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TRANSCRIPT
Vol XIV No 1 Winter 2000middot2001 Record Chairman s Column
Welcome to 2001 Winter is here and there is usually a slowdown in the Region as far as caving is concerned but not this year
The region has many projects with ongoing scheduled work weekends All of the projects have room for many people to help survey ridge walk and dig Each of the projects have something for all skill levels just contact one of the coordinators and they will find something to be done
To mention just a few of the projects
Taylor Run Randolph Co WV -the 1 st weekend of each month -Devin Kouts - 703-288-0166
Germany Valley Pendleton Co WV - the 2nd weekend of each m o n t h Gordon B r a c e 703-288-3889
Tucker County WV - the 3rd weekend of each month - Doug Moore - 304-592-2610
Mercer County WV the 4th weekend of each month - Nick Schaer - 304-369-1749
Highland County VA - the 4th weekend of each month - Rick Lambert - 540-468-2722
Breathing Cave Bath Co VA - 3rd weekend of every other month - Bob Hoke - 301-725-5877
Cassell Cave V A - 3rd weekend of
every other month - Miles Drake - 301-350-6422
This is only a partial list but if you want to help on any given weekend
you can go caving and help on a project So there is no relson to have cabin fever in the V AR this winter You can also check with Andy R e e d e r a b o u t up c o m ing conservation projects like the Grand Caverns Cleanup trip around Easter weekend or the Sink Hole from Hell probably in April or May time frame
Also dont forget to plan to o caving at the Spring VAR Field Meet to be held May 4-6 at Cumberland Gap VA A long drive for some but well worth the trip See you all at the Spring V AR
Craig
Staunton Quarry Cave
By Ted Andrus
Most folks dont realize it but Staunton VA is the home of the City Manager form of city government And many years ago before the Staunton Caverns were opened commercially Staunton was the county seat for all of Augusta County Big deal you say Well Augusta County used to include all the lands from the Blue Ridge Mountains to nearly Pittsburgh It also included West Virginia and Kentucky And if you had a dispute with your neighbor you could pack up the family and then harness your oxen and make the trip from the Mississippi River Valley to the courthouse in Staunton to have the dispute settled before the only judge
Of course the countymiddot has shrunk slightly and Staunton City Hall has moved further down Beverly Street But the courthouse is still the same Im not sure about the judge Augusta County is still a large county by Virginia Standards and it may take you well over an hour to cross it from mountains to mountains But it only takes about 15 minutes to go from my home in Fishersville (the traffic light at Martins store is undoubtedly the Center of the Universe) to City Hall
Since 1995 I have made the trip a few times to visit with the assistant city managers with regard to the VAR helping manage or even owning the Staunton Quarry Cave with the hopes that someday we might turn it into a living breathing underground classroom Many of you know that landowner relations can be a slow and sometimes agonizing process You must have great patience at times I have some patience and the cave has lots of time After all it has been more or less sealed-up since the city obtained the quarry property in 1932 I believe that the patience part is starting to payoff
On September 152000 I met with the current Assistant City Manager Mr James Halasz to discuss the V ARs proposal outline Mr Halasz was very interested and he discovered that the city actually had a file containing the records of my previous visits He asked most of the questions and I tried to answer all that I could and promised to glt answers for the ones I could not
(continued on page 3)
76QO S I i ( Fu[tQn1MDh07S
Region
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Volume XIV Number 1 The Region Record Winter 2000-2001 -
The Region Record V AR Officers
Chairman Craig Hindman PiMell Rd
gt (410)792-0742Hctiderusibmcoy
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Committees
Conservation
Judy Fisher (304)258-4974H
CarorTidennan (4 1 O)792-0742H
ctiderusibmcom
John Fox (540)831 6468W
jfoxrunetedu
Andy Reeder 1235 State Park Rd HuddlestOJl VA 24104 (540)297-j711ij (804)847 1 640Y
LandoWner AwardsrDonAnderson PO Box 966 Dublin V A 24084
Record Staff
Editors
Distribution
Bob Hoke Pauline Apling Barry Chute
Evelyn Bradshaw (540)898-9288HebradshwStaffnetcom
The Region Record is the quarterly publication of the Virginia egion of the National Speleological Society Any articles
announcements or other materials of general interest to caven in the Region are welcome Send all material to Rob lfllke (6304 Kaybro St Laurel MD 20707 (301)725-5877 Eshymail bobhokeerolscom) Electronic submissions (elllail or disk) are encouraged but any fonn of input is welcome
Non-copyrighted material contained in the Region Record may be reprinted by organizations that are affiliated with the V AR or the NSS provided that proper credit is given to the Record and the author The opinions expressed herein are tbos(l of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors the V AR the NSS or their internal organizatio)1sc
The Region Record is printed by members of the DC Grotto and the Potomac Speleological Club
copy 2001 Virginia Region of the NSS
1
Regional Calendar
Mar 15 Deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record
Apr 7 Bowden Cave cleanup Help clean the back of this big popular cave See article and flyer in this issue
Apr 13-15 Grand Caverns Cleanup This is an annual cleanup of Griirid Caverns See flyer
in this issue for more info
May 4-6 2001 Spring YAR meeting at CUmberland Gap National Historical Pai (in the far SW comer of VA r Hosted by the Pme Mountain Grotto S e flyer and preshyregistration fonn in this issue
July 23-272001 2001 NSS Convention in Mt VetnonKY (50 miles south ofiexington) Check the convention website at wwwnss2001com for more info
Fall2001 Fall VAR meeting to be hosted by RASS at their field station in Virginia
Spring 2002 Spring V AR meeting to be hosted by theWVCc
June 24-28 2002 2002 NSS convelltion in Camgell Maine
Aug 4-8 2003 2003 NSS COllvealtion in Porterville CA
LIST YOUR CLUB EVENTS HERE
If your club is hosting events of regional interest send a notice to the Region Record editors and have the event added to the next Records calendar There is no charge for this valuable service
I
t r f bull J
Volume XIV Number 1
Staunton Cave (continued from page 1)
It was a wonderful one-hour meeting and at its end we agreed to get back together take a tour of the cave and continue our dialog I agreed to send the city a copy of the Virginia Cave Protection Act - and I have
I am optimistic and am looking forward to posting regular dispatches to the Region Record on the progress of our discussions with the City of Staunton Eventually I will be seeking help from others in the V AR but for now I would like to remain the point man during these initial negotiations Thanks to all the members of the V AR and their continued support
Ferrell Family Receives V AR
Landowner Award by Don Anderson
On August 13th 2000 the Landowner A ward was presented to the Ferrell family for many years of friendship and hospitality to V AR cavers The Ferrells own James Zitt and numerous other small caves in Pulaski County Virginia
Members from the New River Valley Grotto and the VPI Cave Club gathered at the Ferrell home place John Ferrell was there for the family The party was held in their new pole bam lots of tractors hay balers etc Some discussion was heard about placing bat stickers on all the equipmtnt and what a nice place the new barn would be for rainy day vertical practice John Ferrell just beamed his big smile The farm dog enjoyed the snacks which included cheese summer sausage crackers grapes dip and soft drinks
The Region Record
Several folks enjoyed a quick thru trip in James Cave after the gathering
WVCC Happenings
by Jeff Bray
T h e W e s t V i r g i n i a C a v e Conservancy is currently working pretty heavily on the Lightners Entrance to McClungs Cave in Greenbrier County Even though the property ended up not being sold at auction the owners have kept our offer in mind and negotiations are once again taking place We are hopeful that we can bring you some good news on this cave entrance in the near future Negotiations are still in the works with our favorite long-term project Maxwelton We do still have an offer on the table to the owners and we are waiting to see what they have to say about it Along with trying the traditional approach to acquiring Maxwelton (negotiations) members of the WVCC have been working diligently at a more non-traditional approach to acquiring the cave through digging There have been a number of digs starting on a cavers property near Maxwelton all of which hold some promise These digs were started by members of the Conservancy that attended the banquet in November and have been going strong since
The banquet was held the second weekend of November and was once again a success We thank all those that attended and those that have supported the WVCC through our first few years We intend to continue the banquet as a great way for us to get direct feedback from our membership and also enjoy some food and drinks with friends that we dont get to see as often
The Rapps Cave resurvey was also started over the weekend of the banquet Rapps Cave is leased by
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Winter 2000-WO 1
the WVCC and will be the subject of an archaeological dig in the spring of 2001 It was suggested that a resurvey would help these efforts and so it began WVCC members have been actively surveying in there since November and hope to be complete by the spring All surveyors are encouraged to help with the survey Of course we want to give priority to those that have helped us out through membership to show our appreciation For more information on the survey contact either Jeff Bray Tom Malabad or Bob Handley
Finally some surface work has also been completed over the past few months The fence work at the Lipps and Deems Entraces to Organ Cave has been completed Special thanks goes to Lonnie Bums and his crews for their work there Also Haynes Cave managed by th
WVCC has now got a kiosk that is set up near the entraICe This informational kiosk has contact info and any other pertinent info to caving or to Haynes Cave itself Special thanks goes out to the Saugstads Bob Liebman and Tim Brown as well as to 2arroll Bassett for allowing us to store the kiosk in his garage til it was set up
We will of course keep you updated as to our progress and hope that you will continue to support us in any way you can
DOM 2000
by Phil Lucas VSS
Cavers from Virginia Pennsylvania Tennessee and Kentucky (and even one diehard from Washington State) gather every Thanksgiving weekend in Southwest Virginia to do some serious caving We call it DOM Last year the DOM basecamp moved from Pennington Gap in Lee County to Lebanon in Russell County Two dozen cavers
Volume XIV Number I
assembled in Lebanon to continue various projects and begin others During this years DOM caves in Russell Scott Tazewell Wise and Washington counties were visited along with a few project caves still being worked in Lee County Fifteen caves were visited and six previously unreported ones located Some caves were completely surveyed while others still need to be returned to Overall 8121 feet were surveyed
With the variety of limestone found in Southwest Virginia theres always a wide range of cave types to be seen from very active stream passages to mazes to old paleo trunks You never know just what will tum up So far were off to a good start in the investigation of this area but we anticipate many years of discoveries awaiting us
DOM is an activity of the VSS Those wanting to help survey during a DOM should contact any VSS Director or Phil Lucas
Some of the caves visited this year were bull Brickeys Pit - a 65 foot pit that
opened into a large passage with a series of large rooms 754 feet surveyed with leads remaining
bull Trooper Said Cave - a resurgence cave for a large spring Over 820 feet were surveyed to very deep water
bull Hurt Cave - It didnt hurt a bit with 583 feet of nice passage surveyed
bull Clarke Cave - an afternoon of surveying produced 801 feet of nice passage
bull Jessie Branch Cave - over 800
feet of mixed stream and upper level passage mapped
bull Hillmans Cemetery Pit was almost completed at 2716 feet when more passage was discovered
bull Wildcat Caverns - An attempt to
The Region Record
finish this survey was unsuccessful More cave awaits
And many more
Highland County Cave Survey
by Rick Lambert NSS 12496
The year 2000 has been a busy one for the Highland County Cave Survey Of the 242 caves the survey knows about we now have 147 maps completed 13 more caves have been surveyed and we are waiting on maps Nine caves are physically closed This leaves 73 caves to be located surveyed and mapped
We were working a very small section of the Bull Pasture Mountain in 2000 We opened 10 caves six of them new on a small section of a 200 acre farm We informed the landowner in the fall we still havent finished his 200 acre farm and he informed us we still have 1000 more acres we havent walked yet Two other neighboring landowners have given us permission to walk their property Our problem is there are too many ca ves and not enough cavers
We also finished the opening and resurvey of Vandevander Cave We expected to find about 2000 feet of passageway and ended up with 6515 feet with some virgin areas left that will require a cordless drill and chemicals
For 2001 we are going to concentrate again on the Bull Pasture Mountain because it is so rewarding We also have neglected the Mill Gap area where we have virgin caves but have not had the time to visit them We need people We meet at my house in Monterey the fourth Saturday and Sunday of every month So if you are tired of recreational caving and want to give
Winter 2000-2001
something back to Speleology join us You can contact me at PO Box 151 Monterey VA 24465 Phone 5 4 0-4 6 8-2 7 2 2 e-m a i l highlandcfwcom
What is Project Underground
By Carol Zokaites National Coordinator
Project Underground is a program aimed at training TEACHERS to teach cave and karst science in the classroom Traditional classroom teachers as well as outreach educators attend training workshops to learn about karst issues and receive Project Underground materials The Project Underground activity guide is given to the teachers and educators at these workshops Workshop participants also receive posters handouts fact sheets and other additional materials on cave and karst resources
How does this work As coordinator of Project Underground I work with adults Based on a training the trainer model facilitators are trained to lead the teacher training workshops In other words educators are trained to teach additional educators how to teach about cave and karst education in a classroom setting
How does this material reach the students Teachers use the lesson plans in the Project Underground activity guide to teach the students The lessons plans are tied to the education standards which in Virginia you have heard referred to as Standards of Learning (SOLs) The lesson plans include the objectives for the lessons the materials needed to do the activity the appropriate grades for the lesson time for activity and some background infonnation The Project Underground guides are not given
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Volume XIV Number 1
out to the students they are designed for the teachers to use with students
So how do we keep records of people reached with the Project Underground materials We count the number of teachers who have attended the workshops The generally accepted method for estimating the number of students reached is to mUltiply this number of teachers by 20 or 30 the average class size
Numbers - 1450 teachers have been supplied with Project Underground materials An estimated 29000 students have been reached by these teachers (using 20 students per teacher)
About 1015 of these teachers attended workshops in Virginia The other 335 teachers attended workshop in 12 additional states including Arkansas Alabama Georgia Idaho Minnesota New Mexico Ohio Pennsylvania South Dakota Texas Tennessee and West Virginia
Funding for Project Underground - In September of 2000 the Virginia Department of Conservation and Rec r atio created a temporary posItion titled - Karst Education Coordinator Through this part time (30 hours a week) position I am running the Virginia Project U derground program and working With the Virginia Karst Project We are hoping for continued support in the coming years
The Project Underground program was created by the Richmond Area Speleological Society (RASS) who generously contributed to the running of the program for many years The Cave Conservancy of the Virginias (CCV) the National Speleological Society (NSS) the National Speleological Foundation and the Virginia Region have also generously donated funding to the Project Underground program Grants have also been received through the Karst Project and the EP A education program
The Region Record
Caving Equipment to be Auctioned
by Miles Drake
On Monday January 22 2001 the first f three auctions of caving campmg and computer equipment from the estate of Dick Sanford will be held following a short 800 m e e t i n g o f t h e P o t o m a c S el o logical Club in Arlington Vlrgmla (inside the DC beltway)
The second auction will be held at the February 26th PSC meeting and the third at the March 19th DC Grotto meeting (in Silver Spring Maryland) The items have been divided up so that each auction will be relatively equal however the first will have all of the computer equipment and none of the books and maps
The first auction will include computer equipment headlamps cav gear vertical gear survey equipment and miscellaneous items For a more detailed list of items to be auctioned and directions to the PSC meeting see the PSC web page at WINIpsc-taversorWpsrSanfordAuctionhtml For additional information contact Miles Drake at (301 )350-6422 or at karstrnderolscom
Cave Bucks by J C Fisher
A few years ago at the last V AR down at Cumberland Gap Don Anderson told me about New River collecting a quarter from its members for each cave trip they went on to buy beer During this same time period I was also bemoaning the constant increase in the Closed Cave List I was particularly worried about my twoshyyear-old grandson finding some place to go caving when he got older I feel the only sure solution is for cavers to own caves While this
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Winter 2000-2001
is certainly nothing new there was a group called Southeast Cave Conservancy starting to buy a lot of caves Their only drawback seemed to be a need for more funds Well it didnt take rocket science to put these three items together and come up with Cave Bucks
If every caver put one dollar per cave trip into a pot - the NSS has over ten thousand cavers in over two hundred grottos and if they meet every month - well you do the math Were talking thousands and thousands of dollars here Money to buy a lot caves Now I know not everyone is going to like this idea but those that do will still generate a large sum month after month after month I brought the idea before Tri-State and Frederick Grottos and they
both agreed to give it a try
Dunng every meeting they pass a hat count the money and vote on where to send it Sometimes it is only a few bucks but it adds up V AR and MAR both endorsed the concept I sent out about one hundred mailings to Grottos all over the Country By word of mouth and reading exchange newsletters I know there are other grctps doing the same
My grandson has reached the ripe old age of five now He still likes to go caving Several new Conservancies have started TrishyState has kept a running total of the Cave Bucks it has collected and donated This Spring that total will go over the TWO THOUSANDshyDOLLAR mark and every dollar has been donated If every grotto were doing the same we would be talking hundreds of thousands of dollars The only problem is - it only works if you spend the money Having money in the bank only helps the bank it doesnt buy caves Want to start your own conservancy GREAT let people know and well send you some Cave Bucks Cavers owning caves insures our future and all our grandchildrens It only costs a buck
Volume XIV Number I
Recent Human
Rabies Cases
(The following material is extracted from two articles in the December 15 2000 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Volume 49 Number 49 pages 1111 and 1115) which is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The full text of the articles including references and additional medical information about each case is available on-line at the locations shown at the end of this article Ed)
California On September 15 a 49-year-old man visited a neurologist with 2 days of increasing right arm pain and paresthesias On September 17 the patient was placed on mechanical ventilation and rabies tests returned positive Renal failure developed and the patient died on September 20 The patient did not report contact with a bat although his wife reported that in June or July a bat had flown into their house and the patient had removed it
