June 1994 - Virginia Region of the NSS

VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
JUNE 19911
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
THE REGION RECORD
JUNE 1994
W1661611. CIIIIES
Thanks to Laura Appieblaum and
her submission to the RR of the cover
art for the December 1993 Region
Record. The cover wa
, s submitted to
the Graphic Arts Salon in the non­
photographic category 8S tRis years
convention in Texas by Eve l y n
Bradshaw, circulation manaeer f.or the
RR.
The cover was judged Best Of
Show.
Congratulati.ons Laura and
thank you Evelyn.
There is a fantastic world of caving
going on in the region. $1); if you'have
a project update, new dis.oovery, new
caving technique or other tid bit of
regional interest PLEASE send it in!
Yes you guessed it I need more for the
quarterly publishing o·f the RR. I espe­
cially would like to see· $Ome of your
talents in photography, illustration and
humor/cartoons. These pictorial ele­
ments are an important part of the RR.
If your submission is used in the
.. Region Rikord I WilrissUe-a:reward of
2 passes to Endless Caverns ( Com­
mercial Tour) for your efforts.
Who knows, it may be your sub­
mission next year that will be submit­
ted to the Graphic Arts Salon? Only
you can prevent boredom send in you
articles, photos etc. today.
. 1 .'
Thanks, Editor
caving calendar
Sept. 1-4
OTR, Daily, WVA, Contact Bill Bussey for info.
Sep 30, Oct 1,2
Fall VAR Glengary WV See flier later in this issue.
July 17-21, 1995 NSS Convention Blacksburg, VA.
Aug 3-9, 1996
NSS Convention Salida, CO.
,.k
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f '1¥'
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VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
THERESION RECORD
OFFICERS
Chalr.man: Ted Andrus
Rt. 3, Box 150 Staunton, VA 24401 H
(703) 885-3119 W
(703) 946-1167 Secretary: Tom Spina
JUNE 1994
168188. ..
011 lb. recor d
. .... : 4
The Final Wo;d
Russ ·Cave Boy· Carter
-
...
Irom Ibe cb alr.
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,
,
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_
...
. 5
Ted Andrus
1011 Shell Rd. Chesapeake, VA 23323 H
(804) 485-3193
Treasurer: Ted Kayes
8031 Whittington DR. Richmond, VA 23235 H (804) 272-4310 Conservation Chair: Andy Reeder
1732 Wadsworth st. Radford, VA 44141 H
(703) 639-6628
Landowner Recognition: Don Anderson
PO Box 966, Dublin, VA 24084 srAFF
Editor: Gary Berdeaux
P.O. Box 86 Mount Jackson, VA 22842-0086 H (703) 477-9785 (leave message)
Printing: Bob Hoke
6304 Kaybro Street Laurel, MD 20707 H (301) 725-5877
Distribution: Evelyn Bradshaw
p roducl review knee pads
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Tom Spina
Caving and The F.D.A , ..
Tom Spina
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VAR minutes of the spring meeting
, . . . . . 8
Tom Spina
Region Recognition.
Gary Berdeaux, Editor
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Cave Photohypocrisy (editorial)......... , ... 11
Gary Berdeaux, Editor RR
treasurers report.
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12
Ted Kayes
Indoor Recrea tion Comes to Caving
Tom Spina
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VAR History.. .. (progress report) ............14
Tom Spina
1732 Byron Street, Alexandria, VA 22303 H (703) 765-0669 Printed by members of the
D.C. Grotto & the Potomac Speleological Club. The Region Record is published four times a year
by the Virginia Region of the National Speleological
Society. Opinions expressed in the Region Record are
those of the author. and do not necessarily represent the
opinions of the NSS, VAR, or any of their internal orga­
nizations.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced,
VAR, Who, What, When, Where. , . . . . . . . . 17
Judy Fisher
COVER...
Ted Churchill, co-inventor of the Steady-Cam, on scene
at Endless Caverns, filming the special effects footage
for the thrill ride uQuestor· at Busch Gardens in
Williamsburg Va.
except by the NSS or its internal organizations. without
written permission of the Virginia Region.
Page 3
..
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
,.HE REGION RECORD
111111111 rIlCllrt/.
If you missed the spring Region
meeting, hosted by the New River
Grotto, near Radford, VA., then
you missed a good one. The
weather was less rainy than
usual and a good time was had
by all. You also missed my an­
nouncement that I am (have)
resigning as Region Chair to
move to the West Coast to look
for work. Ted will be assuming
the duties of Chairman until the
I
Fall meeting and elections.
believe that Ted will run for Chair­
man, and I encourage all of you
to support and encourage him in
this.
•. f'HE FINA£ WORD.
600 now) then I guess that things
worked out like I planned. Gary
has decided to carry on my policy
of publishing every and anything,
free from censorship. That's a
better deal. than you get with the
NSS News (I know by personal
experience).
Please support
Gary and send him your dribble
from-time-to-time. Subscriptions
to the Region Record are our
main source of income to sup­
port our projects and also pro­
vides the grants that the Region
has made to others.
Without
your input, eventually the Re­
gion Record will die out.
The region will need someone to
run for vice-chair. I would ask
each of you to look at yourselves
and around your Grotto for a
-­ goo-d-c-andtdate. You'maywon­
der what qualifications a candI­
date for Vice-Chair (or any Re­
gional or National office for that
matter) should possess. Well,
my answer to that is an idea,
project, or vision that he or she
would like to see the Region get
involved in.
When the Region voted to adopt
Island Ford Cave as a project,
another of my visions was real­
ized. The first clean-up was a
tremendous success and was
only surpassed by the clean-up
held by the Triangle Troglodytes
when all the graffiti was sand­
blasted from the cave.
