Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:17:00 -0400 From: "David A. Riggs" Subject: 2007-10-17 WVUSG Meeting Minutes Minutes from the Oct. 17, 2007 meeting of the WVU Student Grotto. There were 18 people in attendance this evening, the meeting was called to order at 8:05PM by Chairman John Harman. Upcoming Events =============== 1. Bridge Day [1] is this Saturday, Oct. 20, in Fayetteville WV. Rappellers need to be at Passages to Adventure [2] at 6:30PM Friday for a mandatory safety meeting. We're camping at Passages to Adventure, which costs $10 and includes facilities and showers. There will be a high-line at Bridge Day, which anyone may do, but it costs $111 (ouch!) and you must call and sign up with Passages before Bridge Day. To get to Bridge Day, take I-79 South, 100 miles from Morgantown, then 19 South (Exit 57?) for 55 miles. DO NOT SPEED THROUGH FAYETTEVILLE! 2. We will be surveying a newly-discovered cave [3] on Deckers Creek this Sunday, Oct. 21. This is an excellent first surveying trip. Meet at the Sabreton Sheetz at 1PM. Contact Dave Riggs. 3. John Harman will give an excellent presentation on vertical caving techniques at next week's Grotto meeting. 4. Elkhorn Mountain Cave / Via Ferrata [4] trip the weekend of Nov. 3. This is a beginner-level vertical trip to a beautiful cave, but you must have previously done an in-cave rappel and must demonstrate the ability to do a change-over. There may also be a beginner-level horizontal trip to Cave Mountain Cave for those without vert experience. Contact John Harman. The Via Ferrata costs around $35, and while vert experience isn't necessary, you should be comfortable with heights. We can rent cabins at the Via Ferrata for around $10/person. 5. Football fundraisers - We can work the following home games: Thursday evening Nov. 8 (Louisville), Saturday Nov. 24 (Connecticut), Saturday Dec. 1 (Pitt). There will be a sign-up sheet at next week's meeting. This is a great way to see a game for free, have a good time, and help the Grotto out! [1] http://officialbridgeday.com [2] http://www.passagestoadventure.com/aboutus/directions.htm [3] http://wvcaving.blogspot.com/2007/10/another-new-deckers-creek-cave.html [4] http://www.nelsonrocks.org/via.html Other Business =============== 6. John Cunningham has cleared for us to use the gear locker in the Rec Center. We will purchase some large, locking tubs with a combination-lock. It was decided that a Grotto officer must be present to check out gear. If you have Grotto gear, please return it so we can do an inventory! 7. John Harman, please check our mailbox at the Mountainlair before next meeting. 8. Rich Finley wants to put together a trip to Scott Hollow Cave in Monroe County. You must be an NSS member [5] to access this (amazing!) cave. Perhaps we could stay with Ben Mirabile again? 9. Dave Riggs made a donation to Friends of Deckers Creek [6] on behalf of the Grotto. He is also writing an article for their newsletter about the caves in the area. 10. Check the latest issue of Graffiti magazine [7] for an article on outdoor activities at WVU, including a caving write-up by John Harman with photos by Brian Masney. Very cool! 11. Tom Lilly would like to take the Dadisman Hall Outdoor Club on a beginner-level caving trip to Beaverhole Upper or Bowden Cave soon. 12. It was proposed that we build our own squeezebox for attracting new members at the orientation fair. [5] http://caves.org/info/member.shtml [6] http://www.deckerscreek.org [7] http://www.grafwv.com Trip Reports =============== We had a strong presence at Fall VAR/MAR last weekend, and a lot of people got underground! 13. Caroline Copenhaver did the Sinks of Gandy and Stillhouse Cave on a trip led by John Pearson. She reports that the Sinks of Gandy had extremely low water level, never more than waist-high, and that Stillhouse no longer has a cow in it. 14. John Cunningham did an Alpena Cave through-trip led by Barry Horner with the Baltimore Grotto. This great trip included a 50 foot long bellycrawl in 2 inches of water. John C. was also the VAR squeezebox champion, managing to squirm through a 6 1/4 inch squeeze! 15. Darek Czarnecki did My Cave. 16. Tom Lilly and Dave Mason rappelled Sites Cave and showed us some beautiful photos that Dave Sockey took on the trip (link?). 17. John Harman and Cullen Hencke visited Cass Cave and were impressed by the rappel and the borehole passage at the bottom. 18. Dave Riggs skipped VAR but still managed to do some ridge walking and discovered a new cave on the South side of Deckers Creek [8]. Unlike many Deckers Creek caves, you can actually stand up in this one! [8] http://wvcaving.blogspot.com/2007/10/another-new-deckers-creek-cave.html The meeting was adjourned at 8:55PM. Minutes were recorded by substitute-secretary Dave Riggs, blame all errors on him. - DR -- David A. Riggs