New York On September 22 a 54-year-old man who had resided in Ghana arrived in the United States and on September 26 reported discomfort in his right lower back Rabies tests were positive on October 3 After a gradual decrease in respiration heart rate and blood pressure the patient died on October 9 History from the patients employer in Ghana revealed that the patient had been bitten in Ghana on his thumb and leg by his unvaccinated puppy in May
Georgia On October 3 a 26-year-old man developed intractable vomiting and hematemesis He developed respiratory and renal failure and died on October 10 Since July the patient had been renting a room on the upper floor of an old house He had reported to co-workers that bats from the attic had entered his Jiving quarters and landed on him while he
The Region Record
slept Investigation of the house occupied by the patient since July revealed a colony of approximately 200 Mexican free-tailed bats in the attic and openings between the attic and the patients bedroom bathroom closet and kitchen
Minnesota On October 14 a 47-year-old man visited a local clinic with 6 days of worsening right arm pain and parasthesias He died on October 25 Three days earlier a friend told the family that during August 11--19 the patient had been awakened by a bat on his right hand He killed the bat and was bitten in the process The patient did not seek medical care Investigation found in the patients house multiple portals of entry for bats openings between the attic and living areas and extensive deposits of guano in the attic and living area
Wisconsin On October 14 a 69-year-old man with a 2-day history of chest discomfort and numbness tingling and tremors of the left arm was admitted to a local hospital for cardiac evaluation The patient died on November 1 Subsequent testing confirmed a diagnosis of rabies The patient had told a friend that two or three times a year he had removed bats from his house with his bare hands several other residences used by the patient also had potential portals for the entry of bats He did not mention being bitten by an animal but had asked a friend a week before admission if rabies could be acquired from an insect bite
Quebec Canada On September 22 2000 a 9-year-old boy awoke with a fever and complained of pain in his upper left arm He died on October 6 On August 28 while the patient and his brother were sleeping in a rural cottage his parents found a bat in the kitchen The same evening the patients brother went into the bathroom and observed a bat that seemed to have difficulty flying He
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Winter 2000-2001
alerted his father who removed it from the cottage with his bare hands Approximately 3 days later the patient showed his mother a lesion on his upper left arm No action was taken After the diagnosis was made rabies postexposure prophylaxis was offered to the patients parents and brother This human death from rabies was the first one reported in Canada since 1985
Editorial Note In the United States since 1990 infection with indigenous rabies virus variants associated with insectivorous bats and infection with foreign canine rabies virus variants have accounted for 30 of the 32 human cases Although 24 (74) of the 32 cases since 1990 have been attributed to bat-associated variants of the virus a history of a bite was established in only two cases Contact with bats occurred in approximately half of the other cases These cases represent various bat-contact histories a bat bite direct contact with bats with multiple opportunities to be bitten and possible direct contact with a bat Canine rabies is prevalent in Africa Asia and Latin America Worldwide estimates of human rabies deaths exceed 50000 cases each year and gt95 of reported cases occur in regions where canine rabies is endemic
Although rabies usually is transmitted by a bite persons may minimize the medical implications of a bat bite Unlike bites from larger animals the trauma of a bat bite is unlikely to warrant seeking medical care Unless the potential for rabies exposure is known to the patient rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) will not be received Although bat rabiesmiddot virus variants can be transmitted secondarily from terrestrial mammals the lack of other animal-bite histories and the rarity of bat rabies virus variants found in terrestrial mammals suggest that this means of transmission is rare
Volume XIV Number 1
Persons who are bitten or scratched by any animal should wash wounds thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention to evaluate the need for PEP In all cases where batshyhuman contact has occurred or is suspected the bat should be collected and tested for rabies If the bat is unavailable the need for PEP should be assessed by public health officials PEP should be considered after direct contact between a human and a bat unless the exposed person can be certain a bite scratch or mucous membrane exposure did not occur PEP may be considered for persons who were in the same room as a bat and who might be unaware that a bite or direct contact had occurred (eg when a sleeping person wakes to find a bat in the room or an adult witnesses a bat in the room with an unattended child mentally disabled person or intoxicated person) PEP is not warranted when direct contact between a human and a bat did not occur Seeing a bat or being in the vicinity of bats does not constitute an exposure
Source wwwCDCgov website urls
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmllmm4949a3htm
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmlmm4949a4htm
V AR Proposed Budget
Sept 2000 to Aug 2001
by John Taylor
INCOME Proposed Last Year Fall 00 Meeting 60000 55800 Spr 01 Meeti ng 60000 84000 Bank Interest 8000 9077 Independent Dues 13000 13200 Landowner Fund 20000 000 Patch Sales 3000 3316 Miscella neous 000 000 TOTAL INCOME 164000 165393
The Region Record
EXPENSES Grants 40000 000 Printing 60000 63036 Landowner Award 20000 15396 Conservation 25500 22871 Memberships 5000 000 Domain Name 3500 000 WVA Corp 1000 000 Miscellaneous 9000 19016 TOTAL EXPENSES 164000 120310
Separate Balance Landowner Defense Fund 124600
Overall Total Assets of the VAA 1043338 Current Check Book 432358 Certificates of Deposit 252780 NS Foundation 358200
Having Trouble Accessing the VAR
Listserver
by Bob Hoke
I recently tried to send a message to the V AR listserver but my message was rejected by the software with a message saying Mail from open relay refused
I contacted Walt Pirie the VAR list administrator and asked about the error Walts response was that messages are blocked from a list of domains known to have been sources of spammers or if the domain is detected to have open relay server software that can easily be used for spamming He also said that according to the listserv software manager that form of software is outdated and can relatively easily be replaced by more secure versions Finally he said that he believes there is no intention of relaxing that standard
I sent a message to my internet service (Erols) asking for an explanation but their response was not very informative
Anyway if you try to sign up for the VAR listserver or send a message to it and receive the same error the
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Winter 2000-2001
easiest way to get around the problem is to use of the many free eshymail systems (Hotmail Yahoo etc) To send your message to the list
If you are not on the listserver you can easily sign up All you have to do is send an e-mail message to
listservlistservvtedu
In the body of the message enter
sub varlist your name
Thats all you have to do You will receive a message asking you to confirm your subscription and then you will be a subscriber The list is not accessible by outsiders and you will not receive any junk e-mail (spam) from it
Bob Lutz Passes Away
by Bob Hoke
Bob Lutz (NSS 235) died of cancer in the V A hospital in Martinsburg WV on December 26 He was 75 years old
Bob began his caving career in the 1950s (or before) was very active for many years He was instrumental in the formation of the Potomac Speleological Club (PSC) He was also active in the Old Timers Reunions and helped found The Robertson Association the nonshyprofit corporation that runs OTR
Bob indicated that he wished to be cremated and also said that he wants to be remembered in another way There will be no memorial service at this time but in the spring he wants a huge party at the TRAlOTR site that will be like a Polish wedding with plenty of beer and whiskey
Volume XIV Number 1
Robertson Association Grants
Now Available
by Barry Chute
The Robertson Association (TRA) is the non-profit organization that sponsors the annual Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia The TRA Board has adopted a policy of awarding SO of the net profit from each OTR to support appropriate cave-related activities by non-profit groups
Criteria for TRA grants
I TRA will only consider one grant request per year from any organization
II Requesting organizations must classified by the IRS as 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (If you do not have 501 (c)(3) status see if you can find a 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor who is willing to exercise expenditure responsibility)
III The request should be for projects located primarily in areas where TRA has significant interests
IV Funds must be used only for the requested purpose
V Funds must be used within 24 months of receipt or else returned
VI No portion of a grant may be used to reimburse a member of the receiving organization for personal services or travel Documented out of pocket expenses are allowable
TRA places special emphasis on organizations whose services contribute at least in part to preservation and educational issues relating to karst and caves or the welfare of the caving community When an organization seeks to renew a grant or obtain a new grant information will be required on how TRAs previous donations were used Program effectiveness and results will be used in evaluating
The Region Record
requests for future grants
Grant request contents
I Cover letter including proposal summary and amount requested signed by executive director or president
II Narrative including A Organization information
1 Brief summary of organizations history including mission goals and objectives
2 Descriptions of current programs activities and accomplishments
3 Organizations affiliation with other groups or public agencies
B Purpose of the Grant 1 Statement of need or
problem addressed by the grant
2 Description of program goals and measurable objective
3 Timetable for implementation 4 Other organizations if any
participation in the program 5 List of names and
qualifications of key people responsible for program implementation
6 Projected program budget
C Evaluation 1 Expected results during the
funding period 2 How project success is
defined and how it will be measured
3 How project results will be used or disseminated
III Required attachments A List of Board of Directors or
officers B A copy of the original IRS
determination letter indicating 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status
Grant packages should be sent to Barry Chute TRA Treasurer 3008 Spencerville Road Burtonsville
Winter 2000-2001
MD 20866 They must be received by March 12001 to be considered at the TRA Board meeting in April If you have questions contact Barry Chute at (301)421-9372 or bchutemsncom Check the OTR web page (wwwotrorg) for more information on grants
MAKe Requests VAR Grant
compiled by Bob Hoke
T h e M i d-A tla n t i c Ka r s t Conservancy (MAKC) has submitted
a request for a V AR grant of $SOO to help pay for the purchase of the Billy Clay Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County WV The request meets all the submission requirements for VAR grants as documented in the Summer 1999 Region Record) The request will be discussed and voted on at the Spring VAR meeting
The Billy Clay Cave Preserve is located near the nowshoe ski resort about a 1S hour drive south of Elkins WV on US 219 The 29 acre Preserve contains Billy Clay Pit (a 6000 foot cave) and Clay Pit (a 2S-foot dead bottom pit) It was purchased in May 2000 for $20000 and half of that amount has been paid off The MAKC is now trying to obtains the funds for the remaining $10000 debt
The management plan for the Preserve specifies that it is to be open to properly equipped cavers one group of not more than 6 people per day Commercial use of the Preserve (such as cave for pay) is expressly prohibited Rigging for the pits must use only natural anchors and no bolts or other property modifications are allowed MAKC has instituted a procedure for obtaining a permit to visit the Preserve and they have asked the adjoining landowners to contact the
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Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
76QO S I i ( Fu[tQn1MDh07S
Region
l
r 1 bullbull
Volume XIV Number 1 The Region Record Winter 2000-2001 -
The Region Record V AR Officers
Chairman Craig Hindman PiMell Rd
gt (410)792-0742Hctiderusibmcoy
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Committees
Conservation
Judy Fisher (304)258-4974H
CarorTidennan (4 1 O)792-0742H
ctiderusibmcom
John Fox (540)831 6468W
jfoxrunetedu
Andy Reeder 1235 State Park Rd HuddlestOJl VA 24104 (540)297-j711ij (804)847 1 640Y
LandoWner AwardsrDonAnderson PO Box 966 Dublin V A 24084
Record Staff
Editors
Distribution
Bob Hoke Pauline Apling Barry Chute
Evelyn Bradshaw (540)898-9288HebradshwStaffnetcom
The Region Record is the quarterly publication of the Virginia egion of the National Speleological Society Any articles
announcements or other materials of general interest to caven in the Region are welcome Send all material to Rob lfllke (6304 Kaybro St Laurel MD 20707 (301)725-5877 Eshymail bobhokeerolscom) Electronic submissions (elllail or disk) are encouraged but any fonn of input is welcome
Non-copyrighted material contained in the Region Record may be reprinted by organizations that are affiliated with the V AR or the NSS provided that proper credit is given to the Record and the author The opinions expressed herein are tbos(l of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors the V AR the NSS or their internal organizatio)1sc
The Region Record is printed by members of the DC Grotto and the Potomac Speleological Club
copy 2001 Virginia Region of the NSS
1
Regional Calendar
Mar 15 Deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record
Apr 7 Bowden Cave cleanup Help clean the back of this big popular cave See article and flyer in this issue
Apr 13-15 Grand Caverns Cleanup This is an annual cleanup of Griirid Caverns See flyer
in this issue for more info
May 4-6 2001 Spring YAR meeting at CUmberland Gap National Historical Pai (in the far SW comer of VA r Hosted by the Pme Mountain Grotto S e flyer and preshyregistration fonn in this issue
July 23-272001 2001 NSS Convention in Mt VetnonKY (50 miles south ofiexington) Check the convention website at wwwnss2001com for more info
Fall2001 Fall VAR meeting to be hosted by RASS at their field station in Virginia
Spring 2002 Spring V AR meeting to be hosted by theWVCc
June 24-28 2002 2002 NSS convelltion in Camgell Maine
Aug 4-8 2003 2003 NSS COllvealtion in Porterville CA
LIST YOUR CLUB EVENTS HERE
If your club is hosting events of regional interest send a notice to the Region Record editors and have the event added to the next Records calendar There is no charge for this valuable service
I
t r f bull J
Volume XIV Number 1
Staunton Cave (continued from page 1)
It was a wonderful one-hour meeting and at its end we agreed to get back together take a tour of the cave and continue our dialog I agreed to send the city a copy of the Virginia Cave Protection Act - and I have
I am optimistic and am looking forward to posting regular dispatches to the Region Record on the progress of our discussions with the City of Staunton Eventually I will be seeking help from others in the V AR but for now I would like to remain the point man during these initial negotiations Thanks to all the members of the V AR and their continued support
Ferrell Family Receives V AR
Landowner Award by Don Anderson
On August 13th 2000 the Landowner A ward was presented to the Ferrell family for many years of friendship and hospitality to V AR cavers The Ferrells own James Zitt and numerous other small caves in Pulaski County Virginia
Members from the New River Valley Grotto and the VPI Cave Club gathered at the Ferrell home place John Ferrell was there for the family The party was held in their new pole bam lots of tractors hay balers etc Some discussion was heard about placing bat stickers on all the equipmtnt and what a nice place the new barn would be for rainy day vertical practice John Ferrell just beamed his big smile The farm dog enjoyed the snacks which included cheese summer sausage crackers grapes dip and soft drinks
The Region Record
Several folks enjoyed a quick thru trip in James Cave after the gathering
WVCC Happenings
by Jeff Bray
T h e W e s t V i r g i n i a C a v e Conservancy is currently working pretty heavily on the Lightners Entrance to McClungs Cave in Greenbrier County Even though the property ended up not being sold at auction the owners have kept our offer in mind and negotiations are once again taking place We are hopeful that we can bring you some good news on this cave entrance in the near future Negotiations are still in the works with our favorite long-term project Maxwelton We do still have an offer on the table to the owners and we are waiting to see what they have to say about it Along with trying the traditional approach to acquiring Maxwelton (negotiations) members of the WVCC have been working diligently at a more non-traditional approach to acquiring the cave through digging There have been a number of digs starting on a cavers property near Maxwelton all of which hold some promise These digs were started by members of the Conservancy that attended the banquet in November and have been going strong since
The banquet was held the second weekend of November and was once again a success We thank all those that attended and those that have supported the WVCC through our first few years We intend to continue the banquet as a great way for us to get direct feedback from our membership and also enjoy some food and drinks with friends that we dont get to see as often
The Rapps Cave resurvey was also started over the weekend of the banquet Rapps Cave is leased by
page 3
Winter 2000-WO 1
the WVCC and will be the subject of an archaeological dig in the spring of 2001 It was suggested that a resurvey would help these efforts and so it began WVCC members have been actively surveying in there since November and hope to be complete by the spring All surveyors are encouraged to help with the survey Of course we want to give priority to those that have helped us out through membership to show our appreciation For more information on the survey contact either Jeff Bray Tom Malabad or Bob Handley
Finally some surface work has also been completed over the past few months The fence work at the Lipps and Deems Entraces to Organ Cave has been completed Special thanks goes to Lonnie Bums and his crews for their work there Also Haynes Cave managed by th
WVCC has now got a kiosk that is set up near the entraICe This informational kiosk has contact info and any other pertinent info to caving or to Haynes Cave itself Special thanks goes out to the Saugstads Bob Liebman and Tim Brown as well as to 2arroll Bassett for allowing us to store the kiosk in his garage til it was set up
We will of course keep you updated as to our progress and hope that you will continue to support us in any way you can
DOM 2000
by Phil Lucas VSS
Cavers from Virginia Pennsylvania Tennessee and Kentucky (and even one diehard from Washington State) gather every Thanksgiving weekend in Southwest Virginia to do some serious caving We call it DOM Last year the DOM basecamp moved from Pennington Gap in Lee County to Lebanon in Russell County Two dozen cavers
Volume XIV Number I
assembled in Lebanon to continue various projects and begin others During this years DOM caves in Russell Scott Tazewell Wise and Washington counties were visited along with a few project caves still being worked in Lee County Fifteen caves were visited and six previously unreported ones located Some caves were completely surveyed while others still need to be returned to Overall 8121 feet were surveyed
With the variety of limestone found in Southwest Virginia theres always a wide range of cave types to be seen from very active stream passages to mazes to old paleo trunks You never know just what will tum up So far were off to a good start in the investigation of this area but we anticipate many years of discoveries awaiting us
DOM is an activity of the VSS Those wanting to help survey during a DOM should contact any VSS Director or Phil Lucas
Some of the caves visited this year were bull Brickeys Pit - a 65 foot pit that
opened into a large passage with a series of large rooms 754 feet surveyed with leads remaining
