75th Anniversary Convention

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Celebrate our Past. Discover our Future.

Anniversary Convention July 16-23, 2016 ~

cave enthusiasts from the United States and

This summer, members of the NSS will gather

1 Celebrate our Past. Discover our Future. National Speleological Society 75th Anniversary Convention July 16-23, 2016 ~ Ely, Nevada USA Founded in 1941, the National Speleological Society is the largest organization in the world dedicated to the exploration, preservation and conservation of caves. Our society s 10,000 members include scientists, cartographers, explorers, and cave enthusiasts from the United States and around the world. This summer, members of the NSS will gather in Ely, Nevada to celebrate the society s 75th anniversary. We hope you can join us! Celebrate our Past. Discover our Future.

Welcome to Ely, Nevada! Spanish conquistadors called it the Northern Mystery. Scouts of the Western Expansion called it the big empty. But it was John C.

It doesn t matter if this is your first-time convention or if you re a seasoned veteran; when cavers gather in the heart of this western state, the 2016 NSS 75th Anniversary will offer something for

2 Welcome to Ely, Nevada! Spanish conquistadors called it the Northern Mystery. Scouts of the Western Expansion called it the big empty. But it was John C. Frémont s expedition of 1843 that finally gave this place its name: The Great Basin. It doesn t matter if this is your first-time convention or if you re a seasoned veteran; when cavers gather in the heart of this western state, the 2016 NSS 75th Anniversary will offer something for everyone! Much like caving, the spirit of discovery runs deep in Nevada. It is in our DNA. This territory was founded by miners searching for silver and gold, and by settlers searching for freedom and solitude. They are the soul of Nevada. Discovery is part of our history both above ground and below it and we re looking forward to sharing that with our caver family! Ely, Nevada, started with just a post office and stagecoach station near the old Pony Express trail. The discovery of copper over a century ago turned this region into a destination. The area s first settlers were attracted by the grassy meadows, water, and towering mountains, as well as the lure of potential fortunes to be made mining precious metals. Ely s economy has nearly always been dependent on mining. Although the early prospectors came to the area looking for gold and silver, it was copper that brought this town fame. The nearby mine was once the largest human-made hole on Earth! Caves in the surrounding hills were often used as shelters by the early miners until homes could be built. The copper mine is still one of the largest employers in the county and we ll include a tour of it during our geology field trip on Sunday before convention. The Lehman Caves in Nevada s Great Basin National Park feature over 300 rare shield formations. Sessions & Salons This year s convention offers all the regular sessions and salons you would regularly expect, with a couple additions. One of our special sessions will focus on the next 75 years of caving. Hosted by astrobiologist Penny Boston, this session will speculate on what we might expect cave science to achieve in the coming decades. Sessions Archaeology BioSpeleology Cave Diving Cave Photography Cave Wilderness Communications & Electronics Conservation Digging Future of Caving Geology & Geography International Exploration Safety & Techniques Spelean History Survey & Cartography U.S. Exploration Vertical Section Salons Cartography Cave Ballads Crafts and Design Fine Arts Multimedia Program Newsletter Cover Art Photo Posters and Pamphlets Print Symbolic Emblems T-Shirts Videos Plus Cave Trips! Ghost Town Tours Vertical Contests Nevada is the most mountainous state in the United States with approximately 315 named-mountain ranges. Of these, Nevada is home to over forty named peaks exceeding 10,000 feet in elevation and a hundred more un-named ranges. The word Nevada comes from Spanish for snow-capped.

Getting There Without question, this is not an easy place to get to. The rural town of Ely, Nevada, sits on the edge of what Life Magazine once called the Loneliest Road in America.

