JUNE 2006 GROTTO NEWSLETTER

IN THIS ISSUE
• Calendar, 2
• Bridge Day, 2
• Minutes, 3
• Wormfest, 3
• On Rope!, 4
• Members, 5
• Skyscraper, 6
• Bulletin, 7

The weekend camp at

Mammoth Cave May 6-7 was
enjoyable, with about 30 in
attendance from many states,
Jonathon Lewis reports. "Roy
and Rick had planned for us to
finish cleaning Vanderbilt Hall,
Scrapin’ the Sky
removing buried batteries from
the old women's restroom, and
destroying of an old stone wall, Overpass, Dam-in, Skyscraper
all of which was completed on
Saturday. Sunday we finished a
project we had started on in
visit brings back memories
March of the removal of scrap by Allen Blair
steel from a cave gating project Halfway through the sideways maze, as
in the park ... Many thanks to I like to call it, Charlie said, "I forgot how
Roy and Rick for organizing a much fun this is ... It's like a roller coaster
great weekend camp." ride!" Actually it was a Memorial Day
For photos and information Skyscraper Cave ride as we crossed Tygarts
on upcoming Creek to explore it and two other caves.
camps, log on Charlie Munn, Mark Walker and myself
to the restora- made the trek that day, starting our leisurely
tion site at touring at Overpass Cave. Formed in a cliff
Yahoo, or the
restoration S HORT of a side valley to Tygarts, the shelter of the
entrance is wide with an offshoot to the left
Web site, or
local grotto sites,
C RAWLS that is just a walk-in dome. The main
entrance is a good size canyon passage
such as the ESSO grotto site heading straight into the hillside nearly par-
www.caves.org/grotto/esso. allel to the creek. There's an immediate pool
–– that you can skip by stepping up onto the
wall, then the canyon continues, bending
Ken Roughen reports he
right and left. Before long, you hit a wedged
was down in Sparta, TN, in
breakdown block which you can go under.
April/May on vacation and
Most of us went over and had fun climbing
looked up Bob McCormack. "He
up the canyon walls to look at the nice ceil-
agreed to take my group
ing formations - tites and mites and columns
through Blue Springs Cave and
and some soda straws, rat droppings, too.
we had a blast. I gave him a
Then we slithered down as the passage
big ESSO hello from the group.
makes a sweeping left turn.
He appreciated that we were
The canyon gets taller and taller as a
concerned for him lately with
few more turns are made. Water becomes
the tornados in the area and
unavoidable and eventually over your boots,
all. He was fine and not affect-
and then you turn into a straight high and
ed," Ken said.
narrow passage. It ends with "the overpass,"
–– a flowstone mound with a crack below and
NEXT BIG TRIP: Sloan’s tight passage above filled with waterholes.
Valley July 1 weekend in We stopped here, although Mark took one
Pulaski County. Trip is limited for the team and got drenched checking out
to 15 so sign up early at the the upper crawl. You can fit and get
Yahoo group, or contact Lisa through, but you would be pitching down
Pruitt-Thorner, via email at
batscout@aol.com. See SKYSCRAPER, Page 6
 Page 2
Notes from the Underground