Many
thanks to the Tidewater Grotto
and the Triangle Trogs., the New
River Valley Grotto, the James
River Grotto and RASS for hold­
ing clean-ups at the cave (if I
When I was railroaded into the
Vice-Chairmanship I had three
Ideas In mind. I wanted to revi­
talize the Region's Newsletter,
get the region involved In the
clean-up and maintenance of
Island Ford Cave, and wanted to
move the Region into cave own­
ership/manage me nt.
have forgotten anyone please
forgive me).
Most of you are
I feel that I accomplished my
first goal by becoming the editor
for the Region Record for four
years and then passing the torch
to the very capable hands of Gary
Berdeaux.
If number of sub­
scribers is an indication of a
newsletter's success (from un­
der 200 when I started to over
JUNE 1994
trashy cave doesn't present the
standard that we would like the
public to see.
Lastly, the Region may soon be
managing access to Goodwins
Cave in Roanoke Co., VA.
Thanks to the efforts of the Blue
Ridge Grotto and Ted Andrus we
are in the final negotiations with
the Landowners. Approval was
given to the Region Officers to
finalize an agreement at the last
meeting.
Also, the Low Moor
Cave deal is still in the works
and I will stay involved from
Washington State. Spina will be
taking care of things on the local
front. I would urge the Region to
go forward on both of these
projects as well as seeking other
ownership/management oppor­
tunities.
I would like to thank all of you
that have supported me and my
projects over the last four and a
half years. If one person could
do it all, there would be a lot
more things done, but thanks to
the collective efforts of many a
few things have been accom­
plished well.
Keep doing good things,
severely delinquent in helping
with this worthy project. When
the resolution to adopt Island
Ford Cave as a clean-up/con­
servation project was voted on
every I/O voted yes. Only five
have responded.
For now the
cave is clean, it is my hope that
It will remain that way for years
to come, but it will only do so if
you pitch into help. Island Ford,
because of its accessibility, is
frequently visited by neophyte
flashlight cavers.
This cave,
good or bad, serves as a stan­
dard for the public to see how
caves should be treated.
A
Page
4
The Region will greatly miss the
many positive contributions given
by the Caveboy, as well as the often
amusing, if not controversial com­
ments. I will miss his council greatly.
For those interested Russ' new ad­
dress: 2805 229th place. Ocean
Park, WA 98640 Ph 206-665-5701
Many thanks from myself and the
entire Endless crew!
We'll miss
you_
Editor
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
,.HE REGION RECORD
JUNE .1994
Ir_1II IIIB aelllll/.. ellalr
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Russ "Cave Boy" Carter for his dynamic
leadership of the Region. Nobody can call the last year dull! Russ will be missed and
I hope that he continues to contribute to caving in his new location ( Washington
State). Russ will be a tough' act to follow.
As acting chairperson, you may not find me to be the flamboyant and charismatic
leader that our recently departed "Cave Boy" is: but I will do my best. I will not bore
you with the usual platform and mission statement that generally accompany an
inaugural. However, I would like to offer a couple of challenges to the Region at this
juncture.
First, we have elections coming this FaliVAR Meeting (Oct 2nd). Please consider
nominations for all offices, Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. With Russ'
resignation, we are currently without a Vice-Chair. Last year you elected to railroad
the incumbents - that's much too easy and I am looking forward to a greater
involvement of the membership this year.
Second - The Spring '94 meeting involved a great deal of discussion on several
subjects. It was refreshing to hear this level of interest in issues within the Region. I
would encourage each of you to stand- up and let the membership and the leadership
know how you feel on problems and issues facing the Region. And as previously
suggested, if you are seeding grants from the Region they should be requested in
advance of the meeting with supporting documents so that it can be fairly considered
at the business meeting.
Last - I wou Id challenge each internal organization of the Virginia Region to carry
on a conservation project or activity within the region before the Spring '95 VAR and
publish a report of these activities in the "Region Record" prior to the Spring meeting.
This should not be limited to a cave clean-up. It can be an Adopt-a-spot, conservation
talks, stream clean-up, etc. Whatever your group is doing between now and the Spring
meeting - let us know.
Thanks for your continued support.
Ted Al1dups
Chairman
Page 5
,.HE REGION RECORD
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
JUNE 1994
Ilrllducl B"lIlulllilln...
B Ii C WUNDERWEAR KNEE-PADS
Seems as a young cave-pup
(before I got in wlt h ... or
became ... the wrong crowd)
caves ended if you couldn't ne­
gotiate them on hands and
Old age, so I'm told,
knees.
causes the "seasoned" caver to
assume a more prone posture.
Some say this spreads one's
massive weight over a greater
area, but I really wouldn't know.
Others postulate that it's a hedge
against toppling over while stag­
gering along in big walking pas­
sage. I wouldn't know too much
about this either.
But what I do know Is over
the years (I can remember when
my uncle bought a brand new
Kaiser!) I've had one helluva time
trying to protect my knees (we're
tatkin'-cavin' here!).
For eons I've attempted to
make use of the basketball-type
They seemed to
knee pads.
Clarification:
last me forever!
By the time I got to where I could
raise up to hands-and-knees the
damn pads had either worked
their way down over my boot­
tops or up to my crotch... de­
pending on which way I was
heading before reaching "big"
passage. The pads were never
on my knees when I was!
I had a stint with the strap-on
Rockmasters and JUdsons.
The protection they afforded was
more than countered by their bulk
and the awkwardness of adjust­
kept
that
straps
able
While walking
"unadjusting".
they'd drop to my feet. I had the
same experience with co-eds
while in college. This condition
(walking) is usually encountered
in broad daylight in front of prop­
erty owners and casual passers­
by. They are not left with too
good a feeling about granting
permission to enter their cave
when one of the veterans does
an "It's Saturdaaaay Niilght!"
right in their driveway.
The damn things are too
bulky to wear under coveralls
(unless you dress like our slov­
enly youth in clothes big enough
to be worn by Atilla the Hun).
This contributes to "pads-at-the­
feet" while walking (as stated
above) or belly-crawling (as
In
stated still further above).
addition, by being, worn outside
the coveralls, they scoop up a
tremendous amol,Jnt of mud (no
biggy), sand (so what?) and
gravel (yeeeow!).