3 Getting There Without question, this is not an easy place to get to. The rural town of Ely, Nevada, sits on the edge of what Life Magazine once called the Loneliest Road in America. Distances out here aren t measured in miles; those are meaningless. Most of the west measures distance in travel time. Yet, for our friends traveling across the Great Basin, your adventures can include stops for caving, gemstone hunting, ghost town exploring, and just about anything else you can imagine. With thousands of square miles of wilderness, Nevada can be as wide open as your imagination. For cavers wishing to fly into Nevada, the nearest large airport is Las Vegas. Fortunately it s one of the world s easiest destinations to visit, but it is still a few hours south of Ely. We have ride-sharing and roomsharing details on our website if you need that service. If you plan to drive, be sure to check out our site for downloadable travel CDs. Radio stations are few and far between out here! Staying There Once you get here, things get a lot easier. Ely s small-town size is a clever disguise for its ability to host destination-worthy events. Although Ely has a total population of about 4,400, the town has an 18-hole golf course, a 700-seat convention center, a new $3-million swimming facility, almost 800 hotel rooms, several 24-hour dining facilities, an art-deco movie theater, multiple casinos, a national park, 3 historical museums, an art gallery and a small airport. And, oh yeah, a world-class copper mine. The 2016 convention will be providing free shuttle service from the downtown hotel district to the convention sites and campground. If you plan to stay in a hotel, you ll want to make reservations early. It s very possible that we will fill the town! There is an interactive list of hotels on our website. All locations in town are less than 5 miles from each other. Venues We ve made arrangements with White Pine County to rent a portion of their golf course for our campground. It s only about 2 miles from the high school where we will be holding sessions. Cavers may camp on the fairways and park on the adjacent areas between the holes. In most cases, the walk to your campsite will only be a few feet. There s limited shade and no tables, so you ll need to come prepared. The campground will open on Saturday morning before the convention. Campfires will be limited to group fires built by the convention staff and only self-contained cooking stoves will be allowed on the fairways. Nevada is a very dry state and the danger of wildfire is always a serious concern here. Water conservation will be a priority in all of our locations. Please plan for noimpact camping. All salons and sessions will be held at White Pine High School in Ely. Strong WiFi connections are available at the high school, but not at the campground. Addresses: Sessions & registration: White Pine County High School 1800 Bobcat Drive, Ely, NV Registration opens at 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 16. Camping & social events: White Pine County Golf Course 151 Golf Course Rd, Ely, NV

4 Climate The region around Ely sits in the heart of the Great Basin Desert but before that scares you away, let s talk about deserts... You might be surprised to know that Ely is only 35 miles from the nearest glacier! Most of northern Nevada is considered a high desert. At 6,437 feet, Ely is almost 700 feet higher in elevation than Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Although it s called a desert, the environment is defined more by the lack of rainfall than it is by temperature. Ely s average daytime high in July is only 87 F. At night, it quickly cools down to about 48 F. The region s low humidity makes for some very nice summer days, but bring warm clothing for the evenings. You ll thank us later! Will it rain? Probably not, but we won t promise anything! In the late 1870s, over 15,000 people ventured into the mining camps of White Pine County. That totalled more than half of the entire state s population. Today, White Pine County is home to 13 of Nevada s 28 designated wilderness areas, including the pristine Mount Moriah, North Schell, Worthington Mountains, and Goshute Wilderness Areas. Steam Ride Through History Over a century ago, Ely s Nevada Northern Railway connected the largest copper mines in North America to the transcontinental routes to the north. Today, several of the original steam locomotives that were used on the railroad are still in operation. Curators of the Smithsonian Institution have called the Nevada Northern Railway, the most complete, most authentic, and best cared-for railway museum in the country. Each day of the 2016 convention, you may take a ride on these historic locomotives up through the nearby mining district. The 90-minute excursion is a mustsee when you visit Ely! On Tuesday evening, two special trains will offer an interpretive geology presentation led by a local mining geologist from Nevada. Advance reservations are required to obtain our discount prices on all train trips. The geology trains on Tuesday are expected to sell out, so you ll want to act quickly to reserve your seat. Cave Trips & WNS Issues White Nose Syndrome has not reached Nevada! Let s keep it that way. Full decontamination of all gear is required before you will be allowed on any cave trips. If you re coming from a WNS-impacted area, we d appreciate it if you just left your gear at home and used our loaner supplies for any cave trips. We will have a mobile decon unit on site to clean your gear between trips. The 2016 convention will feature between 6 and 12 cave trips per day. Most will be led by regional cavers. We ll also have an occasional off-trail tour of Lehman Cave in Great Basin National Park. A nominal fee will be charged for the commercial cave. International Cavers The NSS International Participant Grant is offering financial support to help foreign cavers attend the convention this summer. If you know of anyone who might qualify, please refer them to our website for additional details. Over half of all the rock art sites in Nevada consist of petroglyphs, which are drawings and symbols carved onto rock by ancient peoples. The meanings behind petroglyphs are thought to represent game hunts and tribal customs within the tribe depicted on stone. Many petroglyph areas are located near caves. All rock art sites are federally protected. Please treat them as you would a cave formation. Look and appreciate, but don t touch.

