Vol. XXVII No. 1, 2, 3-Combined 2014 FALL VAR 2014

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1 Vol. XXVII No. 1, 2, 3-Combined 2014 FALL VAR 2014 Ladies, gentlemen, cavers! On behalf of the Monongahela Grotto I would like to invite you to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our Grotto. We will be hosting this year's fall meeting of the Virginia Region (VAR) at the historical Rich Mountain Battlefield Field of Fire near the town of Beverly, WV (just up the road from OTR) on October During the Battle of Rich Mountain, Union troops were victorious over the Confederates stationed at Camp Garnett located here at the Field of Fire, which had been established to guard the Staunton- Parkersburg Turnpike. This historic battle helped pave the way for West Virginia statehood two years later. The campground still contains some visible remnants of these Civil War fortifications along one of the hiking trails. The campground also has some modern conveniences, such as showers, flush toilets, potable water, and cell reception. The site will have designated loud/party and quiet/family camping areas. Full services are available within 15 miles, with the closest store being 2 miles away in Coalton. Our gear vendor for the event is West Virginia Underground. We are asking that attendees not bring their pets; service animals are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times. Campfires are also not allowed on site. Due to the historical nature of the site, metal detectors are strictly prohibited on battlefield property. There are no RV hookups on site, but we will have limited RV spaces available (please fallvar2014@gmail.com if you plan on bringing an RV). We have many events planned for the weekend and are adding more as it gets closer. For the most up-to-date event information check the event Facebook Page (Fall VAR 2014), fallvar2014@gmail.com, or check out Some of the planned events include a bonfire, historical walks/tours, led cave trips, dinner, DJ dance party, presentations on caving in the Virginias, etc. We will also have traditional caver beverages and there is even the possibility of a band on Saturday night. Hope to see you all there! -Jeremy Browning Monongahela Grotto fallvar2014@gmail.com

2 The Region Record The Region Record is the quarterly publication of the Virginia Region of the National Speleological Society. Any articles, announcements, or other materials of general interest to cavers in the Region are welcome. Send all material to Jessica Reep and Kyle Mills (RR 2 Box 280 Sinks Grove, WV or wv.mills@yahoo.com or j.reep@aol.com) Electronic submissions ( or disk) are encouraged, but any form of input is welcome. Non-copyrighted material contained in the Region Record may be reprinted by organizations that are affiliated with the VAR or the NSS, provided that proper credit is given to the Region Record and the author. The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the VAR, the NSS, or their internal organizations. VAR Officers and Committee Chairs Chairman: Craig Hindman, (410) , craighindman@verizon.net Vice Chairman: Judy Fisher, (304) H, jcf@access.mountain.net Secretary: Carol Tiderman, (410) H, ctider@ymail.com Treasurer: John Fox, (540) W, jfox@radford.edu Conservation: Andy Reeder, (434) H, (434) W and Meredith Hall Weberg, (703) (cavecon@earthlink.net and merecaver@yahoo.com) Landowner Awards: Janet Tinkham, (janete@shentel.net) Region Record Staff Editors: Jessica Reep and Kyle Mills (j.reep@aol.com and wv.mills@yahoo.com) Proofreader: Meredith Hall Weberg Circulation Manager: Carol Tiderman, (410) , (ctider@ymail.com) Region Record Subscriptions New NSS members in the Region receive two complimentary copies of the Region Record. Current NSS members moving into the Region from elsewhere receive two complimentary copies. Current NSS members who move within the Region get no freebies. When a subscription is going to expire, the last issue will be stamped Time to Renew. No renewal notice is sent. When a person attends a VAR meeting he/she is automatically added to the list to receive the next four issues. If he/she is already on the list, four additional issues are added to the subscription. When multiple people live at the same address only one copy of each issue will be sent to the address unless a request is sent to the Circulation Manager Virginia Region of the NSS Regional Calendar October 10-12, 2014: Fall VAR, see front page for details November 8, 2014: WVCC Banquet, Lewisburg, WV List Your Event Here If you have a caving event that is of regional interest please send information to the Editors listed above so it can be included in the calendar. At convention several VAR member received many awards: Ted Kayes was awarded the William Stephenson Outstanding Service Award. The new Fellows of the NSS are: Charles Kahn, Mike Manke, Mark Minton, Gretchen Schock, Scott Wahlquist Give all congratulations next time you see them. Bill Biggers received his 50 Year Pin at Convention. The VAR needs Host groups for SPRING 2015 TALK IT UP WITH YOUR GROTTO'S Craig