If the straps are tightened
. sufficiently to prevent "foot-drop"
or "crotch creeping", the straps
act as tourniquets causing you
to have to haul yourself along
with your forearms while your
legs dangle and drag helplessly
behind you. This can be really
embarrassing if you happen to
be in big trunk passage!
I also went the route of In­
serting high-density closed-cell
foam pads into the inner pouches
This
of my nylon coveralls.
seemed to work...other than the
fact that one's knees slid around
against the stationary pads. In
instances involving prolonged
use of the knees (like in "big"
passages and red-neck sa­
loons) I found it neces­
sary to pack some potato
chips or veggies so as
Page
6
to make some use of my oozing
Besides, many manu­
knees.
facturers do not indude these
cheese-grating inner pouches.
For a while I tried wearing
two pairs of knee pads on each
leg...one over the knee, the other
over the shin. If the pads were in
the downward mode they'd just
jamb up even tighter around my
ankles. If they were in the up­
ward mode I ended up with twice
as much hardware competing for
choice real estate.
What to do? I'd sometimes
belly-crawl through hands-and­
knees passage. Sometimes I'd
try to apply as much weight as I
could to my toes while crawling.
Most of the time I'd crab and
bitch and curse... and keep on
crawlin'! Then, at Spring VAR in
1993 I noticed some spiffy look­
Ing knee pads at the B & C
WLiNDERWEAR tent. I looked,
And
examined, tried 'em on.
walked away thinking. (I can't
buy a can of peas in the grocery
store without "sleeping on It" for
Finally, at
a couple of days).
Fall VAR of '931 broke down and
bought a pair.
The B & C knee pads are
constructed of a heavy ballistics
cloth shell over a firm padding
(probably Insulite or something
similar) with
a thickness
of
3/4".
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
The pads are constructed
with a "bend" which aids them in
conforming to the shape of the
knee. Two lengths were offered
at that time.
I opted for the
longer "catcher's style" that cov­
ers most of the shin.
The knee pads are held in
place by a combination buckle/
velcro/elastic strap. I admit that
I was skeptical about using a
knee pad with straps again but
the straps on the B & C pads
seemed wide enough and were
positioned in such a way that
they merited a try.
But there were other ques­
tions to be answered. How would
they perform In long, long wet
crawls? How well will the strap/
buckle arrangement hold up?
Well, six months and a dozen
and a half caving trips have gone
by. I'm still using the B & C
pads. That should tell you that
they're serving me better than
basketball types, Rockmasters
or the slide-ins. It should also
No one seems to have found
the ideal food to carry in the
caving pack. I've heard of (and
tried) damn near everything ...
candy bars, gorp, date nut bread,
hard boiled eggs, Individually
wrapped dill pickles, granola,
three bean salad, canned ravioli,
deviled ham ... the list goes on.
But one product, brought to my
attention by Tom Roehr about
six or seven years ago, remains
effective. Note, I didn't say "my
favorite." EFFECTIVE.
It's like a hit of nitrous oxide,
a shot of monkey gland juice,
twelve cups of coffee and a
pound of chocolate. What Is this
miracle drug?
A hlnt...it's made by Borden.
The product? "None Such Con­
,.HE REGION RECORD
tell you that they're stili Intact. It
might also tell you that I haven't
been crawling. The latter tells
me you're on drugs.
Pros? Cons? They hold up
In wet crawls as well as any other
type of pad. The straps have
caused minor irritation at times,
especially when my skin has
been tenderized in wet passage
for prolonged periods. I've found
that by wearing the pads so the
buckles are positioned along the
outside of the knee (rather than
the "instep") affords greater com­
fort. I've also experimented with
the tension on the straps and
found a "happy medium." As
might be expected, If the straps
are too tight your feet turn blue.
The length of the pad and its
contour fit allow a relatively loose
fit. While bulkier than basketball
pads they still fit (albeit snugly)
inside my coveralls.
The big thing is that THESE
PADS STAY IN PLACE. The
slight discomfort at the straps
densed Mincemeat."
"Oh boy, this guy's finally
dumped his cookies," you say.
As I swing from tree to tree
and do backward jackflips across
my yard, I'll tell you thls...it's
GRRReat!
This is the stuff used to make
mincemeat pies. We're not talk­
ing about the gooey syrupy stuff
found in cans. This energy elixir
comes in a neat little brick about
the 2"x4"x 1 1/2". It weighs 9
ounces and will serve its pur­
pose for at least two caving trips
of some duration. The package
claims that one 9 ounce brick
will make an eight inch pie!
So what's in this deadly con­
coction? Raisins, brown sugar,
dried apples, dextrose, citrus
Page
7
JUNE 1994
(and I stress SLIGHT) is a happy
trade-off for the battered and cut
knees suffered with other pads.
While they may seem pricey
at $17.50 (October, 1993) they're
a big bargain compared to $5.00
pads that don't work! Remem­
ber, the bitterness of bashed
knees will linger longer than the
sweetness of low price.
Editors' note:
This is a new addition to
the RR. If you have a fa­
vorite new or old prod­
uct that you feel is the
best thing since the dis­
covery of carbide, feel
free t o su bmit your
product evaluation.
peel, salt, currants, beef, corn
starch, boiled cider, spices and
distilled vinegar. At least one
representative of each of the
three basic cholesterol groups,
carcinogens and blood boilers.
Calorie count: 220; 2 grams of
fat; 1 gram of protein and 50
grams of carbohydrate! Yahoo!
Caaavin' again!
