Germany Valley Grotto

Germany Valley Grotto http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/interface/feed.png http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php Germany Valley Grotto Copyright 2009, KVMAPR KVMAPR en-US SPHPBLOG 0.4.8 GVG Welcomes the Highland County Grotto http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050729-184318

Rick Lambert, notorious cave stud, rappels into Harman Pit, Germany Valley, West Virginia]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050729-184318 KVMAPR Sat, 30 Jul 2005 01:43:18 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=07&entry=entry050729-184318 A Collection of Updates From Shovel Eater Cave http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050729-183245 this link

Bob Kirk sets bolts at the top of the 130 foot Patrick's Pit in Shovel Eater Cave - photo by Mark Passerby

Two weeks later the survey began in interest and the newly discovered "Patrick's Pit" was rigged and dropped. The pit taped out to a whopping 130 feet, and led to an offset 45 pit at its base. Overall depth for the cave was pushed to 432 feet and the survey was caught up to the point of latest discovery. Full report and photos at: this link

June 11th, another weekend and another survey in Shovel Eater cave. And guess what, more pits too. Another deep pit puts the team down into a huge void, so large they can't see the far wall. Going in one direction the push down through a massive hall and climb down canyons until they're yet again, out of rope. This also establishes a new deep point for the cave at -457 feet below the entrance. And it still goes down from there! Check out the photos and full report at: this link

On June 25th Barry Horner and Tom Barton returned to Shovel Eater and tried to push their way into the large black void seen on the previous trip. Instead they were forced downward through three more drops, including a nice 85 footer. But it paid off handsomely with a nice segment of borehole that headed south for a few hundred feet. Photos and the first draft working map are embedded in the full report at: this link

Bob Kirk and Adam Burd kept the survey going on a lightly attended July 9th weekend. The made it down to the borehole and surveyed a couple hundred feet into a very big dome, named the "Big Tease". Their nice collection of photos, trip report, and an updated working map can be seen at: this link

Finally, on July16th, Jeff McCracken and Tom Barton made a short trip in to survey some of the mid-level passages that have potential to penetrate the large black void noted previously. Alas the passage they mapped bypassed the void and took them to yet another new pit, this one taping out to 65 feet. The left going leads at the bottom. A short report and the updated working map is available at: this link

Now you're up to date on Shovel Eater Cave. ]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050729-183245 KVMAPR Sat, 30 Jul 2005 01:32:45 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=07&entry=entry050729-183245 Shovel Eater Cave - The Push Continues http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050425-182600 illustrated report for more details.

Tom Barton and Devin Kouts with virgin borehole in the back ground, Shovel Eater Cave - photo by Rick Orben]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050425-182600 KVMAPR Tue, 26 Apr 2005 01:26:00 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=04&entry=entry050425-182600 Shovel Eater Cave, The Big Breakthrough http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050419-162233 illustrated report on the PSC website and check out the photo album for pics of the new cave passage.

Miles Drake on the first drop discovered in Shovel Eater Cave - photo by Mark Passerby]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050419-162233 KVMAPR Tue, 19 Apr 2005 23:22:33 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=04&entry=entry050419-162233 Shovel Eater - Almost There? http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050328-101931 rock removal and crevice following. Will this commitment pay off? We'll just have to wait and see.

Tom Barton works the dig face in Shovel Eater cave. See more photos from the dig's history in the Shovel Eater photo album.
]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050328-101931 KVMAPR Mon, 28 Mar 2005 18:19:31 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=03&entry=entry050328-101931 From Poland With Love http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050321-111718 expedition to Cheve in Mexico last year. Pavel was such a cool guy that Mark and Robert invited him to the States for a couple months of caving and fun. It turns out that Pawel has a great photographer's eye and after returning to his home country he posted some of his Germany Valley photos to Speleoklub Warszawski's gallery. Incidentally, while Pawel was in action in Memorial Day cave last November and December a virgin canyon passage bypass that he pushed was named in his honor, the Polish Loop.

Lewis Carrol and Pawel Skoworodko return from Memorial Day Cave, Germany Valley, West Virginia]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050321-111718 KVMAPR Mon, 21 Mar 2005 19:17:18 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=03&entry=entry050321-111718 Harper's Pit Photo Trip http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050318-111552 lots of pictures and I must say, what a nice looking bunch of cavers. Hope they'll come back to the valley for a visit, then we can show them around to some of our other favorites.

Andrew Medley and friends are ready to climb out of the Harper's Pit entrance drop - photo credit - Andrewmedley.com]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050318-111552 KVMAPR Fri, 18 Mar 2005 19:15:52 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=03&entry=entry050318-111552 The Shumans visit Memorial Day Cave http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050316-062751 here.

Joann Smith guides in Memorial Day Cave]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050316-062751 KVMAPR Wed, 16 Mar 2005 14:27:51 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=03&entry=entry050316-062751 Shovel Eater, The Dig Continues, 12MAR05 http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050315-083113 two weeks prior. While they dug, I was taking in the warm temperatures of Napa Valley, too far away to participate, but wishing them well all the same.

By the end of the day they had knocked a lot of rock off the right hand wall (going in) and widened the breezy crack in the floor enough that they could get in a half body length. To summarize, the air still blows very strong from the crack, and they now have a respectable echo returning from the depths of the crevice. We could be getting close to another breakthrough soon.]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050315-083113 KVMAPR Tue, 15 Mar 2005 16:31:13 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=03&entry=entry050315-083113 Peg Renwick's Trip Report from Memorial Day Cave http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050307-153102 COG Squeaks and photos from her trip are available here

Ava and Peg in MDC]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050307-153102 KVMAPR Mon, 07 Mar 2005 23:31:02 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=03&entry=entry050307-153102 Shovel Eater Cave Update - Feb. 26, 2005 http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050228-113353 A Breakthrough (of sorts) in Shovel Eater

Profile of the dig in Shovel Eater cave after the weekend of February 26, 2005 (not to scale) - copr. Devin Kouts]]> http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050228-113353 KVMAPR Mon, 28 Feb 2005 19:33:53 GMT http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/comments.php?y=05&m=02&entry=entry050228-113353 Germany Valley Caving Recent Events From The Web http://www.caves.org/grotto/gvg/index.php?entry=entry050221-115753