bull Trooper Said Cave - a resurgence cave for a large spring Over 820 feet were surveyed to very deep water
bull Hurt Cave - It didnt hurt a bit with 583 feet of nice passage surveyed
bull Clarke Cave - an afternoon of surveying produced 801 feet of nice passage
bull Jessie Branch Cave - over 800
feet of mixed stream and upper level passage mapped
bull Hillmans Cemetery Pit was almost completed at 2716 feet when more passage was discovered
bull Wildcat Caverns - An attempt to
The Region Record
finish this survey was unsuccessful More cave awaits
And many more
Highland County Cave Survey
by Rick Lambert NSS 12496
The year 2000 has been a busy one for the Highland County Cave Survey Of the 242 caves the survey knows about we now have 147 maps completed 13 more caves have been surveyed and we are waiting on maps Nine caves are physically closed This leaves 73 caves to be located surveyed and mapped
We were working a very small section of the Bull Pasture Mountain in 2000 We opened 10 caves six of them new on a small section of a 200 acre farm We informed the landowner in the fall we still havent finished his 200 acre farm and he informed us we still have 1000 more acres we havent walked yet Two other neighboring landowners have given us permission to walk their property Our problem is there are too many ca ves and not enough cavers
We also finished the opening and resurvey of Vandevander Cave We expected to find about 2000 feet of passageway and ended up with 6515 feet with some virgin areas left that will require a cordless drill and chemicals
For 2001 we are going to concentrate again on the Bull Pasture Mountain because it is so rewarding We also have neglected the Mill Gap area where we have virgin caves but have not had the time to visit them We need people We meet at my house in Monterey the fourth Saturday and Sunday of every month So if you are tired of recreational caving and want to give
Winter 2000-2001
something back to Speleology join us You can contact me at PO Box 151 Monterey VA 24465 Phone 5 4 0-4 6 8-2 7 2 2 e-m a i l highlandcfwcom
What is Project Underground
By Carol Zokaites National Coordinator
Project Underground is a program aimed at training TEACHERS to teach cave and karst science in the classroom Traditional classroom teachers as well as outreach educators attend training workshops to learn about karst issues and receive Project Underground materials The Project Underground activity guide is given to the teachers and educators at these workshops Workshop participants also receive posters handouts fact sheets and other additional materials on cave and karst resources
How does this work As coordinator of Project Underground I work with adults Based on a training the trainer model facilitators are trained to lead the teacher training workshops In other words educators are trained to teach additional educators how to teach about cave and karst education in a classroom setting
How does this material reach the students Teachers use the lesson plans in the Project Underground activity guide to teach the students The lessons plans are tied to the education standards which in Virginia you have heard referred to as Standards of Learning (SOLs) The lesson plans include the objectives for the lessons the materials needed to do the activity the appropriate grades for the lesson time for activity and some background infonnation The Project Underground guides are not given
page 4
Volume XIV Number 1
out to the students they are designed for the teachers to use with students
So how do we keep records of people reached with the Project Underground materials We count the number of teachers who have attended the workshops The generally accepted method for estimating the number of students reached is to mUltiply this number of teachers by 20 or 30 the average class size
Numbers - 1450 teachers have been supplied with Project Underground materials An estimated 29000 students have been reached by these teachers (using 20 students per teacher)
About 1015 of these teachers attended workshops in Virginia The other 335 teachers attended workshop in 12 additional states including Arkansas Alabama Georgia Idaho Minnesota New Mexico Ohio Pennsylvania South Dakota Texas Tennessee and West Virginia
Funding for Project Underground - In September of 2000 the Virginia Department of Conservation and Rec r atio created a temporary posItion titled - Karst Education Coordinator Through this part time (30 hours a week) position I am running the Virginia Project U derground program and working With the Virginia Karst Project We are hoping for continued support in the coming years
The Project Underground program was created by the Richmond Area Speleological Society (RASS) who generously contributed to the running of the program for many years The Cave Conservancy of the Virginias (CCV) the National Speleological Society (NSS) the National Speleological Foundation and the Virginia Region have also generously donated funding to the Project Underground program Grants have also been received through the Karst Project and the EP A education program
The Region Record
Caving Equipment to be Auctioned
by Miles Drake
On Monday January 22 2001 the first f three auctions of caving campmg and computer equipment from the estate of Dick Sanford will be held following a short 800 m e e t i n g o f t h e P o t o m a c S el o logical Club in Arlington Vlrgmla (inside the DC beltway)
The second auction will be held at the February 26th PSC meeting and the third at the March 19th DC Grotto meeting (in Silver Spring Maryland) The items have been divided up so that each auction will be relatively equal however the first will have all of the computer equipment and none of the books and maps
The first auction will include computer equipment headlamps cav gear vertical gear survey equipment and miscellaneous items For a more detailed list of items to be auctioned and directions to the PSC meeting see the PSC web page at WINIpsc-taversorWpsrSanfordAuctionhtml For additional information contact Miles Drake at (301 )350-6422 or at karstrnderolscom
Cave Bucks by J C Fisher
A few years ago at the last V AR down at Cumberland Gap Don Anderson told me about New River collecting a quarter from its members for each cave trip they went on to buy beer During this same time period I was also bemoaning the constant increase in the Closed Cave List I was particularly worried about my twoshyyear-old grandson finding some place to go caving when he got older I feel the only sure solution is for cavers to own caves While this
page 5
Winter 2000-2001
is certainly nothing new there was a group called Southeast Cave Conservancy starting to buy a lot of caves Their only drawback seemed to be a need for more funds Well it didnt take rocket science to put these three items together and come up with Cave Bucks
If every caver put one dollar per cave trip into a pot - the NSS has over ten thousand cavers in over two hundred grottos and if they meet every month - well you do the math Were talking thousands and thousands of dollars here Money to buy a lot caves Now I know not everyone is going to like this idea but those that do will still generate a large sum month after month after month I brought the idea before Tri-State and Frederick Grottos and they
both agreed to give it a try
Dunng every meeting they pass a hat count the money and vote on where to send it Sometimes it is only a few bucks but it adds up V AR and MAR both endorsed the concept I sent out about one hundred mailings to Grottos all over the Country By word of mouth and reading exchange newsletters I know there are other grctps doing the same
My grandson has reached the ripe old age of five now He still likes to go caving Several new Conservancies have started TrishyState has kept a running total of the Cave Bucks it has collected and donated This Spring that total will go over the TWO THOUSANDshyDOLLAR mark and every dollar has been donated If every grotto were doing the same we would be talking hundreds of thousands of dollars The only problem is - it only works if you spend the money Having money in the bank only helps the bank it doesnt buy caves Want to start your own conservancy GREAT let people know and well send you some Cave Bucks Cavers owning caves insures our future and all our grandchildrens It only costs a buck
Volume XIV Number I
Recent Human
Rabies Cases
(The following material is extracted from two articles in the December 15 2000 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Volume 49 Number 49 pages 1111 and 1115) which is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The full text of the articles including references and additional medical information about each case is available on-line at the locations shown at the end of this article Ed)
California On September 15 a 49-year-old man visited a neurologist with 2 days of increasing right arm pain and paresthesias On September 17 the patient was placed on mechanical ventilation and rabies tests returned positive Renal failure developed and the patient died on September 20 The patient did not report contact with a bat although his wife reported that in June or July a bat had flown into their house and the patient had removed it
New York On September 22 a 54-year-old man who had resided in Ghana arrived in the United States and on September 26 reported discomfort in his right lower back Rabies tests were positive on October 3 After a gradual decrease in respiration heart rate and blood pressure the patient died on October 9 History from the patients employer in Ghana revealed that the patient had been bitten in Ghana on his thumb and leg by his unvaccinated puppy in May
Georgia On October 3 a 26-year-old man developed intractable vomiting and hematemesis He developed respiratory and renal failure and died on October 10 Since July the patient had been renting a room on the upper floor of an old house He had reported to co-workers that bats from the attic had entered his Jiving quarters and landed on him while he
The Region Record
slept Investigation of the house occupied by the patient since July revealed a colony of approximately 200 Mexican free-tailed bats in the attic and openings between the attic and the patients bedroom bathroom closet and kitchen
Minnesota On October 14 a 47-year-old man visited a local clinic with 6 days of worsening right arm pain and parasthesias He died on October 25 Three days earlier a friend told the family that during August 11--19 the patient had been awakened by a bat on his right hand He killed the bat and was bitten in the process The patient did not seek medical care Investigation found in the patients house multiple portals of entry for bats openings between the attic and living areas and extensive deposits of guano in the attic and living area
Wisconsin On October 14 a 69-year-old man with a 2-day history of chest discomfort and numbness tingling and tremors of the left arm was admitted to a local hospital for cardiac evaluation The patient died on November 1 Subsequent testing confirmed a diagnosis of rabies The patient had told a friend that two or three times a year he had removed bats from his house with his bare hands several other residences used by the patient also had potential portals for the entry of bats He did not mention being bitten by an animal but had asked a friend a week before admission if rabies could be acquired from an insect bite
Quebec Canada On September 22 2000 a 9-year-old boy awoke with a fever and complained of pain in his upper left arm He died on October 6 On August 28 while the patient and his brother were sleeping in a rural cottage his parents found a bat in the kitchen The same evening the patients brother went into the bathroom and observed a bat that seemed to have difficulty flying He
page 6
Winter 2000-2001
alerted his father who removed it from the cottage with his bare hands Approximately 3 days later the patient showed his mother a lesion on his upper left arm No action was taken After the diagnosis was made rabies postexposure prophylaxis was offered to the patients parents and brother This human death from rabies was the first one reported in Canada since 1985
Editorial Note In the United States since 1990 infection with indigenous rabies virus variants associated with insectivorous bats and infection with foreign canine rabies virus variants have accounted for 30 of the 32 human cases Although 24 (74) of the 32 cases since 1990 have been attributed to bat-associated variants of the virus a history of a bite was established in only two cases Contact with bats occurred in approximately half of the other cases These cases represent various bat-contact histories a bat bite direct contact with bats with multiple opportunities to be bitten and possible direct contact with a bat Canine rabies is prevalent in Africa Asia and Latin America Worldwide estimates of human rabies deaths exceed 50000 cases each year and gt95 of reported cases occur in regions where canine rabies is endemic
Although rabies usually is transmitted by a bite persons may minimize the medical implications of a bat bite Unlike bites from larger animals the trauma of a bat bite is unlikely to warrant seeking medical care Unless the potential for rabies exposure is known to the patient rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) will not be received Although bat rabiesmiddot virus variants can be transmitted secondarily from terrestrial mammals the lack of other animal-bite histories and the rarity of bat rabies virus variants found in terrestrial mammals suggest that this means of transmission is rare
Volume XIV Number 1
Persons who are bitten or scratched by any animal should wash wounds thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention to evaluate the need for PEP In all cases where batshyhuman contact has occurred or is suspected the bat should be collected and tested for rabies If the bat is unavailable the need for PEP should be assessed by public health officials PEP should be considered after direct contact between a human and a bat unless the exposed person can be certain a bite scratch or mucous membrane exposure did not occur PEP may be considered for persons who were in the same room as a bat and who might be unaware that a bite or direct contact had occurred (eg when a sleeping person wakes to find a bat in the room or an adult witnesses a bat in the room with an unattended child mentally disabled person or intoxicated person) PEP is not warranted when direct contact between a human and a bat did not occur Seeing a bat or being in the vicinity of bats does not constitute an exposure
Source wwwCDCgov website urls
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmllmm4949a3htm
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmlmm4949a4htm
V AR Proposed Budget
Sept 2000 to Aug 2001
by John Taylor
INCOME Proposed Last Year Fall 00 Meeting 60000 55800 Spr 01 Meeti ng 60000 84000 Bank Interest 8000 9077 Independent Dues 13000 13200 Landowner Fund 20000 000 Patch Sales 3000 3316 Miscella neous 000 000 TOTAL INCOME 164000 165393
The Region Record
EXPENSES Grants 40000 000 Printing 60000 63036 Landowner Award 20000 15396 Conservation 25500 22871 Memberships 5000 000 Domain Name 3500 000 WVA Corp 1000 000 Miscellaneous 9000 19016 TOTAL EXPENSES 164000 120310
Separate Balance Landowner Defense Fund 124600
Overall Total Assets of the VAA 1043338 Current Check Book 432358 Certificates of Deposit 252780 NS Foundation 358200
Having Trouble Accessing the VAR
Listserver
by Bob Hoke
I recently tried to send a message to the V AR listserver but my message was rejected by the software with a message saying Mail from open relay refused
I contacted Walt Pirie the VAR list administrator and asked about the error Walts response was that messages are blocked from a list of domains known to have been sources of spammers or if the domain is detected to have open relay server software that can easily be used for spamming He also said that according to the listserv software manager that form of software is outdated and can relatively easily be replaced by more secure versions Finally he said that he believes there is no intention of relaxing that standard
I sent a message to my internet service (Erols) asking for an explanation but their response was not very informative
Anyway if you try to sign up for the VAR listserver or send a message to it and receive the same error the
page 7
Winter 2000-2001
easiest way to get around the problem is to use of the many free eshymail systems (Hotmail Yahoo etc) To send your message to the list
If you are not on the listserver you can easily sign up All you have to do is send an e-mail message to
listservlistservvtedu
In the body of the message enter
sub varlist your name
Thats all you have to do You will receive a message asking you to confirm your subscription and then you will be a subscriber The list is not accessible by outsiders and you will not receive any junk e-mail (spam) from it
Bob Lutz Passes Away
by Bob Hoke
Bob Lutz (NSS 235) died of cancer in the V A hospital in Martinsburg WV on December 26 He was 75 years old
Bob began his caving career in the 1950s (or before) was very active for many years He was instrumental in the formation of the Potomac Speleological Club (PSC) He was also active in the Old Timers Reunions and helped found The Robertson Association the nonshyprofit corporation that runs OTR
Bob indicated that he wished to be cremated and also said that he wants to be remembered in another way There will be no memorial service at this time but in the spring he wants a huge party at the TRAlOTR site that will be like a Polish wedding with plenty of beer and whiskey
Volume XIV Number 1
Robertson Association Grants
Now Available
by Barry Chute
The Robertson Association (TRA) is the non-profit organization that sponsors the annual Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia The TRA Board has adopted a policy of awarding SO of the net profit from each OTR to support appropriate cave-related activities by non-profit groups
Criteria for TRA grants
I TRA will only consider one grant request per year from any organization
II Requesting organizations must classified by the IRS as 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (If you do not have 501 (c)(3) status see if you can find a 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor who is willing to exercise expenditure responsibility)
III The request should be for projects located primarily in areas where TRA has significant interests
IV Funds must be used only for the requested purpose
V Funds must be used within 24 months of receipt or else returned
VI No portion of a grant may be used to reimburse a member of the receiving organization for personal services or travel Documented out of pocket expenses are allowable
TRA places special emphasis on organizations whose services contribute at least in part to preservation and educational issues relating to karst and caves or the welfare of the caving community When an organization seeks to renew a grant or obtain a new grant information will be required on how TRAs previous donations were used Program effectiveness and results will be used in evaluating
The Region Record
requests for future grants
Grant request contents
I Cover letter including proposal summary and amount requested signed by executive director or president
II Narrative including A Organization information
1 Brief summary of organizations history including mission goals and objectives
2 Descriptions of current programs activities and accomplishments
3 Organizations affiliation with other groups or public agencies
B Purpose of the Grant 1 Statement of need or
problem addressed by the grant
2 Description of program goals and measurable objective
3 Timetable for implementation 4 Other organizations if any
participation in the program 5 List of names and
qualifications of key people responsible for program implementation
6 Projected program budget
C Evaluation 1 Expected results during the
funding period 2 How project success is
defined and how it will be measured
3 How project results will be used or disseminated
III Required attachments A List of Board of Directors or
officers B A copy of the original IRS
determination letter indicating 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status
Grant packages should be sent to Barry Chute TRA Treasurer 3008 Spencerville Road Burtonsville
Winter 2000-2001
MD 20866 They must be received by March 12001 to be considered at the TRA Board meeting in April If you have questions contact Barry Chute at (301)421-9372 or bchutemsncom Check the OTR web page (wwwotrorg) for more information on grants
MAKe Requests VAR Grant
compiled by Bob Hoke
T h e M i d-A tla n t i c Ka r s t Conservancy (MAKC) has submitted
a request for a V AR grant of $SOO to help pay for the purchase of the Billy Clay Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County WV The request meets all the submission requirements for VAR grants as documented in the Summer 1999 Region Record) The request will be discussed and voted on at the Spring VAR meeting
