2008 June 5 -- 8

Tapirs and rhino on exhibit at Gray Fossil Site, Washington Co., Tennessee, photos by Alan Cressler

MEG and the ACC are proud to host the first ever joint SERA/ VAR in the border area of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. We have a large campsite across the street from Bristol International Raceway: the Bristol Campground on Highway 394, about 15 minutes drive from Interstate 81. We will offer directions to about 50 area caves plus guided trips to some of the largest and most beautiful caves in the area, including Perkins Cave, the jewel in the ACC crown. Besides some world-class caving, the site has quick access to thousands of miles of great hiking trails, fishing and boating opportunities at several TVA lakes, whitewater rapids on the Nolichucky and calmer water on the North and South Fork Holston, the Clinch and Powell Rivers. While you're here, check out the giant Miocene fossil dig at Gray, Tennessee where ETSU and General Shale have just opened a must-see museum and laboratory. Visit Natural Tunnel State Park in the middle of Rye Cove, one of the most significant karst areas in the state of Virginia and take a tour through the 1000-foot giant tunnel. We're going to have great music, great food, and activities that will make this a fun-filled weekend for all cavers.

Updates: We've extended our schedule to accommodate early arrivals on Thursday, June 5. Tim White and Berta Kirchman volunteered to run the vertical contest and we took him up on the offer. A lot of vendors have said they're coming along for the ride. Thanks, guys, we'll be posting your logos. Wil Orndorff of Virginia DCR has agreed to lead a guided tour of Unthanks in Lee County (thanks, Wil!). ACC members will lead multiple guided tours of Perkins on Friday and Saturday. The CRF has offered Friday trips to Gap Cave in Cumberland Gap.

We are gradually expanding our trip cave offerings. Mike Ficco of the CCV (Cave Conservancy of the Virginias) has opened the Powell Mountain Karst Preserve (PMKP) to trips. Mike's in China now, but he told us that there would be entrance area trips into the Blowing Hole entrance of Omega, Virginia's longest cave and the deepest cave east of the Mississippi River. This is a 100+ foot drop with a huge air flow. Parsons, Franklin Pit, and Cracker Neck Saltpeter are nearby and open. Parsons is an extremely easy horizontal saltpeter cave. Franklin Pit was mined for saltpeter probably very near the end of the Civil War. The saltpeter works and most of the cave passage were sealed off by entrance collapses until the survey team of Gary Fielden, Terri Brown, and Jason Lachniet reopened the cave around 2003, revealing saltpeter works in remarkably good condition. Franklin is a multi-drop cave. If MEG didn't have duties at the campground, this is where we would go...

Greg Marshall will organize paddling trips depending on interest and water conditions. South Holston and Boone Lakes are TVA impoundments very close to the campground, with the South Fork Holston River running between. The Nolichucky has classic white water (rainfall permitting) less than one hour away and the spring-fed Clinch almost always has enough water for a pleasant trip.

Yes, we will have the hot tub at the campground, we will have free beer Saturday night, and we will have the Jug Busters (OTR 2007) performing. More to come...