Introductions

In attendance: “Larry” (green), Joe (purple), Maria (purple), Stephan (mud), Louis (navy), Michael (orange), Matthew (red), Matthew L (cerise), Emily (cornflower), Ken (Zoom, no), Mike B (Zoom, slate), Lisa (Zoom, purple), Mark (Zoom, pumpkin spice), Peter (Zoom, green), Lauren B (blue), Lee O. (Zoom, yellow), Carlin (late)

Program

Dr. Hazel Barton gave a presentation on her research into microbial communities in cave environments.

Business

• Dues reminder
• A holiday party

Trip Reports

Stephan drove down some crazy long road in Idaho, but first he went to Lewis & Clark Caverns in Montana. It’s a really nice cave and he recommends it. He then visited Craters of the Moon and went into the 800-ft Indian Tunnel lava tube. It was good to get out of the heat.

Carlin went to New England with his family and caved in ME, NH, and NY. In Maine, they went to a sea cave called Anemone Cave in Acadia National Park. All the sea caves there were short. There was not much limestone in NH, but talus fields with granite caves. One of the polar ice caves still had ice in it. In NY, they went to Howe Caverns and another show cave that’s a hippie-esque UFO-ology vibe cave called Secret Caverns. The wild caves they visited were Bentleys and Spider Cave. Gavin gives caves a thumbs down. Spider Cave has a gorgeous entrance. I guess that makes up for the name.

Upcoming Things

• Oct 1 Sinkhole cleanout in Leesburg, VA
• Oct 6-9 TAG Fall Cave-in in Menlo, GA
• Oct 21-23 Fall VAR at RASS Field Station
• Oct 29 Perkins Cave survey (Ken)
• Nov 12 Darwin Day
• June 26-30, 2023 – NSS Convention in Elkins, WV