It seems, though, that this
product is more prevelant on the
grocers' shelves during the fall
when mince meat pies are in
vogue, so stock up, tune in and
turn on, Grotto Groupies! It'll
keep through the long, hot sum­
merl
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
,.HE REGION RECORD
JUNE 1994
Minul·es 01 Spring VAR, May 8, 199"
Held at Kiwanis Campground in
Radford, VA and Hosted by the
New River Valley Grotto
ROSTER
Annapolis........Dawn Collings (2)
Triangle Trogs............. Bussey;
Schwabenton
VSS................Dave Collings (2)
Western MD ...............S. Meyer;
D. Meyer
Blue Ridge...L. McGann; Stewart
WVACS....................Dasher (2)
DC Grotto.............. Kilby; Hafkin
CHAIRMAN.............Russ Carter
ESSO..........................Lang (2)
VICE-CHAIR ............Ted Andrus
Frederick......Holdsworth; Wright
SECRETARY ...........Tom Spina
Germany Valley........J. Smith (2)
TREASURER............Ted Kayes
Greenbrier................Cowan (2)
LAND O W NER
Monongahela.......T. Hall; Moore
Monroe.........................Daw (2)
New River..............E. Kastning;
K. Kastning
PSC...........J. White; P. Penczer
SVG....................Molyneaux (2)
Tidewater .........AI Stubbe; Kropf
Tri-State .........DiCarlo; J. Fisher
Officer Reports
VPI. ..................... ; ........Pirie (2)
Baltimore.....Tiderman; Hindman
James River........ K. McGann (2)
close any guilty parties.
R EL A T I O NS
AWARD CHAIRMAN .....
Don Anderson
I.
The meeting was called to
order at 10: 12 AM by Chairman
Carter.
II. Delegates listed in ROSTER
above registered and picked up
placards before meeting was
called to order.
III. Agendas were distributed
"buffet style."
IV. Call for Independent cavers
and other Introverts did not dis-
Page
8
A. Secretary Spina made MO­
TION to adopt Minutes of Fall
1993 Meeting as presented in
REGiON RECORD.; SECOND
by James River
PASSED
B.
Treasurer Kayes presented
Financial Report (see attach­
ment) and
discussed mat­
ters of our interest bearing ac­
count being switched to
Blacksburg.
C. Vice Chair had nothing to
report.
D. Chair had nothing to report.
Committee Reports
A. Conservation
1. Chair Reeder reports that
more work has been done at
James and Island Ford Caves.
A cleanup of Greenville Saltpe­
ter will take place on August 13,
1994.
2. Called for volunteers for Is­
land Ford Adopt-a-Spot program:
a. Summer 1994 volunteered by
Tidewater Grotto
b. Fall 1994 volunteered by An­
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
napolis Grotto
At this time George Dasher
inquired as to the whereabouts
of 3 cordless electric drills pur­
chased by VAR a number of
years ago. It was thought that
these were acquired during the
Ricketts administration.
The
Secretary will conduct a prelimI­
nary Investigation. Caning will
be at Fall VAR.
*
B. Landowner Award Chair
Anderson informs us that DC
Grotto has nominated Bob Bright
(Simmons-Mingo) and WVACS
has nominated Gene Turner
(Buckeye Creek) for this year's
award. Judy Fisher has been
appointed to the Landowner Rec­
ognition Award Committee.
C. Carter reports that there
have been no new developments
in the Low Moor Cave acquisi­
tion. He also claims that Spina
will handle matters in the future
(which was a BIG surprise to
your Secretary).
D. Brad Blase was not present
to report for the Constitution and
By-laws Committee. Could he
be heading for that "Big Commit­
tee in the Sky"chaired by Ron
Morton?
E. John Wilson reported on the
Cave Register program and
asked for more registers to be
Installed. An order form was pre­
sented (enclosed). An article is
being forwarded to the REGION
RECORD.
(article not yet subbmitted to ED.)
VII. Host Grotto (New River Val­
ley) reported 193 registrants.
MOTION by VPI to thank host
grotto; SECOND by Triangle
PASSED OUTRAGEOUSLY
Old Business
A. Spina reports that the His­
tory of the Virginia Region Part II
,.HE REGION RECORD
continues to plod along. A com­
plete outline of information will
appear in the next REGION
RECORD.
B. Tiderman reports that the NSS
Guide book is progressing nicely.
More volunteers are needed for
just about anything and everything.
Walt Pirie Is the coordinator for
pre-and post-convention field
camps.
C. Sharps Cave Access: Appar­
ently it will be necessary to con­
tactMarshall Holmes for access to
Sharps. He needs to know a week
in advance and needs the names
of all parties entering. Something
was mentioned about him check­
ing out everyone's gear as well.
New Business
JUNE 1994
PASSED
B. Monongahela Grotto will
host the Spring 1995 VAR in
Tucker County, West Virginia
on May 12-14, 1995.
C. Karen Kastning asked that
the Cave Board be made aware
of significant caves in order
that they might be protected.
Karen also reports that the new
gate on Cudjos is not "bat
friendly". She will contact Roy
Powers for conservation ori­
ented gate criteria and prepare
an article for the REGION
RECORD.
D. Judy Fisher presented an
update on Corridor H [see at­
tachment).
E. COG Issues: might not be
A. MOTION by VPI to have Ted any but the Region appointed
Andrus offer access agreement to faithful '01 Craig Hindman as
owner of Goodwin's Cave as out­
its representative.
lined in REGION RECORD; SEC­
M O TION by WVACS that
OND by Baltimore. Hindman be permitted to vote
PASSED his conscience on all i s s u e s
EXCEPT to oppose "Caver
MOTION by VPI to enter a $100.00
Certification" (should the topic
line item in budget for minor re­
arise)
on behalf of the Region;
pairs to Goodwin's Cave gate
SECOND by VPI
should they become necessary;
PASSED
SECOND by Baltimore
At this time Treasurer Kayes sug­
gested the line item be a blanket
item to allow for repairs to any
property managed by VAR in the
future.
This was considered a
friendly amendment and approved
by both VPI and Baltimore.