3 Donaldson Cave Gate Repaired by Bob Hoke Bob Hoke is preparing concrete to fill the gap under the cave. Assorted steel pieces were embedded in the concrete to give it strength and nine bags of concrete were used to plug the gap. Photo by Carol Tiderman. Donaldson Cave is located near Martinsburg, in Berkeley County West Virginia, about two hours from the DC area. The cave is only 750 feet long so it isn t going to challenge any experienced cavers. However, the cave actually has a little of everything to expose kids and beginners to caving. Features include darkness, mud, a few pretties, a couple tight spots, and one slightly scary (but easy) climb. Donaldson is owned by the West Virginia Cave Conservancy. It is on land that is was slated for a housing development in the 1990s. The property owner originally planned to fill the cave with concrete, but through the efforts of DC Grotto member Dave West and others, the cave was donated to the Conservancy in 2002 with the stipulation that it be gated. A very substantial batfriendly gate was installed in 2003 (although very few bats have been observed in the cave. Unfortunately, there was enough space at the top of the gate for a thin person to climb over it. Apparently someone did this and then dug a larger hole around the right end of the gate from inside. This effectively made the gate useless so it needed to be fixed. On June 14 a work party from the DC, Baltimore, and Tri State grottos went to the cave to repair the gate. There were two goals. First, weld a new piece of steel to the top of the gate to make climbing over impossible. Second, fill the large dug gap with enough concrete and rebar to make it impassible and hard to dig out again. Craig Hindman of Baltimore Grotto has built several caves gates (including the Donaldson gate) and he has the heavy duty welding equipment needed to properly weld the new steel onto the top of the gate. When we arrived at the cave, the gate was open and there was no sign of its combination padlock. Fortunately, there was no evidence of damage to the cave, although most of the cave was inaccessible because it fills with water in wet weather. The gate repairs went surprisingly smoothly. We didn t even have to cut any pieces of steel because the scraps that Craig brought, along with pieces supplied by John Pearson, were close enough to the right size. We welded the new steel onto the top of the gate and put five bags of concrete, plus several annoying pieces of steel, into the gap at the end of the gate. The whole task only took about three hours. Finally, we replaced the missing lock with a new one and gave it a new combination. A couple weeks later I decided that we needed a few more sacks of concrete to make it even harder to dig around the side of the gate so I made a solo trip to mix and install another four bags. There is now a LOT of concrete to deter any diggers. I also installed a couple brochure holders on the kiosk at the entrance and stocked them with WVCC brochures and a brochure about the cave. Unfortunately, when I checked the gate there was no sign of the lock. There was no sign of damage to the gate and no filings in the dirt to indicate that the lock had been sawed. I installed a new lock. Bob Bennett, who is the contact for getting the combination, said there had been no known access to the cave since the gate was repaired. What happened to the lock remains a mystery. I stopped by the cave again few weeks after the missing lock was replaced and the lock was still in place. There was no evidence of anyone visiting the cave recently. By the way, access to Donaldson Cave is easy: just contact Bob Bennett (gimpycaver@comcast.net) and get the current combination to the gate lock. Watch out, the cave fills with standing water in wet weather. Participants in the gate repair project were Craig Hindman, Carol Tiderman, Bob Hoke, Pauline Apling, Tom Griffin, Todd Zimmerman, Jerry Bowen, Tina Blaik, John Scrivener, Clint Hogbin, and Bob Bennett.

