are
well preserved.
--R.E. Whittemore
Tawney's Cave
but
Location:
continue
_
Follow the directions to Link's Cave, .
beyond the
owner's house to the next
Location: From the Campus head east on US 460
and turn left at the Imperial Motor Lodge. Follow
this street uphill for several blocks to where it
dead-ends at another street. Turn right and follow
this road until it crosses a cattle guard and the pave­
ment ends. Ask permission at the first house on the
house;
The
a
henhouse.
cave is several hundred feet behind the
gravel drive leads to the entrance near a
Description: The first 30 feet of the entrance
drop is. steep and a handline is desirable. Below
100
guided lrip parlies only. The departure time of these trips
will be posted at the convention center. Pig Hole fea­
tures a number of vertical drops.
Do NOT attempt to
visit this cave except with a scheduled convention
trip--owner's request.
Montgomery- County_
Aunt Nellie's Hole
right.
Three caves in Giles County are now closed. They
are Canoe, Pig Hole, and Starnes.Please do nOl allempl to
visil lhese cave . Special permission has been obtained
to visit Pig Hole during the Convention week with
the steep area, the pit slopes downward over tires,
bedsprings, and fencing to a trash pile. Passages
extend for several hundred feet in either direction
from the trash heap.
--RE. Whittemore
Old Mill Cave
Location: Take Roanoke Street north (CR 785)
out of Blacksburg, bearing left at the cemetery, and
again at Luster's Gate. Cross a concrete bridge afte:r:
you have gone 5 miles. On the right, 0.2 mile beyona
THE REGION RECORD
"
<
2.
....
z
o
'
TAWNEY S
'"
.g'
GILES
'i
5'
CAVE
COUNTY, VIRGINIA
O'C!
ENTRANCE NO.1
....
CD
....,
....
SALTPETER
MOUNDS'
>8��
/.
N
/
C'
:J
0
/
POOL
1�
®
8
-
FOSSIL
•
.
'
""'; "" .
\ .
. (2'
I
);
• ___ •
_
'
/
10",
?r
'
OU': M ,: C
129\/1)
RIMSTONE POOLS
_ _
'EMERALD
ROCIA
'"
riO
.
/'.
.-------
\
-0
=>.:
-
'POOL
\::
0
51
•
.
.u
g
/"
:::;;.
/'
/
r::'1� ·1.
L:::J
!2 9 {}=
\
(25 .i
SLIPPERY MUD
5/
.r-
.
.
!
I
MOON R V ER
,
./
--.
o
MOO' eo'M
.
40
..=---.;J
120
80
FEET
!
'
/;
....
o
....
)\'
)' ,
ENT R
Alj"'''':"
.
..../
.. /)
10
. ,'.J
<.O ·
___
B,j' 'JE
.
I
(
;\
"
l
/\,)
'. /'
[">:-':
•.
\
/
> ..... j -;
e
'.
"
)//
/ E:'I '
(. ")'
SURV r
GUY TlIREr-JNf, [, 1. PI\RK, '\-lIKE C0N,'''<EY
JIM TALAMADC[
fiNO I'FNN"
Me cLin ' Y
BRUNTON AND TAPE
•.
40
FORMATION
ROOM
SINK
f-'
o
'"
AUNT NELLIE'S HOLE
Longitude 37"12'43" Latitude 80'23'02"
2.2 mi. S53'30'E Blacksburg, Va.
Surveyed by R.W. Barnes & S.A. Loyd
Feb 6,
Drawn by R.vJ. Barnes
Sca Ie:
1943
Traced by R.T. \vatts
lin.
=
25 f t.
VPI Grotto
National Speleological
--
SLIDE ROOM
?
Society
-- -- -----
/
:.
....
.;j
-----
LOBBY
i
it
>-l
:I:
t'l
t'l
8
t'l
(")
o
t:I
--'
r----....
;
.......
_--7
'.
<:
g.
,;
z
?
..,.
Ul
'0
'i
Mon ' beoutiful o ra n
---
;;
IP
(Jq
100
150
JOO
SO
9
c
8. wh i re
column
to 24" high
250(,
M
......
OLD MILL CAVE
<L>
-l
,...
'- Crock nO',o_s;
progreSs impossible
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VA.
Flowstone (/oor
Whi"
Mony red sIo/OCI;res
P LAN
Stream
enters
_. &
I-r /
..
'
ROU9"
t'r.les,o,.
o
",- S
"'"
S'reom comes ('om und
Crow/ or ENTRANCE-
5'0100/; ,.
sodo Slrows
,
White
;'
rrOns/ucqnt
bacon dnd
boulders
T"e Foyer
Pool 2' Jeep.
,
' :;;
+=-
rre o m goes under
Lporr
of s tream
flows
down smoll hol e
FlOwS/one bo,* and
many
"oloc,iles and cO/VfT)nS
Mony
formOtiens
I#(:/;
\
I
,...
o
U1
ENTRANCE
/Tl-re Foyer
PRO F I L E
/Sqveeze over or uncJe
\
I
I
I
, ,
1
I
I
I
I
I
I
/
./
'!/II;
/
'11# /,
'/
/
1
/
I
-"
-"
-"
/3 Pools
I
II:::
'/
111/;
"-
"-
!fI;,
,
I
I
::::: .."...-----=
(
I
111#_-
I
....... .......
The Pink Room
'I
I
\"'Pi'rlstone
/
Water
Cro_/
Cro
...... ,
the
bridge
is the Mitchell Farm.
Ask here. After
obtaining permission, go back across the concrete
bridge and turn right through the first gate onto a
dirt road. The
is the entrance.
Description:
The
to
small
the
hole on
in Cambrian-aged, Elbrook Dolomite.
low opening just across the bridge
room. Access
maining
The overall pattern of the cave may best be described
as dendritic. Over one mile of passages are developed
the
1000-plus
entrance
opens into a
--R.E. Whittemore
small
rest of the cave is through a
left side of
the
Vicker Road Cave
room. The re­
feet of the cave is an upstream
passage to a siphon. Near the upstream end, an upper
level
is developed which boasts several very large
rims tone dams. A fairly photogenic cave.
Location:
Head south from the VPI Golf Course
on CR 685. After 0.8 mile cross the US 460 Bypass,
and continue on CR 685 for 3.7 miles to Price
Fork Texaco. Bear left at the fork and continue 0.1
--R.E. Whittemore
mile to a three-pronged fork. Take the far left road
(CR 659). For the next 0.8 mile the road winds down
a gentle grade, at the bottom of which the road makes
a sharp left turn uphill. At this bend, park your car
and walk left (east) along a series of poorly-defined,
irregular
Slusser's Chapel Cave
20-foot deep sink is reached.
Location: Head west on US 460 out of Blacksburg
sink is a low, three-foot high crack steeply dipping
(Main Street, not the Bypass). One-half mile beyond
the town limits, turn right onto CR-624 (at the ESSO
sign). Follow this road for 3.5 miles to just beyond
a
sharp left turn. A gate, a metal shed, and a deep
sink
are on
the left. Park along the road. No per­
mission is required.
Description:
at
sinks which parallel the winding downhill
grade road. After about 500 feet, a 30-foot diameter,
the
The
Description:
The
entrance
in the bottom of the
down to the main passage. The main passage is a
slightly meandering stream channel trending roughly
north-south. The average ceiling height is fifteen feet,
with passage averaging three feet wide. The cave at
the
southern end is a series of steep chimneys up
about fifty feet total to near the surface. At the north­
entrance is a narrow opening
bottom of the sink. A
low maze area at the
entrance gives access to a narrow,
sinuous stream
channel which, joined by other branches, forms the
main part of the cave. This canyon eventually joins
ern
end of the main passage the stream pinches at
the
end
of
the
thirty-foot
diameter
room.
Total
length of the cave is about 1100 feet. There are no
particularly interesting formations, and no special
equipment is needed.
a much larger passage which ends in a low siphon.
--Paul Broughton
Pulaski County-
Do not block the driveway. F rom the gate, walk
750 feet ESE through a pasture. The entrance,
James Cave
three feet wide by five feet high and surrounded by
Location: The owner lives in Radford. Call 639­
5149 and explain that the party has NSS members
and are guests of the VPI
Cave Club.
To find the
cave,
take
US 460 east to
Christiansburg and turn
right onto US 11 south. Go two miles beyond Radford
and turn right onto CR 624 just beyond the Autodrome
Drive-In Theatre. Drive 1.3 miles; then 0.2 mile
beyond a small white house on the right to the first
driveway
106
past
the house,
at the
bottom of
a hill.
a pipe fence, is at the bottom of a sinkhole. (Total
distance from Blacksburg: 17 miles.)
DescriptIOn: James Cave has 7000 feet of stream
passage and passages parallel to the stream. Down­
stream,
there are
about 5000 feet of passage with
a nice formation section, relatively unvandalized,
protected by several short but tight crawlways.
--E.F. Morgan
THE REGION RECORD
.,
<:
.....
z
o
"'"
.,
5'
OQ
l ''''
.....
<D
-'l
.....
0
0' \
I/
o\
,
'
UP
-Y
OHIMNt:
TO
l/
0)
MONTGOMERY
/ l r; " . '
·n .
_ ,
Ii ' .. 'Z...,. •••
;.
/
>O " /\j \ '
. ..
. .1
. !
.
;, '( ,: ;;;: JI
'
/
'y. .
" J :''.''
"
r\ARROW
,
/-. \/ . '::""'':
,
.Fv;,,', :
/.
"
P
J .
v , , ,-/,=
".
.
'
1.
. .
10
/
/ . ' .'
'
'. .
.
"
"
05
"" 'De
FISSURE
'
-
NTON
AN
JI. N U A R Y
PAUL
.....
o
-'l
TA
,
E
\ ,.
