Fall 2010 MAR/VAR at Friars Hole, WV

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Fall 2010 MAR/VAR at Friars Hole, WV

Postby mcjames » Aug 26, 2010 2:58 pm

Fall 2010 MAR/VAR at Friars Hole, WV

Mark your calendars for the joint fall MAR/VAR hosted by DC and Baltimore Grottoes at Friars Hole Cave Preserve in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, October 1-3, 2010.

Friars Hole, the longest cave in West Virginia, sits right beneath the campground with several entrances less than a 2-minute walk from camp. With over 46 miles of passage to choose from, there is something for everyone. Tourist trips for the family, vertical trips for the experienced and well-equipped, sloppy wet muddy crawls, and even a marathon crawlathon to visit the cave's most impressive room, Monster Cavern. This 230' room, complete with waterfall, is ironically only several hundred feet from camp, but you can't get there from here (directly, at least).

We are planning a a number of led caving trips both on and off site. A led, skin-scraping Bone-Norman through trip is confirmed for the masochists. Trips are also being planned to Poor Farm, Culverson Creek, Snedegars, and other local caves. We welcome volunteers to lead other trips.

For the project cavers, there will be an off-site sinkhole cleanup during the day on Saturday, with lunch provided. An on-site tutorial course in surveying is being planned, and Sandy and Brian Preaux plan to demonstrate their new cave radio communication system for anyone interested in seeing how these work.

The Friars Hole area abounds with above-ground attractions including Bear Town State Park, the Cranberry Glades, the triple Falls of Hills Creek, Droop Mountain Battlefield, geocaching, biking on the Greenbrier Trail, and kayaking (bring your own boat).

After the Saturday evening dinner of salad, bratwurst sausages, potatoes, baked beans, and corn, Sandy and Brian Preaux will present a video on the exploration of the lower end of the Friars Hole system set to cave ballads. Mike and Andrea Futrell will also speak about the integration of GIS data in cave exploration and particularly in the VSS archives.

DJ John Fox will spin all your favorite dance tunes while you enjoy the usual cave beverages into the night. The largest entrance in the Friars Hole system lies just off the campground, and will be open for chilling (or warming, maybe) during the party. Midnight cave bocci, anyone?

See you in the heart of cave country the first weekend in October! Fall colors should be close to peak. Preregistration is only $30 and only those who preregister will receive guidebooks. While we will endeavor to feed everyone who comes, we will only guarantee food for those who preregister. Preregistration has been extended until September 21st, but we encourage your to send in your registration before OTR. More information and preregistration forms from:

http://www.varegion.org/var/events/Fall ... lVAR.shtml
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Pedro's OTR To-Do List

Postby mcjames » Aug 30, 2010 4:25 pm

In the mad rush before OTR, don't forget to...

1. Pack your tacos, nachos, fajitas, limones, and tequila

2. Dig out your best sombrero

3. Register for the Fall MAR/VAR October 1-3 at Friars Hole at http://www.varegion.org/var/events/Fall ... lVAR.shtml
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Two weeks left to preregister for 2010 MAR/VAR

Postby mcjames » Sep 8, 2010 11:50 pm

Now that you are back and settled from OTR, you have just two weeks left to save yourself $5 by preregistering for the fall MAR/VAR at Friars Hole, October 1-3, 2010. Print your registration forms out and mail them in soon!

The fall foliage will be approaching peak colors as you arrive in beautiful Pocahontas County, WV, for the Fall 2010 MAR/VAR the first weekend in October and the cool, fresh autumn air will invigorate you. The largest cave in West Virginia will be directly under foot, with two entrances on the campground. Other local cave systems are measured in tens of miles, not feet. The caving doesn't get any better than this! Stay tuned for more info on guided trips, coming soon.

During the day Saturday, Sandy and Brian Preaux will demonstrate a new cave radio communication system for anyone who is interested. After the Saturday night dinner, they will also present a video of the exploration of the southern end of the Friars Hole system, set to cave ballads, and Mike and Andrea Futrell will discuss the use of GIS data in the updated VSS archives. DJ John Fox will be spinning your favorite dance tunes afterward, and the biggest entrance to the Friars Hole system is just feet away for midnight cave tours or cave bocci games.