The Billy Clay Cave Preserve is located near the nowshoe ski resort about a 1S hour drive south of Elkins WV on US 219 The 29 acre Preserve contains Billy Clay Pit (a 6000 foot cave) and Clay Pit (a 2S-foot dead bottom pit) It was purchased in May 2000 for $20000 and half of that amount has been paid off The MAKC is now trying to obtains the funds for the remaining $10000 debt
The management plan for the Preserve specifies that it is to be open to properly equipped cavers one group of not more than 6 people per day Commercial use of the Preserve (such as cave for pay) is expressly prohibited Rigging for the pits must use only natural anchors and no bolts or other property modifications are allowed MAKC has instituted a procedure for obtaining a permit to visit the Preserve and they have asked the adjoining landowners to contact the
page 8
Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
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------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
Volume XIV Number 1
Staunton Cave (continued from page 1)
It was a wonderful one-hour meeting and at its end we agreed to get back together take a tour of the cave and continue our dialog I agreed to send the city a copy of the Virginia Cave Protection Act - and I have
I am optimistic and am looking forward to posting regular dispatches to the Region Record on the progress of our discussions with the City of Staunton Eventually I will be seeking help from others in the V AR but for now I would like to remain the point man during these initial negotiations Thanks to all the members of the V AR and their continued support
Ferrell Family Receives V AR
Landowner Award by Don Anderson
On August 13th 2000 the Landowner A ward was presented to the Ferrell family for many years of friendship and hospitality to V AR cavers The Ferrells own James Zitt and numerous other small caves in Pulaski County Virginia
Members from the New River Valley Grotto and the VPI Cave Club gathered at the Ferrell home place John Ferrell was there for the family The party was held in their new pole bam lots of tractors hay balers etc Some discussion was heard about placing bat stickers on all the equipmtnt and what a nice place the new barn would be for rainy day vertical practice John Ferrell just beamed his big smile The farm dog enjoyed the snacks which included cheese summer sausage crackers grapes dip and soft drinks
The Region Record
Several folks enjoyed a quick thru trip in James Cave after the gathering
WVCC Happenings
by Jeff Bray
T h e W e s t V i r g i n i a C a v e Conservancy is currently working pretty heavily on the Lightners Entrance to McClungs Cave in Greenbrier County Even though the property ended up not being sold at auction the owners have kept our offer in mind and negotiations are once again taking place We are hopeful that we can bring you some good news on this cave entrance in the near future Negotiations are still in the works with our favorite long-term project Maxwelton We do still have an offer on the table to the owners and we are waiting to see what they have to say about it Along with trying the traditional approach to acquiring Maxwelton (negotiations) members of the WVCC have been working diligently at a more non-traditional approach to acquiring the cave through digging There have been a number of digs starting on a cavers property near Maxwelton all of which hold some promise These digs were started by members of the Conservancy that attended the banquet in November and have been going strong since
The banquet was held the second weekend of November and was once again a success We thank all those that attended and those that have supported the WVCC through our first few years We intend to continue the banquet as a great way for us to get direct feedback from our membership and also enjoy some food and drinks with friends that we dont get to see as often
The Rapps Cave resurvey was also started over the weekend of the banquet Rapps Cave is leased by
page 3
Winter 2000-WO 1
the WVCC and will be the subject of an archaeological dig in the spring of 2001 It was suggested that a resurvey would help these efforts and so it began WVCC members have been actively surveying in there since November and hope to be complete by the spring All surveyors are encouraged to help with the survey Of course we want to give priority to those that have helped us out through membership to show our appreciation For more information on the survey contact either Jeff Bray Tom Malabad or Bob Handley
Finally some surface work has also been completed over the past few months The fence work at the Lipps and Deems Entraces to Organ Cave has been completed Special thanks goes to Lonnie Bums and his crews for their work there Also Haynes Cave managed by th
WVCC has now got a kiosk that is set up near the entraICe This informational kiosk has contact info and any other pertinent info to caving or to Haynes Cave itself Special thanks goes out to the Saugstads Bob Liebman and Tim Brown as well as to 2arroll Bassett for allowing us to store the kiosk in his garage til it was set up
We will of course keep you updated as to our progress and hope that you will continue to support us in any way you can
DOM 2000
by Phil Lucas VSS
Cavers from Virginia Pennsylvania Tennessee and Kentucky (and even one diehard from Washington State) gather every Thanksgiving weekend in Southwest Virginia to do some serious caving We call it DOM Last year the DOM basecamp moved from Pennington Gap in Lee County to Lebanon in Russell County Two dozen cavers
Volume XIV Number I
assembled in Lebanon to continue various projects and begin others During this years DOM caves in Russell Scott Tazewell Wise and Washington counties were visited along with a few project caves still being worked in Lee County Fifteen caves were visited and six previously unreported ones located Some caves were completely surveyed while others still need to be returned to Overall 8121 feet were surveyed
With the variety of limestone found in Southwest Virginia theres always a wide range of cave types to be seen from very active stream passages to mazes to old paleo trunks You never know just what will tum up So far were off to a good start in the investigation of this area but we anticipate many years of discoveries awaiting us
DOM is an activity of the VSS Those wanting to help survey during a DOM should contact any VSS Director or Phil Lucas
Some of the caves visited this year were bull Brickeys Pit - a 65 foot pit that
opened into a large passage with a series of large rooms 754 feet surveyed with leads remaining
bull Trooper Said Cave - a resurgence cave for a large spring Over 820 feet were surveyed to very deep water
bull Hurt Cave - It didnt hurt a bit with 583 feet of nice passage surveyed
bull Clarke Cave - an afternoon of surveying produced 801 feet of nice passage
bull Jessie Branch Cave - over 800
feet of mixed stream and upper level passage mapped
bull Hillmans Cemetery Pit was almost completed at 2716 feet when more passage was discovered
bull Wildcat Caverns - An attempt to
The Region Record
finish this survey was unsuccessful More cave awaits
And many more
Highland County Cave Survey
by Rick Lambert NSS 12496
The year 2000 has been a busy one for the Highland County Cave Survey Of the 242 caves the survey knows about we now have 147 maps completed 13 more caves have been surveyed and we are waiting on maps Nine caves are physically closed This leaves 73 caves to be located surveyed and mapped
We were working a very small section of the Bull Pasture Mountain in 2000 We opened 10 caves six of them new on a small section of a 200 acre farm We informed the landowner in the fall we still havent finished his 200 acre farm and he informed us we still have 1000 more acres we havent walked yet Two other neighboring landowners have given us permission to walk their property Our problem is there are too many ca ves and not enough cavers
We also finished the opening and resurvey of Vandevander Cave We expected to find about 2000 feet of passageway and ended up with 6515 feet with some virgin areas left that will require a cordless drill and chemicals
For 2001 we are going to concentrate again on the Bull Pasture Mountain because it is so rewarding We also have neglected the Mill Gap area where we have virgin caves but have not had the time to visit them We need people We meet at my house in Monterey the fourth Saturday and Sunday of every month So if you are tired of recreational caving and want to give
Winter 2000-2001
something back to Speleology join us You can contact me at PO Box 151 Monterey VA 24465 Phone 5 4 0-4 6 8-2 7 2 2 e-m a i l highlandcfwcom
What is Project Underground
By Carol Zokaites National Coordinator
Project Underground is a program aimed at training TEACHERS to teach cave and karst science in the classroom Traditional classroom teachers as well as outreach educators attend training workshops to learn about karst issues and receive Project Underground materials The Project Underground activity guide is given to the teachers and educators at these workshops Workshop participants also receive posters handouts fact sheets and other additional materials on cave and karst resources
How does this work As coordinator of Project Underground I work with adults Based on a training the trainer model facilitators are trained to lead the teacher training workshops In other words educators are trained to teach additional educators how to teach about cave and karst education in a classroom setting
How does this material reach the students Teachers use the lesson plans in the Project Underground activity guide to teach the students The lessons plans are tied to the education standards which in Virginia you have heard referred to as Standards of Learning (SOLs) The lesson plans include the objectives for the lessons the materials needed to do the activity the appropriate grades for the lesson time for activity and some background infonnation The Project Underground guides are not given
page 4
Volume XIV Number 1
out to the students they are designed for the teachers to use with students
So how do we keep records of people reached with the Project Underground materials We count the number of teachers who have attended the workshops The generally accepted method for estimating the number of students reached is to mUltiply this number of teachers by 20 or 30 the average class size
Numbers - 1450 teachers have been supplied with Project Underground materials An estimated 29000 students have been reached by these teachers (using 20 students per teacher)
About 1015 of these teachers attended workshops in Virginia The other 335 teachers attended workshop in 12 additional states including Arkansas Alabama Georgia Idaho Minnesota New Mexico Ohio Pennsylvania South Dakota Texas Tennessee and West Virginia
Funding for Project Underground - In September of 2000 the Virginia Department of Conservation and Rec r atio created a temporary posItion titled - Karst Education Coordinator Through this part time (30 hours a week) position I am running the Virginia Project U derground program and working With the Virginia Karst Project We are hoping for continued support in the coming years
The Project Underground program was created by the Richmond Area Speleological Society (RASS) who generously contributed to the running of the program for many years The Cave Conservancy of the Virginias (CCV) the National Speleological Society (NSS) the National Speleological Foundation and the Virginia Region have also generously donated funding to the Project Underground program Grants have also been received through the Karst Project and the EP A education program
The Region Record
Caving Equipment to be Auctioned
by Miles Drake
On Monday January 22 2001 the first f three auctions of caving campmg and computer equipment from the estate of Dick Sanford will be held following a short 800 m e e t i n g o f t h e P o t o m a c S el o logical Club in Arlington Vlrgmla (inside the DC beltway)
The second auction will be held at the February 26th PSC meeting and the third at the March 19th DC Grotto meeting (in Silver Spring Maryland) The items have been divided up so that each auction will be relatively equal however the first will have all of the computer equipment and none of the books and maps
The first auction will include computer equipment headlamps cav gear vertical gear survey equipment and miscellaneous items For a more detailed list of items to be auctioned and directions to the PSC meeting see the PSC web page at WINIpsc-taversorWpsrSanfordAuctionhtml For additional information contact Miles Drake at (301 )350-6422 or at karstrnderolscom
Cave Bucks by J C Fisher
A few years ago at the last V AR down at Cumberland Gap Don Anderson told me about New River collecting a quarter from its members for each cave trip they went on to buy beer During this same time period I was also bemoaning the constant increase in the Closed Cave List I was particularly worried about my twoshyyear-old grandson finding some place to go caving when he got older I feel the only sure solution is for cavers to own caves While this
page 5
Winter 2000-2001
is certainly nothing new there was a group called Southeast Cave Conservancy starting to buy a lot of caves Their only drawback seemed to be a need for more funds Well it didnt take rocket science to put these three items together and come up with Cave Bucks
If every caver put one dollar per cave trip into a pot - the NSS has over ten thousand cavers in over two hundred grottos and if they meet every month - well you do the math Were talking thousands and thousands of dollars here Money to buy a lot caves Now I know not everyone is going to like this idea but those that do will still generate a large sum month after month after month I brought the idea before Tri-State and Frederick Grottos and they
both agreed to give it a try
Dunng every meeting they pass a hat count the money and vote on where to send it Sometimes it is only a few bucks but it adds up V AR and MAR both endorsed the concept I sent out about one hundred mailings to Grottos all over the Country By word of mouth and reading exchange newsletters I know there are other grctps doing the same
My grandson has reached the ripe old age of five now He still likes to go caving Several new Conservancies have started TrishyState has kept a running total of the Cave Bucks it has collected and donated This Spring that total will go over the TWO THOUSANDshyDOLLAR mark and every dollar has been donated If every grotto were doing the same we would be talking hundreds of thousands of dollars The only problem is - it only works if you spend the money Having money in the bank only helps the bank it doesnt buy caves Want to start your own conservancy GREAT let people know and well send you some Cave Bucks Cavers owning caves insures our future and all our grandchildrens It only costs a buck
Volume XIV Number I
Recent Human
Rabies Cases
(The following material is extracted from two articles in the December 15 2000 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Volume 49 Number 49 pages 1111 and 1115) which is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The full text of the articles including references and additional medical information about each case is available on-line at the locations shown at the end of this article Ed)
California On September 15 a 49-year-old man visited a neurologist with 2 days of increasing right arm pain and paresthesias On September 17 the patient was placed on mechanical ventilation and rabies tests returned positive Renal failure developed and the patient died on September 20 The patient did not report contact with a bat although his wife reported that in June or July a bat had flown into their house and the patient had removed it
New York On September 22 a 54-year-old man who had resided in Ghana arrived in the United States and on September 26 reported discomfort in his right lower back Rabies tests were positive on October 3 After a gradual decrease in respiration heart rate and blood pressure the patient died on October 9 History from the patients employer in Ghana revealed that the patient had been bitten in Ghana on his thumb and leg by his unvaccinated puppy in May
Georgia On October 3 a 26-year-old man developed intractable vomiting and hematemesis He developed respiratory and renal failure and died on October 10 Since July the patient had been renting a room on the upper floor of an old house He had reported to co-workers that bats from the attic had entered his Jiving quarters and landed on him while he
The Region Record
slept Investigation of the house occupied by the patient since July revealed a colony of approximately 200 Mexican free-tailed bats in the attic and openings between the attic and the patients bedroom bathroom closet and kitchen
Minnesota On October 14 a 47-year-old man visited a local clinic with 6 days of worsening right arm pain and parasthesias He died on October 25 Three days earlier a friend told the family that during August 11--19 the patient had been awakened by a bat on his right hand He killed the bat and was bitten in the process The patient did not seek medical care Investigation found in the patients house multiple portals of entry for bats openings between the attic and living areas and extensive deposits of guano in the attic and living area
Wisconsin On October 14 a 69-year-old man with a 2-day history of chest discomfort and numbness tingling and tremors of the left arm was admitted to a local hospital for cardiac evaluation The patient died on November 1 Subsequent testing confirmed a diagnosis of rabies The patient had told a friend that two or three times a year he had removed bats from his house with his bare hands several other residences used by the patient also had potential portals for the entry of bats He did not mention being bitten by an animal but had asked a friend a week before admission if rabies could be acquired from an insect bite
Quebec Canada On September 22 2000 a 9-year-old boy awoke with a fever and complained of pain in his upper left arm He died on October 6 On August 28 while the patient and his brother were sleeping in a rural cottage his parents found a bat in the kitchen The same evening the patients brother went into the bathroom and observed a bat that seemed to have difficulty flying He
page 6
Winter 2000-2001
alerted his father who removed it from the cottage with his bare hands Approximately 3 days later the patient showed his mother a lesion on his upper left arm No action was taken After the diagnosis was made rabies postexposure prophylaxis was offered to the patients parents and brother This human death from rabies was the first one reported in Canada since 1985
Editorial Note In the United States since 1990 infection with indigenous rabies virus variants associated with insectivorous bats and infection with foreign canine rabies virus variants have accounted for 30 of the 32 human cases Although 24 (74) of the 32 cases since 1990 have been attributed to bat-associated variants of the virus a history of a bite was established in only two cases Contact with bats occurred in approximately half of the other cases These cases represent various bat-contact histories a bat bite direct contact with bats with multiple opportunities to be bitten and possible direct contact with a bat Canine rabies is prevalent in Africa Asia and Latin America Worldwide estimates of human rabies deaths exceed 50000 cases each year and gt95 of reported cases occur in regions where canine rabies is endemic
Although rabies usually is transmitted by a bite persons may minimize the medical implications of a bat bite Unlike bites from larger animals the trauma of a bat bite is unlikely to warrant seeking medical care Unless the potential for rabies exposure is known to the patient rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) will not be received Although bat rabiesmiddot virus variants can be transmitted secondarily from terrestrial mammals the lack of other animal-bite histories and the rarity of bat rabies virus variants found in terrestrial mammals suggest that this means of transmission is rare
Volume XIV Number 1
Persons who are bitten or scratched by any animal should wash wounds thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention to evaluate the need for PEP In all cases where batshyhuman contact has occurred or is suspected the bat should be collected and tested for rabies If the bat is unavailable the need for PEP should be assessed by public health officials PEP should be considered after direct contact between a human and a bat unless the exposed person can be certain a bite scratch or mucous membrane exposure did not occur PEP may be considered for persons who were in the same room as a bat and who might be unaware that a bite or direct contact had occurred (eg when a sleeping person wakes to find a bat in the room or an adult witnesses a bat in the room with an unattended child mentally disabled person or intoxicated person) PEP is not warranted when direct contact between a human and a bat did not occur Seeing a bat or being in the vicinity of bats does not constitute an exposure
Source wwwCDCgov website urls
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmllmm4949a3htm
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmlmm4949a4htm
V AR Proposed Budget