WARREN
.....:...--- . ®
'"
."/
@
"
••
,
'15
,
_
<_
(1;,
25
FEE
50
IK
-"
\®
_
@
75
T
----
BROUGHTON
LIMESTONE
\
20 DEEP
'
ENTRMJC,. ."I
SURVEY
FORMATION - CA MBRIAN
==-'--
II'.
_ __
IO'CROP
1969
BROUGHTON.
_
ROME
'
c
5R
VI RGI N IA
@
32' DRl'P
S'DROP
COUNTY,
'"':'lJEEZE
'\
r. 4:;'
Pl.SSAGE
CAVE
ROAD
VICKER
eo",
N
., I
I
I
I/
,I@_
,
/__
- -'
L
"--(I\
"-"
.....
a
00
-
"
I
•
X\
-
'2 (
OlD
"
\
'"
\
IJ
\
'"
'
\
.-
--
\
'NTRANCE
'\
\"
.
\\
A'
,
\
\
¥l a1
I
\
\
I
o
\
»
l
'0
I.
N
TOTAL LENGTH'
NO
VERTICAL
7,312
RIGGING
FEE T
NECESSARY.
JAMES' CAVE
PULASKI COUNTY, VIRGINIA
RADFORD 15' QUADRANGLE' C 3/2/4
LAl 37" 09' 05" LONG 80· 36' 10"
E
BRUNTON-TAPE SURVEY-1965/67
S
MAPPED BY' B. LE WIS, EFMORGAN
AN D V.PI. GROTTO.
DRAWN BY' ET MORGAN
-7-
!IS
NEW RIVER VALLEY C AVE C LUB
>-'l
;:t;
i:'l
:lJ
tIl
8
o
Z
:lJ
tIl
(")
o
:0
tJ
30
'"
A'
�------
'6
+
.
SCALE IN FEET
60
!
90
!
t20
!
:
B
"
------
Roanoke County-
then head back under the entrance and continue climb­
Miller's Cove Cave
ing
Location: From Main Street in Blacksburg, head
north on Roanoke Street, bearing left at the cemetery.
Stay
on
CR 785 for 12.9 miles to Custer's Texaco.
Turn
left
right
on
on
CR 697,
CR 624
follow
for
3.4
it
miles
down
to
a
wide
ledge
overlooking a
room. A
40-foot plus handline is helpful in reaching the bottom
to
CR 624.
to
CR 620;
Turn
turn
of this room. Leaving this room, a left turn ends
abruptly at a 60-foot drop (the Grand Chasm). The
passage
at the
bottom trends upstream (south)
for
1000 feet to a breakdown area. The stream on this
level plunges down a west-trending canyon, over three
short drops, to a low crawlway into the more northern
extent of the cave, which may also be reached from
left on CR 620 and go 0.2 mile to the Sirry farm. Ask
the
0.1 mile to the second gate on the right. Park here,
Grand Chasm drop. This passage intersects a sloping
canyon which, if followed downs team to the right,
but do
permission here. Turn right onto the dirt road and go
upper
level
by
turning
right
at the
top of the
block the gate. Cross the gate and walk
leads to the stream passage at Mayonnaise Junction.
along the dirt road for about one mile to a point
where the road crosses a spur and turns steeply
downward. A faint road heads up the spur to the right.
in areas that are muddy and unstable; so great care
should be taken. The stream level at the lower, or
Follow this trail uphill until it makes a sharp left.
Turn right off the trail and walk along the hill (do
north end of the cave is traversable for about 4000
not climb or descend) for about 100 yards to a small
feet to
Formations are
not
sinkhole. The cave lies at the base of a tree. Need­
less
to
say,
the easiest way to find this cave is to
enlist the aid of
a
local caver. Fo r the scheduled
convention trip, we hope to obtain permission
take 4WD vehicles beyond the gate to the cave.
to
This traverse requires some rather tricls:y climbing
a
series of siphons which are rarely open.
not
abundant,
but
a few beautiful
ones
may be found in widely scattered Clreas. The
'
mapped length of the cave is 13,200 feet. It is
developed
in upper Knox dolomite; an equivalent of
the lower Ordovician Beekmantown formation. Bedded
chert bands up to one foot thick· are exposed in the
cave.
Description:
A
75-foot plus rope
is
needed
to
--R.E. Whittemore
rig the entrance; tie to a tree for the first two drops,
Rockbrid
County_
acowpath which goes to a sinkhole. Stra;ight up the
hill is another small shallow sinkhole.' The cave
Cave Spring Cave
Location:
To
get
to
Cave
entrance is a fissure 3 by 15 feet in a small clearing
Spring
Cave,
take
1-81 North to Lexington, Virginia. At Lexington, take
the US 60 West exit and go through the city to the
Keydett-General
Motel.
Opposite
the
motel
on the
in
this second sink. It is easier to find the cave if
one remembers that it is just beyond the first big
sinkhole that he goes through.
Description:
Cave Spring
Cave,
the most
ex­
right side of the road is a red-roofed abandoned
restaurant. Obtain permission to park here from Col.
tensive in Rockbridge County, is a maze of solution
Harper, who lives in the first big house on the right
and vary from dry to muddy. The cave is moderately
on down the road. Walk 0.5 mile or less at 55 degrees
to the wooded hill behind the restaurant. There is
Vol. 1, No. 4
Spring, 1971
passages.
difficult,
with
The
passages
involving
considerable
are usually deep, narrow,
!scrambling
mostly walking
and
climbing.
filIeq with
It is
for­
109
The cave is a maze that varies between several
mations, many of which are vandalized and many of
which are intact. One of the most notable is Butter­
level s.
There
milk Falls, a white calcite flowstone in the Big Room.
stream
and
There is also a stream level; the stream runs into
of
the floor after about 500 to 600 feet. However, about
vertical equipment being needed. Permission to go
the
25 feet before the end of the stream passage, there
into
is another
it
passage
which is hard to find that goes
is
to
are
the
several
Big
necessary to get permission to park the cars
500 feet of stream passage. This passage that connects
long you will be in the cave.
stream
passages
is
filled
with
getting to t h e
the cave is not necessary, however remember
from
two
of
cave. The cave is completely horizontal, no
around to where the stream resurges for about another
the
ways
Room from different parts
Col.
Harper.
It is
best
to let him know how
some un­
touched formations.
- -Tuna Johnson
o
Drop
P
Pool
X
Siphon
B
Breakdown A reo
F
Formor;ons
N
MILLER'S COVE CAVE
Roanoke- County, Va-..
100
llO
200
300
THE REGlON
RECORD
-<
CAVE SPRING CAVE
,;
z
o
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA
01>
>i
5"
'!.'l
N
.....
<0
-.J
.....
e
BIG ROO,.!
.....
.....
.....
Saltpetre Entrance, Greenville Saltpetre Cave--Photo by Kim Smith
:::
112
THE REGION RECORD
SECTION CAVE DESCRIPTIONS:
WEST VIRGINIA GREENB RIER COUNTY
Greenbrier Caverns
Windy Mouth Cave
MERCER COUNTY
MONROE COUNTY
Beacon Cave
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cross Road Cave
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Greenville Saltpetre Cave
Haynes
Cave
1, No. 4
Spring, 1971
. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Laurel Creek Cave
Vol
. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
114
114
117
117
117 118
118
113
Greenbrier County_
Greenbrier Caverns
for
for
Location:
28
Take
miles
to
US 460
Rich
west
Creek,
for
possible
trips,
or contact DC Grotto members
to make arrangements. Also see "Biology Field
Trip to Greenbrier Caverns" in this Guidebook.
from
then
--Patrick Moretti
Blacksburg
US 219
north
about 39 miles to Organ Cave P.O., West Vir­
ginia. At this point turn east on the county road,
travel for 0.3 mile, and turn right onto the drive­
way leading to the cave.
Description:
In a word:
"Bigl"
Although
the
commercial route is not extensively decorated, there
are some speleothems. The major commercial interest
however is the saltpetre mining facility. In the salt­
petre area, one can find vats and troughs dating
back to the Civil War. These are in a perfect state
of preservation and one can almost expect one of
the miners to come walking around the bend.
The
non-commercial
cave
starts
here,
and
as
far as it has been mapped, doesn't stop for another
thirty miles or so. The cave has seven entrances
physically connected and one connected only through
water at this time. It is the largest and most complex
system in West Virginia.
The cave is developed on five distinctly separate
levels. Througnout the cave there are flagrant ex­
amples of stream captures. One of the most interest­
ing features of the cave is the upper level stream.
This flows directly above one of the other main
streams in the system and doesn't jOin it for almost
five thousand feet. This Junction is a spectacular
130-foot drop into the Bowen Room.
For
those
interested
in marathons, it would be
possible to make a continuous loop, never retracing
your steps and never crossing your path (except
Windy Mouth Cave
Location: Take US 460 west to Rich Creek and
turn right onto US-219 North. Just before reaching
Ronceverte,
West
Virginia,
US 219
will descend to
the Greenbrier River; do not cross the bridge.
Instead, continue along the river on CR-48 for
4.5 miles, and turn right onto CR 62/1 at a church.
After l.8 miles, CR 62/1 will dead-end at the Green­
brier River. Turn left and drive along the river as
far as you dare and park. Walk along the river
bank for another half-mile or so. It will be neces­
sary to do some boulder hopping and scrambling along
red shale bluffs. The cave entrance is several hundred
feet above the river at the limestone-shale contact.
It may be difficult to locate; assistance of an area
ca ver,
or
ommended.
more lengthy verbal directions are rec­
Description: Windy Mouth Cave is one of West
Virginia's most extensive systems. A continumg
project is under way to map and explore the cave,
but as yet its full extent is not known. This is
partially due to the inaccessibility of the cave, which
is greater during certain seasons of the year, and
partially due to the difficulties involved in explorat­
ion. The cave has one entrance. The first 900 feet
is a crawlway. Knee pads are recommended for this
and other extensive crawl ways encountered farther
into the cave.