Find out more and print out your registration forms from:
http://www.varegion.org/var/events/Fall ... lVAR.shtml

See you at Friars Hole!
:bat sticker:

(Permission freely granted for reposting on other cave-related sites and listservs.)
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Re: Fall 2010 MAR/VAR at Friars Hole, WV

Postby self-deleted_user » Sep 9, 2010 7:58 am

Sounds like a blast! I totally need to live closer to caves. :( And/or find other people in Michigan who travel because it's boring and expensive to drive long distances alone.
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Re: Fall 2010 MAR/VAR at Friars Hole, WV

Postby mcjames » Sep 12, 2010 1:46 pm

:off topic: Sungura, there are a number of caving groups in your area. http://www.nssio.org/find_grotto_overview.cfm?state=MI Hook up with one and you will have many friends to cave with. The chair of the Virginia Region is a former Michigan caver who used to truck down to this area regularly.
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Above ground activities at Fall VAR, Oct. 1-3, 2010

Postby mcjames » Sep 12, 2010 1:50 pm

Bring the whole family to the Fall 2010 MAR/VAR hosted by Baltimore and DC Grottoes at Friars Hole, WV October 1-3. There will be plenty of caving opportunities (more later this week), but the area abounds in recreational opportunities for the caving impaired and anyone else who just prefers to stay above ground and enjoy the glorious fall foliage. A few of the attractions within about a half hour of camp are:

Beartown State Park
Often described as a "cave without a roof," Beartown's wooden boardwalk guide you through a unique limestone maze. The park is only a few miles off Rt. 219, making it an easy stop on your way home Sunday, if you don't get a chance to visit otherwise.
http://www.beartownstatepark.com/

Falls of Hills Creek
A series of three spectacular waterfalls of 25, 45, and 63 feet provides numerous photo opportunities as Hills Creek drops 220 feet across the 114 acre park. The path to the first waterfall is handicapped accessible. Laurel, wildflowers, and interesting fungi abound.
http://www.pocahontascountywv.com/falls ... creek.aspx

Cranberry Glades Botanical Area
The largest bog in West Virginia is home to over 60 unique species of plants, many brought here by glacial activity during the last ice age over 10,000 years ago, so the area is more reminiscent of the arctic tundra than of the eastern US. A handicapped accessible boardwalk guides visitors around the park while protecting the rare plants.
http://www.pocahontascountywv.com/cranb ... enter.aspx

Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
The site of West Virginia's last significant Civil War battle on Nov. 6, 1863, the park features a museum, lookout tower, and lots of hiking opportunities. A reenactment is staged about this time on odd-numbered years, but you will have to reenact your own battle this year.
http://www.droopmountainbattlefield.com/

Watoga State Park
This state parks features miles of hiking trails and an 11 acre lake for boating, with rental boats available.
http://www.watoga.com/

Greenbrier River
For those who prefer turbulence to lakes, the Greenbrier River offers miles of kayaking and canoeing opportunities. Here are a few local routes:
http://www.riverfacts.com/rivers/14048.html
http://www.riverfacts.com/rivers/14049.html

Greenbrier Trail State Park
A rails-to-trails project, the Greenbrier Trail stretches 78 scenic miles along the Greenbrier River for hiking and biking. The trail is packed gravel trail and street bikes are not recommended.
http://www.greenbrierrailtrailstatepark.com/

Save $5 a person by preregistering before September 21st. More info and preregistration forms at:
http://www.varegion.org/var/events/Fall ... lVAR.shtml

See you at Friars Hole! :grin:
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Re: Fall 2010 MAR/VAR at Friars Hole, WV

Postby self-deleted_user » Sep 13, 2010 2:04 pm

mcjames wrote::off topic: Sungura, there are a number of caving groups in your area. http://www.nssio.org/find_grotto_overview.cfm?state=MI Hook up with one and you will have many friends to cave with. The chair of the Virginia Region is a former Michigan caver who used to truck down to this area regularly.
OT reply: Yes I am aware. Sadly, they are not that active, or, the one that is, is tightknit and I can barely get replies from them much less do I have the experience and training to do the types of trips they do - they are like superhardcore. So, I'm stuck with people who prettymuch 1) don't cave at all anymore or 2) superhardcore and way above me, and so far not very willing to help me up to "their level". I've been looking and sending out emails since June when I went into my first cave and fell in love with it. Three months, no luck so far. I've made contacts, sure, (Aaron Bird lives only 30 min from me, for example, and another newer caver in the area more my age who wants to be active lives about 20 min away, but the first I'm at his mercy if I get invited along for trips - he has offered generally for me to come along but none have happened thus far, and the second works a lot and doesn't get time off. So...it really is just me as far as I can tell.)
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Caving at the Fall 2010 MAR/VAR

Postby mcjames » Sep 16, 2010 2:05 pm

:cavingrocks: With over 200 miles of cave within an hour's drive, if you don't get underground at the upcoming MAR/VAR it will be your own fault! For those not familiar with the area, here are some of the led trips we will be offering:

Bone-Norman Through Trip

A skin-scraping connection adventure led by Dwight Livingston and Jay Balakirsky. Those over 8" thick need not apply. Those who do not fit will greased and given a carbide assist. Those who really do not fit might be led back to the entrance if they ask politely and squeal like a pig.

