Pacific Northwest Caver Intro

[Claude Koch]

I've been caving since I was a teenager back in the 70's. I joined organized caving in 1991, becoming a member of the Willamette Valley Grotto.
In 1999, I started finding new caves in southern Washington. I became the Willamette Valley Grotto Librarian in 2001, mostly because of my personal library being larger than the grotto's. The grotto library is huge, since most grottos in the U.S. sent their newsletters to WVG member Steve Knutson, editor of American Caving Accidents for many years, which he later donated to the grotto library.
So, I am always interested in expanding the 2 libraries (they don't own mine yet) when it comes to caving literature.
I became an officer in the WVG as Vice Chair in 2006, when I finally joined the N.S.S.
I've been the NCA Rep for the WVG since 2007.
I took a year off from being Vice Chair last year, while planning and organizing the 2009 Northwestern Caving Association Regional, which was held in Trout Lake, Washington.
This year, I am back to being Vice Chair of the WVG.
As far as caving goes, I like to find and dig open small holes to find new caves. Most of the longer caves that my caving partners and I have found have been surveyed. We also have lots of smaller caves, with leads in them that are being pushed, as time permits. At last count, I've had something to do with finding around 150 new caves since finding my first 2 caves below the Madrone Wall in Oregon in 1993. These 2 caves are now in a protected area (saved by the prevention of further rock quarrying in the mid 90's) and is now In the planning stages in becoming a climbing wall type of a county park in the urban setting of Portland, Oregon.
I will usually be found caving every weekend from April to November in the Trout Lake, Washington area, with a few other road trips around the west to have some fun at the regionals or conventions.
Cave On,
Claude Koch
WVG Vice Chair/Librarian/NCA Rep
NSS #56833

[graveleye]

Welcome to the forum Claude!