To reach some of the larger sections,
in an upper level), that wolild take you into the
northern-most entrance (Master's) and out the west­
follow
rig a drop near the entrance). This loop would be
over twenty miles long and would show you only
intersection (Peanut Butter Junction) and bear left.
After 1000 and 1400 feet respectively, canyons open
in the floor of this passage.
These canyons offer
ern-most
entrance
(Humphry's-you'd have to pre­
half of the known part of the cave.
The
mapping
DC
and
assistance
Grotto
of
is
presently
study of this
the
West
coordinating the
cave system with the
Virginia
Association
for
Cave Studies. For the most part, the various owners
do not encourage casual visits to the cave. However,
official trips are open to workers and others of
good
114
will.
Check
the
convention
bulletin
board
foot
the passage upstream at the end of the 900­
crawl
passage
until
it
forks.
Take
the larger,
dry
to the right and follow it to another major
exten sive
passages
in
both directions,
especially
in the downstream direction. The upper levels beyond
the Waterfall Room are labyrinthine, and may require
a ten hour exploring trip. Windy Mouth Cave is
developed at or near the contact between Mississip­
ian aged Greenbrier Limestone and Maccrady Shale.
--R.E. Whittemore
. THE REGION RECORD
\
SECOND CANYON--tlf------!�
\\
DOMEPIT30
,
WINDY MOUTH CAVE
Gr(J(Jnbri r County
o
OO
!
1000
!
1500
(approximate)
f..t
Vol. I, No. 4
Spring, 1971
115
BREAKDOWN
o
lOa' WATERFALL
THEATRE ROOM
a
,
50
!
feet
BEACON CAVE
Mercer
County
116
100
I
THE REGION RECORD
Mercer County--
Beacon Cave
Location: Take US460 west to West Virginia.
At the town of Oakvale, (5.5 miles across the state
line) turn left onto SR 12 and continue until it re­
joins US460. Travel another 1.7 miles beyond the
junction and turn left onto CR 25. Stay on CR 25
for 3.5 miles until you see the Beacon Drive-In
on the left. The cave entrance is in a sink 1000 feet
behind the Drive-In. Another entrance lies 200 feet
to the right along the mountain.
Description: A crawl passage for 150 feet through
breakdown leads directly into the main stream channel
which extends in both directions for a c nsiderable
distance. The best formations in the cave are found
at the far downstream end, at which point a deep
siphon pool is reached. The formation section beyond
the siphon pool may be reached by trjiversing a
narrow ledge about 18 inches under wa:ter around
the right side of the pool, then climbing;up the mud
bank to the passage beyond.
Generally the cave is developed as a large stream
channel which will require wading in some places.
Numerous parallel levels and branches occur at the
upstream end.
--R.E. Whittemori
Monroe County_
Cross Road Cave
Location: Follow the directions to Greenville
Cross Road is 0.3 mile beyond
Saltpetre Cave.
Greenville Saltpetre in a small sink 25 feet from
the road on the right.
Description: The short entrance passage leads
to a T intersection. The right-hand passage ends
in a few hundred feet at a siphon; the left-hand
passage is only slightly more extensive. During
times of low water, the cave may be more extensively
explored.
--R.E. Whittemore
Greenville Saltpetre Cave
Location: Take US460 west to Rich Creek (appx.
40 miles), turn right onto US 219 North to Rock
Camp (17 miles); go another 1.8 miles and turn left
Vol. 1, No.4
Spring, 1971
at the sign indicating the way to Greenville. Travel
4.6 miles to a Y intersection at the top of a hill
(there will be a historical marker here); turn right
and drive almost to the bottom of the hill and park
along the road. The cave is located in a le,rge, tre eI
filled sink to the left of the road.
Description: Greenville Saltpetre Cave, with its
four entrances, boasts over two miles of lallge, mostly
dry passages. The entrance nearest the road, called the
Stream Entrance, may be too flooded for comfortable
entry. Two more entrances are located along the same
hillside farther from the road. A fourth entrance is
located near an old mill pond just north of Greenville.
If the Stream Entrance (the largest) is flooded, try
the Hilltop Entrance. Follow the marshy! bottom of
the valley (going directly away from th road) to
where a large" limestone outcropping can pe seen on
the top of the ridge to the left. The entltance is in
I
the base of this outcropping.
Saltpetre workings are well preserved in some
areas of the cave, including donkey and c rt tracks.
For the fossil collector, the outcrops of MISf.issippian
aged Greenbrier limestone in the vicin ty of the
Saltpetre Entrance contain an abundance Of rhe pecul­
l
117
iar archemedes bryzoan, along with blastoids, crin­
oids and brachiopods.
Most of the passages in this cave are large and
dry and may be explored with relative ease.
--R.E. Whittemore
Haynes Cave
Take US 460 west to Rich Creek, turn
Location:
right onto US 219 North and go to Union, West Virginia.
"
From Union, continue north on US 219 for 5.2 miles
and turn left onto CR 219/2 at the white frame New
Go 0.4 mile and bear right onto a
Le banon Church.
gravel road. After about one mile, the owner's house
will
be
seen
on
the right. Obtain permission here
and continue for another half mile over a deteriorating
road until an abandoned house is seen on· the right.
The
cave
is
in
a
small,
wooded
sink
behind this
house.
Description:
Haynes
Cave is best known for its
well-preserved relics of saltpetre mining. The cave
is
1000
both
in
feet
quite
long
dry
numerous
crustations
and
is
developed
as two levels,
and dusty, which cross and connect
places.
cover
Dry
the
gypsum
walls
in
flowers and en­
many
parts
of the
cave. At the end of the passage is a sort of register
consisting
in
a
of
heap.
cards,
Though
scraps of paper, and booklets
much
of
the
historic
material
has been removed, it still provides interesting read­
ing.
--R.E. Whittemore
HAYNES CAVE
Laurel Creek Cave
MONROE
COUNTY
Location: Follow directions to Greenville Saltpetre
Cave.
Continue
on CR 23/4 beyond Greenville Salt­
petre
for
mile
Laurel
0.5
Creek may
to
be
a
bridge.
seen
The
in the
field
entrance to
on the left
side of the road.
Description:
Laurel Creek Cave is generally a
large stream passage which extends southwest from
the
entrance
large
room
for over 3000 feet. After 1500 feet, a
is
encountered
beyond which the main
passage divides into two levels, rejoining occasionally.
Two fairly extensive left-hand passages lead off the
lower
level.
The
one
near
the
entrance
may
be
followed through the Cross Road Cave in extremely
dry
weather.
Another, 400 feet beyond the Theatre
Room, may be traversed for over 1000 feet. Laurel
Creek Cave is impressive with its immense passages
and
deep
lakes near the back of the main passage.
The serious student of cave geology will be interested
in the accounts of this cave in Davies' CAVERNS OF
WEST
VIRGINIA,
pages
18
and
19
and
183-191.
--R.E. Whittemore
118
THE REGION
RECORD
HILL
. :..'.
" ""
'"
SALTPETER ENTRANCE
>"··: t
rop E NTAANC[ WATER
ENTRANCE
CJ
II
...... -,
AIMSTON[
--- ... ..
.. _--,-
.... _-
/''''''
...
,
J/
'
... RIMSTON[
... ...
--'
Vol. I, No. 4
Spring, 1971
119
[NTRANC[
\
\
CONTINUES
)00+ F[(T
LAUREL CREEK CAVE
MONROE COUNTY
o
SURVEYED
7-5-48
-
-
100
T.
FUT
120
THE REGION RECORD
Saltpetre hoppers in Organ Cave
Bridges in Haynes Cove
Windlass in Haynes Cave
RELICS OF SAL TPETRE MINING IN WEST VIRGINIA CA VES--Photos by Wm. E. Davies
Vol. 1, No. 4
Spring,
1971
'
121
Peace and quiet are abundant in the karstfonds of Virginia and West Virginia
122
THE REGION
RECORD
SECTION CONVENTION SPECIAL
TOURS
KARSTLANDS EXCURSION TO SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
GEOLOGY
FIELD
TRIP
... . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. .
BIOLOGICAL TOUR OF GREENBRIER CAVERNS
. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .
SCENIC DIVERSIONS IN THE BLACKSBURG AREA
Vol. I, No.4
...
Spring, 1971
. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .
125
131 134
135 123
.....
t>:>
"""
KARSTLANDS EXCURSION ITINERARY
I. WAR 0
C 0 VE
2.RYE COVE
&
&
MA I D ENSPR ING
NATURA L
ARE A
TUNNE L
A,e,C -OTHER POINTS OF
IN'TEREST
Scale·M i1es
o
>-3
::r:
t>1
::0
t>1
LINE
(Va
.•
Tenn.)
9
o
z
Kingsport
::0
t>1
o
o
::0
t)
II,
5
10
15
Karst/ands Excursion to Southwest Virginia by JOHN R. HOLSINGER and ROBERT E. WHITTEMORE
Trip Leaders: J.R. Holsinger (Rye Cove-Natural
Tunnel and Intermediate Points); R.E. Whittemore
(Ward Cove and Maiden Spring)
A special day long geological field trip is being
offered on Monday, June 14 . This tour will include
visits to two of Virginia's most interesting k a r s t
areas-Ward Cove in Tazewell County and Rye Cove
(and Natural Tunnel) in Scott County. It will also
include travel through s o m e of southwestern Vir­
ginia's most extensive limestone regions.
The group will assemble in front of the VPI
Student Center at 8:00 a.m. and leave by 8:30 a.m.
