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Summer Caving Adventures
A Monthly Newsletter of the Cullman Grotto of the National Speleological Society
The FLOWSTONE
Vol Vol 20 Issue 7 July 2013
July 2013 Cullman Grotto Flowstone
CULLMAN GROTTO FLOWSTONE
The Flowstone is published monthly by the Cullman Grotto of the National
Speleological Society. Items submitted for publication must be received by the 20th
of
each month for inclusion in the following month‟s issue.
The Cullman Grotto will exchange by request with any publishing grotto.
Republication of items within The Flowstone is allowed provided credit is given to
author and source.
Membership to the Cullman Grotto is fifteen dollars ($15) per year for individual or
twenty dollars ($20) per year for family. Dues are payable at the first grotto meeting of
each year (January) and includes subscription to The Flowstone. Subscription rate for
non-members is fifteen dollars ($15) per year.
The Cullman Grotto meets on the first Monday of each month unless the first Monday
falls on a holiday or otherwise noted. In those cases the meeting will be held on the
second Monday. Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and are held at the old L&N train depot,
Arnold St., Cullman, AL. All visitors and prospective members are welcome.
Visit us online @
www.caves.org/grotto/cullman/
or
www.cullmangrotto.com
Official Grotto Address
Cullman Grotto
c/o Harold Calvert
123 Co. Rd. 250
Cullman, AL 35057
Newsletter Exchange
The Flowstone
Perry or Sharon Clayton
1628 Edmondson Rd
Hanceville, AL 35077
2013 OFFICERS APPOINTMENTS Membership/
Chairman: Vice Chair: Advisor: Library
Harold Calvert Perry Clayton Victor Bradford David Drake
123 Co. Rd 250 1628 Edmondson Rd. 8333 US Hwy 31 110 Co. Rd. 1386
Cullman, AL 35057 Hanceville, AL 35077 Hanceville, AL 35077 Falkville, AL 35622
(256) 287-9770 (256) 595-2548 by carrier pigeon only (256) 739-0811
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Secretary: Treasurer: Safety: Webmaster
Sharon Clayton Tracy Calvert Scott Murphy Kuenn Drake
1628 Edmondson Rd. 123 Co. Rd. 250 156 Mount Tabor Road 100 Co. Rd. 1386 Hanceville, AL 35077 Cullman, AL 35057 Hartselle, AL 35640 Falkville, AL 35622
(256)352-0235 (256)287-9770 (256) 531-3230 (256) 739-6915 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Front Cover: Collage of photos
from June’s Grotto activities
.
Photo by: Various folks
July 2013
Volume 20, Issue 7
Inside this Issue
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4
5
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8
Echo Chamber TAG Calendar Stephen’s Gap Multi-Drops & Multi-Ropes… Siege on Lookout Mountain
Minutes
July 2013 Cullman Grotto Flowstone
2
Fundraiser for Ellison’s
Cave Rescuers Surpasses
Goal June 21, 2013 / Georgia
Photo via YouCaring.com
With 9 days left to spare, the
fundraising campaign to benefit the
Ellison‟s Cave rescuers has reached,
and now surpassed its goal of $5,000.
Started by friends and family of the
now recovering Dwight Kempf, the
caver who was pulled from Ellison‟s
Cave on May 27th, the campaign
aimed to raise money to go toward
equipment and training for rescuers
to ensure that anyone else who
requires their assistance, will get it.
Over 100 men and women responded
to the call on Sunday, May 26th,
after Kempf, 54 of Orefield,
Pennsylvania, slipped and fell about
9 meters (30 feet) into a pit during a
trip in Georgia‟s Ellison‟s Cave.
Known for its vertical pitches,
Ellison‟s Cave is home to the 179
meter (586 foot) deep Fantastic and
134 meter (440 foot) deep Incredible,
the deepest pits in the United States.
With a broken left femur and
fractured skull, it took crews 22
hours to first stabilize, including
giving him an in-cave blood
transfusion, and, using a number of
techniques, haul him to the surface
from a depth of more than 240
meters (800 feet) below the ground.
In critical condition, Kempf was then
immediately flown to by Life Force
helicopter to Erlanger Medical
Center in Chattanooga.
Now in rehab in Atlanta, Dwight
continues to make progress on the
road to recovery.