Team ESSO forms for Bridge Day

This in from Brian Saul, our in-house vertical guru: Team ESSO is a go for
Caving Calendar
Bridge Day 06! The team was looking for two more members as the deadline
approached on June 9. June 1-4, SERA Summer Cave
ESSO members signed up to make the 800-foot plus rappel this October Carnival, Scottsboro, Ala. See
tentatively include: Jeremy Chapman, Brian Saul, Tim Mootz, Mark Walker, www.caves.org/grotto/cag.
David Beebe, Dennis Blevins, Lee Ann Blevins, Kent Morrison, Diane Morrison, June 10, ESSO Grotto annual pic-
Ron Patrick, Don Davis, Tom Vertrees, Charlie Munn and Dave Young. Team
ESSO also took the plunge last year. Vertical practices are shaping up and are
nic, Carter Caves or Echo Canyon.
open to anyone. E-mail Brian at bsaul2000@yahoo.com for more information. Trips to be announced.
June 23-25, 53rd Cave Capers,
Mitchell, Ind., www.cavecapers.com
MaCa •
July 1-2, Sloans Valley trip, 15 peo-
campers ple max, with camping. sign up on
groups page.
honored! July 9, DUG meeting with Roger
Brucker program on Floyd Collins,
On April 21, 2006, the www.dugcaves.com.
Environmental Quality July 14-16, Karst-O-Rama, GSP,
Commission awarded the Rockcastle County.
Mammoth Cave Restoration
Field Camp an Earth Day award Roy Vanhoozer accepts award
July 17, ESSO Grotto meeting,
for its efforts in conservation in 7:30 p.m., Flatwoods library, east
the cave country of western Kentucky. The Mammoth Cave Restoration Field at Giovanni’s.
Camp is a volunteer organization founded by concerned cavers in conjunction July 23-29, MaCa Restoration
with the National Speleological Society. Since 1989, this group has undertaken Week.
numerous conservation and restoration projects in the cave and karst country
located in and around Edmonson and Barren counties.
Four times a year volunteers from Kentucky and other states gather to
The 15th Annual Wormfest
make a difference by restoring and protecting the caves that they enjoy and
revere. Their activities include: Cleaning cave formations. Removing antiquat-
When: August 18-20, 2006
ed and environmentally unfriendly materials from caves such as old wood,
concrete and trash left by previous visitors. Cleaning out springs and sinkholes Where: Olive Hill, KY
and removing graffiti and lint from cave walls and surfaces.
In August 2005, the Mammoth Cave Restoration Field Camp concluded a Campground: Shriner's Show
multi-year project of demolishing and removing 1,000 feet of 60-year-old cre-
osoted bridge and walkway that was polluting an underground river passage Grounds (8 miles from Carter
in Mammoth Cave and the Green River in Edmonson County. This project
required thousands of volunteer hours and has significantly improved the Caves State Resort Park)
ecosystem of the cave, allowing cave biota to flourish once again.
Carter is Karst Country!
Eastern States Speleological Organization (ESSO) Grotto, Inc. August 5, US 60 Yard sale fund-
raiser.
August 21, ESSO Grotto meeting,
7:30 p.m., Flatwoods library, east
at Giovanni’s.
August 25-27, ESSO van trip to
Meets third Mondays monthly in Flatwoods, Ky. Tennessee caves. Camps Gulf, TBA.
Lisa Pruitt-Thorner, President; Brian Saul, Vice President; August 31-Sept. 4, OTR, Dailey WV.
See files, group page, or Lizette
Cindy Duncan, Secretary; and Shelia Gilliam, Treasurer Molina Deem at
OTRChairLizzie@frontiernet.net.
HTTP://WWW.CAVES.ORG/GROTTO/ESSO •
September, Wet Indiana Caving, to
HTTP://GROUPS.YAHOO.COM/GROUP/ESSOGROTTO be decided.