The following route will be taken (see itinerary map),
but anyone wanting to join the trip along the way
will be welcome. Take Rt.460 f r o m Blacksburg to
Pearisburg, Rt. 100 to Narrows and then Rt.61 to
Tazewell. The trip from Blacksburg to Tazewell
,is approximately 70 miles and will be a scenic route
through the back hill country of Giles, Bland, and
Tazewell Counties. Route 460 will be followed through
the town of Tazewell, and three miles west of town,
Rt.16 will be followed to Thompson Valley, and
County Road 604 will be followed to the Ward Cove
area. This will be the first major stop on the ex­
cursion and will last about one hour (from 10:00 ­
11:00 a.m.). R.E.Whittemore will narrate the Sig­
nificant karst and geological features of this area,
as described in detail below.
From Ward Cove, the group will proceed to Rt.19
at Wardell and then to Lebanon where lunch can be
either eaten picniC style or purchased from one of
the drive-in restaurants located nearby. From here,
we will follow Rt.71 to Dickensonville, Alt. 58 to
Banners Corner, and Rt. 65 to Rye Cove. A brief
stop will be made on Rt. 65 just east of Dungannon
between the Clinch River and the Russell-Scott
County line (see "Intermediate Points of Interest"
below). The second major stop will be in Rye Cove
and then at Natural Tunnel, both of which are described
in more detail below. The group will arrive in Rye
Cove around 2:00 p.m. and spend about two hours
touring the area. The outstanding karst features
Vol. I, No.4
Spring, 1971
of Rye Cove and Natural Tunnel will be' pointed out
by J.R. Holsinger.
The return trip to Blacksburg is easier and more
direct and will not be made in group fashion. From
Natural Tunnel State Park, follow Rt,23 east to
Gate City and then to Kingsport (Tennessee). Since
this will be around dinner time, the Fla ingo Rest­
aurant in Gate City is recommended as a glPod stopping
place. On the northern outskirts of Ki gsport take
Rt.11 W east to Bristol. Near Bristol, get on 1-81
at the Rt.8 Exit, drive through Chr stiansburg,
pick up Rt.460 West and follow it back to )3lacksburg.
The return trip, also largely through cate and karst
country, is about 150 miles but can be driven easily
in three hours.
Ward Cove and Maiden Spring Area Ward Cove is part of a series of karst valleys
with well-developed underground drain ge systems
forming the headwaters of- the Little River. Before
discussing this particular area however, !l few words
about the regional geography are in order to better
orient the reader.
As this tour proceeds from BlacksburgitoNarrows,
several views of the New River are afforded. This
ancient stream flows northward across the Appalachian
structures to the Ohio River at a very IQw gradient­
about five feet per mile. (If you partldipate in the
Blacksburg area geology field trip, scpeduled for
Wednesday, June 16, you will become much more
familiar with the peculiarities of this strram). From
Narrows, the tour will continue up WQlf Creek, a
New River tributary, to Rocky Gap, and then up Clear
Creek to Gratton. At Gratton, the rQute of the
excursion will cross the New River-Tenn ssee River
drainage divide. Clear Creek and Wolf Cteek valleys
east of Gratton are practically void of caves, whereas
the Tennessee VaHey, beginning imme iately west
of the divide, has many well-developed cave systems.
125
f-'
'"
0'>
M
OSDM
\-/
\
?
rWARD COVE
\
>-l
::I:.
tl:j
::0
tl:j
9
o
Z
!:O
tl:j
o
o
!:O
t:J
\
/'
//
,
/
_
_J
\
( /
V
Key
M
Undifferentiated Mississippian
Mississippian limestone
Undifferentiated upper Ordovicion to lower Mississippian
Moccasin shale
_/
Upper middle Ordovician limestones
Lower middle Ordovician limestones
Knox dolomite
SCALE
,
o
,
5
in·
Nolichucky shole
ihk
Honaker dolomite
ir
Rome shole
GEOLOGY OF WARD COVE AREA, TAZEWELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA
II
This is partially attributable to the increased stream
gradients of the Tennessee Valley, but local structure
probably plays a more important role in this increased
speleogenetic activity. The stratigraphy and structure
of this area have been described in detail by Cooper
(1944,1945).
-,
An awareness of two generalities will help the
reader to feel more at home with the geology of this
region. First, there is the tendency for structural
lows to form topographic highs, and vice versa.
In other words, valleys generally follow crests of
anticlines and mountains usually rest in troughs
of synclines. This will allow the casual observer to
zero in on the structure of this area since it is
decidedly lacking in thrusts. The stratigraphy may
be generalized if one remembers that sandstone and
quartzite form the mountains tops, while shale is
found on the steep slopes and limestone or dolomite
in the valley floor.
The town of Tazewell is situated very near the
crest of a major anticline. Proceeding west from
Tazewell, a group of steep, conical hills will be
A
Mis
£r
Chk Cn
£Ok
seen on the right. These hills mark the I trough of a
synclinal complex and are underlain by Martinsburg
tour will
shale. Turning left onto Route 16, th
proceed through the narrow Plum Creek Gap. Look
for limestone outcrops on the left side !of the road
cut. This is the Wardell Limestone of middle Ordo­
vician age. Note that is is dipping southWard, in the
direction of travel. The red eels on the right near the
bridge are of the Moccasin lOrmation. Just beyond
the bridge, the Martinsburg formation wlill be noted
on
the right as a contorted mass oflshale;-This'
intense folding marks the trough of the Wolf Creek
Syncline, which will be referred to later· in the'tour.
Beyond the Martinsburg formation, not¢ Moccasin
rising again, this time with prominent
ag folding.
As the tour leaves the Gap, look for
e Wardell
Limestone on the right. This time, no e that it is
dipping back into the Gap. You have ¢rossed the
entire syncline and have entered a wide valley that
marks the axis of the Thompson Valley Anticline.
Turn right onto Route 604 at the Shell, station. As
the tour proceeds down Thompson Vall y, one will
note that limestone outcrops on either side of the
valley dip into the mountains.
$
l
Om
£Ok
A'
Om £Ok
5000
,
s
a
I
Simplified Structure Section-Ward Cove Area
Vol.
1,
No.4
Spring,
1971
127
The floor of this valley is underlain by lower
Ordovician dolomites, forming a sort of core. Very
few caves, none of which are significant, have been
found in these dolomites. Resting upon the dolomite is
a thick sequence of middle Ordovician limestones,
in which nearly all caves in this area are developed.
At the first stop, we will examine the contact between
dolomite and limestone.
Leaving this stop, the tour will enter a wide,
rolling karst valley. Thi s valley is formed by a
combination of two parallel anticlinal valleys connect­
ed by a wide gap through a synclinal mountain. This
three-mile-wide gap occurs at a high place in the
axis of the Wolf Creek Syncline. Bedding is nearly
horizontal and the axes of all structures plunge
away from this area. It may be said that four valleys
converge upon this one area. Each valley carries
a major underground drainage trunk, each of which
resurges at one of two large springs. The best
developed of these cave systems is Fallen Rock
Cave, which drains Ward Cove. In Fallen Rock
Cave, this trunk chalU1el is open and continuously
traversible for 3.5 miles. The mapped length of this
cave currently stands at 6.38 miles, ranking it with
the state's largest systems. The Fallen Rock stream
resurges at Maiden Spring, which will be the second
stop on the tour. The third stop (last of this seg­
ment) will be at Cove School, which affords an ex­
cellent view of the overall drainage network.
Intermediate Points of Interest
Between Ward Cove-Rye Cove
Some of the finest karst terrain in the Appalachians
can be seen on the drive from Ward Cove to Dungannon,
a distance of about 46 miles. Limestones and dolomi tes,
ranging in age from Cambrian to OrdoviCian, form
almost continuous outcrops between these two points.
WARDELL TO ROSEDALE (10 miles)-Route 19
crosses a continuous exposure of lower Ordovician
limestone and dolomite, some of which is probably
B eekmantown dolomite. This area has e x c e l l e n t
karrenfelder!
ROSEDALE TO LEBANON (10 miles)-Dolomites
of the Knox group (upper Cambrian or lower Ordo­
vician) are exposed along the highway.
LEBANON TO DICKENSON VILLE (8 miles)-Route
71 roughly follows the contact between Knox dolomites
(probably the Beekmantown) and middle to upper
Ordovician limestones (undivided). The limestones
are exposed to the left (south) of the highway, while
the dolomites form the hilly region to the right
(north) .of the highway. Three miles west of Lebanon
(Carbo Quad. 7.5') is an interesting complex of small
caves, sinkholes, sinking streams, and pits formed
just to the south of Rt. 71 (see point A on the itinerary).
The most striking feature is the huge Bundy Cave
entrance, easily seen from the highway. This large
entrance, which unfortunately does not lead to a
large cave, is developed in a massive, horizontally
bedded limestone. This is a photogenic area!
DICKENSON VILLE TO BANNERS CORNER (7
miles)-Alternate Route 58 crosses parallel exposures
128
of Knox dolomite, Copper Ridge dolomite (Cambrian)
Nolichucky shale (Cambrian), and Maryville lime­
stone (Cambrian), respectively, from south to north.
Banners Corner (the junction of Rts. 65 and Alt. 58)
is the site of a large cave by the same name. The
large entrance (30 feet wide and 15 feet high), easily
seen from the highway, is developed in the base of
a limestone escarpment just east of the intersection.
The limestone exposed here is apparently the Mary­
ville. A large surface stream sinks into a recently
formed sink in front of the entrance to Banners
Corner Cave (see point B on the itinerary).
B A N N E R S C O R N E R T O RUSSELL-SCOTT
COUNTY LINE (6 miles)-Most of the karst observed
along this route is developed on the Maryville lime­
stone. A number of large dolines are present here
and some are visible from the road.