PASSED
MOTION by Blue Ridge to reim­
burse Ted Andrus up to $100.00
for costs incurred in implementing
the access agreement with the
owner of Goodwin's Cave; SEC­
OND by Tri-State
PASSED
MOTION by WVACS to put Blue
Ridge Grotto in charge of access
to Goodwin's Cave; SECOND by
New River
Page 9
Granl Requests
A. VSS requests $350.00 from
VAR to help offset costs in­
curred by Phil Lucas, on behalf
of the VSS, in purchasing a
copy machine; SECOND
by Triangle Trogs
DISCUSSION: White (PSC)
noted that it would be very dif­
ficult to get pa rts 0 r have a
used
m achine
serviced;
Collings (VSS) pOinted out that
a service contract was part of
the purchase; Bussey (Triangle
Trogs) added that he would
like to think that the $350.00
would be in support of the
VSS cause in general; Evelyn
Bradshaw (DC) noted that Phil
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
,.HE REGION RECORD
would soon be retiring and mov­
Ing to his property In Highland
County to devote most of his
time to the VSS and we should
be supportive.
Vice-Chair Andrus reported that
the Region is supporting the
Cave Register Program which Is
not a strictly local project
PASSED (22 In favor; 14 against)
SVG CALLED THE QUESTION
PASSED
Announcemants
B. Wilson requested money In
support of Cave Register P ro­
gram
MOTION by Trl-State to grant
to Register Program;
SECOND by Frederick
PASSED
$200.00
C. Ernst Kastning requested a
three year donation to the
International Science. Fair at
$50.00 per year ($150.00 total)
to add plaque of recognition to
winner; SECOND by Trl-State
DISCUSSION: Baltimore, VPI,
WVACS (among others) felt the
Region should not become In­
volveq..l!'l Jnternatlonal Issues;
A. Russ Carter resigned his
position as Chairman of the Vir­
ginia Region as It will be hell to
commute from Bremmerton,
Washington twice a year.
MOTION by Vice-Chairman Ted
Andrus to thank Russ for a job
well done; SECOND by Blue
Ridge
PASSED (In spite of flying veg
etables and other projectiles)
B. Ernst Kastning reminds us
that Radford University will be
hosting the Virginia Karst Field
Seminar on October 9-10. Con­
tact Ernst for details.
C. Bill Bussey gives some new
rates for OTR:
rates are up
JUNE 1994
$2.00
across the board; $3.00
more for guests; IDs will be
checked to be sure
minors do
not consume alcoholic bever­
ages; a yard sale will be held on
Sunday; food cannot be sold at
OTR; volunteer grotto Is needed
to handle registration from
Thursday evening 'til Friday
morning
D. the Secretary has been
assigned the duty of seeing that
VAR
announcements are put
In the caving calendar of the NSS
News [Thanks! sec.]
E. Fall VAR, 1994 will be
hosted by Trl-State Grotto On
September 30- October 2
Xll.At 11:34 a voice rang out
"Adjournl" When the dust settled
I was alone.
Respectfully Submitted
Tom Spins, Secretary
Virginia Region of the NSS
regiDII reCD,lIitiDII
Each year the NSS and vari­
ous regional organizations,
chapters and grottos bestow
awards and grants to worthy
individuals and groups in the
caving community. My thanks
to the contributions of region
members for bringing just
some of these recipients to
my attention.
This year the Conservation
and Management Section of
the National Speleological
Society has awarded the New
River
Valle y G r o t t o
in
Radford, VA the Conserva­
tion Award for 1994. This is
awarded for the most signifi­
cant and outstanding accom­
plishments in Cave and Karst
Conservation and Preserva­
tion. Congratulations to the
New River Grotto!!
Fellows is limited to ten per­
cent of the Society member­
ship. Congratulations to all.
Area
The
Ric h m o n d
Speleoloical Society h a s
There are several new NSS awarded the 1994 Howard T.
Fellows from the region; Don Urbach Research Grant to
Anderson, Mike Artz, Craig John W. Polhman. His project
Hindman, Tim Kirby, and Tony' with the Galvestion, Depart­
McGee. The Fellow award is ment of Marine Biology is titled
given by the Board of Gover­ Analysis of the Ecology and
nors for service in the field of Biodiversity of a Potentially
speleology, whether in re­ C hem 0 s U tot r 0 phi c
search, exploration, conver- Anchlallne Cave. His advi­
sation, or administration. Em­ sor is Thomas M. lliffe, Ph.D.
phasis usually is on contin- The 1994 Grant was $1,500.
ued service over a period of
Editor.
time.
The total number of
Page
10
VOLUMES NUMBER 2
,.HE REGION RECORD
As a trained professional In
the world of graphic design I of­
ten turn the attention of my so­
phisticated eye to the photo­
graphic content of various cav­
ing news letters. During my scru­
tiny of these photos I ask myself,
is the photo interesting, attrac­
tive, well exposed, dynamic,
over-composed, realistic or sur­
realistic, and on and on.
But
lately I can't seem to get beyond
a specific element of the photo­
graph, the actual content. All to
often of late I have seen pictures
depicting cavers needlessly mo­
lesting the speleothems, (forma­
tions for the laymen). Not to pick
on a specific photographer .or
publication but as an example
look at the June 1994 issue of
the NSS News, page 177. The
speleothems is not to be toler­
ated.
I would like to strongly
urge both aspiring beginners and
seasoned veteran cave photog­
raphers to consider the ethical
aspect of their speleophotos.
I too am a cave photogra­
pher, and yes I know just how
hard it is to properly calculate
proper exposure rates, deter­
mine the flash angle and place
the added human element to the
picture.
One helpful tip:
re­
member, the inclusion of a caver
or cavers In a photo is for sev­
eral key reasons.
First as an element
of scale for size
comparison. Sec­
ondly as an ele­
ment of composi­
tion. Last but not
strated by Vanna White on the
popular game show Wheel of
Fortune would be quite sufficient.