Norman Cave

A more leisurely tourist and/or photography trip to some of the nicer and friendlier parts of the cave led by Hank Ratrie. Part of the cave is wet, so plan on a dry bag for your camera.

Poor Farm Cave

Bob Bennett will lead a trip to and through the booming passages of nearby Poor Farm Cave.

Scott Hollow Cave

A tourist trip to Scott Hollow Cave, about an hour from camp, will be led by Keely Owens. Due to the owners' regulations, only NSS members are allowed in Scott Hollow on wild trips. The river passage is a sight to behold if you have never seen it!

Snedegars Cave Druid Passage Dig

Doug Medville wants to dig and push the end of the Druid Passage in Friars Hole, and is looking for a few thin cavers who do not fear the K-Y Crawl at the end. The entrance is just off the campground and the Druid Passage starts only a couple minutes into the cave. If no one volunteers, he may go to Radio Pit or Death Pit instead.

Sinkhole Cleanup

For project cavers and those interested in conservation, a sinkhole cleanup is planned off-site. Lunch and some drinks will be provided for workers. A backhoe will be on hand to help pull larger items out of the sink, and trucks will be available for immediate loading. Bring good gloves and sturdy clothing.

Other Guided Trips

We are certainly open to more guided trips! Please volunteer if you are familiar with a cave in the area. We could even use some leaders for Friars Hole itself. Please contact Dwight Livingston <dwightliv@verizon.net> if you can help out. Vertical trip leaders and a kids trip leader would be greatly appreciated!

Don't forget you will have over 46 miles of cave right beneath your feet! Here are some of your self-guided options in Friars Hole:

Snedegars and North Stream Entrances


You can easily kill the day exploring the parts of Friars Hole just off the campground and getting lost in the maze that connects them. The Mack truck-sized Snedegars Entrance takes you down borehole passage past the Druid Passage, some old saltpetre digging areas, and the entrance to the Saltpetre Maze to the Amphitheater, one of the largest areas of the cave. A short side passage just off the Amphitheater takes you to the bottom of a normally dry 180 degree waterfall, which marks the end of the stream passage that enters at the North Stream Entrance, also just off the campground. Continuing past the amphitheater you pass a rock ledge covered with rock sculptures and further on come to the climb up a huge set of rimstone dams to the 100+ foot Snedegars Dome. For the hearty, just beyond the turnoff to the dome, the high ceiling drops to a low crawl to the sump, which is the gateway to the rest of the Friars Hole System. Returning back through the amphitheater, hang a left and take your chances in the Saltpetre Maze, which will lead you (if you can find the way!) to the North Stream Entrance. Watch for the historical saltpetre vats (canoe-like dugout logs) in the maze.

The DC Grotto is actively resurveying this section of the cave. If you miss out on this trip, contact Bob Gulden or DC and help out on the survey!

Crookshank Entrance

A leisurely half hour walk from camp, this entrance is situated in a large, lushly vegetated sinkhole with a nice multi-tiered waterfall and a gaping 60 foot wide entrance pit. A visit to the scenic sinkhole is highly recommended even if you don't drop the 96 feet to the floor below. Not far from the bottom is the Baltimore Domes Complex, a series of high domes, or you can continue through the 20-30 foot high water-sculpted Plunge Pool Passage to a nice waterfall. Or you can turn right and take the 600 foot long, foot high Terrible Crawl over sharp gravel. Or you can just bounce the pit. The choice is yours. The lip is interesting. Make sure to bring rope protectors.

Monster Cavern

The largest room in the cave, with a 200 foot waterfall, is actually only a few hundred feet from the campground. BUT, you can't get there from here! Only hardcore cavers need apply, and then expect a 12+ hour trip even if you don't get lost. You enter the commodious Snedegars Entrance and go a half mile down nice borehole. Then crawl to the sump, get drenched, find the Highway, and crawl for a couple more hours and you might be getting close. Of course, you have to do it all again to get back out. The trip from the Canadian Hole Entrance, if it wasn't closed by the owner, is wet and vertical and can get you there in 3 hours. The last caver who went to Monster Cavern took up cave diving right afterward and hasn't crawled since. Anyone up for it?

Friars Hole Entrance

You have to drive off site to get to this entrance at the southern end of the system. Although most of this section of the cave is nice, horizontal borehole, two nuisance drops of about 25 feet each are required to get there. We will hear after dinner about recent attempts to push this end of the system further south. The really ambitious can enter at this entrance and head north through the Sheep Dip and Dung Ho Way, through the sump (if it is open) and out the Snedegars Entrance directly back to camp.