As for Dwight: “He continues to
improve; working hard with PT on
being able to get around until he is
allowed to begin to put weight on the
leg and get back to outdoor activities;
and is making steady gains in
recovery from the head injury. He
still has some periods of confusion;
but is largely aware of what
happened, has good long term
memory, and is becoming
increasingly conversational with
family and staff.”-- Jill Kempf,
Dwight Kempf‟s Wife
Attributing the ease of reaching their
goal on the immense gratitude to the
rescuers for saving Dwight, and the
desire to give back to them and
acknowledge their unselfishness,
organizers are now hoping to far
exceed the original goal.
“I think when [folks] see our men on
a trip or at an event, they see all the
good things about caving:
camaraderie, skills, willingness to
work hard, thoroughness in
preparation and clean up…and so
on.”-- Jill Kempf, Dwight Kempf‟s
Wife
For more information on making a
donation to this worthy cause, visit
Dwight Kempf‟s Angels on
YouCaring.com.
Alabama’s Sequoyah
Caverns to Close in
September June 15, 2013 / Alabama
Photo by SeeMidTN.com (aka
Brent)/flickr
After nearly 5 decades, Alabama‟s
Sequoyah Caverns is closing its
doors at the end of summer. First
opened in 1964, the now 79-year-old
owner, John Jones, plans to retire
when the cave closes on September
3rd, 2013.
Famous for its “looking glass lakes”,
reflecting pools which highlight the
cave‟s intricate speleothems and rock
formations, Sequoyah Caverns is
visited by approximately 12,000
people each year.
“This summer will be the last chance
to see the beautiful „looking glass
lakes‟ of Sequoyah Caverns. We
would like to thank everyone for
your patronage throughout the years,
and we hope to see you this
summer.”-- John Jones, Sequoyah
Caverns Owner
The cave and property has been in
the Jones‟ family since 1841.
The news of the closure comes just
as 400 kilometers (250 miles) north,
Indiana‟s newest showcave, Indiana
Caverns, opens it doors for it‟s
inaugural season.
For more information and to find out
how to visit Sequoyah Caverns
before it closes, visit
sequoyahcaverns.com or call
800-843-5098.
ECHO))))) CHAMBER
July 2013 Cullman Grotto Flowstone
3
Bats could delay sewer
project in Marion County by Ryan Lewis
JASPER, Tenn. -- The discovery of
an endangered bat habitat could add
to the cost and length of a sewer line
extension project along U.S.
Highway 41 to the Shellmound
Business Park.
The sewer line is being installed to
accommodate construction of a
Love's Travel Stop & Country Store
near exit 158 off Interstate 24. The
facility is scheduled to be completed
in August.
The Jasper Board of Mayor and
Aldermen voted unanimously in
April to change the sewer line's route
through the Anderson Ridge area to
avoid communications cables on the
north side of the highway.
At the time, Mayor Paul Evans said
damaging those cables would have
resulted in "major change orders"
and boosted the cost of the project.
"To me, the worry is not there," he
said in April. "There's nothing there.
We can go through, and not have to
worry about the change orders
coming."
Now, the Anderson Ridge route
represents the "biggest problem" for
the project because an endangered
Indiana bat habitat has been
discovered there, Evans said.
A biologist from Cookeville, Tenn.,
recently completed a study of the
area, which was required by the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service, and
discovered the bat habitat, he said.
A report was sent to the Fish &
Wildlife Service last week, and city
leaders are waiting to see if they can
work around the habitat.
In the worst-case scenario, officials
said the city would have to initiate a
bat relocation process that would cost
$250 per bat and more than $19,000
in other expenses.
It also would create at least a 60-day
delay on the project, Evans said.
"We can't wait on a 60-day delay,"
he said. "We'll move back across the
road and fight the fiber optics. That's
the only thing we can do and hope
that the contractor doesn't get into
anything."
City Attorney Mark Raines said the
problem was not caused by the city
or the contractor.
"It's just an environmental
circumstance," he said.
The project is 80 percent complete.
NSS Convention Coming
Soon!
Cavers from Pennsylvania and
surrounding states--and even some
not-so-near states--have worked
diligently to bring the Annual NSS
Convention back to Pennsylvania,
something many cavers from the
Keystone State are too young to
remember, especially so for cavers
born after our nation's Bicentennial.
The forthcoming convention includes
an anniversary celebration of the
Mid-Appalachian Region, a Howdy
Party, campground party, banquet,
and more. It should be a not-to-miss
event this summer.