This great white hunter conquer­
ing the viscous cave photograph
If you take a
is nauseating.
minute to read the NSS conser­
combination there
of as reason for in­
cluding a person in
the shot. Remem­
ber the photos we
take are a slice of
photo depicts caver Kathy Minter
posing with a formation group­
Ing. Take note of the fact that
she Is standing in a rather large
room or passage. There is no
reason why she is STANDING
ON AND HOLDING ONTO the
featured formations. A graceful
pose not unlike the one demon­
vation credo you will discover
that needlessly handling, climb­
ing or otherwise mole sting
least to illustrate a
story (often depict­
ing a specific chal­
lenge offered to the
explorer, like a ver­
tical drop or tight
squeeze etc.). The
photographer can
use any one or a
caving history re­
corded for all time.
Often these pic­
tures are used in
Page 11
JUNE 1994
various publications which are
quite influential to the beginning
caver looking for guidance. It is
one thing if it is NECESSARY to
climb on or over a formation in
order to navigate through the
passage. However we need not
publicize someone just hanging
on for fun! And youwonder why
there is so many "SECRET" cav­
ing projects?
Cia".y C. Be".dea x
Editor
,.HE REGION RECORD
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
JUNE 1994
Treasurers Report
1 October 1993 - 10 April 1994
Beginni ng Checking Account Balance
as
$3,768.00
3.414.23
7,182.23
of 30 September 1993
Plus proceeds from Certificate of Deposit
(including interest)
Actual ITD
Budgeted
INCOME:
$ 550
550
150
80
40
Spring '94 Meeting
Fall '93 Meeting
Absentee Dues
Interest
Patch Sales
$345.00
69.00
83.90
51.00
50.00
o
Landowner Re cognition
30
Misce llaneous
$598.90
$1,400
Income
EXPENSES:
$
Executive Committee
Publication/mailing VARiFYI
Conserva ion Projects
Grants
Organizational Dues
Bank Service Charges
40
600
200
800
60
15
$380.36
200.00
Miscellaneous
$585.76
$ 13.14
$1,780
Expenses
($ 380)
Net Gain (Loss)
$7,195.37
Checking Account Balance End of Period
ALLOCATION of ASSETS:
Separate Accounts:
Additions
Expenditures
Landown r Award
Balance
$
50
500
1.335
Conservation
$50.00
Low Moor Project
Separate Accounts
$1,885.00
5,310.37
$7,195.37
Operating Account (less Separate Accounts)
TOTAL ASSETS:
TOTAL LIABILITIES:
none
Page
12
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
,.HE REGION RECORD
JUNE 1994
.(
Indoor Recreatio n
Comes to Caving
•
It was back during the turn of the century. A
couple of Koreans were paddling their way to
Japan in their outrigger canoe. Suddenly, Mother
Nature (being the mother she is) turn d on the pair
in the form of a typhoon and sent them hurtling far
off course to a deserted island.
Although the island was deserted it was boun­
tiful and the two, Lo Pong and Chai Ping, managed
their way for some time as they recovered from
their injuries. Fruit trees, edible grasses, a variety
of wildlife (including birds and wild pigs) were in
supply. Alas, there was little in the way of recre­
ation.
Pong was first to complete his convalescence.
While Ping's ribs continued to heal, Pong busied
himself by constructing a new outrigger. He paused
for a moment, sitting on a piece of driftwood, and
gave some thought to his family back home ... and
to the fortunes he and his comrade hoped for on
the big island. As he thought he plucked a walnut­
sized seed pod from a nearby plant and tossed it
into the ocean.
And plucked and tossed and
plucked and tossed.
Soon he had utilized a palm frond to bat the
pods into the air. As the days went on it proved to
be his only form of frivolity.
By and by, Ping's Injuries healed. They would
again depart for Japan after gathering supplies.
The night before their journey resumed they cel­
ebrated their good fortune (after all they WERE
still alive) with massive doses of lily wine and
parrot au jus. After their meal, Pong began bat­
ting seed pods. Ping joined in and they managed
to keep the pod going between them for some
time. The next morning their journey resumed.
They paddled for several days before misfor­
tune again befell them. They were run down by a
Japanese pleasure craft! Life preservers were
tossed to the pair immediately and they were soon
hauled into life boats and brought aboard the big
ship. This time their injuries were minor, but
again, their outrigger was destroyed.
>.·<.
.
f.
The captairUMlowed them to stay on board for
the duration ot the cruise (which was G R EAT
since they wer .heading for Japan anyway!). Af­
ter a couple of days, the crew discovered the
roulette ball m i!sing. A search was instigated.
t,
Pong and PJng were discovered in the lounge
batting the rou
e ball baed< and forth across a
row of empty t)eer bottles with a pair of meat
cleavers. The lnfuriated pit boss rushed toward
the pair but wa8 stopped in his tracks by the ship's
recreational director.
"Wait, let me see what
they're doing. This looks great!"
Well, the entire ship went bananas over this
game. With only two roulette wheels on the entire
ship a line formed around the entire main deck
with people waiting their turn to play the indoor
ball-batting game. Finally, an obviously well-to­
do woman in her 60s confronted Ping and ques­
tioned him. "What do you call this wild game?
Have you a name for it?"
Ping thought for a few seconds and blurted out
"Table tennis. We call it table tennis!" And so a
new and popular game had its beginning.
But cavers, too, can be creative. When the
western capitalists got wind of this super game
they began manufacturing specialized, "official"
equipment. Among these implements are small
paddles and liWe hollow balls. I've discovered,
when participaN'ng on a particularly wet caving
trip, that my pack can be made buoyant by stuffing
it with about a dozen and a half of these table
tennis balls. In .this way, no matter what ordeal
might confront you, your pack will always be bob­
bing along right:beside you! (Be sure to keep the
buckles cinched up tight!)
Spin"
,
,
",;,
,
I
'.
Page 13
"
.:,
..:J ..