COUNTY LINE TO DUNGANNON (5 miles)-A
huge compound sink becomes visible to the left
of Rt. 65 just west of the county line. The highway
follows the northern rim of this sink for its entire
length of about two miles and provides one with an
excellent view of this impressive karst feature. This
area is shown on the Dungannon Quad. (7.5') and is
marked point C on the itinerary. The Dungannon Sink
measures1.2 miles wide, two miles long, and varies
from 120 to 150 feet deep. Several knobs are situated
within the sink basin and four surface streams merge
in the bottom before sinking into the ground just south
of Rt. 65. The formation of this sink apparently
occurred largely within a limestone member of the
Rome formation (Cambrian), but its development
was also probably influenced by the Honaker fault
which runs along the north wall. The waters that
sink into the bottom of the DungalU10n Sink follow an
underground channel, probably through the Maryville
limestone (exposed just north of the sink), and resurge
into the Cl inch River about 0.4 mile to the north.
Except for the knobs, this large sink bears a super­
ficial resemblance to some of the poljes in the Karst
Region of Jugoslavia.
DUNGANNON TO THE RYE COVE TURNOFF (20
miles)-This route is mostly through an area floored
by rocks of the Rome formation. The Rome is composed
of shale, siltstone, sandstone, limestone, and dolomi te
but its composit on varies considerably depending on
the location. This area has little karst and few caves.
ye Cove and Natural Tunnel Rye Cove is a significant karst "plat au" located
in west-central Scott County. It covers an area of
approximately 15 square miles and is floored with
low-dipping, middle Ordovician limestones. Rye Cove
is shown on the northern portion of the Clinchport
Quad (7.5'), and its geology has been mapped and
described in detail by Brent (1963). Structurally,
Rye Cove is a synclinal complex, bounded on the
south and east by the Clinchport fault and on the
northwest by the Hunter Valley fault (Brent, 1963).
The axis of the syncline trends roughly northeastward
t hrough the Cove, with progressively older rocks
exposed away from the center (see cross Gection
through Rye Cove Syncline).
Nearly
the
entire
surface
of
Rye Cove is a
THE REGION RECORD
rolling karst plain, characteristically dotted with
deep, funnel-shaped sinks. S u r f a c e drainage is
practically non-existent, most of the drainage being
underground, and surface karst features such as karren
and lapies are abundant and well developed in several
spots (Holsinger, 1968).
"'.
eastern part of the system. The four caves forming
parts of this trunk drainage have beer linked by
flourescein dye tracing. About 2.5 mile of the sub­
terranean channel have been explored and mapped,
and the underground waters have beeri dye traced
to a series of springs which resurge: along Mill
C reek on the southeastern end of the Cove. The Cox
Ram Pump-Franklin system, another lalige cave just
recently explored and mapped, is loqated in the
northwestern part of the Cove and cont ins a large
stream that siphons underground
about one
mile north
.
,
of the Flannery-McDavid trunk channel. A single
attempt to link up this stream with the main trunk
channel failed but another attempt will be made in
the future.
Cave development apparently has been facilitated
in the Cove by the presence of low-dipping limestones
and the vertical relief of the area above the Clinch
River. To date, 35 caves have been recorded and
explored, and four of these contain large streams
which contribute to an extensive subterranean drainage
net. The major caves appear to be developed in
the Rye Cove limestone, with some entrances situated
at the contact between the Rye Cove limestone and
the Blackford formation below. A large, four-mile
long trunk channel, composed in part by t h r e e
explorable cave segments, is developed from west
to east along the southern flank of the Rye Cove
syncline. Flannery Cave forms the western-most part
of this system and McDavids and Jackson Caves form
the middle part. Traversable passages have not been
discovered, but are hypothesized to exist, along the
Natural Tunnel is located on the we tern side of
Rye Cove and is shown on the Clinchport' and Duffield
Quads. This tunnel is actually a huge c,ave passage
trending from north to south and developed in dolomite
of the Chepultepec formation (lower prdovician).
Natural Tunnel is 900 feet long, 100 to 130 feet
wide and up to 100 feet high in places. Both Stock
Creek and the Southern Failroad run ·through the
O bn - Bowen formation
Middle
Obw- 8enbolt 8. Wardell limeston es
Ordovician
Orc - Rye Cove limest one
Pbl - Blackford
/ oma-
Lower
Mascot
formation
format ion
Ordovician
Olk - Longview 8.
Cambrian
-€cr- Copper Ridge format ion
Obi
_
:
..
£cr
__________________
Och- Chepultepec
Kin gsport
format ions
formation
::
3
=-----:
Och
=-______________
==
____________
CRO SS SECTION THROUGH RYE COVE
Vertical
______
__
2000
'
'
1000
Sea level
SYNCLINE
Scale Not Exaggerat.d
(Based on Brent,I963l
Vol. I, No.4
Spring, 1971
129
ca ve. Natural Tunnel and the immediate surrounding
area is regarded by many as one of the most im­
pressive karst features in North America and rivals,
if
not
exceeds,
the
gTandeur
of the commercially
about
4.5 miles
from the
Mill
Creek resurgence
(straight line distance of 3.5 miles) and have arrived
at the western-most input (Alley and Flannery cave
streams)
into
the subterranean drainage system of
Rye Cove.
exploited Natural Bridge of Virginia.
of the Tunnel is the big
We will next travel west, and in about 1.2 miles
"ampitheater" at the southern entrance, a deep,
semicircular basin excavated in dolomite, that marks
we will start a slow descent along the eastern side
of the big valley sink which drains into Natural
the
The
most
scenic
part
A hiking trail
Tunnel.
A
momentary
leads to the top of the gorge just south of the Tunnel
provide
a
breathtaking
entrance, and from the observation platform one can
surrounding
beginning
look
of Stock Creek gorge.
nearl y straight down for 400 feet to the creek
A
second major
Natural
that
Tunnel
is
karst
feature
a huge
associated
sinking valley
with
(uvala?)
drains into the cave from the north. This sink
view
At
the
along
this
of the
end
of
route will
sink
the
and
the
descent
(about 400 feet vertically) we will cross Stock Creek,
turn
below.
country.
pause
south onto Rt.
23,
and drive about 1.5 miles
to Natural Tunnel. Natural Tunnel was formerly
operated commercially but is now a state park. We
will park in the lot near the lodge and begin a brief
hiking tour of the Tunnel and its associated karst
is up to 300 feet deep near the Tunnel entrance and
features.
extends for three miles into Hunter Valley. Natural
part
With time
of the
allowed
excursion
for
photography,
should last
this
about one hour.
Tunnel was discussed and illustrated by Thornbury
. (1954) in his classic book on geomorphology.
REFERENCES CITED
The
geological
tour
of
Tunnel will begin on the
Cove.
Rye
Cove and Natural
southeastern
side of the
The turnoff from Rt.65 is onto a dirt road
six miles east of Clinchport. The first stop
about
will be about 0.8 mile from the turnoff at the springs
along
Mill
Creek.
These
springs
are
developed
in Rye Cove limestone but occur just beyond a local
fault
complex. In
May of
1967, the combined flow
of these springs was calculated to be between 10 and
11 million gallons per day. This resurgence is believed
to account for 75 to 80 percent of the drainage of
Rye Cove.
The tour will next proceed two miles west to the
village of Rye
the
north
of
Cove. The village is located just to
the
projected
axis
of the Rye Cove
(In "Ward Cove & Maiden Spring" segment)
. Cooper, B.N.
1944 Geology and Mineral Resources of the Burkes
Garden Quadrangle, Virginia; Va. Geol. Survey
Bull. 60, 299pp.
Cooper, B.N.
1945 Industrial Limestones and Dolomites of Vir­
ginia: Clinch Valley District: Va. Geol. Survey
Bull. 66, 259pp.
(In "Rye Cove & Natural Tunnel" segment)
Brent, W.B.
1963 Geology of the Clinchport Quadrangle, Vir­
ginia: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources,
Rept. Invest.,5, 47pp.
Butts, Charles
syncline. Excellent views of karst topography can be
1933 Geologic
seen along this road. From the village, we will drive
south-southwest on the Cox Road, and at approximately
Virginia
0.7 mile we will cross over the subterranean trunk
channel described above. At 2.5 miles from the village
a stop will be made near the rim of a deep sink whose
stream
drains
ultimately
into the entrance of Alley Cave and
joins
the Rye Cove trunk channel. This
sink is up to 120 feet deep, 3000 feet long and 1000
feet
on
can
wide
its
be
and is
southern
enclosed by a near vertical wall
end.
An excellent view of the sink
obtained from the road. The entrance to
Flannery Cave is
this
130
stopping
about
place.
2000 feet to
the south of
At this point we have covered
Map of the
With
Appalachian Valley of
Explanatory Text:
Va.
Geol.
Survey Bull. 42, 56pp.
Calver, James L. and C.RB. Hobbs, Jr. (editors)
1963 Geologic Map of Virginia: Virginia Division
of Mineral Resources Publication.
Holsinger, John R.
1968 The Caves, Karst, and Subterranean Drainage
of Rye Cove, Scott County, Virginia: Bull.
Nat. Speleological Soc., v. 30, n. 2, pp. 51-52
'
(abstract)
Thornbury, Willaim D.
1954 Principles
of Geomorphology: John Wiley &
Sons, New York, 618pp.
THE REGION RECORD
Geology Field Trip Edited by DR. W. D. LOWRY
by STEPHEN T. HALL
1.
BRlEF DESCRIPTION OF LOCAL GEOLOGY
Blacksburg
is located in the heart of the Appa­
lachian Mountains which are underlain by faulted and
folded sedimentary rocks ranging from Cambrian Age
(approximately 550 million years old) to Pennsylvanian
Age
300 million years old). Pre­
(approxim.'3.tely
cambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks occur in the
Blue Ridge Mountains to the southest and flat-lying
sedimnntary rocks
of
the
Appalachian Plateau
lie
to the northwest.
