Meeting Minutes June 2023

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Cascade Grotto Meeting
Online-only (via Zoom)
June 26

Votes

New rope for Newton

Should we allocate $150 for 11mm PMI pit rope (~100 ft) to re-rig the 4th pitch of Newton?

  • 7 for
  • none against

Reimburse existing rope in Newton

Should we reimburse Eric $50 for existing rigging of the other way of Newton?

  • 6 for
  • none against

Trip Reports

Oregon grotto trip to Helens area, 6/10-6/11

  • A few people joined the Oregon grotto for a trip there
  • Showed many caves west of Green Mountain
  • Pushed some leads
  • Did some surveying

Beginner trip, 6/17-6/18

  • A resounding success!
  • 21 people total
  • Saturday:
    • Lake and Ol’s cave
  • Sunday:
    • Lots of little caves west of Green Mountain
    • Survey practice
    • Vertical pratice

Newton, 6/22

  • Aidan and Sarah got to the bottom of the 4th pitch in 3-4 hours
  • Water wasn’t too bad but got into a stream by the 4th pitch
  • Did not see the 5th pitch but presume it is very wet

Trout lake, 6/24

  • Lauren showed Guler ice cave to some friends

Trip Plans

Oregon grotto, 7/8-7/9

  • Planning a trip near them, look up on their site for more info

Cave ridge, 7/14-7/16

  • Everyone welcome, vertical and non-vertical
  • Surveying planned
  • Digging in Newton
  • Checking out all of the caves all along the ridge

Oregon Grotto Potluck, 7/21

  • May do things around Trout lake area after

Lake Wenatchee, 7/22

  • possible trip, lead by Eric

Windy Creek, delayed to August

  • Lead by Kenny

Poet’s Crest, first or second week of August

  • Lead by Mark Garnick

Wallowas trip, 8/12 or 8/19

  • Still in discussion

Settle Butte, 9/1

  • Oregon grotto leading

Monument 42, September

  • Tentatively promising limestone

Vancouver island trip, some time in fall

  • Coordinated with VICEG

Checking out a mine?

  • ~100 year old mine with limestone cave within
  • 3 level mine:
    • Has horizontal passages 300 ft above/below one another
    • Need to rappel from top or climb from bottom
    • Lots of collapsed scaffolding at bottom of lower passage (risky)
  • Plan: lower a Gopro from the top passage down to middle passage to examine
    • Aiden willing to donate a 360 to the cause

Old business

Vertical ear

  • Should we finally purchase the 4 sets of gear we allocated funds for?
    • No resolution

New business

Post flyers/QR codes at caves

  • Put some up so people can find out about the Cascade grotto
  • Lauren leading

Replace rope for Newton pitch 4

  • Roughly 100 ft with a rebelay
  • Approved by vote

Reimburse Eric for rigging “the other way”

  • Discussed and approved

Next grotto meeting

  • What day should it be?
    • A consistent location could be useful
    • Keep option to have it virtual
  • What location should we use?
  • TODO: Discuss over email

Informal vertical training

  • Maurice is running informal weekly vertical trainings
    • Tuesdays at 6PM onwards
    • at mountaineers program center (in Seattle)
  • All are welcome but contact email list if you want to double-check that someone is there
  • Covering:
    • Basic SRT, rigging, rescue techniques, etc.

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