4 August 7, By Craig Stihler To Bat Cave Owners and other interested parties: I am writing to provide an update on the status of White Nose Syndrome in West Virginia. This disease is affecting several species of bats that hibernate in caves. Below is a summary of the results of our winter surveys of hibernating bats and the summer counts at the 10 known Virginia big-eared bat maternity colonies (also in caves). White Nose Syndrome (WNS) first appeared in New York in 2006 and was first observed in West Virginia in 2009; in that year it was documented in four caves in Pendleton County. Since that time, it has been found in additional counties and by 2012 was present throughout the major karst regions of the state. On a continental scale, WNS has now been confirmed as far west as western Missouri, south to northern Alabama and Mississippi, and north to southern Canada. WNS, a disease which affects bats during hibernation, is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. This fungus is not native to North America. The fungus is cold-loving and grows on the bats skin while they hibernate. The skin of an active bat is too warm for the fungus to grow on it, but the fungus thrives on hibernating bats which are cooled to cave temperatures. Unlike most fungi that attack skin, this fungus does not just colonize the skin surface, but grows into and erodes the skin. This leads to tissue damage, especially to the wings. The damage affects a bats ability to fly, but it also results in water balance problems (such as dehydration) and changes in electrolyte balance. Bats with WNS also arouse from hibernation more frequently than do non-affected bats resulting in early depletion of fat stores they need to survive the winter. Mortality rates from WNS often exceed 90%. The impact of WNS varies with bat species (See table in next page). The species which appear to be hit the hardest are: little brown bats, northern long-eared bats, and tricolored bats (formerly eastern pipistrelles). These were among the most common bats in the state prior to the arrival of WNS. Endangered Indiana bats are declining almost as dramatically as little brown bats. Percent change in numbers of hibernating bats in 40 caves in West Virginia pre and post arrival of White Nose Syndrome (WNS). Changes are based on bat numbers during the last survey before White Nose Syndrome (WNS) was confirmed or suspected to have arrived at the site compared to surveys conducted two to five years after WNS arrived Common Name Scientific Name % Change Little brown bat Myotis Lucifugus Indiana bat Myotis sodalis Northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis Eastern small-footed bat Myotis leibii +8.3 Tricolored bat Perimyotis subflavus Big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus -8.2 Virginia big-eared bat Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus Big brown bats appear to be less affected than the other species, and numbers are staying at near pre-wns levels. The number of eastern small-footed bats has increased in recent years. While this is encouraging, it is based on a small number of bats seen in winter surveys. The one bit of good news is that endangered Virginia big-eared bats appear not to be affected by the fungus, and their numbers have actually increased significantly since 2009 (the increase in winter numbers indicates an increase of 39%, but for this species, our summer counts are believed to be more accurate and put the increase at around 31%). To date, no Virginia big-eared bat has been observed with White Nose Syndrome. The total number of Virginia bigeared bats counted in the 10 maternity colonies in 2014 was 8,354. This is the highest count on record! (see graph on next page). WV Division of Natural Resources biologists and others have been monitoring bats in caves for decades. Prior to WNS, the little brown bat was the most abundant bat hibernating in caves in West Virginia. Declines of little brown bats at most sites have been over 90% and sometimes over 99%. Overall mortality rate for this bat in West Virginia is 96.3%. Of all our sites that had 100 or more little brown bats prior WNS, our sites with the best survival still exhibited a decline of 91.2%. Tricolored bats have declined nearly 90%. Our best site for tricolored bats had a decline of only 77%. Declines for Indiana bats have been around 80%, but populations of this species were quite low before WNS appeared, so the total number of this species is quite low. At most sites, the number of remaining Indiana bats is lower than counts in the early 1980s when most of these surveys began. As bad as these numbers are, at this time we do not know if the remaining bats are likely to be

5 survivors or if declines will continue. At least there are a few bats remaining, and these bats show little or no visible fungus during hibernation. Hopefully, there are bats that can survive this disease and live to reproduce and pass on those traits. For more information on White Nose Syndrome visit Thank you for your help in protecting important bat caves. With the stress due to White Nose Syndrome, now more than ever bats need safe caves where they can hibernate undisturbed and, for big-eared bats, raise their young. S i Request For Proposals Conservation and Education Projects 1 st Deadline: September 15, nd Deadline: February 15, 2015 Cave Conservancy of the Virginias (CCV) is seeking grant proposals for funding to support cave and karst related conservation and education projects. CCV has previously supported projects such as: cleanup of sinkholes, removal of trash and graffiti from caves, installation of cave gates to prevent damage to significant resources, installation of fencing to curb effects of erosion washing sediment into cave streams, and education and outreach efforts, among others. Guidelines for submission of grant proposal are posted on the CCV website at Contact the CCV Grants & Awards Committee Chair, Dan Fong, at dfong@american.edu if you have questions concerning this RFP.