Sept 2000 to Aug 2001
by John Taylor
INCOME Proposed Last Year Fall 00 Meeting 60000 55800 Spr 01 Meeti ng 60000 84000 Bank Interest 8000 9077 Independent Dues 13000 13200 Landowner Fund 20000 000 Patch Sales 3000 3316 Miscella neous 000 000 TOTAL INCOME 164000 165393
The Region Record
EXPENSES Grants 40000 000 Printing 60000 63036 Landowner Award 20000 15396 Conservation 25500 22871 Memberships 5000 000 Domain Name 3500 000 WVA Corp 1000 000 Miscellaneous 9000 19016 TOTAL EXPENSES 164000 120310
Separate Balance Landowner Defense Fund 124600
Overall Total Assets of the VAA 1043338 Current Check Book 432358 Certificates of Deposit 252780 NS Foundation 358200
Having Trouble Accessing the VAR
Listserver
by Bob Hoke
I recently tried to send a message to the V AR listserver but my message was rejected by the software with a message saying Mail from open relay refused
I contacted Walt Pirie the VAR list administrator and asked about the error Walts response was that messages are blocked from a list of domains known to have been sources of spammers or if the domain is detected to have open relay server software that can easily be used for spamming He also said that according to the listserv software manager that form of software is outdated and can relatively easily be replaced by more secure versions Finally he said that he believes there is no intention of relaxing that standard
I sent a message to my internet service (Erols) asking for an explanation but their response was not very informative
Anyway if you try to sign up for the VAR listserver or send a message to it and receive the same error the
page 7
Winter 2000-2001
easiest way to get around the problem is to use of the many free eshymail systems (Hotmail Yahoo etc) To send your message to the list
If you are not on the listserver you can easily sign up All you have to do is send an e-mail message to
listservlistservvtedu
In the body of the message enter
sub varlist your name
Thats all you have to do You will receive a message asking you to confirm your subscription and then you will be a subscriber The list is not accessible by outsiders and you will not receive any junk e-mail (spam) from it
Bob Lutz Passes Away
by Bob Hoke
Bob Lutz (NSS 235) died of cancer in the V A hospital in Martinsburg WV on December 26 He was 75 years old
Bob began his caving career in the 1950s (or before) was very active for many years He was instrumental in the formation of the Potomac Speleological Club (PSC) He was also active in the Old Timers Reunions and helped found The Robertson Association the nonshyprofit corporation that runs OTR
Bob indicated that he wished to be cremated and also said that he wants to be remembered in another way There will be no memorial service at this time but in the spring he wants a huge party at the TRAlOTR site that will be like a Polish wedding with plenty of beer and whiskey
Volume XIV Number 1
Robertson Association Grants
Now Available
by Barry Chute
The Robertson Association (TRA) is the non-profit organization that sponsors the annual Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia The TRA Board has adopted a policy of awarding SO of the net profit from each OTR to support appropriate cave-related activities by non-profit groups
Criteria for TRA grants
I TRA will only consider one grant request per year from any organization
II Requesting organizations must classified by the IRS as 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (If you do not have 501 (c)(3) status see if you can find a 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor who is willing to exercise expenditure responsibility)
III The request should be for projects located primarily in areas where TRA has significant interests
IV Funds must be used only for the requested purpose
V Funds must be used within 24 months of receipt or else returned
VI No portion of a grant may be used to reimburse a member of the receiving organization for personal services or travel Documented out of pocket expenses are allowable
TRA places special emphasis on organizations whose services contribute at least in part to preservation and educational issues relating to karst and caves or the welfare of the caving community When an organization seeks to renew a grant or obtain a new grant information will be required on how TRAs previous donations were used Program effectiveness and results will be used in evaluating
The Region Record
requests for future grants
Grant request contents
I Cover letter including proposal summary and amount requested signed by executive director or president
II Narrative including A Organization information
1 Brief summary of organizations history including mission goals and objectives
2 Descriptions of current programs activities and accomplishments
3 Organizations affiliation with other groups or public agencies
B Purpose of the Grant 1 Statement of need or
problem addressed by the grant
2 Description of program goals and measurable objective
3 Timetable for implementation 4 Other organizations if any
participation in the program 5 List of names and
qualifications of key people responsible for program implementation
6 Projected program budget
C Evaluation 1 Expected results during the
funding period 2 How project success is
defined and how it will be measured
3 How project results will be used or disseminated
III Required attachments A List of Board of Directors or
officers B A copy of the original IRS
determination letter indicating 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status
Grant packages should be sent to Barry Chute TRA Treasurer 3008 Spencerville Road Burtonsville
Winter 2000-2001
MD 20866 They must be received by March 12001 to be considered at the TRA Board meeting in April If you have questions contact Barry Chute at (301)421-9372 or bchutemsncom Check the OTR web page (wwwotrorg) for more information on grants
MAKe Requests VAR Grant
compiled by Bob Hoke
T h e M i d-A tla n t i c Ka r s t Conservancy (MAKC) has submitted
a request for a V AR grant of $SOO to help pay for the purchase of the Billy Clay Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County WV The request meets all the submission requirements for VAR grants as documented in the Summer 1999 Region Record) The request will be discussed and voted on at the Spring VAR meeting
The Billy Clay Cave Preserve is located near the nowshoe ski resort about a 1S hour drive south of Elkins WV on US 219 The 29 acre Preserve contains Billy Clay Pit (a 6000 foot cave) and Clay Pit (a 2S-foot dead bottom pit) It was purchased in May 2000 for $20000 and half of that amount has been paid off The MAKC is now trying to obtains the funds for the remaining $10000 debt
The management plan for the Preserve specifies that it is to be open to properly equipped cavers one group of not more than 6 people per day Commercial use of the Preserve (such as cave for pay) is expressly prohibited Rigging for the pits must use only natural anchors and no bolts or other property modifications are allowed MAKC has instituted a procedure for obtaining a permit to visit the Preserve and they have asked the adjoining landowners to contact the
page 8
Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
Volume XIV Number I
assembled in Lebanon to continue various projects and begin others During this years DOM caves in Russell Scott Tazewell Wise and Washington counties were visited along with a few project caves still being worked in Lee County Fifteen caves were visited and six previously unreported ones located Some caves were completely surveyed while others still need to be returned to Overall 8121 feet were surveyed
With the variety of limestone found in Southwest Virginia theres always a wide range of cave types to be seen from very active stream passages to mazes to old paleo trunks You never know just what will tum up So far were off to a good start in the investigation of this area but we anticipate many years of discoveries awaiting us
DOM is an activity of the VSS Those wanting to help survey during a DOM should contact any VSS Director or Phil Lucas
Some of the caves visited this year were bull Brickeys Pit - a 65 foot pit that
opened into a large passage with a series of large rooms 754 feet surveyed with leads remaining
bull Trooper Said Cave - a resurgence cave for a large spring Over 820 feet were surveyed to very deep water
bull Hurt Cave - It didnt hurt a bit with 583 feet of nice passage surveyed
bull Clarke Cave - an afternoon of surveying produced 801 feet of nice passage
bull Jessie Branch Cave - over 800
feet of mixed stream and upper level passage mapped
bull Hillmans Cemetery Pit was almost completed at 2716 feet when more passage was discovered
bull Wildcat Caverns - An attempt to
The Region Record
finish this survey was unsuccessful More cave awaits
And many more
Highland County Cave Survey
by Rick Lambert NSS 12496
The year 2000 has been a busy one for the Highland County Cave Survey Of the 242 caves the survey knows about we now have 147 maps completed 13 more caves have been surveyed and we are waiting on maps Nine caves are physically closed This leaves 73 caves to be located surveyed and mapped
We were working a very small section of the Bull Pasture Mountain in 2000 We opened 10 caves six of them new on a small section of a 200 acre farm We informed the landowner in the fall we still havent finished his 200 acre farm and he informed us we still have 1000 more acres we havent walked yet Two other neighboring landowners have given us permission to walk their property Our problem is there are too many ca ves and not enough cavers
We also finished the opening and resurvey of Vandevander Cave We expected to find about 2000 feet of passageway and ended up with 6515 feet with some virgin areas left that will require a cordless drill and chemicals
For 2001 we are going to concentrate again on the Bull Pasture Mountain because it is so rewarding We also have neglected the Mill Gap area where we have virgin caves but have not had the time to visit them We need people We meet at my house in Monterey the fourth Saturday and Sunday of every month So if you are tired of recreational caving and want to give
Winter 2000-2001
something back to Speleology join us You can contact me at PO Box 151 Monterey VA 24465 Phone 5 4 0-4 6 8-2 7 2 2 e-m a i l highlandcfwcom
What is Project Underground
By Carol Zokaites National Coordinator
Project Underground is a program aimed at training TEACHERS to teach cave and karst science in the classroom Traditional classroom teachers as well as outreach educators attend training workshops to learn about karst issues and receive Project Underground materials The Project Underground activity guide is given to the teachers and educators at these workshops Workshop participants also receive posters handouts fact sheets and other additional materials on cave and karst resources
How does this work As coordinator of Project Underground I work with adults Based on a training the trainer model facilitators are trained to lead the teacher training workshops In other words educators are trained to teach additional educators how to teach about cave and karst education in a classroom setting
How does this material reach the students Teachers use the lesson plans in the Project Underground activity guide to teach the students The lessons plans are tied to the education standards which in Virginia you have heard referred to as Standards of Learning (SOLs) The lesson plans include the objectives for the lessons the materials needed to do the activity the appropriate grades for the lesson time for activity and some background infonnation The Project Underground guides are not given
page 4
Volume XIV Number 1
out to the students they are designed for the teachers to use with students
So how do we keep records of people reached with the Project Underground materials We count the number of teachers who have attended the workshops The generally accepted method for estimating the number of students reached is to mUltiply this number of teachers by 20 or 30 the average class size
Numbers - 1450 teachers have been supplied with Project Underground materials An estimated 29000 students have been reached by these teachers (using 20 students per teacher)
About 1015 of these teachers attended workshops in Virginia The other 335 teachers attended workshop in 12 additional states including Arkansas Alabama Georgia Idaho Minnesota New Mexico Ohio Pennsylvania South Dakota Texas Tennessee and West Virginia
Funding for Project Underground - In September of 2000 the Virginia Department of Conservation and Rec r atio created a temporary posItion titled - Karst Education Coordinator Through this part time (30 hours a week) position I am running the Virginia Project U derground program and working With the Virginia Karst Project We are hoping for continued support in the coming years
The Project Underground program was created by the Richmond Area Speleological Society (RASS) who generously contributed to the running of the program for many years The Cave Conservancy of the Virginias (CCV) the National Speleological Society (NSS) the National Speleological Foundation and the Virginia Region have also generously donated funding to the Project Underground program Grants have also been received through the Karst Project and the EP A education program
The Region Record
Caving Equipment to be Auctioned
by Miles Drake
On Monday January 22 2001 the first f three auctions of caving campmg and computer equipment from the estate of Dick Sanford will be held following a short 800 m e e t i n g o f t h e P o t o m a c S el o logical Club in Arlington Vlrgmla (inside the DC beltway)
The second auction will be held at the February 26th PSC meeting and the third at the March 19th DC Grotto meeting (in Silver Spring Maryland) The items have been divided up so that each auction will be relatively equal however the first will have all of the computer equipment and none of the books and maps
The first auction will include computer equipment headlamps cav gear vertical gear survey equipment and miscellaneous items For a more detailed list of items to be auctioned and directions to the PSC meeting see the PSC web page at WINIpsc-taversorWpsrSanfordAuctionhtml For additional information contact Miles Drake at (301 )350-6422 or at karstrnderolscom
Cave Bucks by J C Fisher
A few years ago at the last V AR down at Cumberland Gap Don Anderson told me about New River collecting a quarter from its members for each cave trip they went on to buy beer During this same time period I was also bemoaning the constant increase in the Closed Cave List I was particularly worried about my twoshyyear-old grandson finding some place to go caving when he got older I feel the only sure solution is for cavers to own caves While this
page 5
Winter 2000-2001
is certainly nothing new there was a group called Southeast Cave Conservancy starting to buy a lot of caves Their only drawback seemed to be a need for more funds Well it didnt take rocket science to put these three items together and come up with Cave Bucks
If every caver put one dollar per cave trip into a pot - the NSS has over ten thousand cavers in over two hundred grottos and if they meet every month - well you do the math Were talking thousands and thousands of dollars here Money to buy a lot caves Now I know not everyone is going to like this idea but those that do will still generate a large sum month after month after month I brought the idea before Tri-State and Frederick Grottos and they
both agreed to give it a try
Dunng every meeting they pass a hat count the money and vote on where to send it Sometimes it is only a few bucks but it adds up V AR and MAR both endorsed the concept I sent out about one hundred mailings to Grottos all over the Country By word of mouth and reading exchange newsletters I know there are other grctps doing the same
My grandson has reached the ripe old age of five now He still likes to go caving Several new Conservancies have started TrishyState has kept a running total of the Cave Bucks it has collected and donated This Spring that total will go over the TWO THOUSANDshyDOLLAR mark and every dollar has been donated If every grotto were doing the same we would be talking hundreds of thousands of dollars The only problem is - it only works if you spend the money Having money in the bank only helps the bank it doesnt buy caves Want to start your own conservancy GREAT let people know and well send you some Cave Bucks Cavers owning caves insures our future and all our grandchildrens It only costs a buck
Volume XIV Number I
Recent Human
Rabies Cases
(The following material is extracted from two articles in the December 15 2000 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Volume 49 Number 49 pages 1111 and 1115) which is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The full text of the articles including references and additional medical information about each case is available on-line at the locations shown at the end of this article Ed)
California On September 15 a 49-year-old man visited a neurologist with 2 days of increasing right arm pain and paresthesias On September 17 the patient was placed on mechanical ventilation and rabies tests returned positive Renal failure developed and the patient died on September 20 The patient did not report contact with a bat although his wife reported that in June or July a bat had flown into their house and the patient had removed it
New York On September 22 a 54-year-old man who had resided in Ghana arrived in the United States and on September 26 reported discomfort in his right lower back Rabies tests were positive on October 3 After a gradual decrease in respiration heart rate and blood pressure the patient died on October 9 History from the patients employer in Ghana revealed that the patient had been bitten in Ghana on his thumb and leg by his unvaccinated puppy in May
Georgia On October 3 a 26-year-old man developed intractable vomiting and hematemesis He developed respiratory and renal failure and died on October 10 Since July the patient had been renting a room on the upper floor of an old house He had reported to co-workers that bats from the attic had entered his Jiving quarters and landed on him while he
The Region Record
slept Investigation of the house occupied by the patient since July revealed a colony of approximately 200 Mexican free-tailed bats in the attic and openings between the attic and the patients bedroom bathroom closet and kitchen
Minnesota On October 14 a 47-year-old man visited a local clinic with 6 days of worsening right arm pain and parasthesias He died on October 25 Three days earlier a friend told the family that during August 11--19 the patient had been awakened by a bat on his right hand He killed the bat and was bitten in the process The patient did not seek medical care Investigation found in the patients house multiple portals of entry for bats openings between the attic and living areas and extensive deposits of guano in the attic and living area
Wisconsin On October 14 a 69-year-old man with a 2-day history of chest discomfort and numbness tingling and tremors of the left arm was admitted to a local hospital for cardiac evaluation The patient died on November 1 Subsequent testing confirmed a diagnosis of rabies The patient had told a friend that two or three times a year he had removed bats from his house with his bare hands several other residences used by the patient also had potential portals for the entry of bats He did not mention being bitten by an animal but had asked a friend a week before admission if rabies could be acquired from an insect bite
Quebec Canada On September 22 2000 a 9-year-old boy awoke with a fever and complained of pain in his upper left arm He died on October 6 On August 28 while the patient and his brother were sleeping in a rural cottage his parents found a bat in the kitchen The same evening the patients brother went into the bathroom and observed a bat that seemed to have difficulty flying He
page 6
Winter 2000-2001
alerted his father who removed it from the cottage with his bare hands Approximately 3 days later the patient showed his mother a lesion on his upper left arm No action was taken After the diagnosis was made rabies postexposure prophylaxis was offered to the patients parents and brother This human death from rabies was the first one reported in Canada since 1985
Editorial Note In the United States since 1990 infection with indigenous rabies virus variants associated with insectivorous bats and infection with foreign canine rabies virus variants have accounted for 30 of the 32 human cases Although 24 (74) of the 32 cases since 1990 have been attributed to bat-associated variants of the virus a history of a bite was established in only two cases Contact with bats occurred in approximately half of the other cases These cases represent various bat-contact histories a bat bite direct contact with bats with multiple opportunities to be bitten and possible direct contact with a bat Canine rabies is prevalent in Africa Asia and Latin America Worldwide estimates of human rabies deaths exceed 50000 cases each year and gt95 of reported cases occur in regions where canine rabies is endemic