Radio Pit, Death Pit, Thanksgiving Pit, etc.

A series of pits and small caves lines the valley where we will be camping, a few minutes walk from camp. Most of these overlie the Highway, the route leading to Monster Cavern. These potential shortcuts would literally cut hours off the trip to Monster Cavern, but to date no one has made the connection. Will you be the first? Most of these are vertical (30-60 feet) and sometimes unstable. Be prepared.

If that doesn't give you enough opportunity for caving at the upcoming MAR/VAR, you must be dead! You only have until next Tuesday to save $5 by preregistering. If you haven't already, get the registration form and more information from http://www.varegion.org/var/events/FallVAR/FallVAR.shtml and send it in soon!

As always, please clean and decon your gear before and after the VAR.

See you there! :cave softly:
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Two days left to register for MAR/VAR

Postby mcjames » Sep 19, 2010 9:44 pm

Last call for MAR/VAR preregistrations! All forms must be postmarked by this Tuesday, September 21st, if you want to save $5. Vegetarians take note: Please preregister so that we can have enough food for you! You must preregister to get a guidebook and to be guaranteed dinner. Forms and more info at http://www.varegion.org/var/events/FallVAR/FallVAR.shtml

Two more cave trips have been added since the last message: :kewl:

Bill Balfour will lead a wet tourist trip in Culverson Creek and

Anya Crane and Kevin Mulligan will lead and supervise pit bouncing at the Crookshank Entrance to Friars Hole. This 96 foot drop is gorgeous and mostly free, but due to a waterfall and the tricky lip, this is an advanced trip not suitable for vertical beginners. See additional restrictions at registration.

Thanks to these and our other trip leaders for volunteering! There is still plenty of time for more volunteers to step forward.

Signup sheets for cave trips will be put out at 10 PM on Friday, so everyone will have a chance to sign up.

If you can't find anything to do at the upcoming MAR/VAR you may need one of the new caving impaired signs for your car. Come out, have some fun, and enjoy the fall foliage! See you at MAR/VAR!
:bat sticker:
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MAR/VAR preregistration confusion

Postby mcjames » Sep 21, 2010 2:06 am

Several cavers have been confused about preregistration for the MAR/VAR, October 1-3 at Friars Hole, so let's clear a few things up:

All preregistrations must be POSTMARKED, not received, by TODAY. You can still save $5 a person by going directly to http://www.varegion.org/var/events/Fall ... lVAR.shtml, printing out the preregistration form, and mailing it with your check TODAY.

:question: Many are also confused about which Region to register for. At every MAR or VAR meeting $5 of your registration fee goes to the Region to pay for the newsletter and other operations. This is normally completely transparent to you. Because this is a joint event between two Regions, we have to give you the choice of which Region you want to support. If you still need guidance, it boils down to this:

If you normally only go to VAR meetings, register for VAR.
If you normally only go to MAR meetings, register for MAR.
If you go both ways, register for both.

But whichever way you go, REGISTER for the 2010 Fall MAR/VAR and head on over to Friars Hole in a week and half!

See you there!
:bat:
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Two Days Left Until the Fall 2010 MAR/VAR at Friars Hole, WV

Postby mcjames » Sep 28, 2010 8:49 pm

As you pack for this weekend's MAR/VAR, don't forget this is a primitive camping site. Remember to pack water, lodging, food, table, and chairs. Port-a-potties aplenty will permeate the premises. Please clean and decon your caving gear before and after you come.

The inclement weather in the region this week is moving out by Thursday and the weekend promises to be mostly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s and lows in the lower 40s. Perfect fall camping weather!

Because of this week's rain, the sump in Snedegars Cave will probably be closed, and there is a possibility the vertical trip in Crookshank may need to be canceled because the intermittent waterfall on that drop is likely to be running strong. See registration for more details.

As you approach Friars Hole winding through the mountains on Route 219 north of Lewisburg, please heed the road signs, especially late at night. Several cavers have lost their lives on those curves over the years and we do not want you to be next! Lobelia Road is twisty and narrow, and the final road into the campground is only one lane wide. The roads are generally in good shape, but they are not very forgiving to high speed drivers. Police speed traps have also been reported in some of the small towns between Lewisburg and Friars Hole. Drive sensibly!

Directions and reminders of all the caving trips and fun activities at this joint MAR/VAR:
http://www.varegion.org/var/events/Fall ... lVAR.shtml

Drive carefully and arrive safely!
See you for a great weekend at Friars Hole!
:bat:
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