0'
f
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
,.HE REGION RECORD JUNE 1994
Cave Hili, Augusta
County
Following is a detailed outline of
the "History". Items in boldface have been completed as of May
I. 31, 1994.
J. Virginia Cave Protection
Act
I. Introduction
K. Felter Books
II. Virginia
L. Bingo Ventures
A. Virginia Cave Board
(Holsinger; Bradshaw)
B. TNC/Unthanks (Holsinger)
M. The Gathright Dam
III. West Virginia C. VSS
D.
County Surveys
1. Alleghany County
(Spina) 2. Roanoke
3. Bottetourt
4. Northern Counties
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.·
10.
11.
12.
E.
Gi le s
Pulaski
Rockbridge Augusta
Shenandoah Russell Rockingham
Smyth County, Cave
Ridge
A.
TNC and General Davis
Cave
B.
WVASS C.
Pendleton County Cave
Survey
D.
Caves
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. 10.
11.
12.
13.
Caves
1. Bobc at
2. New R iver 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. .8.
9. 10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Pax to n
Newberry-Bane
Stompbottom
Clark
Paul Penley
Fallen Rock
Williams
Endless Hupman's
Cathedral Spring
Stay High Spring Hollow
Buddy Penley
Banes Spring
Skydusky overview
F.
Dirty Old Men G.
BCCS
H.
PERCAMS E.
Trout Rocks
Scott Hollow
Friar's Hole
Organ Cave
Simmons-Mingo
Culverson Creek
Contact Caves
Cricket Maze Cave
Hell Hole
Onego-Millstream
Elk River Cave
Walt Allen
Cass
Bridge Day
IV. Maryland/North Carolina
V.
Member Organizations
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
American University
Annapolis
Baltimore
Blue Ridge
Carolina Borehole
CCV
G. Charleston
Charlottesville
I. DC GroU-o
J. East River
K. Elkins
L. ESSO
H.
M. Flitter
. mouse
Page 14
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
N. O. P. Q. Frederick
Friendship Heights
F.U.N.
George Washington Uni
versity
R. Germany Valley
S. Greenbrier
T. GROSS
U. Holston Valley
V. Iron Mountain
W. James River
X. K.A.R.S.T.
Y. Lexington
Z. Madison University
a. Marion
b. Mid-Virginia Under
ground
c. Monongahela
d. Monroe
e. Morgantown
f.
Mountain Empire
g. Mountain State
h. National Capital
New River Valley
I.
j. Nova k. Parkersburg
Powell Mountain
\.
m. PSC
n. RASS
o. Shenandoah Valley
p. Sligo
q. Tidewater
Triangle Troglodytes
r.
s. Triangle University
Tri-State
t.
u. Union 76 v. VMI
w. VPi
x. VSS y. West Virginia University
Western Maryland
z.
aa. Wingate Outing Club
bb. WVACS
cc. WVASS
dd. Wythville
,.HE REGION RECORD D. E. Bradshaw
Casale
E. Clemmer
Collings, Dave
F. Dasher
Devine, Linda
G. M. Futrell
H. Ganter
I. Grady
J. Gulden
K. Handler
L. C. Holler
M. Holsinger
N. Hubbard
O. S.A. Loyd
P. P. Lucas
Q. Morton
R. Ott
S. Shifflett
T. Simmons
Socky, Dave
Socky, Mary Sue
U. Spina
V. Springer
W. L. Stevens
X. P. Stevens
Y. J. Washington
Z. D. West
VIII.
The Region
A.
VARs 1971-1992
1. when
2. where 3. host 4. officers
B.
Projects
1. Concave I
2. Caver Aid to Flood
Victims
3. Porter's Gate
4. Cave Protection Act
Signs (VA & WV)
5. Adopt-a-Highway
a. SVG
b. RASS
c. VPI
6. Adopt-a-Spot
a. Island Ford
b. James Cave
VI. Conventions
A. 1976 Morgantown
B. 1983 Elkins
C. VAR/CAVES story
VII.People
Anderson, Bob
A. Andrus
B. Balfour
C. Belshaw
D.
OTR
E.
CRCN (Hubbard)
Page 15
JUNE 1994
F. NCRC
G. Chronologically speaking
(from the minutes 19711992)
IX. Lost Souls
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
O.
P.
Bob Custard
Roger Baroody
Anne Whittemore
Whit Whittemore
Tom Roher
Bill Royster
Bill Douty
John Cooper
James Beck III (Easter
Pig)
Roy Charlton
Bob Flack
Tom Vigour
Larry/Betty Sabatinos
Ed Bauer
Mason Sproui
Joe Lawrence
X. Obituaries
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
Sara Corrie
Gary Daugherty
William Davies
Henry Douglas
Pete Hauer
Kent Seavers
Bill Stephenson
Roberta Swicegood
George Titcomb
Brad Cobb
Buddy Penley
XI. Strange Tales
XII.A Look to the Future
Spi11
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
,.HE REGION RECORD
JUNE 1994
caving projects
The Caving Projects section Is Intended to provide information to the Region's Cavers on cave related projects
in the Region. If you have a project that you would like to have in this column, let me know. Some projects have
special requirements. Contact the person listed if you think you can help.
WVACS
WVACS promotes the scientific study of the West VA Karst regions. Project
weekends are the second full weekend of each month at the WVACS fieldstation
in Frankford, WV. Non-members and groups should contact Joe Caldwell at 804­
848-4182 for reservations and information. .
Alleghany Co. Survey
Trips are scheduled almost weekly. The ACCS i s resurveying all caves in
Alleghany County, VA and locating new caves. Contact the "Caveboy' 301-834­
6670.
Cave Mountain Cave
The DC Grotto is resurveying Cave Mountain Cave.
Contact Bob Hoke 301-725-5877
Simmons-Mingo Cave
PSC. The working map is being completed, after which volunteers will be needed
to help field-check the map. . Contact Linda Devine 703-255-1584
Rockbridge Co. Survey
The RCCS is conducting a resurvey of all Rockbridge County, VA Caves.