Although rabies usually is transmitted by a bite persons may minimize the medical implications of a bat bite Unlike bites from larger animals the trauma of a bat bite is unlikely to warrant seeking medical care Unless the potential for rabies exposure is known to the patient rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) will not be received Although bat rabiesmiddot virus variants can be transmitted secondarily from terrestrial mammals the lack of other animal-bite histories and the rarity of bat rabies virus variants found in terrestrial mammals suggest that this means of transmission is rare
Volume XIV Number 1
Persons who are bitten or scratched by any animal should wash wounds thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention to evaluate the need for PEP In all cases where batshyhuman contact has occurred or is suspected the bat should be collected and tested for rabies If the bat is unavailable the need for PEP should be assessed by public health officials PEP should be considered after direct contact between a human and a bat unless the exposed person can be certain a bite scratch or mucous membrane exposure did not occur PEP may be considered for persons who were in the same room as a bat and who might be unaware that a bite or direct contact had occurred (eg when a sleeping person wakes to find a bat in the room or an adult witnesses a bat in the room with an unattended child mentally disabled person or intoxicated person) PEP is not warranted when direct contact between a human and a bat did not occur Seeing a bat or being in the vicinity of bats does not constitute an exposure
Source wwwCDCgov website urls
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmllmm4949a3htm
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmlmm4949a4htm
V AR Proposed Budget
Sept 2000 to Aug 2001
by John Taylor
INCOME Proposed Last Year Fall 00 Meeting 60000 55800 Spr 01 Meeti ng 60000 84000 Bank Interest 8000 9077 Independent Dues 13000 13200 Landowner Fund 20000 000 Patch Sales 3000 3316 Miscella neous 000 000 TOTAL INCOME 164000 165393
The Region Record
EXPENSES Grants 40000 000 Printing 60000 63036 Landowner Award 20000 15396 Conservation 25500 22871 Memberships 5000 000 Domain Name 3500 000 WVA Corp 1000 000 Miscellaneous 9000 19016 TOTAL EXPENSES 164000 120310
Separate Balance Landowner Defense Fund 124600
Overall Total Assets of the VAA 1043338 Current Check Book 432358 Certificates of Deposit 252780 NS Foundation 358200
Having Trouble Accessing the VAR
Listserver
by Bob Hoke
I recently tried to send a message to the V AR listserver but my message was rejected by the software with a message saying Mail from open relay refused
I contacted Walt Pirie the VAR list administrator and asked about the error Walts response was that messages are blocked from a list of domains known to have been sources of spammers or if the domain is detected to have open relay server software that can easily be used for spamming He also said that according to the listserv software manager that form of software is outdated and can relatively easily be replaced by more secure versions Finally he said that he believes there is no intention of relaxing that standard
I sent a message to my internet service (Erols) asking for an explanation but their response was not very informative
Anyway if you try to sign up for the VAR listserver or send a message to it and receive the same error the
page 7
Winter 2000-2001
easiest way to get around the problem is to use of the many free eshymail systems (Hotmail Yahoo etc) To send your message to the list
If you are not on the listserver you can easily sign up All you have to do is send an e-mail message to
listservlistservvtedu
In the body of the message enter
sub varlist your name
Thats all you have to do You will receive a message asking you to confirm your subscription and then you will be a subscriber The list is not accessible by outsiders and you will not receive any junk e-mail (spam) from it
Bob Lutz Passes Away
by Bob Hoke
Bob Lutz (NSS 235) died of cancer in the V A hospital in Martinsburg WV on December 26 He was 75 years old
Bob began his caving career in the 1950s (or before) was very active for many years He was instrumental in the formation of the Potomac Speleological Club (PSC) He was also active in the Old Timers Reunions and helped found The Robertson Association the nonshyprofit corporation that runs OTR
Bob indicated that he wished to be cremated and also said that he wants to be remembered in another way There will be no memorial service at this time but in the spring he wants a huge party at the TRAlOTR site that will be like a Polish wedding with plenty of beer and whiskey
Volume XIV Number 1
Robertson Association Grants
Now Available
by Barry Chute
The Robertson Association (TRA) is the non-profit organization that sponsors the annual Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia The TRA Board has adopted a policy of awarding SO of the net profit from each OTR to support appropriate cave-related activities by non-profit groups
Criteria for TRA grants
I TRA will only consider one grant request per year from any organization
II Requesting organizations must classified by the IRS as 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (If you do not have 501 (c)(3) status see if you can find a 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor who is willing to exercise expenditure responsibility)
III The request should be for projects located primarily in areas where TRA has significant interests
IV Funds must be used only for the requested purpose
V Funds must be used within 24 months of receipt or else returned
VI No portion of a grant may be used to reimburse a member of the receiving organization for personal services or travel Documented out of pocket expenses are allowable
TRA places special emphasis on organizations whose services contribute at least in part to preservation and educational issues relating to karst and caves or the welfare of the caving community When an organization seeks to renew a grant or obtain a new grant information will be required on how TRAs previous donations were used Program effectiveness and results will be used in evaluating
The Region Record
requests for future grants
Grant request contents
I Cover letter including proposal summary and amount requested signed by executive director or president
II Narrative including A Organization information
1 Brief summary of organizations history including mission goals and objectives
2 Descriptions of current programs activities and accomplishments
3 Organizations affiliation with other groups or public agencies
B Purpose of the Grant 1 Statement of need or
problem addressed by the grant
2 Description of program goals and measurable objective
3 Timetable for implementation 4 Other organizations if any
participation in the program 5 List of names and
qualifications of key people responsible for program implementation
6 Projected program budget
C Evaluation 1 Expected results during the
funding period 2 How project success is
defined and how it will be measured
3 How project results will be used or disseminated
III Required attachments A List of Board of Directors or
officers B A copy of the original IRS
determination letter indicating 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status
Grant packages should be sent to Barry Chute TRA Treasurer 3008 Spencerville Road Burtonsville
Winter 2000-2001
MD 20866 They must be received by March 12001 to be considered at the TRA Board meeting in April If you have questions contact Barry Chute at (301)421-9372 or bchutemsncom Check the OTR web page (wwwotrorg) for more information on grants
MAKe Requests VAR Grant
compiled by Bob Hoke
T h e M i d-A tla n t i c Ka r s t Conservancy (MAKC) has submitted
a request for a V AR grant of $SOO to help pay for the purchase of the Billy Clay Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County WV The request meets all the submission requirements for VAR grants as documented in the Summer 1999 Region Record) The request will be discussed and voted on at the Spring VAR meeting
The Billy Clay Cave Preserve is located near the nowshoe ski resort about a 1S hour drive south of Elkins WV on US 219 The 29 acre Preserve contains Billy Clay Pit (a 6000 foot cave) and Clay Pit (a 2S-foot dead bottom pit) It was purchased in May 2000 for $20000 and half of that amount has been paid off The MAKC is now trying to obtains the funds for the remaining $10000 debt
The management plan for the Preserve specifies that it is to be open to properly equipped cavers one group of not more than 6 people per day Commercial use of the Preserve (such as cave for pay) is expressly prohibited Rigging for the pits must use only natural anchors and no bolts or other property modifications are allowed MAKC has instituted a procedure for obtaining a permit to visit the Preserve and they have asked the adjoining landowners to contact the
page 8
Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
Volume XIV Number 1
out to the students they are designed for the teachers to use with students
So how do we keep records of people reached with the Project Underground materials We count the number of teachers who have attended the workshops The generally accepted method for estimating the number of students reached is to mUltiply this number of teachers by 20 or 30 the average class size
Numbers - 1450 teachers have been supplied with Project Underground materials An estimated 29000 students have been reached by these teachers (using 20 students per teacher)
About 1015 of these teachers attended workshops in Virginia The other 335 teachers attended workshop in 12 additional states including Arkansas Alabama Georgia Idaho Minnesota New Mexico Ohio Pennsylvania South Dakota Texas Tennessee and West Virginia
Funding for Project Underground - In September of 2000 the Virginia Department of Conservation and Rec r atio created a temporary posItion titled - Karst Education Coordinator Through this part time (30 hours a week) position I am running the Virginia Project U derground program and working With the Virginia Karst Project We are hoping for continued support in the coming years
The Project Underground program was created by the Richmond Area Speleological Society (RASS) who generously contributed to the running of the program for many years The Cave Conservancy of the Virginias (CCV) the National Speleological Society (NSS) the National Speleological Foundation and the Virginia Region have also generously donated funding to the Project Underground program Grants have also been received through the Karst Project and the EP A education program
The Region Record
Caving Equipment to be Auctioned
by Miles Drake
On Monday January 22 2001 the first f three auctions of caving campmg and computer equipment from the estate of Dick Sanford will be held following a short 800 m e e t i n g o f t h e P o t o m a c S el o logical Club in Arlington Vlrgmla (inside the DC beltway)
The second auction will be held at the February 26th PSC meeting and the third at the March 19th DC Grotto meeting (in Silver Spring Maryland) The items have been divided up so that each auction will be relatively equal however the first will have all of the computer equipment and none of the books and maps
The first auction will include computer equipment headlamps cav gear vertical gear survey equipment and miscellaneous items For a more detailed list of items to be auctioned and directions to the PSC meeting see the PSC web page at WINIpsc-taversorWpsrSanfordAuctionhtml For additional information contact Miles Drake at (301 )350-6422 or at karstrnderolscom
Cave Bucks by J C Fisher
A few years ago at the last V AR down at Cumberland Gap Don Anderson told me about New River collecting a quarter from its members for each cave trip they went on to buy beer During this same time period I was also bemoaning the constant increase in the Closed Cave List I was particularly worried about my twoshyyear-old grandson finding some place to go caving when he got older I feel the only sure solution is for cavers to own caves While this
page 5
Winter 2000-2001
is certainly nothing new there was a group called Southeast Cave Conservancy starting to buy a lot of caves Their only drawback seemed to be a need for more funds Well it didnt take rocket science to put these three items together and come up with Cave Bucks
If every caver put one dollar per cave trip into a pot - the NSS has over ten thousand cavers in over two hundred grottos and if they meet every month - well you do the math Were talking thousands and thousands of dollars here Money to buy a lot caves Now I know not everyone is going to like this idea but those that do will still generate a large sum month after month after month I brought the idea before Tri-State and Frederick Grottos and they
both agreed to give it a try
Dunng every meeting they pass a hat count the money and vote on where to send it Sometimes it is only a few bucks but it adds up V AR and MAR both endorsed the concept I sent out about one hundred mailings to Grottos all over the Country By word of mouth and reading exchange newsletters I know there are other grctps doing the same
My grandson has reached the ripe old age of five now He still likes to go caving Several new Conservancies have started TrishyState has kept a running total of the Cave Bucks it has collected and donated This Spring that total will go over the TWO THOUSANDshyDOLLAR mark and every dollar has been donated If every grotto were doing the same we would be talking hundreds of thousands of dollars The only problem is - it only works if you spend the money Having money in the bank only helps the bank it doesnt buy caves Want to start your own conservancy GREAT let people know and well send you some Cave Bucks Cavers owning caves insures our future and all our grandchildrens It only costs a buck
Volume XIV Number I
Recent Human
Rabies Cases
(The following material is extracted from two articles in the December 15 2000 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Volume 49 Number 49 pages 1111 and 1115) which is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The full text of the articles including references and additional medical information about each case is available on-line at the locations shown at the end of this article Ed)
California On September 15 a 49-year-old man visited a neurologist with 2 days of increasing right arm pain and paresthesias On September 17 the patient was placed on mechanical ventilation and rabies tests returned positive Renal failure developed and the patient died on September 20 The patient did not report contact with a bat although his wife reported that in June or July a bat had flown into their house and the patient had removed it
New York On September 22 a 54-year-old man who had resided in Ghana arrived in the United States and on September 26 reported discomfort in his right lower back Rabies tests were positive on October 3 After a gradual decrease in respiration heart rate and blood pressure the patient died on October 9 History from the patients employer in Ghana revealed that the patient had been bitten in Ghana on his thumb and leg by his unvaccinated puppy in May
Georgia On October 3 a 26-year-old man developed intractable vomiting and hematemesis He developed respiratory and renal failure and died on October 10 Since July the patient had been renting a room on the upper floor of an old house He had reported to co-workers that bats from the attic had entered his Jiving quarters and landed on him while he
The Region Record
slept Investigation of the house occupied by the patient since July revealed a colony of approximately 200 Mexican free-tailed bats in the attic and openings between the attic and the patients bedroom bathroom closet and kitchen
Minnesota On October 14 a 47-year-old man visited a local clinic with 6 days of worsening right arm pain and parasthesias He died on October 25 Three days earlier a friend told the family that during August 11--19 the patient had been awakened by a bat on his right hand He killed the bat and was bitten in the process The patient did not seek medical care Investigation found in the patients house multiple portals of entry for bats openings between the attic and living areas and extensive deposits of guano in the attic and living area
Wisconsin On October 14 a 69-year-old man with a 2-day history of chest discomfort and numbness tingling and tremors of the left arm was admitted to a local hospital for cardiac evaluation The patient died on November 1 Subsequent testing confirmed a diagnosis of rabies The patient had told a friend that two or three times a year he had removed bats from his house with his bare hands several other residences used by the patient also had potential portals for the entry of bats He did not mention being bitten by an animal but had asked a friend a week before admission if rabies could be acquired from an insect bite
Quebec Canada On September 22 2000 a 9-year-old boy awoke with a fever and complained of pain in his upper left arm He died on October 6 On August 28 while the patient and his brother were sleeping in a rural cottage his parents found a bat in the kitchen The same evening the patients brother went into the bathroom and observed a bat that seemed to have difficulty flying He
page 6
Winter 2000-2001
alerted his father who removed it from the cottage with his bare hands Approximately 3 days later the patient showed his mother a lesion on his upper left arm No action was taken After the diagnosis was made rabies postexposure prophylaxis was offered to the patients parents and brother This human death from rabies was the first one reported in Canada since 1985
Editorial Note In the United States since 1990 infection with indigenous rabies virus variants associated with insectivorous bats and infection with foreign canine rabies virus variants have accounted for 30 of the 32 human cases Although 24 (74) of the 32 cases since 1990 have been attributed to bat-associated variants of the virus a history of a bite was established in only two cases Contact with bats occurred in approximately half of the other cases These cases represent various bat-contact histories a bat bite direct contact with bats with multiple opportunities to be bitten and possible direct contact with a bat Canine rabies is prevalent in Africa Asia and Latin America Worldwide estimates of human rabies deaths exceed 50000 cases each year and gt95 of reported cases occur in regions where canine rabies is endemic
Although rabies usually is transmitted by a bite persons may minimize the medical implications of a bat bite Unlike bites from larger animals the trauma of a bat bite is unlikely to warrant seeking medical care Unless the potential for rabies exposure is known to the patient rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) will not be received Although bat rabiesmiddot virus variants can be transmitted secondarily from terrestrial mammals the lack of other animal-bite histories and the rarity of bat rabies virus variants found in terrestrial mammals suggest that this means of transmission is rare
Volume XIV Number 1
Persons who are bitten or scratched by any animal should wash wounds thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention to evaluate the need for PEP In all cases where batshyhuman contact has occurred or is suspected the bat should be collected and tested for rabies If the bat is unavailable the need for PEP should be assessed by public health officials PEP should be considered after direct contact between a human and a bat unless the exposed person can be certain a bite scratch or mucous membrane exposure did not occur PEP may be considered for persons who were in the same room as a bat and who might be unaware that a bite or direct contact had occurred (eg when a sleeping person wakes to find a bat in the room or an adult witnesses a bat in the room with an unattended child mentally disabled person or intoxicated person) PEP is not warranted when direct contact between a human and a bat did not occur Seeing a bat or being in the vicinity of bats does not constitute an exposure
Source wwwCDCgov website urls
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmllmm4949a3htm
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmlmm4949a4htm
V AR Proposed Budget
Sept 2000 to Aug 2001
by John Taylor
INCOME Proposed Last Year Fall 00 Meeting 60000 55800 Spr 01 Meeti ng 60000 84000 Bank Interest 8000 9077 Independent Dues 13000 13200 Landowner Fund 20000 000 Patch Sales 3000 3316 Miscella neous 000 000 TOTAL INCOME 164000 165393
The Region Record
EXPENSES Grants 40000 000 Printing 60000 63036 Landowner Award 20000 15396 Conservation 25500 22871 Memberships 5000 000 Domain Name 3500 000 WVA Corp 1000 000 Miscellaneous 9000 19016 TOTAL EXPENSES 164000 120310
Separate Balance Landowner Defense Fund 124600
Overall Total Assets of the VAA 1043338 Current Check Book 432358 Certificates of Deposit 252780 NS Foundation 358200
Having Trouble Accessing the VAR
Listserver
by Bob Hoke
I recently tried to send a message to the V AR listserver but my message was rejected by the software with a message saying Mail from open relay refused