Minutes, News
May’s grotto meeting minutes
by Cindy Duncan
The May 15, 2006 meeting of ESSO
grotto was called to order by President
Lisa Pruit-Thorner at 7:45. We had a
very small crowd consisting of Lisa
and Camille Thorner, Allen Blair,
Jonathon Lewis, Larry Matiz and
Cindy Duncan. April's minutes were
read and approved, no treasurers'
report was given.
The annual June picnic for the
ESSO will be June 10. Nine baskets are
to be put together with goodies for
nine, selected landowners. These will
distributed that day also. Bring whatev-
er you like to the picnic, as most of you
know, we know how to cook extremely
well and eat even better (HA).
July 1 is the date for the Sloan's
Valley trip. Camping at Crockett's.
July 14-16 Karst O' Rama at Great
Saltpetre Cave in Rockcastle County.
July 23-29 MaCa Restoration Week.
Contact Larry for further information.
The Cave Camp at Shawnee
University May 1 went well, Brian Saul
stated in an E-mail. Seems everyone
had a great, but WET time in Tar Kiln.
He brought all of them back.
Larry suggested putting informa-
Aug. 18-20 Wormfest fast approaching
by Allen Blair
The annual DUG Wormfest is
approaching fast - scheduled for Aug.
18-20 in Carter Caves country! The
Dayton folks will be setting up camp
and registration at the Shriner's
Showgrounds in Olive Hill. It borders
Tygarts Creek and has plenty of room
for everything. Check it out by going
downtown and turning beside the ele-
mentary school off U.S. 60.
ESSO Grotto is doing two things,
so far, for Wormfest. Yours truly is put-
ting together the guidebook (with a lit-
tle help from Charlie and others). DUG
will pay us for the guidebooks and we
should reap a few hundred dollars
profit for the grotto, although prices
have not been finalized.
We also are guiding cave trips.
Unlike Crawlathon, we will be taking
“cavers” into our caves, and in only a
few trips during the day Saturday.
Trips can be all day if need be I think.
Here's the volunteer list so far:
tion about ESSO on the kiosk at CCSP.
We did have something there but it
probably is time for some new info.
The guides have been invited to our
picnic, as usual so they don't have to
worry about being hungry for long
after they get off the clock.
August 18-20 Wormfest. We need
to have something for a fund-raiser
there. Volunteers are needed also for
cave trips.
After more discussion, it's pretty
much decided that Susie Duncan
should be the grotto's spokesperson
about Burchett's. Vanessa said that she
thought it a good idea for Susie to con-
tact Debbie. Jonathon said he would
keep in contact with Susie about all
this. Maybe a luncheon could be set up
at the park with Lisa P-T there also for
legal advisor.
The 25th Crawlathon DVD is avail-
able for purchase. The grotto needs one
for our library. The grotto has voted to
buy a copy.
Prior to the meeting a DVD was
shown about the 2006 convention in
Washington State. Looks like a really
good place.
Adjourned at 8:40.
Sheila and Ernie Gilliam, Bat or
Saltpetre cave (the park says Bat is
fine, we just need to give them a heads
up).
Jonathon Lewis and Todd
Richards, Cow and Counterfeiter Cave
System, five-plus hours.
Charlie Munn, Dam-in, Overpass
and Skyscraper, four-plus hours.
Kevin Betz and John Kirk, Tarkiln
Cave, 5-6 hours.
Charlie Munn, 70-70 Pit (Sunday)
Laurel/Horn/Rimstone caves will
be a self-guided trip for the cavers,
with maps in the guidebook. If you
have any other trip suggestions, or
cannot guide the above trips, please let
myself or Brian Saul know immediate-
ly - mrallenblair@gmail.com, or 606-
739-8507; bsaul2000@yahoo.com.
This Wormfest will be a great time
not only for our guests but for ourselves,
and will give us valuable future insight
into running a caving event in case we
ever decide to do one of our own!
Page 3
Be planning for August’s yard
sale fund-raiser, coming up at the
big giant US 60 yard sale through-
out Carter Count, Aug. 5. Last
year, we made enough money to
fund the van trip to Tennessee!
Put back some stuff you’re dying
to donate for the sale table and
wait for instructions!
––
Jonathon Lewis now has the
grotto's library. The grotto has
almost all of the NSS news edi-
tions from 2005 to 1979 and one
from 1978. Then the Caving
Accidents, most of them for that
time and most of the Journals of
Karst and other items, including
grotto publications.
Other materials are being
rounded up and organized. Thanks
to Jonathon for taking on the task!
––
The Central Indiana Grotto
invites you to join us for the 53rd
annual Cave Capers, June 23-25
at Camp
Rivervale, near
Mitchell,
Indiana. Saturday
evening will start
with an on-site, S HORT
professionally
catered meal for the C RAWLS
baquet. our entertainment for the
evening will start off with some
door prizes, followed by noted
speakers, Mike and Andrea Futrell.
Their program will take you on a
multi-year China caving experience.
Following the speakers, will be
more door prize.. For a pre-regis-
tration flyer, go to www.caveca-
pers.com/ capers53.pdf. Please
visit us at www.cavecapers.com.
––
From late May on the NSS dis-
cussion board: Rescuers workers
saved six people trapped inside a
Southern Kentucky Cave...in
Pulaski County. People in the area
refer to it as the Green House
cave. Around 11 Saturday morn-
ing, seven people went inside the
cave to explore. The group decided
to take a shortcut, but the part of
the cave they entered was flooded.
One man tried to wade through
the flood waters and ended up
stranded on an island. He suffered
from acute hypothermia. It took
rescuers five hours to get that
man out of the cave. Three hours
after that, the remainder of the
group was brought to safety. The
seven were friends from Michigan
who were camping out and caving
in Kentucky.