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7 The Rich Mountain Battlefield Field of Fire: The Field of Fire is the site of Camp Garnett, the Confederate camp guarding the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and part of the battle of Rich Mountain. There are numerous historical markers, sites, and museums in the local area about the battle. The campground is divided into two areas. The West half, near registration and the pavilion, is the loud camping. The pavilion itself has flush toilets and showers. The East half of the campground is to be considered quiet/family camping. Both areas are connected by a trail and by Rich Mountain Road. We ask that people not bring their pets to the event (service animals are permitted). Campfires are NOT allowed. This is going to be during peak leaf season so this will be strictly enforced. There are a few areas of the campground that are sensitive historical sites and are off limits to camping. These areas will be clearly marked. Metal Detectors are NOT allowed. Possession of a metal detector on battlefield property will be reported to the authorities and you will be asked to leave the event with no refund. The site has cell reception for most major carriers. The closest general store is 2 miles away in Coalton. The closest gas station is in Norton, 6 miles away. Elkins, ~15 miles away, has shopping, restaurants, hospital, etc. There is potable water available on site. Directions: From the West (I-79) Take I-79 exit 99. Take US-33 East towards Elkins. After 29 miles turn right on WV-151. Follow 151 for 1 mile and turn right at the stop sign. Go 1 mile and turn left on Coalton-Pumpkintown Road for 3.3 miles. Make a hard left into the town of Coalton. Follow Broadway Ave all the way through the town. Continue on the gravel road for 2 miles. Field of Fire is on the left. From the East (Elkins, WV) Take US-33 West from Elkins, WV. Turn left on WV-151. Follow 151 for 1 mile and turn right at the stop sign. Go 1 mile and turn left on Coalton-Pumpkintown Road for 3.3 miles. Make a hard left into the town of Coalton. Follow Broadway Ave all the way through the town. Continue on the gravel road for 2 miles. Field of Fire is on the left. From the South East (Dailey Beverly, WV) From Dailey (OTR) take US-219 North. Turn left in the town of Beverly on to Rich Mountain Road. Follow for 1 mile to fork with Georgetown Road. Stay right at first fork. At the stop sign go straight/left on Rich Mountain Road. Follow for 8 miles. Field of Fire is on the Right.

8 Minutes of the Spring 2014 VAR Meeting APRIL 13, 2014 R.A.S.S Field Station The meeting was called to order at 9:14 a.m. REPORTS Secretary: Carol Tiderman A motion was made by New River to accept the minutes as published in the Region Record. Mon Grotto seconded. Motion passed. Treasurer: John Fox The status of the treasury was presented & distributed. The honorarium from the 2013 Convention was received. A donation was made to JSS. Vice Chair: Judy Fisher Chairman: Craig Hindman In one of the caves visited this weekend, a video was made of cavers smoking pot & setting off fireworks. This may be posted on YouTube. Conservation Co-Chair: Meredith Hall Weberg Next weekend is the annual Grand Caverns Restoration. VAR Outstanding Service Award: Meredith Hall Weberg Nominations needed by OTR. Form is online. Landowner Recognition Awards: Janet Tinkhan No nominations have been received. There is a form online. Each grotto should nominate someone. Landowner Legal Support Committee: Bob Hoke No new is good news. Region Record: Jessica Reep & Kyle Mills Send articles and pictures. The deadline for the next issue is June 15. VAR List Server: Walt Pirie VAR Web site: Jim McConkey Cave Bucks: JC Fisher Still works. It s easy. For more information, contact JC. Send the funds in, don t hold onto them. Virginia Speleological Survey: Rick Lambert West Virginia Speleological Survey: Savannah Cave life management is status quo. Sharps Cave owner is happy controlling the cave, may hand off access management in the future. West Virginia Cave Conservancy: Dave Socky Southeast Cave Conservancy: Walt Pirie Grand Caverns/Cave Hill: Jim McConkey The project continues. Contact Carol Tiderman for information. Virginia Cave Board: Meredith Hall Weberg Karst Assessment guidelines are online. The Virginia Cave and Karst trail is to launch during Cave Week, April The next meeting is on June 28 at Natural Bridge. A caver in Tennessee wants to set up a Cave Board. The website is being revised. John Holsinger received a lifetime achievement award. Cave Conservancy of the Virginias: Dave Socky Looking at how to market their organization. Funds are available for grottos. Funds are available for scholarships. Spring Survey Project: Joey Fagan Crystal Cave at Hupps Hill: Craig Hindman The property is not going to MAKC because the owners, the Bernstein Foundation, toured the cave and thought it was going to collapse. Youth Group Liaison: Joey Fagan Host Report: R.A.S.S. Approximately 250 attendees. OLD BUSINESS VAR Hosts Fall 2014: Mon Grotto, Oct at the Rich Mountain Battlefield. Spring 2015: Gizmo tentatively may host. Fall 2015: no offers. NEW BUSINESS Registration fees: Crystal Biggers suggested a lower rate for kids (this is already suggested in How to Host a VAR). Mon Grotto suggested age brackets be in the guidelines (this was done).