I contacted Walt Pirie the VAR list administrator and asked about the error Walts response was that messages are blocked from a list of domains known to have been sources of spammers or if the domain is detected to have open relay server software that can easily be used for spamming He also said that according to the listserv software manager that form of software is outdated and can relatively easily be replaced by more secure versions Finally he said that he believes there is no intention of relaxing that standard
I sent a message to my internet service (Erols) asking for an explanation but their response was not very informative
Anyway if you try to sign up for the VAR listserver or send a message to it and receive the same error the
page 7
Winter 2000-2001
easiest way to get around the problem is to use of the many free eshymail systems (Hotmail Yahoo etc) To send your message to the list
If you are not on the listserver you can easily sign up All you have to do is send an e-mail message to
listservlistservvtedu
In the body of the message enter
sub varlist your name
Thats all you have to do You will receive a message asking you to confirm your subscription and then you will be a subscriber The list is not accessible by outsiders and you will not receive any junk e-mail (spam) from it
Bob Lutz Passes Away
by Bob Hoke
Bob Lutz (NSS 235) died of cancer in the V A hospital in Martinsburg WV on December 26 He was 75 years old
Bob began his caving career in the 1950s (or before) was very active for many years He was instrumental in the formation of the Potomac Speleological Club (PSC) He was also active in the Old Timers Reunions and helped found The Robertson Association the nonshyprofit corporation that runs OTR
Bob indicated that he wished to be cremated and also said that he wants to be remembered in another way There will be no memorial service at this time but in the spring he wants a huge party at the TRAlOTR site that will be like a Polish wedding with plenty of beer and whiskey
Volume XIV Number 1
Robertson Association Grants
Now Available
by Barry Chute
The Robertson Association (TRA) is the non-profit organization that sponsors the annual Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia The TRA Board has adopted a policy of awarding SO of the net profit from each OTR to support appropriate cave-related activities by non-profit groups
Criteria for TRA grants
I TRA will only consider one grant request per year from any organization
II Requesting organizations must classified by the IRS as 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (If you do not have 501 (c)(3) status see if you can find a 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor who is willing to exercise expenditure responsibility)
III The request should be for projects located primarily in areas where TRA has significant interests
IV Funds must be used only for the requested purpose
V Funds must be used within 24 months of receipt or else returned
VI No portion of a grant may be used to reimburse a member of the receiving organization for personal services or travel Documented out of pocket expenses are allowable
TRA places special emphasis on organizations whose services contribute at least in part to preservation and educational issues relating to karst and caves or the welfare of the caving community When an organization seeks to renew a grant or obtain a new grant information will be required on how TRAs previous donations were used Program effectiveness and results will be used in evaluating
The Region Record
requests for future grants
Grant request contents
I Cover letter including proposal summary and amount requested signed by executive director or president
II Narrative including A Organization information
1 Brief summary of organizations history including mission goals and objectives
2 Descriptions of current programs activities and accomplishments
3 Organizations affiliation with other groups or public agencies
B Purpose of the Grant 1 Statement of need or
problem addressed by the grant
2 Description of program goals and measurable objective
3 Timetable for implementation 4 Other organizations if any
participation in the program 5 List of names and
qualifications of key people responsible for program implementation
6 Projected program budget
C Evaluation 1 Expected results during the
funding period 2 How project success is
defined and how it will be measured
3 How project results will be used or disseminated
III Required attachments A List of Board of Directors or
officers B A copy of the original IRS
determination letter indicating 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status
Grant packages should be sent to Barry Chute TRA Treasurer 3008 Spencerville Road Burtonsville
Winter 2000-2001
MD 20866 They must be received by March 12001 to be considered at the TRA Board meeting in April If you have questions contact Barry Chute at (301)421-9372 or bchutemsncom Check the OTR web page (wwwotrorg) for more information on grants
MAKe Requests VAR Grant
compiled by Bob Hoke
T h e M i d-A tla n t i c Ka r s t Conservancy (MAKC) has submitted
a request for a V AR grant of $SOO to help pay for the purchase of the Billy Clay Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County WV The request meets all the submission requirements for VAR grants as documented in the Summer 1999 Region Record) The request will be discussed and voted on at the Spring VAR meeting
The Billy Clay Cave Preserve is located near the nowshoe ski resort about a 1S hour drive south of Elkins WV on US 219 The 29 acre Preserve contains Billy Clay Pit (a 6000 foot cave) and Clay Pit (a 2S-foot dead bottom pit) It was purchased in May 2000 for $20000 and half of that amount has been paid off The MAKC is now trying to obtains the funds for the remaining $10000 debt
The management plan for the Preserve specifies that it is to be open to properly equipped cavers one group of not more than 6 people per day Commercial use of the Preserve (such as cave for pay) is expressly prohibited Rigging for the pits must use only natural anchors and no bolts or other property modifications are allowed MAKC has instituted a procedure for obtaining a permit to visit the Preserve and they have asked the adjoining landowners to contact the
page 8
Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
Volume XIV Number I
Recent Human
Rabies Cases
(The following material is extracted from two articles in the December 15 2000 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Volume 49 Number 49 pages 1111 and 1115) which is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The full text of the articles including references and additional medical information about each case is available on-line at the locations shown at the end of this article Ed)
California On September 15 a 49-year-old man visited a neurologist with 2 days of increasing right arm pain and paresthesias On September 17 the patient was placed on mechanical ventilation and rabies tests returned positive Renal failure developed and the patient died on September 20 The patient did not report contact with a bat although his wife reported that in June or July a bat had flown into their house and the patient had removed it
New York On September 22 a 54-year-old man who had resided in Ghana arrived in the United States and on September 26 reported discomfort in his right lower back Rabies tests were positive on October 3 After a gradual decrease in respiration heart rate and blood pressure the patient died on October 9 History from the patients employer in Ghana revealed that the patient had been bitten in Ghana on his thumb and leg by his unvaccinated puppy in May
Georgia On October 3 a 26-year-old man developed intractable vomiting and hematemesis He developed respiratory and renal failure and died on October 10 Since July the patient had been renting a room on the upper floor of an old house He had reported to co-workers that bats from the attic had entered his Jiving quarters and landed on him while he
The Region Record
slept Investigation of the house occupied by the patient since July revealed a colony of approximately 200 Mexican free-tailed bats in the attic and openings between the attic and the patients bedroom bathroom closet and kitchen
Minnesota On October 14 a 47-year-old man visited a local clinic with 6 days of worsening right arm pain and parasthesias He died on October 25 Three days earlier a friend told the family that during August 11--19 the patient had been awakened by a bat on his right hand He killed the bat and was bitten in the process The patient did not seek medical care Investigation found in the patients house multiple portals of entry for bats openings between the attic and living areas and extensive deposits of guano in the attic and living area
Wisconsin On October 14 a 69-year-old man with a 2-day history of chest discomfort and numbness tingling and tremors of the left arm was admitted to a local hospital for cardiac evaluation The patient died on November 1 Subsequent testing confirmed a diagnosis of rabies The patient had told a friend that two or three times a year he had removed bats from his house with his bare hands several other residences used by the patient also had potential portals for the entry of bats He did not mention being bitten by an animal but had asked a friend a week before admission if rabies could be acquired from an insect bite
Quebec Canada On September 22 2000 a 9-year-old boy awoke with a fever and complained of pain in his upper left arm He died on October 6 On August 28 while the patient and his brother were sleeping in a rural cottage his parents found a bat in the kitchen The same evening the patients brother went into the bathroom and observed a bat that seemed to have difficulty flying He
page 6
Winter 2000-2001
alerted his father who removed it from the cottage with his bare hands Approximately 3 days later the patient showed his mother a lesion on his upper left arm No action was taken After the diagnosis was made rabies postexposure prophylaxis was offered to the patients parents and brother This human death from rabies was the first one reported in Canada since 1985
Editorial Note In the United States since 1990 infection with indigenous rabies virus variants associated with insectivorous bats and infection with foreign canine rabies virus variants have accounted for 30 of the 32 human cases Although 24 (74) of the 32 cases since 1990 have been attributed to bat-associated variants of the virus a history of a bite was established in only two cases Contact with bats occurred in approximately half of the other cases These cases represent various bat-contact histories a bat bite direct contact with bats with multiple opportunities to be bitten and possible direct contact with a bat Canine rabies is prevalent in Africa Asia and Latin America Worldwide estimates of human rabies deaths exceed 50000 cases each year and gt95 of reported cases occur in regions where canine rabies is endemic
Although rabies usually is transmitted by a bite persons may minimize the medical implications of a bat bite Unlike bites from larger animals the trauma of a bat bite is unlikely to warrant seeking medical care Unless the potential for rabies exposure is known to the patient rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) will not be received Although bat rabiesmiddot virus variants can be transmitted secondarily from terrestrial mammals the lack of other animal-bite histories and the rarity of bat rabies virus variants found in terrestrial mammals suggest that this means of transmission is rare
Volume XIV Number 1
Persons who are bitten or scratched by any animal should wash wounds thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention to evaluate the need for PEP In all cases where batshyhuman contact has occurred or is suspected the bat should be collected and tested for rabies If the bat is unavailable the need for PEP should be assessed by public health officials PEP should be considered after direct contact between a human and a bat unless the exposed person can be certain a bite scratch or mucous membrane exposure did not occur PEP may be considered for persons who were in the same room as a bat and who might be unaware that a bite or direct contact had occurred (eg when a sleeping person wakes to find a bat in the room or an adult witnesses a bat in the room with an unattended child mentally disabled person or intoxicated person) PEP is not warranted when direct contact between a human and a bat did not occur Seeing a bat or being in the vicinity of bats does not constitute an exposure
Source wwwCDCgov website urls
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmllmm4949a3htm
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmlmm4949a4htm
V AR Proposed Budget
Sept 2000 to Aug 2001
by John Taylor
INCOME Proposed Last Year Fall 00 Meeting 60000 55800 Spr 01 Meeti ng 60000 84000 Bank Interest 8000 9077 Independent Dues 13000 13200 Landowner Fund 20000 000 Patch Sales 3000 3316 Miscella neous 000 000 TOTAL INCOME 164000 165393
The Region Record
EXPENSES Grants 40000 000 Printing 60000 63036 Landowner Award 20000 15396 Conservation 25500 22871 Memberships 5000 000 Domain Name 3500 000 WVA Corp 1000 000 Miscellaneous 9000 19016 TOTAL EXPENSES 164000 120310
Separate Balance Landowner Defense Fund 124600
Overall Total Assets of the VAA 1043338 Current Check Book 432358 Certificates of Deposit 252780 NS Foundation 358200
Having Trouble Accessing the VAR
Listserver
by Bob Hoke
I recently tried to send a message to the V AR listserver but my message was rejected by the software with a message saying Mail from open relay refused
I contacted Walt Pirie the VAR list administrator and asked about the error Walts response was that messages are blocked from a list of domains known to have been sources of spammers or if the domain is detected to have open relay server software that can easily be used for spamming He also said that according to the listserv software manager that form of software is outdated and can relatively easily be replaced by more secure versions Finally he said that he believes there is no intention of relaxing that standard
I sent a message to my internet service (Erols) asking for an explanation but their response was not very informative
Anyway if you try to sign up for the VAR listserver or send a message to it and receive the same error the
page 7
Winter 2000-2001
easiest way to get around the problem is to use of the many free eshymail systems (Hotmail Yahoo etc) To send your message to the list
If you are not on the listserver you can easily sign up All you have to do is send an e-mail message to
listservlistservvtedu
In the body of the message enter
sub varlist your name
Thats all you have to do You will receive a message asking you to confirm your subscription and then you will be a subscriber The list is not accessible by outsiders and you will not receive any junk e-mail (spam) from it
Bob Lutz Passes Away
by Bob Hoke
Bob Lutz (NSS 235) died of cancer in the V A hospital in Martinsburg WV on December 26 He was 75 years old
Bob began his caving career in the 1950s (or before) was very active for many years He was instrumental in the formation of the Potomac Speleological Club (PSC) He was also active in the Old Timers Reunions and helped found The Robertson Association the nonshyprofit corporation that runs OTR
Bob indicated that he wished to be cremated and also said that he wants to be remembered in another way There will be no memorial service at this time but in the spring he wants a huge party at the TRAlOTR site that will be like a Polish wedding with plenty of beer and whiskey
Volume XIV Number 1
Robertson Association Grants
Now Available
by Barry Chute
The Robertson Association (TRA) is the non-profit organization that sponsors the annual Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia The TRA Board has adopted a policy of awarding SO of the net profit from each OTR to support appropriate cave-related activities by non-profit groups
Criteria for TRA grants
I TRA will only consider one grant request per year from any organization
II Requesting organizations must classified by the IRS as 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (If you do not have 501 (c)(3) status see if you can find a 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor who is willing to exercise expenditure responsibility)
III The request should be for projects located primarily in areas where TRA has significant interests
IV Funds must be used only for the requested purpose
V Funds must be used within 24 months of receipt or else returned
VI No portion of a grant may be used to reimburse a member of the receiving organization for personal services or travel Documented out of pocket expenses are allowable
TRA places special emphasis on organizations whose services contribute at least in part to preservation and educational issues relating to karst and caves or the welfare of the caving community When an organization seeks to renew a grant or obtain a new grant information will be required on how TRAs previous donations were used Program effectiveness and results will be used in evaluating
The Region Record
requests for future grants
Grant request contents
I Cover letter including proposal summary and amount requested signed by executive director or president
II Narrative including A Organization information
1 Brief summary of organizations history including mission goals and objectives
2 Descriptions of current programs activities and accomplishments
3 Organizations affiliation with other groups or public agencies
B Purpose of the Grant 1 Statement of need or
problem addressed by the grant
2 Description of program goals and measurable objective
3 Timetable for implementation 4 Other organizations if any
participation in the program 5 List of names and
qualifications of key people responsible for program implementation
6 Projected program budget
C Evaluation 1 Expected results during the
funding period 2 How project success is
defined and how it will be measured
3 How project results will be used or disseminated
III Required attachments A List of Board of Directors or
officers B A copy of the original IRS
determination letter indicating 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status
Grant packages should be sent to Barry Chute TRA Treasurer 3008 Spencerville Road Burtonsville
Winter 2000-2001
MD 20866 They must be received by March 12001 to be considered at the TRA Board meeting in April If you have questions contact Barry Chute at (301)421-9372 or bchutemsncom Check the OTR web page (wwwotrorg) for more information on grants
MAKe Requests VAR Grant
compiled by Bob Hoke
T h e M i d-A tla n t i c Ka r s t Conservancy (MAKC) has submitted
a request for a V AR grant of $SOO to help pay for the purchase of the Billy Clay Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County WV The request meets all the submission requirements for VAR grants as documented in the Summer 1999 Region Record) The request will be discussed and voted on at the Spring VAR meeting
The Billy Clay Cave Preserve is located near the nowshoe ski resort about a 1S hour drive south of Elkins WV on US 219 The 29 acre Preserve contains Billy Clay Pit (a 6000 foot cave) and Clay Pit (a 2S-foot dead bottom pit) It was purchased in May 2000 for $20000 and half of that amount has been paid off The MAKC is now trying to obtains the funds for the remaining $10000 debt
The management plan for the Preserve specifies that it is to be open to properly equipped cavers one group of not more than 6 people per day Commercial use of the Preserve (such as cave for pay) is expressly prohibited Rigging for the pits must use only natural anchors and no bolts or other property modifications are allowed MAKC has instituted a procedure for obtaining a permit to visit the Preserve and they have asked the adjoining landowners to contact the
page 8
Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
Volume XIV Number 1
Persons who are bitten or scratched by any animal should wash wounds thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention to evaluate the need for PEP In all cases where batshyhuman contact has occurred or is suspected the bat should be collected and tested for rabies If the bat is unavailable the need for PEP should be assessed by public health officials PEP should be considered after direct contact between a human and a bat unless the exposed person can be certain a bite scratch or mucous membrane exposure did not occur PEP may be considered for persons who were in the same room as a bat and who might be unaware that a bite or direct contact had occurred (eg when a sleeping person wakes to find a bat in the room or an adult witnesses a bat in the room with an unattended child mentally disabled person or intoxicated person) PEP is not warranted when direct contact between a human and a bat did not occur Seeing a bat or being in the vicinity of bats does not constitute an exposure
Source wwwCDCgov website urls
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmllmm4949a3htm
wwwcdcgovmmwrpreviewmm wrhtmlmm4949a4htm
V AR Proposed Budget
Sept 2000 to Aug 2001
by John Taylor
INCOME Proposed Last Year Fall 00 Meeting 60000 55800 Spr 01 Meeti ng 60000 84000 Bank Interest 8000 9077 Independent Dues 13000 13200 Landowner Fund 20000 000 Patch Sales 3000 3316 Miscella neous 000 000 TOTAL INCOME 164000 165393
