Cascade Grotto Meeting
Online-only (via google meet)
August 19

Votes

Member at Large

Add a new Member at Large seat in the executive committee (making 5 members)
Elections for this seat will be in December for a 1-year term, concurrent with the other officers.

Eric proposed, Robert seconded; passed:

• 12 for
• None against

Funds for Holiday party

Authorize up to $300 for 2023 holiday party reservation

Eric proposed, Maurice seconded; passed:

• 13 for
• None against

Presentation

Cave Diving

Presented by Richard Jack

Diver cave divers vs Caver cave divers

Divers

• Big into courses/certifications
  • Courses mostly started to fatalities
• Generally they’re mostly tourists
• Big gear nuts who like to spend money on cool toys
• Hate carrying around big packs/lots of equipment
• Not a big jump into cave diving because they have much of the equipment

Cavers

• Not often toursts/more into exploration
• Little to no formal training
• Surprisingly low fatality rate
• Often go solo
• Carry heavy gear/packs (used to it with dry caving)
• Big jump to get into because dry caving doesn’t require diving gear

Dangers

• can I back out?
• gas levels
• sumps
• good planning is critical/can minimize risk
  • do we have enough air?
  • can we return the way we came?

Vacation divers vs exploration divers

Key differences

• Different risk profiles
• Different personalities
• Different sports

Vacation divers

• More recreational
• Hate high flow
• Enjoy using scooters
• Often right by the cave; very easy access in touristy areas
• Sometimes can find fascinating historic & prehistoric artifacts in the cave
  • placed there prior to the cave being filled with water

Exploration divers

• Takes a long time to reach the cave
• Can have tough/exhausting circumstances like a long walk with heavy gear between sump dives
• More specialized equipment:
  • Rebreathers are lighter and allow for more extensive dives
    • Only need a spare emergency tank for escape if rebreather fails

Exploration dives locally

• Devil’s Bath
• Wet dream
  • most commonly dived west of the Mississippi river (~150 dives/year)
• Argo
  • explored sump 300m down

Questions

How often are carbon fiber tanks used?

• Very expensive but not as durable
• Big problem is you have to sink the tank
  • Need lots of lead strapped to it to get it underwater
  • Can leave weight belts there by dive spot
  • Tanks brought in and out and carry is lighter
• Using a rebreather allows for less weight/smaller tanks

Trip Reports

Fantastic pit, GA

• Sarah, Maurice
• Largest pit in the continental US

Crow’s nest spring

• Richard, Rebecca
• Did cave dive and wanted to check it out for a long time
• Tough access

Dynamited

• Sarah, Bram, Lee
• Started a resurvey (did ~1.5k ft)

Cave Ridge

• Eric & others
• Lots of people checked out cave ridge for the first time

Lookout cave

• Sirius & others
• Visited it for the first time with some climbing friends

Poet’s Crest

• Richard, Bram, Jessie, Mark & others
• Lots of digging, very promising
• Lots of bugs there all the time! (seems the season never ends)

Ridge-walking on Vancouver island

• Richard, Rebecca
• ~20 miles east of Tofino
• Explored the fjords in that area (very rough bushwhacking)

Nacin ridge

• Eric, Mark
• Explored cracks in the ridge (not limestone)
• One looked to have a 70′ rappel

Western Regional

• Eric, Kim
• Reported on Poet’s crest

Papoose, ID

• Eric, Ethan
• Dug dirt leads in cave and outside

Lake Ingalls

• Chris & others
• Hiked out and saw some possible cracks (may be limestone?)

Rainy creek

• Eric & others
• Dug on insurgence for a while
• Looked around for rumors of cave & sinkholes

Announcements

Upcoming trips

Survey workshop (Oct 21/22)

• Around dynamited cave
• Email/Facebook post with agenda was sent out by Lee
• Great introduction to surveying
  • all are welcome; no experience is required
• Starting at 9 AM on 10/21
• Looking for assistance with rigging the initial 10 ft drop so people can easily descend
  • Extension ladder/webbing/rope would be useful

Talus cave exploration (Oct 21)

• Will be in the Burlington area
• Contact Dusty if interested

Excelsior ridge trail (Oct 20)

• Will survey a 70′ pit visible by the trail
• Lead by Eric

Thanksgiving cave (Oct 29/30)

• VICEG running trip on Vancouver island
• One of the largest systems on the west coast
• Richard is going on Oct 26 and has carpooling room for others if people are interested

Halloween trip (Oct 29/30)

• Massive cave trip down to Trout lake area
• All levels, lots of caves
• Bring your costume!

Hells Canyon (Nov 4/5)

• 6-7 hours from Seattle area
• Kim Lauper is leading

North Vancouver island trip (Nov 11/12)

• Lead by VICEG
• By port McNeill
• Maurice is going, contact if interested

Other events

Halloween party (Oct 30)

• Eddy Cartaya’s place by Bend, OR
• Lee is going

NCRC course (Feb 2024)

• Will be in Texas
• Registration will open November 1 (And will fill FAST!)

Business

Planning Events

Western Regional

• will be in Washington (Helens area) in 2024
• Main goals:
  • finding a good secure camping area
  • need volunteers & trip leaders
  • may use discord for organization between grottos
  • get in touch with those who organized it previously to obtain requirements
  • dates still need to be set (late Aug to Nov, possibly late Sept)
    • great campgrounds tend to be popular/hard to book
    • 270 days in advance is the soonest we can book
  • engage forest service to let them know
    • only 3 caves require special permits
  • put up money for reserving campgrounds (50/50 grotto split?)
• as FYI, Cougar as poor cell service
• gauntlet obstacle course could come by to join us
  • gauntlet obstacle course could come by to join us
• Vandy looking into t-shirts for event
• Estimated attendance is ~80-120
• Would be great to involve Bill Halliday somehow
  • Currently resides in Shoreline with his daughter

Halloween Trip

• October 27-29
• Camping:
  • Trout lake creek campground
• Equipment:
  • Eric bringing big 2-burner propane stove
  • Brad bringing chainsaw
  • Aidan bringing rope cannon to check out upper lead in Dynamited
  • Eric bringing squeeze box
• Trips:
  • Eric: Friday & Saturday night (relaxed/easier trips)
  • Dusty: Dynamited late morning on Saturday
  • Brad: Deadhorse Saturday, J&R on Sunday
  • James: very crawly trip on Sunday
  • Sarah: non-caving trip to Mt Adams
• All levels are welcome!
• Costumes are encouraged!

Holiday Party

• Likely first weeks of December
• Possible locations:
  • Lake city: Last year’s location (Tyrone’s apartment) is only available mid-december
  • Duval: Aidan’s garage is available but won’t be able to fit many cars
  • Capitol hill: Amy’s brother has a place that may be available
  • Kenmore: Mark thinks the community center is available; lots of breweries nearby
  • Port Townsend: Renato
  • Fort Casey: Ginger
• Eric would appreciate any assistance wherever possible organizing this

Official Business

Old Business

Donation of $100 to partner of former vice-chair Lauren Kenyon

• Done

Rope replacement budget of $400 for Newton

• Organized by Dusty
• Will send out information on rope; discussion to be on email/google group
• Pitches in Newton:
  • 10′ nuisance
  • 60′ (unrigged)
  • 20′
  • 100′ w/ rebelay
  • 90′ after colon crawl

New Business

• Member at Large vote, passed
• Authorize $300 for holiday party reservation, passed