JSS Operations The 2016 convention believes the Junior Speleological Society holds the future leaders of the NSS! Our convention will offer a full JSS program for kids ages 9-17.

Howdy Party With A Twist! Showing our caver-style of irreverent respect, the 2016 convention will present the first ever Donner Party Howdy Party on Monday evening.

Zombies, ghosts, cowboys and aliens are, of course, always welcome. It took the forsaken Donner Party approximately two months to cross the entire state of present-day Nevada in 1846.

Convention-Special Book Offer In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the National Speleological Society, the NSS is publishing a hardbound 291-page historical book covering highlights from our

5 JSS Operations The 2016 convention believes the Junior Speleological Society holds the future leaders of the NSS! Our convention will offer a full JSS program for kids ages Activities include gemstone hunting, train rides, cave trips, swimming parties and vertical seminars. If you have time, we could use some extra parent volunteers for this program. Howdy Party With A Twist! Showing our caver-style of irreverent respect, the 2016 convention will present the first ever Donner Party Howdy Party on Monday evening. That illfated group of pioneers passed through this area on their way to California. If you want to go all-in, feel free to come dressed as your favorite wagon master (or other side dish). Zombies, ghosts, cowboys and aliens are, of course, always welcome. It took the forsaken Donner Party approximately two months to cross the entire state of present-day Nevada in Virginia Reed, whose entire family survived the tragedy atop Donner Summit, gave this advice to a 19th century journalist: Never take no cut-offs and walk as fast as you can. Convention-Special Book Offer In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the National Speleological Society, the NSS is publishing a hardbound 291-page historical book covering highlights from our past 75 years. Written by Paul Damon, the book is titled Diamond Jubilee of the National Speleological Society. It includes sections on national, regional and grotto events in addition to extensive chapters on science and technology. Large image galleries include 17 subjects from Ms Cave Woman of 1950 to a Cave Diggers Delight at Tory Cave! Additional profiles include such memorable characters as Pope Speleos the First, Darth Caver and a Monster- Morphed caver from the 1950s. The 2016 convention registration form allows NSS members to pre-order this book at the discounted price of $25. Your book will be delivered to you at the Nevada convention. Caving areas of Nevada. Map provided by ESRI. Convention-Special Collectors Pin The 2016 convention is offering a free NSS 75th anniversary pin to all cavers who register before Friday, April 22nd. These pins will include the anniversary ribbon logo and will not be available after that date. These are not the same as the regular convention pin. No further anniversary pins will be made after April 22nd. To receive this free collectors item, your registration must be received or postmarked by the cut-off date. Pins may not be ordered seperately. Limit one per person.

Participant Information Name NSS # Mailing Address 2016 NSS Convention Registration City State Postal Code Country Age: o 0-8 o 9-17 o 18-20 o 21+ Daytime Phone E-mail Address Name as it should