The Region Record
EXPENSES Grants 40000 000 Printing 60000 63036 Landowner Award 20000 15396 Conservation 25500 22871 Memberships 5000 000 Domain Name 3500 000 WVA Corp 1000 000 Miscellaneous 9000 19016 TOTAL EXPENSES 164000 120310
Separate Balance Landowner Defense Fund 124600
Overall Total Assets of the VAA 1043338 Current Check Book 432358 Certificates of Deposit 252780 NS Foundation 358200
Having Trouble Accessing the VAR
Listserver
by Bob Hoke
I recently tried to send a message to the V AR listserver but my message was rejected by the software with a message saying Mail from open relay refused
I contacted Walt Pirie the VAR list administrator and asked about the error Walts response was that messages are blocked from a list of domains known to have been sources of spammers or if the domain is detected to have open relay server software that can easily be used for spamming He also said that according to the listserv software manager that form of software is outdated and can relatively easily be replaced by more secure versions Finally he said that he believes there is no intention of relaxing that standard
I sent a message to my internet service (Erols) asking for an explanation but their response was not very informative
Anyway if you try to sign up for the VAR listserver or send a message to it and receive the same error the
page 7
Winter 2000-2001
easiest way to get around the problem is to use of the many free eshymail systems (Hotmail Yahoo etc) To send your message to the list
If you are not on the listserver you can easily sign up All you have to do is send an e-mail message to
listservlistservvtedu
In the body of the message enter
sub varlist your name
Thats all you have to do You will receive a message asking you to confirm your subscription and then you will be a subscriber The list is not accessible by outsiders and you will not receive any junk e-mail (spam) from it
Bob Lutz Passes Away
by Bob Hoke
Bob Lutz (NSS 235) died of cancer in the V A hospital in Martinsburg WV on December 26 He was 75 years old
Bob began his caving career in the 1950s (or before) was very active for many years He was instrumental in the formation of the Potomac Speleological Club (PSC) He was also active in the Old Timers Reunions and helped found The Robertson Association the nonshyprofit corporation that runs OTR
Bob indicated that he wished to be cremated and also said that he wants to be remembered in another way There will be no memorial service at this time but in the spring he wants a huge party at the TRAlOTR site that will be like a Polish wedding with plenty of beer and whiskey
Volume XIV Number 1
Robertson Association Grants
Now Available
by Barry Chute
The Robertson Association (TRA) is the non-profit organization that sponsors the annual Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia The TRA Board has adopted a policy of awarding SO of the net profit from each OTR to support appropriate cave-related activities by non-profit groups
Criteria for TRA grants
I TRA will only consider one grant request per year from any organization
II Requesting organizations must classified by the IRS as 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (If you do not have 501 (c)(3) status see if you can find a 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor who is willing to exercise expenditure responsibility)
III The request should be for projects located primarily in areas where TRA has significant interests
IV Funds must be used only for the requested purpose
V Funds must be used within 24 months of receipt or else returned
VI No portion of a grant may be used to reimburse a member of the receiving organization for personal services or travel Documented out of pocket expenses are allowable
TRA places special emphasis on organizations whose services contribute at least in part to preservation and educational issues relating to karst and caves or the welfare of the caving community When an organization seeks to renew a grant or obtain a new grant information will be required on how TRAs previous donations were used Program effectiveness and results will be used in evaluating
The Region Record
requests for future grants
Grant request contents
I Cover letter including proposal summary and amount requested signed by executive director or president
II Narrative including A Organization information
1 Brief summary of organizations history including mission goals and objectives
2 Descriptions of current programs activities and accomplishments
3 Organizations affiliation with other groups or public agencies
B Purpose of the Grant 1 Statement of need or
problem addressed by the grant
2 Description of program goals and measurable objective
3 Timetable for implementation 4 Other organizations if any
participation in the program 5 List of names and
qualifications of key people responsible for program implementation
6 Projected program budget
C Evaluation 1 Expected results during the
funding period 2 How project success is
defined and how it will be measured
3 How project results will be used or disseminated
III Required attachments A List of Board of Directors or
officers B A copy of the original IRS
determination letter indicating 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status
Grant packages should be sent to Barry Chute TRA Treasurer 3008 Spencerville Road Burtonsville
Winter 2000-2001
MD 20866 They must be received by March 12001 to be considered at the TRA Board meeting in April If you have questions contact Barry Chute at (301)421-9372 or bchutemsncom Check the OTR web page (wwwotrorg) for more information on grants
MAKe Requests VAR Grant
compiled by Bob Hoke
T h e M i d-A tla n t i c Ka r s t Conservancy (MAKC) has submitted
a request for a V AR grant of $SOO to help pay for the purchase of the Billy Clay Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County WV The request meets all the submission requirements for VAR grants as documented in the Summer 1999 Region Record) The request will be discussed and voted on at the Spring VAR meeting
The Billy Clay Cave Preserve is located near the nowshoe ski resort about a 1S hour drive south of Elkins WV on US 219 The 29 acre Preserve contains Billy Clay Pit (a 6000 foot cave) and Clay Pit (a 2S-foot dead bottom pit) It was purchased in May 2000 for $20000 and half of that amount has been paid off The MAKC is now trying to obtains the funds for the remaining $10000 debt
The management plan for the Preserve specifies that it is to be open to properly equipped cavers one group of not more than 6 people per day Commercial use of the Preserve (such as cave for pay) is expressly prohibited Rigging for the pits must use only natural anchors and no bolts or other property modifications are allowed MAKC has instituted a procedure for obtaining a permit to visit the Preserve and they have asked the adjoining landowners to contact the
page 8
Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
Volume XIV Number 1
Robertson Association Grants
Now Available
by Barry Chute
The Robertson Association (TRA) is the non-profit organization that sponsors the annual Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia The TRA Board has adopted a policy of awarding SO of the net profit from each OTR to support appropriate cave-related activities by non-profit groups
Criteria for TRA grants
I TRA will only consider one grant request per year from any organization
II Requesting organizations must classified by the IRS as 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (If you do not have 501 (c)(3) status see if you can find a 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor who is willing to exercise expenditure responsibility)
III The request should be for projects located primarily in areas where TRA has significant interests
IV Funds must be used only for the requested purpose
V Funds must be used within 24 months of receipt or else returned
VI No portion of a grant may be used to reimburse a member of the receiving organization for personal services or travel Documented out of pocket expenses are allowable
TRA places special emphasis on organizations whose services contribute at least in part to preservation and educational issues relating to karst and caves or the welfare of the caving community When an organization seeks to renew a grant or obtain a new grant information will be required on how TRAs previous donations were used Program effectiveness and results will be used in evaluating
The Region Record
requests for future grants
Grant request contents
I Cover letter including proposal summary and amount requested signed by executive director or president
II Narrative including A Organization information
1 Brief summary of organizations history including mission goals and objectives
2 Descriptions of current programs activities and accomplishments
3 Organizations affiliation with other groups or public agencies
B Purpose of the Grant 1 Statement of need or
problem addressed by the grant
2 Description of program goals and measurable objective
3 Timetable for implementation 4 Other organizations if any
participation in the program 5 List of names and
qualifications of key people responsible for program implementation
6 Projected program budget
C Evaluation 1 Expected results during the
funding period 2 How project success is
defined and how it will be measured
3 How project results will be used or disseminated
III Required attachments A List of Board of Directors or
officers B A copy of the original IRS
determination letter indicating 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status
Grant packages should be sent to Barry Chute TRA Treasurer 3008 Spencerville Road Burtonsville
Winter 2000-2001
MD 20866 They must be received by March 12001 to be considered at the TRA Board meeting in April If you have questions contact Barry Chute at (301)421-9372 or bchutemsncom Check the OTR web page (wwwotrorg) for more information on grants
MAKe Requests VAR Grant
compiled by Bob Hoke
T h e M i d-A tla n t i c Ka r s t Conservancy (MAKC) has submitted
a request for a V AR grant of $SOO to help pay for the purchase of the Billy Clay Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County WV The request meets all the submission requirements for VAR grants as documented in the Summer 1999 Region Record) The request will be discussed and voted on at the Spring VAR meeting
The Billy Clay Cave Preserve is located near the nowshoe ski resort about a 1S hour drive south of Elkins WV on US 219 The 29 acre Preserve contains Billy Clay Pit (a 6000 foot cave) and Clay Pit (a 2S-foot dead bottom pit) It was purchased in May 2000 for $20000 and half of that amount has been paid off The MAKC is now trying to obtains the funds for the remaining $10000 debt
The management plan for the Preserve specifies that it is to be open to properly equipped cavers one group of not more than 6 people per day Commercial use of the Preserve (such as cave for pay) is expressly prohibited Rigging for the pits must use only natural anchors and no bolts or other property modifications are allowed MAKC has instituted a procedure for obtaining a permit to visit the Preserve and they have asked the adjoining landowners to contact the
page 8
Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
Mildred Arbegast
Family A)
-
Volume XIV Number 1
local authorities if there are unauthorized cars In the parking area
Needless to say individual donations to the MAKC are also welcome Additional information is available on their web site wwwkarstorg
V AR Landowner Recognition Award
Recipients by Bob Hoke
The list below is (I think) the comple1ist of recipients of the VAR Landowner Recognition Awards Don Anderson sent me a complete list recently and it included several names that I did not have in previous lists published in the Region Record Im not sure how these folks were omitted from those lists but my apologies to them (and their sponsors)
Please note that the number of awards has dropped in the last two years Surely with at least 8000 caves in the Region there are more landowners who deserve recognition for their support of the caving community If you know of a deserving owner all you need to do is write a brief statement explaining why the Award is justified and send it to Don Anderson He will do the rest
VAR Landowner Award recipients
1992 Buddgt- Penley (Penleys access to Newberrys VA)
1993 Rhoda Paxton (Paxtons Cave V A)
1993 Ruth Propst (SinnettlTIiom Mountain WV)
1994 George amp Lee Sively (Organ Cave WV)
1994 Robert E Bright (Simmons Mingo Cave WV)
1994 Gene Turner (Buckeye Creek Cave WV)
1995 Charles E Simmons (Porters Cave V A)
1995 Mothes Family
The Region Record
(Friars Hole Cave System WV) 1995 John Knutti
(Bowden Cave WV) 1995 Pricilla Teter
(Mystic Cave WV) 1996 Bill Judy Showalter
(Cave Hollow Sys WV) 1996 Dr amp Mrs J T Rogers
(Norman Cave WV) 1997 Connie Houseman
(Dixie Caverns VA) 1997 Mrs Clark
(Clarks Cave V A) 1997 Geraldine Freeman
(McClungs Cave WV) 1997 Cecil Porterfield
(Pig Hole Cave VA) 1997 Andy Graham
(Gratiams Cave VA) 1998 Kent Ford
(Witheros Cave V A) 1998 Joe Lockridge
(Breathing Cave V A) 1998 Bob Brooks
(Crossroads Cave V A) 1998 Maurice Williams
(Whitings Neck Cave WV) 1998 Ted Monger
(Jones Quarry Cave WV) 1999 Richard amp Fancis Latterrell
(MaIers Cave WV) 1999 Barry Price amp Family
(Starnes Caverns V A) 2000 The Ferrell
(James Cave et aI V - end of list --
Big Bowden Cave Cleanup on Apri l 7
by Pauline Apling
Last spring there was a massive cleanup of Bowden Cave in preparation for the NSS convention in Elkins Over 60 folks turned out and the front part of the cave was scrubbed clean of almost all of the accumulated graffiti
Unfortunately very little work was done in the back section of the cave (beyond the Watercourse) This springs cleanup will focus on the back part of the cave exclusively Most of the participants will walk up Bickle Hollow and go in the Third Entrance We will then clean our way toward the Watercourse People can either leave the cave by way of the Watercourse (and get partly wet) or retrace their route back to the Third Entrance
Wire brushes will be supplied but if
page 9
Winter 2000-2001
you have a favorite cleaning tool be sure to bring it
Truth in Caving Statements Shortly inside the Third Entrance is the Hairy Traverse a short but exposed crawl on a ledge We will have a rope traverse line set up and a belay will be available if anyone wants it The traverse is not as bad as its name implies
There is also a 100-foot belly crawl a bit after the traverse It is wide and dry but is only about 121 high The cave beyond the crawl is all walking passage
For those who dont want to confront the traverse or the crawl the Bear Haven Entrance is very close and teams will go in it to clean There are only a few hundred feet of accessible caye before a 15-foot drop is encountered but it is nice cave and should entertain the cleaners for most of the day
See the flyer in this issue for more information
Next Region Record
Deadline is March 15
The deadline for submitting material for the Spring issue of the Region Record is March 152001 Please send any material that is of regional interest to the address shown on page 2
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
tJrr CIJLl
w- bullbull _
locate KY TN else could Regions - all area
friends NiN
The Park and Camping Area can be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 For driving directions call Mike evenings at (859) 792-2462
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
__________ _ _ _____ _
State __________ Zip ____ _
----------------------
---
$
$
2001 SPRiNO VAR
Pre-Registration
(Please detach or copy and mail to address below)
Primary Registrant NSS
Address City
Phone Grotto Affiliation
Secondary Registrants (from the same household)
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Name NSS
Saturday Evening meal will be furnished Vegetarian meal for Primary or Secondary Registrants - Number needed
Cost Quantity Amount
Primary $2000 1 $2000
Secondary $1500
Total Enclosed
Please make checks payable to Pme Mountam Grotto and mail by April 302001 to Pine Mountain Grotto PO Box 246 Gray KY 40734-0246 For Additional infonnation call Mike after 400 PM (859) 792-2462
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
-cI -- __ - i Ifamp
iC 111
The VIRGINIA REGION of the
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presents the - _- -ID-
_fill
Directions
Apri113-152001
A fun-filled weekend of frolic amid some of the most historic karst deposits in the Virginias Join us for our annual gravel hauling express through beautiful Grand Caverns (and our equally exciting sinus plugging epoxy FILLED escapades in NEARBY Fountain Cave) Free Camping provided at nearby Natural Chimneys on Friday amp Saturday Repair broken formations Eradicate moss Improve caveshyowner relations Lunch at Grand Caverns on Saturday during clean up Dinner amp beverages supplied at Natural Chimneys campground on Saturday evening at 700 pm A great way to kick those Old Man Winter Blues
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Andy Reeder VAR Conservation Chair
11000 State Park Rd HUDDLESTON VA 24104 wI 804-847-1640 OR (hI 540-297-3711
or reedeah(CUynchburgvaus
Natural Chimneys (Camping) Exit 2401-81 West to Bridgewater and follow signs Phone (703) 350-2510
Grand Caverns From 1-81 Exit 235 East to Grottoes Tum Right at small store passed ball fields Follow signs and take right into Caverns Phone (703) 249-5705
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
paplingerolscom
BOWDEN CAVE CLEAN UP
Saturday April 7 2001
When Saturday April 72001 We will enter the cave at 1030 AM Just show up at the parking lot offRt 33
What A clean up of Bowden Cave This time we will clean from the 3nl entrance to the water course We will also clean in the Bear Haven Entrance
Where Bowden Cave near Elkins West Virginia (off US Route 33 about 10 miles east of Elkins
Who The clean up is being sponsored by DC Grotto Tri-State Grotto PSC and other caving groups in the Virginia Region of the NSS
Stay Space is reserved at the Alpine Motel ncar the cave (directions below) There are a limited number of spaces so it will be first come first served We will probably have the 3rd floor which has 4 or 6 rooms and one bathroom down the hall It is like indoor camping The charge will be approximately $700 per person per night
Contact For more information contact Pauline Apling at 301-604-0764 or
Directions to the Alpine Motel and Bowden Cave from the DC area
1 Take 1-66 to I-8l Go south on 1-81 for about 5 miles and exit on Route 55 west towards Wardensville at Exit 296
2 Stay on 55 through the towns of Wardensville Moorefield Petersburg Seneca Rocks and Harman
3 About 10 miles after you pass through I-Iannan you will see the Motel on the right side of the road It is the only building in the area and is pretty obvious
4 We will probably be on the third floor but check the windshield of Bobs Red Subaru for more information if you get there after about 1030 PM Bring a sleeping bag and pad because you may be sleeping on the floor The cost is about $7 per night (To get to the cave go 212 miles past the hotel tum right on Old Route 33 and the parking lot is Yz mile on the light
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261
------------------------------------------- --------------
------------------------------------------------------------------______________ ____ __________ _
---------------------
r-
National Speleological Society
10826 Leavells Rd
Freder icks burg VA 22407-1261
Address Service Requested
Winter 2OQO-200 1 Regional News
Non Profit Org US Postage
PA ID Annapolis Jet MD
Pennit 2530
-
If you want to continue receiving the Region Record please read this
Individuals may receive the Region Record the newsletter of the Virginia Regian of the NSS either by regularly attending Spring or Fall VAR (regional meetings) and paying registration fees or through subscription Subscriptions are $300 per year and may be prepaid for up to three years Checks should be made payable to VAR and sent to the circulation manager You do not have to be an NSS member to receive the Record
Complementary copies are sent to grottos in the Region and to other groups with whieh the Region exchanges newsletters In addition newcomers to the Region will receive one or two complementary copies
Please copy or send this entire page The address label contains information we need to expedite processing Thanks
_ I want to continue receiving the Region Record Enclosed to maintain my subscription are dues in the amount of (please circle one) $300 for one year $600 for two years $900 for three years
Name NSS Number
Address
City State ZIP (+4) Grotto (or other caving organization that I claim as my primary caving affiliation)
Note Anyone who recently attended a VAR or mailed a membership check to Evelyn Bradshaw but the expiral date is not reflected on the mailing
label should check with her about their membership status before making a new payment at this time Some labels slipped through without that
information
Please make checks payable to V AR and send to
Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavens Rd Fredericksburg VA 22407-1261