9 New River Cave: As of May 1 the NSS will own the cave. Wil Orndorff will be the preserve manager. A new trail to the cave is planned. Mon Grotto moved that the funds collected for Crystal Cave be redirected to the purchase of New River Cave. BATS seconded. Passed. Anyone donating to the New River purchase should put New River Cave in the comment line of the donation check. Vandalism: Pot use and fireworks use in a cave was discussed. Discussion ranged from throw them out to educate to litigate. These activities are bad for cave critters. Vendors: There was a discussion regarding what the members wanted at a VAR. Was a vendor having exclusive access acceptable? Was it up to the host? The delegates said it was a VAR event and VAR guidance for access to all should prevail. Products relevant to caving should be allowed. There was a suggestion to add guidelines to How to Host a VAR. To vary from the guidelines must be approved at the time of the bid submission. Mentors are available for host groups. There was a round of applause for R.A.S.S for hosting the VAR. Grant Requests: None received. Announcements Come to Fountain and dig - Bill Biggers. Carpenter Swago needs to be resurveyed - Carroll Bassett. Adjournment New River moved to adjourn, Front Royal seconded. Meeting Adjourned at 10:40 a.m. Respectfully submitted: Carol Tiderman

10 West Virginia Cave Conservancy Annual Banquet Saturday, November 8, 2014 Quality Inn Motel (Formerly the Brier Inn), Lewisburg, West Virginia Happy Hour (cash bar) starts at 6:00 PM. Dinner is at 7:00 PM Banquet Speaker: Bill Balfour will do a presentation titled Culverson, Up the Creek. Special Cave Trip: Prior to the banquet there will be a led trip in Rapps Cave for banquet attendees. Participants will assemble at the WVACS Fieldstation at 1 PM on Saturday, 11/8/14. It s a short walk to the cave. There are two options in the cave: 1. A short trip requiring only helmet and light. 2. A longer trip requiring regular caving gear. Everyone will be out of the cave by 4 PM. Silent Auction: There will be the traditional Silent Auction at the banquet. Donations are welcome, or bring money to bid on the many treasures. See wvcc.net/auction/ for a list of books that can be in the auction. Plus, there will be lots more great stuff! Menu: Chicken Breast Marsala, Prime Rib at a carving station, and Vegetable Lasagna. Vegetables will be Roasted Red Potatoes, Vegetable Medley and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Choice of two salads, Garden and Pasta. For dessert: Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse. Beverages will be coffee, ice tea, water and sodas. Directions: Take I-64 to Exit 169 (US 219 and Lewisburg). Head south toward Lewisburg and turn left at the first traffic light at Shoney s. The Quality Inn is on the right after one block. Yes, I will attend the West Virginia Cave Conservancy s Annual Banquet: Name(s) Address City State ZIP Phone Number of $30 per person Total Amount Enclosed The $30 price is valid through November 2. After that the price is $35. Reservations are required so we know how much food to order. (There will be no at the door meal tickets available). Make checks payable to WVCC and mail to: WVCC Banquet, c/o Bob Hoke, 6304 Kaybro St., Laurel, MD Sorry, WVCC cannot accept credit cards (they became too expensive).