Contact: Ted Andrus 703-885-3119
Shenandoah Co. Survey
The Annapolis Grotto is surveying the caves of Shenandoah County, VA. Contact
Brad Blase 410-683-0272
Botetourt Co. Survey
The Blue Ridge Grotto is conducting a survey of the caves of Botetourt County,
VA. Contact Dave or Mary Sue Sockey.
Rockingham Co. SUrvey
-Gary and Wade Berdeaux are conducting a survey of Rockingham Co. Caves.
Contact them at 703-896-2283
Smyth Co. Survey
The Triangle Troglodytes are conducting a survey of caves in Smythe Co. VA.
Contact Bill Bussey at 919-460-8968
PSC Flekl Station
Meeting ground for many sports trips and projects.
Contact Beth Webb or Tom Kaye.
Buddy Penley Caves
Contact Ed Devine
PendeHon County WV
PSC, a project to survey and assemble data on Pendelton Co. caves.
Contact Barry Chute or Bob Hoke.
Mystic Cave Survey
PSC. Contact Barry Chute or Bob Hoke.
Arroyo Grande,
Chlapas Mexico
Survey project for the experienced surveyor. in an area of Mexico with both
horizontal and vertical caving. Contact Miles Drake.
Highland Co.Cave Survey
The HCCS is c nducting a farm-by-farm inventory/survey of the caves and karst
resources of Highland County, VA. Trips are scheduled the 4th weekend of each
month. Contact: Benjamin Schwartz at 703-396-6217.
Star Chapel SaH Peter
Cave, Bath Co. VA
The cave is being resurveyed by the same group that did Paxton's cave. Very
organized and efficient, the effort is coordinated by Tom Kayes and the map will
be drawn by Tom Spina. This survey is open to all interested surveyors and want­
to-be surveyors. Contact Tom Kaye.
Porter', Cave Re-Survey,
Bath County
This is a RASS project to re-map this huge cave. Over a mile of passage has
already been surveyed and more still remains. For details on trips contact
Glen Todd, (804) 746-7327.
Page
16
,.HEREGION RECORD
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
JUNE 1994
cave s lor sale
Correl's Cave, Botetourt, Co. VA
(See p. 81, Holsinger's Description of Virginia Caves for description of Correll's)
New on the
14.4 acres containing cave for $39,000. Contact Realtor Jim Martin at 703-343-1427
(office) or 703-384-6316 (home).
market.
Salamander Cave, Giles Co., VA
Salamander cave is 12,700 ft. long and is 325 feet deep, and is one of the five 10ngesLin Giles Co.
The cave is closed. Salamander Cave, 309 acres of land (no buildings) is available for $106,000.
Outparcels may be possible. Contact Greg Campbell, attorney, at 703-951-2953 (office). (NOTE:
ask Jim Washington for the current status of Salamander - he provided this information in January
of '93.)
If you know of land which contains a cave that Is for sale get the info to the editor and lets
see if we can't get these caves into the hands of cavers looking for land in our caving areas.
II You Wanllo Conlin ue Receiving
Ille Region Rec ort/, Read "lIis.
Did you realize that
$3.00 of what you pay when you attend a Virginia Region (VAR) meeting goes to the
Region treasury and puts you on the Region Record mailing list for a year? It also makes possible the VAR grant
program and covers modest expenses of the Region Record including free mailings to each grotto and
membership dues in area conservation organizations. Of course, not everyone can get to every VAR gathering
For those, it's possible to stay on the Record mailing list simply by paying $3.00 for a year's
$6.00 or $9.00 for two or three years respectively). If you pay ahead and then show up at VAR,
fall and spring.
mailings (or
the date of expiration for your subscription is suitably adjusted.
NOTE that if you pian to attend the next VAR, you don't need to send in money now. What you pay to attend
VAR will cover Record mailings.
When is your current date of expiration? Look at your mailing label. Usually
the first line includes a four digit figure giving the year and month of expiration
(YYMM). (It's "9999" for grottos
and others receiving complimentary mailings.) If your month of expiration is less than six months ahead and
you want to stay on the mailing list, just send in the form beiow with your check., made payable to VAR.
r--------------
----------------------
I want continue getting the REGION RECORD delivered to my home. I am sending in my
VAR dues in order maintain my subscrption.
$3.00 for 1 year
Name
_______
Street Address
City
$6.00 for 2 years
$9.00 for 3
NSS Number
_
_
____
__________________________
_
_______________
_
State
Grotto that I claim (primary) or that will claim me, if any.
_____
_
ZIP
_
___
_
_
____
______
Make your checks Payable to VAR and send it to:
Evelyn Bradshaw, 10826 Leavells Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407
L
______________________________________
Page 17
,
r------ ---- ----- -L,
Virginia Cellars
VSS c/o Phil Lucas
cellars
4411 Fallen Oak Drive
Chantilly, Virginia
22021
If you like to read indepth articles on some of
the most interesting caves in the region, or if you
enjoy the fine art of exploration and mapping, then
don't miss the next issue of the Virginia Cellars.
Name
NSS #
Next Issue of the RR look for more on the
Virginia Cellars. Get an inside look at the best
indepth cave reports, many including great maps.
--------------
__
_
____________________
__
Address
________
__
__
____________
City--
_
________________
____ __
State
I'd like to get the next four issues of the
VIRGINIA CELLARS. Therefore, I'm nclosing
my check in the meager amount of $10.00 made
payable to the VSS to:
Zip
_____
_
____
_
find enclosed ...............at $10.00/year,
(volume) for the VIRGINIA CELLARS.
L
"-
__________
_________________
- ----- '--'--._-'.
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
10826 LEAVELLS ROAD
FREDERICKSBURG, VA 22407-1261
...:..- - -------
----- ------
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
P A 10
Merrifield, VA
Permit #993
FORWARDING & RETURN
POSTAGE GUARANTEED.
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED.
--------�
VAR U 9999
Potomac Speleological Club
% Tom Kaye
3245 Rio Drive #804
Falls Church VA 22041
J