And of course, get a Convention
Guidebook: "Pennsylvania Caves: A
Guide to the Caves of the
Shippensburg Area," edited by Kim
& Tom Metzgar, Walt Hamm, and
Kerry Speelman, contains more than
300 pages of maps, descriptions,
history, and information about caving
in the Shippensburg area, as well as
an overview/history of caving in the
state. There are more than 80 pages
of maps, descriptions and photos of
caves just in the Shippensburg area,
alone. Contributing photographers
include Alan Horn and Gordon Ley,
whose work was featured in last
year's Convention Guidebook.
Pennsylvania has many cavers who
have been deeply involved with the
NSS over the years. The Convention
Guidebook offers a brief summary of
their efforts.
Have you seen a bunch of maps in
places like "The NSS News" by
someone named Bernie Smeltzer?
Read about Bernie and see many
examples of his work in caves that
you will be visiting.
Want to know something about a
Pennsylvania grotto? Each grotto in
the state was asked to contribute a
history. This section also includes a
history of former grottos.
Did you know Pennsylvania has a
cave protection law? The work of
York Grotto and of NSS member
Judi Stack (among others) was
crucial in getting this law passed.
There is a history of the
Pennsylvania cave law in the
guidebook.
Ever heard of Hosterman's Pit and
wonder why you can't go there? A
chapter on the history of cave
conservation will tell you why.
July 2013 Cullman Grotto Flowstone
4
Want to know what the 25 longest
and deepest caves are in the state?
You know where to look...
Want to know what the most cave-
rich counties in Pennsylvania are?
Also included. (*note* the guidebook
chart on cave-rich counties dispels
the myth that all of the caves are a
long way from Convention.)
Want to do a 400-plus foot deep cave
in a county close to the convention
site? Big Ridge Cave. Yes! We
~DO~ have vertical caves here in
PA!
Are show caves, or former show
caves, your thing? The guidebook
has you covered... And so does the
Cave Booth volunteer crew. There
will be led trips to one of the most
spectacular caves in the state,
Alexander Caverns, a former show
cave. Another former show cave,
Baker Caverns (entrance in the
basement of a house), will be open
one day only during Convention for
special led trips.
The Pennsylvania show cave owners
have banded together, not just to
support the Convention with ads in
the program books, but to show their
support to NSS members by offering
discounts to cavers presenting their
NSS card or their convention
registration ID, at the time of
Convention only.
Are you a geology fan? Will & Bette
White have completed an excellent
chapter for the Convention
Guidebook covering the geology of
the Shippensburg area. In addition,
Katie Schmid of the Loyalhanna
Grotto and Thomas Feeney, a
professor at Shippensburg University
who is currently studying
Cleversburg Sink, have planned a
great geology field trip with a well-
timed stop at Cleversburg. Jim Hart
and Charlie Eichelberger have the
Biology Section covered. Come find
out about the latest cutting-edge
research on the biology of caves and
karst. History buffs might also find
interesting a never-before-published
documentary of Pennsylvania's link
to not one, not two, but FIVE
Mammoth Cave guidebook authors
who have ties to the state.
Pre-register so you can be sure to get
a Convention Guidebook. There will
be PLENTY to see and do in
Pennsylvania this summer.
http://www.caves.org/info/events.sht
ml
Sistema Huautla Becomes
Deepest Cave in the Western
Hemisphere April 3, 2013 / Mexico
San Agustin, Oaxaca, Mexico
Cavers on an expedition to Sistema
Huautla in southern Mexico have
recently announced that they have
reached a new depth of 1,545 meters
(5,069 feet), once again making
Sistema Huautla the deepest cave in
the western hemisphere.
Located in Sierra Mazatec Mountains
in the southern Mexican state of
Oaxaca, Sistema Huautla has been
the subject of many expeditions since
its discovery in the 1960′s. One of
the most complex deep caves, the
system has 17 entrances and many
different routes.
On this expedition, which began on
February 24th, the team of cavers
made their way to sump 9, the
current terminus of the cave which
hasn‟t been visited since 1994.
Entering through the San Agustin
entrance, the shortest route to sump
9, the cavers still had to traverse 6
kilometers (3.7 miles) of cave to a
depth of 990 meters (3,248 feet),
including some 500 meters (1,640
feet) of underwater passage.
As a result of their efforts, which
involved camping underground for
several days, cave divers have
pushed the terminal sump, Sump 9,
to a length of 410 meters (1,345 feet)
and depth of 81 meters (265 feet).
Beyond that, cave divers also
surveyed 1,774 meters (5,820 feet) of
new dry passage for a grand total
2,184 meters (7,165 feet) of new
survey, giving the cave a total length
of 64.2 kilometers (39.9 miles).