Ground water, a major erosional agent of the area,
helped carve valleys in the relatively nonresistant
shales, dolomites, and limestones l e a v i n g the resis­
tant quartzose sandstones and conglomerates to form
the ridges. Another general top hographic feature of
local significance is that topography is usually the in­
.
verse of the structure; Le., valleys have been formed'
along anticlines, and ridges define the troughs of,
synclines. The limestone and dolomite caves, many
of which are developed in Middle Ordovician lime­
stones, have been created by the action of: the ground
water in geologically recent times.
By Cambrian time downwarping of the Appalachian
geosyncline
resulted
in
a
water-filled
basin along
most of the eastern continent in which the sediments
of
the
area
were
first
II.
This
consolidated. In the S o u t h e r n Appalachians, sedi­
mentation continued
throughout
the
ROAD LOG
deposited and subsequently
with
only
Ordovician,
a
few
Silurian,
interruptions
Devonian, and
one-day
geology
field
trip
is
designed to '
familiarize interested persons, regardless of back­
ground
knowledge,
with
the
general geology of the
Mississippian Periods, ending in the Pennsylvanian
Blacksburg and adjacent areas. The trip will depart
Period.
acting upon these rocks
from
produced extensive anticlinal and synclinal folds, and
June
faults
Regional
which
stresses
are
well
displayed
near
Blacksburg.
There
the campgrounds at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday,
16, and return about 5:00 p.m. the same day.
will
requested
During the Pleistocene Epoch (last lee Age) much
of the present topography and landforms developed.
Stop
number
Cumulative
m.ileage
sible
to
be
to
a brief lunch stop. Participants are
consolidate
prevent traffic
into as few cars as pos­
congestion
at
various
Distance
Feature
between stops
0.0
Start
1
3.5
3.5
Pulaski Fault
2
7.3
3.8
Si,lurian sandstone section
3
9.2
1.9
Saltville Fault
4
11.3
2.1
Clover Hollow Anticline
5
11.8
0.5
Colluvium
6
17.3
5.5
Mountain Lake
7
21.1
3.8
Overlook
8
25.4
4.3
Smoke Hole
9
26.2
0.8
Drag Folds
10
3 5.2
9.0
New River Cave
11
37.2
2.0
"Fool's Face" Structure
12
38.9
1.7
Coal Mine
51.6
12.7
Spring, 1971
the
stops.
0.0
Vol. 1, No.4
.
End
131
"11111-%-",., \ I
I{:
. .......
.... , ....
11//-::...
.... ,\'
-
\\
ROl/,eof fie#d
,up
1971 NSS CONVENTION GEOLOGY FIELD TRIP
INDEX MAP SHOWING
AND GENERAL
132
LOCATION
Of fAULTS AND FOLD AXES
ROUTE OF GEOLOGY
FIELD TRIP
THE REGION RECORD
W
:><:
«
-l
:c
Z
('UIW d09) 'uJ W '.1:; 6u! '1u!S
/
.
c
:::
i
<;
a.
0
Il.
/
/
tz
::::l
0
:::E
0
t-
I
/
I
\
.
c"V
c
'" >-
,
'U,W MallaH ,aAa/:J
."e/
<,0,/
-r
.1
J!'/
/'
I
P
.U '"•
1
r' ,
\
I
I
I
I
I
,
/
I,
a \'/
"-
t-l
::::l
«
u.
-.
/
U
«
/
"
"
/
<{
/
1/
",) I
/
a.""
II
"
"
'6\
'" \
.!
a
u
'"
1/
"
]
...,.
0
..!?
"
%.
0
U
w
l/)
w
n::
::::l
tU
::::l
n::
tV)
•
'UIW '.1.J su,-/0r
I
0
w
N
"
-l
«
W
0
c
I ""a
-.
'I
..
,
,
,
II
1/
"
It
"
,-
.,.• .
II
o
-J
\\
<:
c
e ';;
- c
:::E«
\\
\\
\\
"
'UIW <iDa
CI:
Z
0
t-
>
a
V
-0-'\ \
\ \
\
\
\
\
\
\
\
qau)I PlaB
n::
LL
I
J:
0
:::E
0
«
,ga
-"-
w
:r:
t-
",
c
«
Q
\ ,
\ \
E
·
a
21 1.
\'.\
c
•
'"
l
I I·
ll -::,.5,..!?'
;;;
, cI U\-';0\I
"'"
/
:><:
l/)
«
-l
::::l
Cl...
0
,
0
0 0 0
'" '" 0
..,
-.>
.
-J
0
0
"'
.
a
'"
Vol. 1, No.4
Spring, 1971
133
Period
Nome of Formation
Maccrady fm.!StroubJes fm.
Price fm.
(inc. Merrimac coal)
MISSISSIPPIAN
Portoge<>Chemung beds (Brallier fm. at bose)
DEVONIAN
Millboro fm.
unconformity
SILURIAN
.
£
c
,
o
'"
Q.
1.'5
ORDOVICIAN
:00
<;
'"
'"
disconformity
Mascot dol.
0
•
;.,;
UJ
.
a
'"0
Kingsport dol.
c
0
."
Longview Is.
S
Knox Group
V>
"0
v
Chepultepec fm.
C
Copper Ridge do/_
CAMBRIAN
:r:
I-
No/ichccky sh.
0
Z
rionoker dol. IIE lbrook in Pu/oski block)
FORMATIONS
134
ALONG
NEW RIVER BETWEEN BERTON AND PARROTT,
VIRGINIA
THE REGION RECORD
8io/ogical Tour
of. Green
· brier Caverns
by JOHN R. HOLSINGER
(Friday, June 18, 8:30 a.m.)
Trip Leaders: Roger
John R. Holsinger
Baroody, David C.
Culver,
The Biology Section of the NSS has arranged this
tour for those interested in learning more a bout
cave biology. Participants will have the opportunity
to see a number of different species of cave animals
(cavernicoles) in their natural habitat. Gree nbrier
Caverns is a large cave system located in Green­
brier County, West Virginia. This cave is ideally
suited for a biological tour, since at has a varied
fauna which is usually accessible and easy to observe.
This tour (or tours, depending on the amount of
interest) will be conducted in the Organ Cave Section
of the system and will last approximately two hours.
The group going to Greenbrier Caverns will
assemble in front of the VPI Student Center (Squires)
at 8:00 a.m. and leave at 8:30 a.m. The drive to
the cave takes about one and one-half hours and the
tour will begin at about 10:30 a.m. If there is enough
demand, additional tours will be offered until 1 :00 p.m.
A part of Organ Cave is operated commercially and
our presence there will be as guests. Please do not
abuse this privilege.
For those wanting to drive to Greenbrier Caverns
on their own, the following directions will be useful.
Take US460 west from Blacksburg for 28 miles to
Rich Creek, then US 219 north for about 39 miles
to Organ Cave P.O., West Virginia (marked on most
road maps). At this point turn east on the county
road, travel for 0.3 mile, and turn right onto the
driveway leading to the cave.
surrounding counties. Some of these species have
been discovered recently and their names and relation­
ships have not yet been established. Other species
have been known. for a number of years, however,
and their evolutionary relationships have been more
clearly defined.
Much of the present knowledge of the life of
Gre enbrier Caverns, as well as that of numerous
other caves in the central Appalachians, has resulted
from the continuous collecting efforts of the Biological
Survey of Virginia and West Virginia Caves, combined
more recently with the Bio-survey of the west
Virginia Association For Cave Studies (WVACS).
During the tour we will attempt to acquaint the
participants with some of the more obvious forms
of cave life. As is usually the case on a single trip,
not all of the known species of the cave will be
observed. With a little luck, however, we Will proba­
bly see 75 to 80 per cent of them.
The following is a generalized, descriptive list
of the important cave forms of Greenbrier Caverns.
1. PLANARIANS OR FLATWORMS
These animals are found in shallow pools and
under rocks in streams. They are white, blind,
and up to 10mm long. One undescribed species
of the troglpbitic genus Spballoplana is known.
2. AMPHIPOD CRUSTACEANS
Three different species occur:
Stygonectes
emarginatus
-blind, white, up to
12mm. Found under gravels in streams and
occasionally in pools. Greenbrier Caverns
is the type locality for this species.
b)
Stygonectes
spinatus -superficially Similar
s.
emarginatus
but smaller and not as
to
common in this cave.
c) Gammarus
minus -light to dark gray in color
and as large or a little larger than s. emergi­
Found nearly everywhere in the stream
natus.
systems of this cave. Very common--a trog­
lophile.
a)
A Brief Guide to the Biology
Of Greenbrier Caverns
Limited sampling of the cavernicoles of Greenbrier
Caverns has been carried out over the past ten years
by a number of biologists. Through these efforts a
representative picture of the species composition of
the cave has emerged. About 12 different species of
troglobites (obligatory cavernicoles) occur t h e r e,
along with a number of troglophiles (facultative
cavernicoles) and trogloxenes. Most of the species of
Greenbrier Caverns are similar to those found in
other Greenbrier County caves, and many are closely
related or identical to those species in caves of
Vol. 1, No.4
Spring, 1971
3. ISOPOD CRUSTACEANS
These animals are blind, white, and up to 12mm
long. They bear some resemblance to lj-mphipods
but are flattened dorsally and not latlfrally like
i
135
the latter. Usually found under rocks or gravels
in streams or shallow pools. A single species
occurs here and this cave
holsingeri)
(Asellus
is the type locality.
4. SNAILS
Tiny, white, blind snails are found in some of the
streams and are about the size of a sand grain
or a little larger. One t r o g l o b i t i c s p e c i e s
(Fontigens
is known and Greenbrier
tartarea)
Caverns is the type locality.