Vertical Workshop
Photos submitted by Brian, Sheila, Mark, etc.
Page 4
ay 6-7: Brian Saul belays Ernie Gilliam, above left,
M during this spring’s ESSO Grotto vertical practice
at the Plummer farm. At top, President Lisa Pruitt-
Thorner waves to the crowd while practicing on ascent. Mark
Walker waits his turn. Above, vertical guru Jerry Brandenburg
of GCG talks to the group about rigging. Pictured at the verti-
cal workshop, posing with our flag in front of the “ESSO
cabin” are, at left, VP Brian Saul, Mark Walker, Lisa Pruitt-
Thorner, Jerry Brandenburg, Bryan Queen, Sheila and Ernie
Gilliam. Brian, our vertical committee chair, reports the week-
end went well with plenty of training on the cliffs and a few
rappels of 70-70 Pit near Cascade on the Dr. Lewis property.

2006 Grotto Membership
Grotto full membership list
as of June 2006, with ESSO
number first, then names
alphabetically:
No. 428: Timothy Alkema,
208 Glenhaven Ave NW,
Grand Rapids MI 49504-
4932; 616-318-6803,
timalkema@yahoo.com
No. 422: Julie Angel, 2305
Brookhaven Dr, Champaign IL
61821-5841; 217-398-3466 ,
jangel@soltec.net
No. 411: Jim Arnold, 153
Woodland Dr, Huntington WV
25705-1349; 304-529-0130,
warnold@marshall.edu
No. 66: Bruce Bannerman,
Box 257, Culloden WV
25510-0257; 304-743-5455
No. 425: Kevin Betz, 2424
W 175 N, Albion IN 46701;
cavebum@ligtel.com
No. 344: Allen Blair, 3520
Elizabeth Court, Catlettsburg
KY 41129; 606-739-8507,
mrallenblair@gmail.com
No. 334: Nancy Bortle,
3949 Youngman Dr., Cincinnati
OH 45245; 513-752-2816,
nancy.bortle@53.com
No. 349: Laura Bortle,
4200 E. Blue Lagoon,
Shelbyville MI 49344
No. 394: Jennifer Brown ,
3317 Floyd St., Ashland KY
No. 348: Mike Brown, 3317
Floyd St., Ashland KY 41102;
606-324-7580,
mbrown68@adelphia.net
No. 392: Mary Burkart, 455
S Dividing Ridge Rd,
Sadieville KY 40370; rac-
cooncjl@yahoo.com
No. 426: David Carson, P.O
Box 405, Mackinaw IL
61755-0405; 309-359-8584,
thecarsons@trianglenet.net
No. 336: Chris Chandler,
6145 State Route 5, Ashland
KY 41102; 606-928-8060,
shimfizzal@yahoo.com
No. 391: Kelli Chandler,
Ashland KY
No. 362: Jeremy Chapman,
P.O. Box 4253, Barboursville
WV 25504; 304-736-6995,
ltcolhillbilly@yahoo.com
No. 3: G. Bruce Corrie, P.O.
Box 105, Mammoth Cave KY
42259-0105; 270-597-3222 ,
gbcorrie@juno.com
No. 401: Ken De Jonge,
2911 52nd St SW, Grandville
MI 49418; 616-532-5292,
kendj@iserv.net
No. 234: Cynthia Duncan,
917 N. 5th Street, Ironton