TAG Calendar
July 1 Grotto Meeting L&N Train Depot, Arnold St 7:30p . July 6 Grotto Trip TBA July 13-20 VBATS El Cap Trip Yosemite National Park, CA July 19-28 Cullman Grotto Cavation Canyoneering in Southern Utah August 5-9 NSS 2013 Convention Shippensburg, PA
July 2013 Cullman Grotto Flowstone
5
Stephen’s Gap By Harold Calvert
Due to a hand injury at work, I have
been out of commission for a couple
of months, seems like way longer.
With the weather finally cooperating,
I had the itch to go do something
other than therapy. The doctor
finally said I could try it, they don't
understand, it‟s not something that
you can "go try". So, with a little
help from my friends, we went to
Stephens Gap, one of my favorites.
Not very deep, but the scenery is
spectacular!
Everything went well on the way to
the cave, nothing out of the ordinary.
But when we got close to the cave
we could hear the roar. Due to heavy
rains that week, there was more
water than I had ever seen.
Everyone had their turn, it was now
mine. A bit scary, I don't have the
grip that I once had. Luckily it is my
left hand, used mainly to control the
rack bars, which went flawlessly.
My caver family also took good care
of me with belays and anything else
needed. Got in several good rappels
and climbs, as did the rest of the
group.
That done, all was packed up and we
headed for some good food and
excellent storytelling. A nice day, it
was good to be back on rope. I
would like to thank my grotto family
for taking good care of me; they all
know I would do the same.
See you on a looong rope soon.
Multi-Drops and Multi-
Ropes: Hanging out with the
Cullman Grotto in June By Sharon Clayton
Perry and I have been getting ready
for the (quickly!) approaching
VBATS El Cap 2013 excursion, as
well as this year‟s Cavation
activities. So that means LOTS of
time spent doing stadiums and
climbing rope. But, that doesn‟t
mean there wasn‟t still a couple of
Saturdays open in June for Grotto
fun!
Our first Grotto trip was to Varnedoe
Cave in Huntsville. We had actually
July 2013 Cullman Grotto Flowstone
6
planned to do this one a couple of
months ago, but it had to be
postponed when Harold injured his
hand. Harold was fully recovered
and we were all itching to get back
into this fun cave, so we put it back
on the calendar for the June Grotto
trip. We had a really good turn out
for the trip, so Mark Ostrander
agreed to rig the “rabbit hole”
entrance and take part of the group in
that way.
The rest of us would go the usual
way, meeting up after the last drop at
the back of the cave. I can‟t speak
for the rabbit-holers, but those of us
who went the usual route had a great
time. Perry headed in first and did
our rigging for us, allowing the rest
of us to look around and shoot a
picture or two.
When we met back up with the other
group at the bottom of the last drop,
Mark O. volunteered to lead folks
back into the rest of the cave. I
considered going with him, but
ended up opting to stay in the big
room and get in a few more bounces
(that 2650 climb is looming large in
my mind!). Perry wanted to work
out the kinks in his new Pangaea
climbing harness, so he stayed as
well. It ended up being just Mark,
Scott and Leginia heading deeper
into the cave.
While I bounced the main drop there
a few times, some of the others
decided to try the rope Mark and
company had rigged on the other side
of the room. It was in a bit of a
drippy spot, and the lip was pure
murder (at least, that‟s what I
gathered from the sounds of agony
coming from that side of the cave!).
I‟m glad I stuck with the regular
rappelling spot. I had a good few
bounces before everyone was ready
to head back out. Jeff, Harold and
Tollin went back out the way Mark‟s
group had come in, while Perry,
Jacob & I went out the way we came
in. We left the ropes in place, as that
was the way Mark, Scott & Leginia
would be coming out.
We had a fine time on the way out,
and were somewhat reluctant to go
back up the last climb, since it was
well over 80 degrees outside the
cave. We made it back to the top
about the same time as the others
made it to the rabbit hole. But it took
them a LOT longer to navigate that
climb. There‟s a very good reason
they call that thing a rabbit hole!
After that, there was nothing much to
do but munch on snacks and wait for
the last group. They were
sufficiently muddy & exhausted, so I
think they must have had a good
time.
We derigged and headed back up the
hill towards Mexican dinner & home.
The next weekend saw us back out at
Weaver‟s Point in Little River
Canyon. Perry and I were there to do
some weighted rope practice with
another VBATS member from the
Huntsville area, Helaman Escobar.