5. MITES
Representatives of this group of animals were
discovered in the cave in March, 1969. These
forms are very tiny (up to 1mm long), white,
and often blind. Found in damp places under
bits of rotting wood, etc. An undetermined species
of the genus Rhagidia occurs here and might be
mistaken for a cave spider at first glance.
6. SPIDERS
Several tiny, white to yellowish colored species
occur, all of which are closely related (family
Linyphiidae) and superficially similar. Usually
found in damp to wet spots around organic debris.
7. COLLEMBOLANS OR SPRINGTAILS
These are tiny, white to gray colored insects
that jump or "spring" when approached. They
are usually found in damp places on or near
bits of organic material. O n e t r o g l o b i t e
(Pseudosinella
gisini).
occurs here. A larger,
lightly colored form
(Tomocerus) also inhabits
this cave but is not a troglobite.
8. BEETLES
Small (3 to 5mm) , reddish to yellowish colored
ground beetles, usually found near wet (or damp)
places under rocks or rotting wood near streams.
Two species are known from this cave:
a)
P seudanophthalmus
grandis -relatively large
and active; fairly common.
b) P. fuscus -smaller and much less common
man P. grandis
9. MILLIPEDS
Three species have been recorded and are as
follows:
a)
Pseudotremia
(undescribed species)-l i g h t
purple or brownish with small eyes and up
to 12 or 13mm long. Usually found on mud
or clay banks near organic material. Probably
a troglophile.
b) Zygonopus packardi -a white, blind troglobitic
species that is much smaller than
Pseudotremia
sp.
pilosus -a brownish colored, eyed
c) Ophyiulus
form that is probably a troglophile or troglo­
xene.
10. CRICKETS
One rather large, fairly common species occurs
in this cave and belongs to the genus Hadimoecus.
This species is in the process of being described
but is most common throughout most of the
central Appalachian cave region.
11. SALAMANDERS
Although several species of salamanders may be
seen occasionally near the entrance, only two
occur in the cave with any regularity:
Eurycea
luciguga -this is the common'
'cave
salamander" that is easily identified by its
orange and black markings. It is usually found
near entrances and is not a true cave form.
b) GyrirlOphilus
porphyriticus -this species is not
a troglobite but certain populations are ap­
parently restricted to caves, making this the
most significant cave-associated salamander
in the Virginia-West Virginia cave region.
It is usually found in or near cave streams
and is light brown, dirty yellow, or purple
in color.
a)
12. BATS
At least three species of bats occur in Greenbrier
Caverns; all are trogloxenes.
a)
Eptiscus
b)
c)
Myotis
fuscus -the big brown bat.
lucifugus -the little brown bat.
Pipistrellus
subflavus -the pygmy bat.
Blacksburg Area Scenic Diversions by ANNE WHITTEMORE
If you would like to see something besides caves
and VPI while you are in this section of Virginia,
we recommend the following extra-curricular activi­
ties. Some require a short hike, while many a r e
within a step of your car door; all are within an
hour's drive of Blacksburg. Before starting out, how­
ever, obtain a Virginia road map at the Squires
Student Center information desk.
136
The Covered Bridges
Two of Virginia's remaining covered bridges span
Sinking Creek. Follow US 460 west for 10 miles
(mileage begins at the stoplight intersection of US 460
and Progress Street in Blacksburg) to County Route
THE REGION RECORD
(CR) 700; turn right. Follow CR 700 to the point
where CR 604 intersects on the right. Park here and
walk down the gravel road on the left to the first
bridge. The second bridge is found by proceeding
down CR 604 to the intersection of CR 601. Turn
right and travel 0.1 mile to. the second covered
bridge. Please. do not drive across either bri·dge.
Iron Furnace
This type of iron furnace is known as a charcoal
furnace. Many were operated in the East beginning
in the early 1600's until the perfection of the Kelley­
Bessimer process in the 1920's. They were charged
through the top with charcoal, limestone and iron
ore. The openings at the base admitted air from wa ter­
driven fans, and allowed the purified iron to trickle
out to where it was cast into "mould boards".
The ore, usually limonite or geothite, was mined pri­
marily from open cuts along the mountainsides.
Most iron-making activity in' this area took place
between 1832 and 1900, and was heaviest in the
Clifton Forge area, northwest of Newport. This
particular operation was on a small' scale. The
ore was taken from a surface mine along the Salt­
ville Fault, south of CR 601.
To find the iron furnace, follow US 460 west to
State Route (SR) 42. Cross the Sinking Creek bridge
'ind go 0.9 mile. Take the dirt road which leads
downhill to the right (not a sharp turn) and go 0.2
mile. The furnace is the stone edifice on the right
near the creek.
T he Cascades
This 70-foot waterfall is quite spectacular in
all seasons. Follow US 460 west to Pembroke, where
you tUlJn right on CR 623, 15.5 miles from Blacks­
burg. Stay on CR 623 until you reach a parking lot
provided by the U.S. Forest Service. Follow the
enticing graded trail with picturesque bridges up
Llftle Stony Creek to the Cascades. Swimming is
permitted in the pool below the Falls if one can
endure the frigid water. Fishing for native trout,
with barbed hook only, may be done (with fishing
license) in the deep pools of Stony Creek.
Maybrook Sinkhole
This is a favorite training ground in vertical
techniques for VPI Grotto personnel. Fascinating
dark holes at the far side of the sinkhole are animal
lairs. You will find good fossil collecting in the
outcrops of Middle Ordovician limestone surrounding
the sink.
To reach the area, follow US 460 west. About
3/4 mile beyond the bridge which crosses Sinking
Creek (11.5 miles from Blacksburg), park on the
right and' climb the rise to view the sink. Across
US 460, you might want to climb over the fence
and walk one-half mile to see Sinking Creek sinkl
Vol. I, No. 4
Spring, 1971
Mountain Lake
This fresh water lake, at an elevation of 3575
feet, is an unusual feature of the area. It is quite
deep, quite cold, and is drained by a stream approp­
riately named "Pond Drain". The area is a private
resort and was the site of the 1963 NSS Convention.
To reach the lake, take US 460 west 10 miles to
CR 700; follow CR 700 to Mountain Lake. There are
several nice views along the way that are worth
the stop. There is not much to do at tpe lake, al­
though horseback riding is available.
I
By
continuing around
the lake to its lower end
on CR 613, you'll pass by the entrance to the Univer­
sity of Virginia Biological Station. CR 613 continues
beyond this point as a Forest Service road which
almost any car can traverse to the top of the ridge.
The Forest Service has built several pa!I'king areas
along the way which lead to delightful trails. Stop
a bit and see some our eastern woodlands.
Continuing along CR 613, past Minnie Ball Hill,
you'll come to Potts Mountain Ridge. To the right
at 0.6 mile is Stony Creek Lookout Tower., which
you can get into if the Ranger is there. To the left,
the Appalachian Trail follows a jeep trail f o r 3.1
miles before it turns right to the Bailey Gap Shelter.
Butt Mountain Lookout Tower is farther along
the jeep trail about 7.2 miles from CI%13. E v e n
if the Ranger isn't there, get out and take in the
view. It is breathtaking! From the fire tower the
road continues down the ridge and, after a number
of sharp turns and several fords, eventually brings
you back to CR 613. A right turn on CR 613 will
bring you back to US 460 at Hoges Chapel. A left
turn on CR 613 takes you back to Mountain Lake
at CR 700.
Dragon's Tooth
This Is a favored retreat of rock c imbers and
offers a spectacular view as well. take US 460
east, turning left on Roanoke Street, which becomes
CR 785. Stay to the left of the cemetery. After 12.9
miles on CR 785 turn left on CR 697 at Custer's
Texaco. You'll soon come to a fork lin the road
(don't be going too fast!) where you
hould bear
right onto CR 624. Travel for 3.4 miles then turn
the Sirry
left onto CR 620; . continue 0.2 mile t
Farm (with Pet Milk sign out front).: Turn right
on the dirt road, proceed for 0.1 mile t'? the second
gate. Park here along the road, but
o not block
the gate. Follow the farm road beyond ' this gate to
where the road intersects the Appala, hian Trail
(the first big rise). Follow the Appalachian Trail
which is marked by white blazes, to t e top of the
ridge and the Tooth. The slope of the mountain is
in Ordovician shale, while the Tooth is Silurian
quartzite.
b
cj
i
I
137
New River; New River Park
The New River offers wonderful opportunities for.
tubing, canoeing, fishing and swimming. The New
River is said to be the river that flows backward.
While other area streams flow southeast to the
Atlantic Ocean, the New River flows northwest,
eventually into the Mississippi River. The New
River, strangely enough, is probably one of the
oldest rivers in the world. It is a remnant of what
historians know as the Teays River which, until
the last ice age, flowed hundreds of miles north,
then south to the Gulf of Mexico, predating and
carrying the drainage of the present Mississippi
and Ohio Rivers.
South of Blacksburg, the flood gates at Claytor
Dam open at 4:00 p.m. Monday· through Friday and
the river .crests at about 9:00 p.m. Riding theJapids
on an inner tube during this time is an adventure. .
We recommend a sling tied i>etween tube and tuber,
tennis shoes and no glasses!
Take the US 460 Bypass west and turn left at the
first traffic light. You'll be on CR 685. If you are
in town, take Main Street (US 460) to Pepper Street
and turn left; this becomes CR 685. The tubing place
is at Big Falls. Big Falls, formed by an outcrop of
resistant Silurian quartzite, is beyond the first rail­
road crOSSing and just above the Giles County/Mont­
gomery . County line. Park wherever pOSSible, and
put your tube into the water above the falls. Don't
tube too far down-river unless you have a ride
back. It's a right smart walk back by road and the
rednecks will hoot at you! Incidentally, the rock
face at Big Falls, just beyond the railroad tracks,
is called Fool's Face, and was formerly a haunt
of local rock climbers. Some years ago the rail­
road officials decided such activity must cease-­
seemed to distract the engineers.