OH 45638; 740-532-2782,
caverat2782@yahoo.com
No. 160: Steve Duncan,
302 Landsdowne Avenue,
Grayson KY 41143; 606-474-
4789, cavinfool@alltel.net
No. 292: Susie Duncan,
302 Landsdowne Avenue,
Grayson KY 41143; hunter-
horse@alltell.net
No. 4: Bill Eidson, 700 Spa
Rd. , Lewisburg KY 42256-
9228; 270-755-2507, eid-
son@logantele.com
No. 5: Nancye Eidson, 700
Spa Rd. , Lewisburg KY
No. 330: Leisa Eidson, 700
Spa Rd. , Lewisburg KY
No. 331: Stephen Eidson,
700 Spa Rd. , Lewisburg KY
No. 311: Bailee Estep ,
Portsmouth OH
No. 305: Michael Estep ,
Portsmouth OH
No. 208: Jennifer Estep ,
2906 Gilbert Ave., Portsmouth
OH 45662; 740-353-4369
No. 406: Rilee Grace Estep
Portsmouth OH
No. 25: Marshall Fausold,
10032 Renfrew Road, Silver
Spring MD 20901-2219; 301-
593-6385 , fossil@verizon.net
No. 420: Jim Fox, 421
Bellefonte Princess Rd,
Ashland KY 41101; 606-326-
1434, jimfox@rosehillash-
land.com
No. 355: Sheila Gilliam , 211
Woodland Ct., Grayson KY
41143-8001; 606-474-2300,
SHEILA390@excite.com
No. 356: Ernest Gilliam ,
211 Woodland Ct., Grayson KY
41143, eg11742@excite.com
No. 87: Bob Honaker, P.O.
Box 1595, Morgantown KY
42261; 270-526-2005, quick-
silver@logantele.com
No. 88: Ann Honaker, P.O.
Box 1595, Morgantown KY
42261; 270-526-2005, gyp-
sylady@ logantele.com
No. 360: Patti Horton, 1212
Centre Pkwy. #B, Lexington
KY 40517; 859-971-9908,
batchit@netzero.com
No. 405: Shawn Horton,
1212 Centre Pkwy. #B,
Lexington KY 40517; 859-971-
9908, batchit@netzero.com
No. 430: Martha Jacobs,
213 Colonial Lane, Dayton
OH 45429; 937-439-0986,
moody_martha@hotmail.com
No. 431: Simon Jacobs,
Dayton OH 45429
No. 432: Michael Jacobs,
Dayton OH
No. 319: Dave Junker, 110
Hillcrest Ct., Russell KY
41169-1208; 606-836-2546,
djunker@alltel.net
No. 96: Joe Kearns, 584
Lower Creek Rd., Milroy PA
17063; 717-667-3282,
jkearns12477@yahoo.com
No. 361: John Kirk, 3800
24th Street, Rock Island IL
61201; 309-786-2636,
kirkjr@mchsi.com
No. 172: Jerie Walker
Laishley , Rt 1 Box 351, East
Lynn WV 25512
No. 386: Jonathon F. Lewis,
PO Box 56, Olive Hill KY
41164; 606-255-0190, jon-
lewis@zoomnet.net
No. 184: Larry Matiz, 2229
Micklethwaite Rd., Portsmouth
OH 45662; 740-353-2447, lar-
rymatiz@hotmail.com
No. 192: Marilyn Matiz,
Portsmouth OH
No. 389: Sheryl Mehta, 929
Lotus Rd, St Albans WV
25177; 304-722-1542,
sherylmehta@aol.com
No. 434: Tim Mootz, Ironton
OH, twmootz@msn.com
No. 343: Charles Munn,
2728 County Road, Ashland
KY 41102; 606-329-9798,
charliemunn@gmail.com
No. 325: Kathy Nelson,
6296 Valroy Drive, San Jose
CA 95123; 408-365-1917,
kathy@cavein.org
No. 427: Kim Nelson, 6296
Valroy Drive, San Jose CA
95123; 408-365-1917,
kim@cavein.org
No. 324: Richard Nelson,
6296 Valroy Drive, San Jose
CA 95123; 408-365-1917
No. 435: Andy Niekamp,
1515 Cordell Dr, Dayton OH
45439; 937-296-0245,
andyniekamp@gmail.com
No. 29: Gary Ochsenbein,
500 Ambrose Street,
Chesapeake VA 23322; 757-
421-2161, gochsen@city.nor-
folk.va.us
No. 104: Harold Plummer,
P.O. Box 227, Olive Hill KY
41164-0227; 606-286-4391
No. 322: Bryan Queen, 795
Gesling Road, Grayson KY
41143; 606-474-7004,
bqueen29@hotmail.com
No. 282: Brent Ray, 3107
Jorclay Drive, Kenova WV
25530; 304-453-1540,
cunacave@zoominternet.net
No. 283: Kim Ray, Kenova WV
Page 5
No. 357: Koral Ray, Kenova
WV; No. 358: Bryan Marc
Ray, Kenova WV
No. 327: Todd Richards,
9750 Moore Road, Glouster
OH 45732; 740-767-9546,
richards@sunpower.com
No. 436: Ken Roughen,
6868 Saint Peters Ln,
Matthews NC 28105-8458;
704-568-6868, kenrough-
en@netscape.com
No. 415: Michael
Rzesutock, 2166 US Rte 50,
Fayetteville OH 45118; ,
mikeprz58@aol.com
No. 337: Brian Saul, 8555
State Route 125, W. Ports-
mouth OH 45663; 740-821-
0115, bsaul2000@hotmail.com
No. 429: Chris Smith, 927
Chsestnuthill Dr, Ashland KY
41101; 304-617-9978
No. 424: Jacki Stratton, 181
Hawthorne Road, Chillicothe
OH 45601; 704-701-5959,
jacki.stratton@horizonpcs.com
No. 318: Lisa Thorner ,
1505 Cresent Dr., Flatwoods
KY 41139; 606-834-9978,
Batscout@aol.com
No. 211: John Tierney,
2902 Carter Caves Road,
Olive Hill KY 41164; 606-
286-8308 , jptierney@ution-
line.net
No. 317: Lelana Tierney,
Olive Hill KY
No. 329: Roy Vanhoozer,
1813 Normandy Road,
Lexington KY 40504; 859-
278-5114, RVanhoo@aol.com
No. 239: Terry Waechter, 51
Burlington Road, Jackson OH
45640-2011; 740-286-5756 ,
waec@ohiohills.com
No. 245: Marlene Waechter,
51 Burlington Road, Jackson
OH 45640-2011; 740-286-
5756
No. 226: Gary Walker, Box
248, Racine OH 45771; 740-
949-2648 , garw@seovec.org
No. 227: Karen Walker, Box
248, Racine OH 45771; 740-
949-2648 ,
ml_kwalker@seovec.org
No. 240: Jennifer Walker,
Box 248, Racine OH 45771;
740-949-2648 ,
No. 335: Mark Walker, 57
Boathouse Hill, Olive Hill KY
41164; 606-286-6386,
mwalker@utionline.net
No. 433: Rick Williams,
5512 Revmar Lane,
Cincinnati OH 45238; 513-
922-8290, hafcu01@one.net
 Page 6
Skyscraper Revisited

SKYSCRAPER
- From page one

the other side head first. A webbing

aid would be helpful. Early explor-
ers tell that the best decorations are
on past this.
We came back out of the cave
to let our boots, and clothes in
Mark's case, dry as we headed off to
Dam In Cave. What a gem this cave
is, as the entrance is a wide collapse
with a borehole in the left side.
Inside it immediately turns right
into the hillside. You quickly come
across a large rimstone bathtub, a
deep water-filled crevice in the
floor, the brick dam and continuing
low passage.
Some wet hands and knees
later, the passage opens back up to
walking side, and a room to the left
is fun to check out and ends in a
high choke with pretty formations.
Up passage, you soon comes to
large stalactite groupings, some
with roots coming out the end. A
left turn here winds shortly around
to a very nice dome room.
From the main passage again,
the cave continues on the same
course but as it gets lower and
lower with a water-filled floor we
decided to head back out and to
Skyscraper. This cave truly must be
the prettiest cave in Carter County
as Mark describes it, and for good
reason. Passing the first 25 feet or so
of canyon, with rock in your belly
and back, is just the beginning of
the fun.
The first room is a nice break,
and I took a minute to reflect on the
first time I visited. About four years
ago when I started caving, I took this
trip on Sunday after the August pic-
nic. We had camped out at Bat Cave
on Saturday after my first-ever real
caving trip, to Burchett's. Skyscraper
became my second. Neat.
Past the sideways maze, after a
lot of twisting and turning. You hit
the waterfall room, with its almost
blinding white rock walls intricately
sculpted with scallops and pockets
around slinky veins of black rock. A
short meander puts you in another
room and the crawl past "the
squeeze" in the gigantic main cham-
ber that's 30 feet tall or more.
I made it that first year,
although barely. This time I didn't
push it, having gained a few pounds
since. But the inevitable oohs and The “skyscraper” formation in the main room
aahs, even for veteran visitors like past the squeeze, top and left. Above, Cindy
Mark and Charlie, made me think - Duncan stands in the waterfall room with its
I'm going on a diet! pristine white limestone. (by Mark Walker)
 Page 7
News from the Underground

Cave bulletin, second edition, progressing
by Allen Blair
Some of you know of this project,
others may not ... but below is the out-
line for the second edition of the Carter
County Cave Bulletin. I am done up
through the saltpeter caves. I know it
looks like a lot to go through, but the
hard part of gathering materials, scan-
ning, typing, etc. is over so it's just
tedious one page at a time work now.
Please look it over, and make sure I
have not left anything out. If you know
of caves or text not included, please let
me know at mrallenblair@gmail.com or
(606) 739-8507.
OUTLINE
Cover
Dedication/first edition foreword
Foreword - second edition - NSS creed
Contents/Map list
Of Carter Caves - J Lewis - Park map - Postcard
Geo Notes of Carter Co - Two geo maps
Caves of NE Ky., Tierney - CCSP topo - Eidson
Bat map, Cascade/X
Karst maps - Geo cross section
Bat Cave - Hobbs - WUSS map - pics
Caves of Cave Branch - Swirl sink, Skylight,
Natural Bridge??
MAPS: Hot Dog, Copperhead Arch, Fossil
Rock/Fluted, Easter
Passage Under X, Green Trail, Constipation, GT
Chasm
X Cave, D'Angelo - X map
Plummer and Saltpetre Operations - Vat pic
Saltpetre Moon, Fazio D'Angelo - Salt map
redraft - (text needs added)
My stories about Bat Con research/Kennedy - Bat
counts - pic?
Saltpetre Caves of CC - Laurel pic
Tygarts Saltpetre + text
Pipeline, Next + text
Carter Caves History (original or Lewis or both) -
Sketch map - Old pic
Cave Life at CCSP - Spiders, crickets, worms
Coon in the Crack - Map
CITC salamander research + pic
The May 13 canoe trip was
cancelled. No one seemed inter-
ested, plus due to an oversight the
Horn Hollow and
canoes were being used by the
the Hanging
Valley Caves - park. It’s been suggested by Coy,
Laurel - map however, that the canoe trip move
with dots to April because there’s a better
Little map of chance of “canoe weather” on
Surprise dome
Tygarts Creek versus the unpre-
passage
Laurel, H2O, dictable dry weather in June.
Horn, Rimstone, The grotto has traditionally
Horseshoe, Rho received free use of the park’s
Pit, Boundary, canoes for a run down Tygarts
UHH because of our work with the
Dye trace Crawlathon.
results: MSU
Dye tracing ––
primer The Ohio Valley Region
Caves of Smokey Lake (OVR) is considering helping
MAPS: Blackbeard, Impossible, Lake, Peewee,
with a Pulaski
Loop, Rat, Surprise Dome Pit, Owl/Dead Air,
Alpha Pit County cleanup
Journeys and More Journeys to Carter project. This
Cascade - Sandy - Jones, 7/70 Pit from Cat
Tygarts Creek Caves (Whitney)
Burchetts, Fern and Flood, Old Valley,
Skyscraper, Dam in, Overpass
Kennedy: The
American Cave
S HORT
(Wet Crevice Cave? any others mapped?)
Canyon Cave Valley
Conservation C RAWLS
Canyon + five other cave maps Association and
Carter City Connection Bat Conservation International
Cow-Counterfeiter, Wilburn, ref. Pipeline are partnering for a cleanup of
Cool James System - Adams Creek Saltpeter Pit in Pulaski County.
Tarkiln - what is a tar kiln - Original survey In November of 2005, a group
pages report?
from BCI working on the KY
Potato, Fox Den
NOT YET INCLUDED BUT IN HAND: Saltpeter Bat Caves Project dis-
Four new pits in 06 Pholeos covered a colony of 500+
New Property Pit Rafinesque's hibernating in the
Summer Cave cave. In order to restore the
Natural Tunnel flight zone and previous (more
A Carter Caves Legend suitable) temperatures in the
Train to Oliginook
CCSP - Kemper/Bolt
cave it will be necessary for the
Carter Caves brochure stuff 40+ foot tall mountain of trash
Crawlathon + 25th anniversary stuff, list of tours to be cleaned out of the
Pet Cemetery, pics, and last years of "new" caves entrance. David Foster of ACCA
Unlisted cave list + caves per county stats is currently working on the
Sara Corrie page from cookbook specifics of how this will be
Selected trip reports by ESSO accomplished. ACCA has applied
Speleothems - definitions
for funding and we are awaiting
the official answer from the

Learn about the world of bats with BCI grant donor. Once the funding
has been secured the dates will
be set for the sinkhole cleanup
A few spaces are still open for this summer’s BCI Bat Conservation and effort and will be broadcast to
Management Workshops. All our workshops are for six days and five nights, and caving groups with all of the
materials, meals and lodging are provided. particulars.
The workshop in western Pennsylvania on August 7-12 features mist netting, ––
radiotracking, night-vision observation, bat-house use, acoustic monitoring and The AP: A cave made famous
habitat assessment. You’ll see endangered Indiana myotis swarming at a mine by James Fenimore Cooper's novel
entrance, watch 20,000 little brown bats in a spectacular dawn return to their roost "The Last of the Mohicans" is now
at a restored church. BCI’s Kentucky workshop, August 16-21, focuses on cave- open for public viewing -- but not
exploring. The cave is in South
dwelling bats with visits to hibernation and nursery caves of endangered gray and
Glens Falls, New York state. It's a
Indiana myotis. Learn from leading cavers and biologists how to detect bats’ pre- narrow limestone opening in the
vious use of caves and to identify habitat conditions that meet their needs. Hudson River gorge, underneath a
Fieldwork includes netting and harp-trapping. For more information and registra- bridge. The cave is the famed hid-
tion forms, please visit BCI's website: www.batcon.org and select Get Involved or ing place of sisters Cora and Alice
contact our Workshops Coordinator at workshops@batcon.org or (512) 327-9721. Munro in the novel.
Get That Man a Wetsuit, or a Medal!: Jim Schwamberger seems
to enjoy his crawl through the “blackrock” area of Tarkiln during a
Shawnee class trip led by Brian Saul in late April. Or, perhaps the
cold water froze his teeth mid-chatter? (Photo by Brian Saul)

Allen Blair
June 2006

3520 Elizabeth Ct.

Catlettsburg, Ky. 41129

NEXT ESSO GROTTO MEETING: JULY 17, 7:30 P.M.

AT GREENUP CO. LIBRARY - FLATWOODS, KY. - EAT EARLY AT GIOVANNI’S