We were joined by a record crowd
from Cullman, including many of our
new folks, getting a little more
experience on rope.
We spent the first part of the day
getting the newbies on rope &
helping them get in their first rappels.
Everyone did great and really
enjoyed the views. We ended up
with four ropes rigged that day,
including Kuenn‟s new 300 ft 9 mil
rope for Cavation. I didn‟t get a
chance to rappel that one, but I did
climb it and it climbed great.
July 2013 Cullman Grotto Flowstone
7
Once everyone had gotten in a good
few rappels, Helaman, Perry and I
started working on our weighted rope
practice.
We didn‟t have the stuff for a full
haul system, but we did attempt to at
least simulate crossing the jumar.
That gave me some problems, since
it was not quite working right
without the full haul. Once we
figured out how to compensate for
that, everything went fine. I got in a
good couple of weighted rappels and
felt really good about my readiness
for El Cap.
I guess the next trip reports I write
will be from said El Cap trip and
from Cavation. Here‟s hoping I have
good stories to tell (but not TOO
good!)
Siege on Lookout Mountain By Kuenn Drake NSS 36723
On November 24, 1863, Union
troops capture Lookout Mountain
southwest of Chattanooga,
Tennessee, as they begin to break the
Confederate siege of the city. In what
became known as the "battle above
the clouds," the Yankees scaled
(don’t believe they were using rope-
walkers) the slopes of the mountain
on the periphery of the Chattanooga
lines in order to give fight to the
Confederate forces.
For nearly two months following the
Battle of Chickamauga, the
Confederates, commanded by
General Braxton Bragg, had pinned
the Union army inside Chattanooga.
They were not able to surround the
city, though, and occupied Lookout
Mountain and Missionary Ridge to
the south and east of the city instead.
In late October, arriving to take
command, Union General Ulysses S.
Grant attacked Brown's Ferry
southwest of Chattanooga and
opened the Tennessee River to boats
that brought much needed supplies to
the besieged Yankees. The rest is
history and I really don‟t want to
rehearse it.
On June 22, 2013 twelve individuals
laid siege on Lookout Mountain once
again, some 54,632 days later or 149
years, 6 months, 29 days. We were a
few miles south of the previous
mentioned battle. Armed with rope
and gear and no 12 pounder cannons,
we also scaled the slopes of Lookout
Mountain. Nothing at stake, other
than our southern pride and I guess
you could say our lives; however,
this time it was the good guys doing
the scaling. Our Confederate brothers
would have been fascinated with the
impressive display of abseiling skill
and ascending talent.
We rigged 4 ropes in total, 2 PMI
11mm pit, 1 10mm PMI max wear
and 1 9.2mm Imlay Canyonero. The
day was spent rapping and climbing
the 186ish foot drop. Participants
included: Harold, Perry, Sharon,
Scott, Legina, Tollin, Lynn, Ken,
Mark, Mike, Helaman and me. This
would be record setting depths for
Lynn, Ken and Mark. Maybe Tollin?
Not sure.
Included are a few pictures from this
day‟s siege. At the end of the day we
retired to the Western Sizzler in Fort
Payne for yet another siege on the
buffet banquet. The rest is history
and I‟m through telling about it.
July 2013 Cullman Grotto Flowstone
8
Minutes of the Meeting of
the Cullman Grotto of the
National Speleological
Society
June 3, 2013
The regular monthly meeting of
Cullman Grotto of National
Speleological Society was called to
order on Monday, June 3, 2013, at
7:46 p.m. by Harold Calvert,
chairman. Ten people were present.
The minutes of the regular monthly
meeting were read. A motion was
made by Tracy Calvert to accept the
minutes as read. Arlon Baker
seconded the motion.
The Treasurer‟s report was given.
The Librarian was AWOL.
The Safety Advisor talked about
keeping an eye out for snakes while
hiking. We also discussed the
Memorial Day accident in Ellison‟s.
Announcements:
SERA: June 13-16
VBATS El Cap Trip: July 13-20
Cavation: July 19-28
NSS Convention: August 5-9
Old Business:
We have one less shirt & hat for sale
(but yes, we still have some
available)
New Business:
Tollin volunteered to do the design
work for our flyers.
June Grotto Trips:
Varnedoe: June 15th
Weaver‟s Point: June 22nd
Trip Reports:
Last month‟s Stephen‟s Gap trip was
discussed.
Program:
Slideshow of pictures from
Ellison‟s.
The meeting was adjourned
at 9:25 pm.
Every Grotto needs a good sherpa!