To find New River Park, take CR 652 for 9.9
miles, crOSSing the railroad tracks three times.
Just after the third crOSSing, make a sharp left.
The cost is about 509 per car. Picnic facilities
and favorable swimming with sandy beach are avail­
able.
Claytor Lake State Park
This park offers good swimming, boating, fishing
and camping. Coin is required. Take US 460 east
into Christiansburg. Turn right on US 11 and SR 8.
Follow SR 8 to Interstate 81 south. Follow 181 to
the exit for State Park, and the signs thereafter.
Mabry Mill; Blue Ridge Park way
The Blue Ridge Parkway connects the Shenan­
doah National Park (Virginia) with Smoky Mountain
National Park (North Carolina). The two-lane road
follows the Blue Ridge Front, affording views of
the Piedmont on the east and the rolling Blue Ridge
uplands to the west. There are many overlooks along
the way, and Mabry Mill is one of many attractions
138
to visit. The Mill is restored and in operation; corn
meal can be purchased. In addition there is a re­
stored blacksmith's shop, a tannery and cane sugar
operations, and a mi n t still. An adjoining gift shop
offers items made by the mountain people from area
resources. Stay on SR 8 through Floyd to where it
intersects with the Blue Ridge Parkway. Take the
Parkway south (left turn before underpass, then right
onto Parkway) for about 12 miles.
Pinnades of Dan
These are pinnacles at the edge of the Blue
Ridge Front above the Dan River. From the Pinnacles
l ooking upstream, a penstock is visible on the left.
At one time this area was a section of the Appalachian
Trail bef{)re it was relocated farther west.The hiking
offered is somewhat rough, b u t a f f o r d s an extra­
ordinary view of the Dan River Gorge.
Follow the directions above to Mabry Mill, but
continue past the Mill about 7.5 miles to CR 614.
Go north on CR 614 for 0.5 mile to
CR 724 (dirt
road) . . You should be able to' drive almost a mile
before parking at an area that holds abo t four
cars. At this point the road turns sharply downhill
to the right and is almost impassable. The trail
to the Pinnacles leaves the parking area at the
right {may be blue-blazed) and follows a narrow
ridge one-fourth mile to the Pinnacles. The top
of the highest Pinnacle is at 2655 feet. The Gorge
is 1000 feet deep. The trail continues in a steep
descent to the Dan River .Do not attem(Jt this section a/ the
trail unless you are assured of/our hours 0/ daylight.
Four -Wheeling
This isn't to be considered part of the four­
wheeling rally, but just a way of seeing some of
the stupendous countryside! Four trips are sug­
gested:
1. The Butt Mountain Lookout Tower trip is
described under' Mountain Lake. It isn't much for
real four-wheeling, but it is enjoyable and worth
the trip.
2. From Mountain Lake, continue on CR 613 beyond
Potts Mountain Ridge and descend to Kire. Just before
reaching the town, take a left on CR 635 and you'll
eventually come out at US 460 after a nice drive along
Stony Creek (paved road). Or­
3. Instead of turning onto CR 635 near Kire,
continue on CR 613 over Fork Mountain and Peters
Mountain (into West Virginia). At the base of Peters
Mountain on the West Virginia side, CR 613 dead­
ends. Turn left, and then at Spruce Run Church,
turn right. Follow this road to Lindside on US 219.
4. The Dry Branch Jeep Trail is reached by
taking US 460 east from Blacksburg. Turn right
on SR 114. Continue across the New River bridge
Fairlawn. Turn right at the light on CR 600,
to
and continue on through Belsprings and Parrott.
In Parrott, CR 600 turns right and goes down under
THE REGION RECORD
railroad tracks, continuing along the river in the
downstream direction. Continue along the base of
Cloyd Mountain on CR 600, cross Dry Branch, take
a sharp left turn and go under tracks. Take '\ left
on CR 602 (CR 600 will continue along the river).
CR 602 follows the valley between Cloyd and Walker
Mountains, coming out at French Chapel on SR 100.
Take a left back to Dublin.
Fishing
mation desk, or from the District Ranger ip Blacks­
burg. The Ranger will tell you where fishin g permits
may be obtained, and can provide a pamphlet of
Virginia fishing laws. To reach the Ranger's office.
take the road past the Coliseum (Washington Street)
to the stoplight at Main. Continue acros
' s Main;
you'll see the sign on the right. The fishing season
opens in April and streams are usually fished out
by June. but it's worth a try!
Golf
It will be best to obtain a Jefferson National
Forest map from the Squires Student Center infor­
The VPl golf course is open to all. See campus
map, this section.
-.
Tubing on the New River is 0 fovorite wOy
of getting rid O!f COve grime.
Vol. 1, No.4
Spring, 1971
139
INDEX Alleghany Co .• Va. (caves in). 78
Haynes Cave. 118; map. 118
Aunt Nellie's Hole. 100; map. 102
**
**
Intermediate Points of Interest Between Ward Cove
and Rye Cove, Va .•
Bane's Spring Cave. 85; map. 104
Bath Co .• Va. (caves in), 81
128
Iron Furnace, 137
Beacon Cave, 117; map. 116
Biological Tour of Greenbrier Caverns, 135
**
Blacksburg Area Scenic Diversions, 136
Bland
Co .
•
Va.
(caves
in),
location
85;
map.
87
James Cave, 106; map, 108
Blue Ridge Parkway, 138
Breathing Cave, 81; map. 80
Buddy
Penley's
**
Cave (Penley's Cave) , 85; map, 86
Karstlands
Excursion
to
Southwest Va., 125; route
map. 124
**
Canoe Cave ("Other Giles Co. Caves"); 100
**
Cascades. The, 137
Cave Spring Cave. 109; map, III
Laurel Creek Cave. 118; map 120
Clark's Cave, 81; map. 82
Link's Cave, 92; map. 95
Claytor Lake State Park, 138
Ciover Hollow Cave, 90; map, 93
**
Convention Special Tours, 123
Covered Bridges, The, 136
Mabry Mill, 138
Craig Co .• Va. (caves in), 90
Maiden Spring Ar a. Va., 125
Crossroads Cave (Va.), 81; map. 83
Maybrook Sinkhole, 137
Cross Road Cave (W.Va.). 117
Mercer Co . • W. Va. (caves in), 117
Miller's Cove Cave, 109; map, 110
Monroe Co., W.Va. (caves in), 117
**
Montgomery Co .• Va. (caves in), 100
D ragon's Tooth, 137
**
**
Natural Tunnel, 128
Fishing, 138
Newberry-Bane's Cave, 87; map. 98
Four-Wheeling. 138
Newcastle Murder Hole, 90; map. 88
New
**
Geology
Field
Tr,_
Giles
Co..
Va.
94
,
New River Park, 138
**
in),
90;
location
map,
91
Golf. 138
Greenbrier
Geological Formations Along the.
s, 133, 134
1,
(,
138;
New River Cave, 92; map. 97
'1,; Itinerary Map. 132; Geo­
logical Cross-se·
Giant Caverns. 91;
River,
134
Old Mill Cave. 100; map, 105
Caverns,
114;
Biological Tour of, 134;
Brief Guide to Biology of, 135
Greenbrier Co., W.Va. (caves in), 114
Other Giles Co. (Va.) Caves. 100
**
Greenville Saltpetre Cave, 117; map. 119
140
THE RE GION RECORD
Starnes Cave ("Other Giles Co. Caves"), 100
Paxton's Cave, 78
Straley's Cave, 100
Penley's
Pig
**
Cave
Hole
Cave
!
8$; map, 86
(Buddy Penley's Cave),
("Other
Giles
Co.
Caves"),
100
Pinnacles of Dan, 138
Porter's Cave, 85; map, 84
Tawney's Cave, 100; map, 101
Pulaski Co., Va. (caves in), 106
**
**
Vicker Road Cave, 106; map, 107
Roanoke Co., Va. (caves in), 109
Virginia Cave Descriptions, 77
Rockbridge Co., Va. (caves in), 109
VPI Campus Map, 75
Rufe Caldwell's Cave, 90; map, 89
I
Rye Cove Area, Va., 128; geological map, J.29
I
**
**
Ward
Cove
Area,
Va.,
125;
geological maps, 126,
127
Scenic Diversions in the Blacksburg Area, 136
Warm River Cave, 78; map, 79
Slusser's Chapel Cave, 106; map, 103
West Virginia Cave Descriptions, 113
Smoke Hole Cave, 92; map, 96
Windy Mouth Cave, 114; map, 115
Spruce Run Mountain Cave, 92; map, 99
Next Year.
•
•
Charlie and Jo Larson invite
at
White
an
Salmon,
exciting
Hells
Washington,
convention,
Canyon
area
of
convention headquarters.
sessions,
there
will
be
everyone to the 1972 NSS Convention
August
beginning
the
Snake
In
12- 20,
1972.
They
with pre-convention
River,
addition
to
and
the
promise
trips
in
the
of course around the
conventional convention
a special symposium on V ulcanospeleology,
several noted authorities having expressed an interest in participating.
Post-convention
well
as
trips
Paradise
will
be
arranged
Ice Caves, Mt.
for
the convention area, as
Rainier National Park. Sounds like
a great convention in the making. Better start making plans; it's only
a year away!
Entrance to Paradise Ice Caves, Mt. Rainier National Park.
Vol. 1, No.4
Spring, 1971
Photo by Charles Anderson.
I
141
Notes .
,
D.C, OROno ;LIBRARY
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY NSS
I
I
71
1
.. "
r:
I
.'
30 Years of Extremely Good Fellowship
.'
. I