Introductions
In attendance: Zeke, Peter, Ann, Ken, Mark, Stephan, Emily
With so few attendees, we delved into our deep, dark subconsciouses in a brief discussion of our cave-related anxiety dreams.
Business
- Pay your dues online via PayPal. $15 for the year for individuals; $22 per family.
- Annual grotto trip? Zeke says yes, we plan to have one. When? Late August? The officers will begin to discuss details at an officers meeting tbd.
- Emily inquired about Wilderness First Responder (5+ days) and Wilderness First Aid (2-day) courses. Those present who had been WFR or WFA certified said it was worthwhile. [More information here.]
Trip Report
Stephan described the marauding, algae-killing mob of about 25 cavers that descended into Endless Caverns last weekend to slay the lampenflora. Armed with bottles of hydrogen peroxide and buckets of brushes, our heroes fought back the green stuff. Stephan likened the sizzle of dying mosses to the sound of a juicy steak on the grill. He recommends these conservation opportunities to anyone who has to fight a strong urge to step off the trail. See Ken’s trip report here.
Program
We watched a short video about the properties of silks used by glowworms and spiders.
Upcoming Things
- May 20-22 – Spring MAR/VAR at Grand Caverns in Grottoes, VA (Pre-registration ends May 4!)
- June 3-5 – Orientation to Cave Rescue in Upper Tract, WV
- June 13-17 – NSS Convention in South Dakota
- July 8-10 – Karst-O-Rama in Kentucky
- July 15-23 – Cave Rescue Operations and Management Seminar in Covington, VA
- July 24-31 – International Congress of Speleology in France