6 Participant Information Name NSS # Mailing Address 2016 NSS Convention Registration City State Postal Code Country Age: o 0-8 o 9-17 o o 21+ Daytime Phone Address Name as it should appear on registration badge: Evening Phone Radio Callsign? Emergency Contact & Considerations Contact Name NSS # Daytime Phone Are you mobility impaired? o Yes Are you hearing impaired? o Yes Any medical conditions we should be aware of? Evening Phone o No o No Preferences & Special Requirements Drink preferences: o Wine o Coffee o Light Beer o Dark beer o Milk/juice o Diet soda o Regular soda Dietary restrictions or allergies? Special requirements? Accommodation & Gear Plans To help with our planning, where will you be staying: o Camping (tent) o Camping (RV) o Local hotel o Other Travel plans: o Flying o Driving o Private aircraft Will you need to borrow cave gear? o Yes o No Would you like the Nevada Commission on Tourism to send you a free travel guide? o Yes o No NOTE: All cavers from WNS-impacted areas are encouraged to leave their personal gear at home. Decontamination is required for all trips! ALSO: Ride sharing information is available on our website. Payment Information o VISA o MasterCard o Discover o Check/Money Order All payments should be made to: NSS 2016 Convention Card Number Name on Card Billing Address Expiration Date Billing City State Postal Code Signature Please type or print legibly. Use one form per person. All participants must review and sign liability waivers at registration. We reserve the right to remove any persons whose behavior infringes on the safety of our other guests. Would you be interested in RV hook-ups for $25/day? o Yes CCV Code o No Please mail registration form and your check or money order to: NSS 2016 Convention 9032 Black Elk Avenue Las Vegas, NV Full-Week Registration Before June 1st: Adult, NSS Member o: $ Youth (9-17) (incl. JSS, no guidebook) o: $ Child (0-8) o: $28.00 June 1st - July 1st: Adult, NSS Member o: $ Youth (9-17) (incl. JSS, no guidebook) o: $ Child (0-8) o: $28.00 Onsite Registration: Adult, NSS Member o: $ Youth (9-17) (incl. JSS, no guidebook) o: $ Child (0-8) o: $32.00 NSS Non-Member Surcharge o: $45.00 Meal Plan (served M-F at the high school) o: $95.00 Includes breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday Day-Pass Registration Day passes include daytime sessions and evening social functions, but no camping or guidebook. All passes must be shown at the entry gates each day. Monday, July 18 o or Friday, July 22 o: $58.00 Tuesday o, Wednesday o, Thursday o: $45.00 Special Events Please visit our website for details. Most events will be in Ely, NV, but the NNSS tour departs from Las Vegas on the 15th. Fri. Jul. 15: NV National Security Site Tour o: $16.50 Sat. Jul. 16: Ely Speleo-Fest o: Free Sun. Jul. 17: Geology Field Trip o: $55.00 Tue. Jul. 19, 4:30pm: Geology Steam Train o: $22.50 Tue. Jul. 19, 7:30pm: Geology Steam Train o: $22.50 Date TBD SpeleoArt Workshop o: $20.00 Wed. July 20: Photography Workshop o: $12.00 Thu. Jul 21: Vertical Workshop o: $25.00 Fri. Jul 22: Speleology for Cavers o: $45.00 Sun-Fri, 9:30am: Steam Train Excursion o: $18.00 o Sun, o Mon, o Tue, o Wed, o Thu, o Fri. Merchandise & Extras NSS 2016 Convention T-shirt: o Men s o Women s o Small, o Medium, o Large, o X-Large: $12.00 o XX-Large, o XXX-Large: $14.00 NSS 75th Anniversary Pin Free Free for all registrations received by April 22! Until Apr.22 NSS 75th Anniversary Coffee Mug o: $12.00 NSS 75th Anniversary Book o: $ Convention Cloisonné Pin o: $ Convention Patch o: $7.00 Extra Guidebook o: $28.00 Pet Registration (includes free gifts!) o: $24.00 Pet s Name & Species: Discounts Current College Student (must show ID) o: - $25.00 No Guidebook o: - $28.00 Only available for secondary registrations at same address. NSS New Member Coupon o: - $45.00 Total Registration: The 2016 NSS Convention is an internal committee of the National Speleological Society. Visit us online at nss2016.caves.org

Nationally Accredited Camps and Staff

Nationally Accredited Camps and Staff What is Webelos Woods? Webelos Woods is a unique opportunity for Cub Scouts to experience the outdoors at Camp Morrison in McCall, Idaho. Webelos Woods supports the purposes of the Boy Scouts of America: