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What is the Central Connecticut Grotto of the National Speleological Society?

The Central Connecticut Grotto (CCG) is a local chapter of The National Speleological Society (NSS). The CCG shares the goals of other NSS Grottos, which are to organize trips, offer training, practice cave conservation, and generally provide a framework for enjoying and studying caves. The Central Connecticut Grotto welcomes new members who are interested in caves and committed to cave conservation. Join us - print the membership form: Central Connecticut Grotto Membership Form

Our Regular Meetings

Meetings are open to anyone interested in caves and committed to cave conservation. Meetings are usually held the third Tuesday of each month. At each meeting we discuss Grotto business, trip reports and plan future trips. Most meetings also have a presentation; either a talk, demonstration, slides, or video. It is not necessary to attend meetings to be a Grotto member, though we would like you to attend.

All 2009 CCG Meetings: Jan 20, Feb 17, March 17, April 21, May 19, June 16, July 21, Aug (see below), Sept 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15.

August, 2009: Monthly Grotto Meeting
Date and location change is likely, possibly on a Saturday or a Sunday. Details will be posted after the July meeting.

July 21 Tuesday 7pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting
At HRP Associates, 197 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, CT 06032. For a view of HRP from Google Earth see HRP. For direction related info call 860-674-9570 (days) and ask for Bob Simmons.

June 16, 2009 Tuesday 7pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting
This meeting is at the summer location in Southington. Details are sent to members. Cavers and future cavers are welcome. info@ctcavers.org and 860-620-2080

May 19, 2009 Tuesday 7pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting
At HRP Associates, 197 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, CT 06032. For a view of HRP from Google Earth see HRP. For direction related info call 860-674-9570 (days) and ask for Bob Simmons.

April 21, 2009 Tuesday 7pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting
Note change in location for this meeting. Held at the "Wrench in the Works Collective"  861 Main St in Willimantic, CT 06226.  www.wrenchintheworks.org/. Presentation is "The Dark Side of the Park River" about the Park River under Hartford, plus narratives and tall tales by those who claim to have been there. The business meeting will include a discussion of the recent cave closures and the upcoming Spring NRO. Questions? call 860-621-2080.

March 17, 2009 Tuesday 7pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting
At HRP Associates, 197 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, CT 06032.

Feb 17, 2009 Tuesday 7pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting
Presentation on the recent CCG West Virginia caving adventure. At HRP Associates, 197 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, CT 06032. For a view of HRP from Google Earth see HRP. For direction related info call 860-674-9570 (days) and ask for Bob Simmons.

Jan 20, 2009 Tuesday 7pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting
At HRP Associates, 197 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, CT 06032.

Dec 16, 2008 Tuesday 6:30pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting with Elections and Holiday Party
At HRP Associates, 197 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, CT 06032. Details on this meeting are here December Meeting

Nov 18, 2008 Tuesday 7pm: Monthly Grotto Meeting
Slideshow (real slides) and talk about southeast caves. At HRP Associates

Connecticut Caves and Other Wonders

For info on Connecticut caves, nearby commercial caves, scout group caving, guided trips, classes, certifications, and local caving guidebooks please see our FAQ page.  Frequently Asked Questions

Officers and Committees

Contact officers at info@ctcavers.org.
More contact info is at About the CCG .

Chair - Norm Berg
Vice Chair - Seamus Decker
Treasurer - Lee DelValle
Secretary - Bob Simmons
Webmaster - Norm Berg
Membership - Emily Ray
Safety - Doug Truitt
Conservation - Garth Varian
Vertical - Chris Goodman
Equipment - Diane Lucas
Newsletter (the Underground Movement) - Chris Goodman
Member at Large - Jansen Cardy

CCG and other Activities and Events

Special notice of caving restrictions due to bat illness (WNS) - updated May 17, 2009: The Northeastern Cave Conservancy and the National Speleological Society’s New York cave managers announced that their New York caves will open on May 15, 2009. Cave visitation will be subject to the usual conditions, including any group use permits, waivers, and proper equipment and experience. No gear or clothing used in these caves should be taken outside the region. All cave visitors are asked to follow the cleaning and decontamination procedures of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/whitenosemessage.html. Further  information can be found at
http://caves.org/committee/conservation/WNS/WNS%20Info.htm
Many caves in the eastern U.S. remain closed in the effort to control the spread of WNS and enable the recovery of the bat population. Thank you for your cooperation.

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Not all CCG activities are listed on this website. Become a CCG member and receive emailed announcements of all CCG activities.

Sept 11-13, 2009: 2009 Fall NRO
Spring Fall meeting of the NRO (Northeastern Regional Organization) in Western Mass. More info will be posted in August.

July 19-26, 2009: 2009 NSS Convention To be held in conjunction with the 15th International Congress of Speleology in Kerrville, Texas. ICS2009

July 31 - Aug 2, 2009: Caving in the Adirondacks
The Touchy Sword of Damocles, TSOD, used to be considered the world's largest talus cave, but they changed the definitions a few years ago and it's now considered a system of smaller caves. It sits under the 1000 foot cliff of Wallface and is basically a pile of overgrown house sized boulders with passages and rooms between and underneath. There's likely to be ice in the depths for most of the summer. Interested? Contact Jeff MacDonald at caver@silverfool.com and put "Caving in the ADK" in the subject line.

July 12, 2009: Small mine in Connecticut Assistance wanted with mapping and photography. Contact Bob Simmons at rwsimmons1@msn.com and 860-738-1176.

Sunday June 21, 2009: Onesquethaw Cave Contact Chris Goodman via info@ctcavers.org and put "Onesquethaw Cave" in the subject line.

May 15-17, 2009: 2009 Spring NRO
Spring meeting of the NRO (Northeastern Regional Organization) hosted by the Vermont Cavers Association and held in Leicester, Vermont at Country Village Campground.  For more info: Spring NRO.

June 2009: NCRC Cave Rescue Training in Indiana www.ncrc.info

Sunday May 10, 2009: Park River Kayak-Canoe
See a portion of the underground section of the Park River in Hartford. Access is from the East Hartford side of the Connecticut River. Must be able to handle fast water and boat wake. For details please contact Alisa at info@ctcavers.org and put "Park River" in the subject line and include your full name and a phone number.

Saturday March 28, 2009: Clarksville Cave (aka Ward Gregory) in Clarksville NY. This is a beginner level trip. The CCG has a some helmets and headlamps available with advance reservations. For info contact the trip leader: Norm Berg at info@ctcavers.org and 860-621-2080.  Please put "Clarksville Cave" in the subject line, and include your full name and a phone number. Clarksville Cave info: Clarksville Cave

Saturday Feb 7, 2009: Caving in Albany County This is a beginner level trip. The CCG has a some helmets and headlamps available with advance reservations. For details please contact Alisa at alisa.werst@yahoo.com  and include "Caving in Albany County" in the subject line.

Late Dec 2008 -  Early Jan 2009: TAG area Caving A more advanced trip with emphasis on vertical caving. Contact Steve Millett at steve.millett@gmail.com and put "TAG Caving" in the subject line.

Late Dec 2008 -  Early Jan 2009: West Virginia Caving The Central Connecticut Grotto has scheduled another New Years' trip to West Virginia. Our friends at the West Virginia Association For Cave Studies (WVACS) have offered us the use of their field station again in Renick, which has bunk rooms, kitchens, hot showers, wood stoves, and serious caver ambience. We will be in the heart of caving country. There will be both vertical and horizontal trips, and we always try to accommodate all skill levels. For more info contact the CCG at info@ctcavers.org and include "West Virginia Caving" in the subject line.

Saturday Nov 29, 2008: Clarksville Cave (aka Ward Gregory) in Clarksville NY. This is a beginner level trip. The CCG has a some helmets and headlamps available with advance reservations. For info contact the trip leader: Bob Simmons at rwsimmons1@msn.com and 860-738-1176.  Please put "Clarksville Cave" in the subject line, and include your full name and a phone number. Clarksville Cave info: Clarksville Cave

Sunday Nov 16, 2008: Hasbrouck Mine. In Kingston, NY. A beginner level trip. The CCG has some helmets and lights that beginners can borrow. For more info: info@ctcavers.org and put "Hasbrouck Mine" in the subject line.

Saturday Nov 15, 2008 at 1 pm: Beauty and Rescue in Lechugilla A presentation by Emily Davis at the White Memorial Conservation Center near Litchfield, CT. Advanced registration and payment required. www.whitememorialcc.org

Sunday Nov 15, 2008 at 11 am: Talk on the Leatherman Dan DeLuca will discusses his research and book about the Old Leather Man at the Southington Library. There are a few "Leatherman caves" in Connecticut. Library: 860-628-0947

Sunday Nov 9 2008: Vertical Practice in Mansfield
A vertical practice, which is rope climbing as done in caves, at a cliff in Mansfield (near UConn). If you don't have your own gear, that's no problem as we have gear to lend. Contact Steve Millett at steve.millett@gmail.com and put "CCG Climbing" in the subject line.

Sunday Oct 5, 2008 Bats Den Caves in Egremont, Mass.
There are four 'major' caves in the group, the largest being Bats Den which has several hundred feet of passages. Two others are fairly tight crawls (Growling Bear and Pothole) of 100 to 150 feet. The last is a short but well decorated section with a 'walk in' entrance, the Crystal Pool. In addition to these, there are sinks, aborted digs, fissures, slots and karst to walk around on and check out. Trip starts around noon in Cannan Connecticut. Contact Bob Simmons at rwsimmons1@msn.com and 860-738-1176.

Saturday Oct 4, 2008 Tory's Cave - from 3 PM to 5 PM.
This is a beginner level trip to Connecticut's only cave open to the public. It's in New Milford and about a 2 minute walk from the parking area. Basic caving gear is required. There are some tight areas and some ledges that you will need to climb down and up. The cave is damp and sometimes wet from dripping water. Plan on spending about an hour exploring the cave. I will be in or near the cave between 3 pm and 5 pm. When you arrive go to the cave entrance, and I or another CCG member will assist as needed. If you don't see anyone from the CCG at the entrance, crawl in a little (stay within the light coming from the entrance) and give a friendly yell and someone will come to met you. The CCG trip is over at 5 pm, so if you go in the cave after 5 pm you are on your own. First time cavers are encouraged to come. The CCG has some sets of loaner helmets and lights that I will bring. If you want to use these, please bring 4 new AA alkaline batteries. For directions, ride-sharing, and answers to other questions, call Norm Berg 860-621-2080 or email info@ctcavers.org and put Tory's Cave in the subject line.
Here are a some sites about Tory's Cave: http://www.berkshirehiking.com/hikes/torys_cave.html and  http://weantinoge.org/

Past CCG activities are at: Past Activities