From: "ashohn" Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:49:32 -0000 Subject: [wvusg] Meeting Minutes Meeting Minutes for Mar 11, 2009: Financial Report: $557.42 in the bank and $15.16 in petty cash Terra Incognito: All reports must be turned in to Abby Hohn by Friday. John Harman will be leading a trip into Shoveleater cave on April 8. *There will be a vertical practice on Apr 8 at Army Rocks to practice prepare. We will meet at the Exon at the Pierpont Rd exit. Anyone wanting to go on the SEC tourist trip need to attend and prove that they can successfully pass a rebelay. We have been invited to go to Maxwelton Cave. No date has been set yet. The Mon Grotto in going to Sharp's Cave this weekend. Contact Dave Riggs if you are interested in going. Check out the NSS news this month. There is a lot of stuff about WV. There are also very sad pictures of dead bats. Trip Reports: Kyle Mcmillan, Dan Brooks, and Rachel Mccormick went down to Greenbrier Co last weekend. They met up with Ben Mirable and John Tudek at the WVASS fieldhouse Friday night. On Saturday they went into Norman Cave. They spent about 5 hours underground and went back to Great White Way. Saturday night they camped at Blue Meadow. Then on Sunday Kyle Mcmillan and Dan Brooks got to go bounce Grapevine Pit. John Harman, Dave Riggs, and Kenny Nesselrod went on a camp trip to Shoveleater Cave. They got in about 4PM Friday, hauling in large packs. John did a bolt climb near the Pristine, but the lead didn't go. After that they set up camp and eat dinner. On Saturday, they went to do another bolt climb. It was Dave's first bolt climb. He climbed up the wall and into a tight canyon. They passage became pretty narrow pretty fast. John went up to check it out. When he tried to rappel, he got stuck at the chest, treading air, with his rack unweighted. He had to put his ascender on the traverse line and lengthen his footloop to get out of there. Then he attached his rack to his short cowstail, so that it was higher up, allowing him to rappel. They went back to the Pristine for a warm dinner, coffee, and astronaut ice cream. Then they went to do yet another bolt climb in a 102.4' dome. John did the bolt climb with amazing efficiency, climbing about 40' in 2 hours. The next morning they woke up late and milled around camp. Before heading out, they checked out a dig back by the WVU survey. They got out of the cave after 4 on Sunday. Johnny and Honey Harman were waiting at the entrance, when they got out, worried, because they thought the team would be out be noon. Johnny Harman helped them pull the packs out of the cave.