TN New Guy

[TN John]

Greetings all, I am new to the caving experience but have been having some fun with it lately.
I live in an area that is thoroughly polluted with giant holes in the ground.
I have been doing some exploring and having some fun until a few days ago, I was in a large well known local cave when I met some other folks about a 1/2mile in. They had some nice gear [as opposed to me and my several flashlights] and seemed to be pleasant enough.
The only problem I had is that they were stinking up the whole cave with their cannabis. These folks looked like real cavers with the hats and neat lights, is this a common practice? I feel kind of let down, I had considered joining a local Grotto but if this is how it works - no thanks.
Someone please tell me I was just seeing and smelling things in the darkness and this isn`t business as usual.

[Jeff Bartlett]

definitely, DEFINITELY not "business as usual".

[maek]

I hope your gear includes some sort of helmet on your head.

Smoking in caves doesn't mesh with my sense of conservation, and I have not witnessed this. Easily accessible, well-known caves seem to get a fair amount of abuse and are not necessarily popular destinations for grotto members.

[incavenow]

This kinda stuff isn't the usual you'll find in your Grotto. You are gonna find cavers who party too much in the wrong places, but you can pick the type of people you cave with and I've found some of the best ppl are in my Grotto. The serious cavers don't condone that type of behavior. A time and place for everything. I do a little cave clean up in a local cave that is trashed regularly and have picked up beer cans as far back as your would care to go. It's also the cave where the local cave rescue does their practice at times, (go figure). Try not to let something like this keep you from meeting some great ppl in your local Grotto.

[Squirrel Girl]

I have cross paths with some "serious" cavers who also were into "alternative" vegetation. They aren't all that common. But, in my case, it didn't happen to be in Tennessee!!!

Not everyone is like that. In fact, most folks aren't. You'll find somebody you'll click with moreso, I'll guess.

[MoonshineR DavE]

Definitely what they said. I had this happen on a led trip at Spring VAR this year and I think everyone else on the trip was pretty upset to say the least except for the yahoo smokin the herb. A cave is not the place to smoke it up.