Shasta Area Grotto

An Overview of 25 Years with the Shasta Area Grotto

Pre-History of the Shasta Area Grotto -

Far northern California had few cavers and was an area of seemingly unlimited potential, before the Shasta Area Grotto (SAG) was formed. A loose association of six National Speleological Society (NSS) cavers who called themselves the Gaping Holes Gang, based in McCloud, CA was the nucleus for SAG. This group was active between 1979 and 1982, when SAG was formed. There was never a newsletter of the Gang, but an ‘official’ t-shirt was created. In late 1980 and early ‘81 talk of forming an NSS chartered grotto began with the addition of some cavers from Redding.

The growth of SAG and local interactions -An initial meeting, attended by 12 cavers, was held during February 1982 in Redding to work out a charter and bylaws for the NSS, and we officially became NSS grotto #289 in March of 1982. The first organized grotto trip was to Samwel Cave on Shasta Lake. A newsletter called the SAG RAG was started later in 1982, and continues to this day.

The grotto grew quickly. Cavers from the coast to the Nevada border, from Chico to southern Oregon joined up. Meetings were held all over the north state. An annual cave conservation weekend was instituted for February which came to include three cave clean ups and a ski trip.

SAG members have been involved with other caving groups. In 1990 SAG members led cave trips during an NSS convention in Yreka, where we gained some new members. SAG has hosted three Western Region meetings and five April Under-Earth trips. We have cooperated with near-by grottos on cave mapping and management projects. Several SAG members are active with Cave Research Foundation (CRF) projects in the Lava Beds and other places.

Bats have interested local organizations. Garden clubs, schools, and California State Parks have all requested bat and/or cave programs. SAG members have given programs, and led trips for these groups for many years. Private land owners have asked for caves to be mapped or bats identified. Early on we worked with the Nature Conservancy to map some caves they own on the McCloud River. In 1998-99 grotto members were approached to act as a ‘cave response team’ during the installation of a buried cable; they got paid to amaze the supervisors by entering ‘too small’ spaces! Efforts have been made to establish a relationship with a Native American tribe whose territory we cave in, but are still marginal at best.

Involvement with Government Entities -

In the mid 1980’s, SAG was asked for input on a county-wide cave rescue plan. At that time our recommendation to the Siskiyou County Search And Rescue (SAR) group, was for them to call the National Cave Rescue Commission if a serious cave rescue was needed; the advice wasn’t well received. In recent years, with three SAG members part of SAR, we have combined vertical training exercises and in-cave scenarios. SAR called for SAG cavers to help out with a search of Catacombs Cave in the Lava Beds for two lost children in 2003, which we did, finding the kids in a matter of hours. On the state level we’ve monitored bat use of highway bridges for Cal-Trans as they have worked out a bridge design acceptable to bats.

SAG is uniquely placed in an area where 95% of the caves are on Federal lands. In 1993 a request came from a district on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest for some advice to manage a bat cave. Our recommendation for the cave to be gated to protect the summer maternity colony of Townsends big-eared bats and winter hibernaculum was not favored, but the cave was gated anyway. The grotto received a Letter of Appreciation for our efforts. This same district has welcomed input on timber sales and road work where these activities would negatively impact heavy equipment, and/or the caves below.

In a 1997 land exchange, the Klamath National Forest (KNF) acquired three well-known and over-used caves. SAG has successfully dealt with them in managing the caves, helping gate two of them for seasonal bat habitat protection, and yearly cleaning up all three. SAG received a Letter of Appreciation after the second successful gating project in 2001. They have asked for advice about closing mine adits and shafts, and usually implemented the recommendations immediately. The relationship with KNF has provided credibility with USFS Region 5 personnel, and a voice in local FS affairs pertaining to caves. In the mid 90’s we aided the region’s geologist in compiling cavers issues for formulating a cave management plan for Forest Service Region 5. This FS project, unfortunately, has been put ‘on hold’.

Another Forest we have dealt with is the Lassen NF at Old Station. They have contacted us about caves they’ve found and wanted explored, mapped or managed. Individual SAG members have worked with the Rogue River NF, mapping caves and working to exclude cattle from an alpine karst basin inside a wilderness area. The Modoc NF requested aid in finding and monitoring bat habitats and in-cave archaeological sites, and understanding their caves. These relationships continue to this day.

A few SAG members worked with the Redding Bureau of Land Management finding sites to observe bats, when the BLM hosted a bat symposium attended by government agency people as well as private individuals. Other activities with the BLM involved mapping or installing bat gates during their National Public Lands days, and monitoring bat populations.

Several trips have been made to Oregon Caves National Monument for clean up and restoration work, mapping and inventory; once being interviewed by a local TV news channel. Many tons of construction rubble have been moved out of the cave by various caving groups. Flowstone has been scrubbed and historical signatures uncovered. SAG received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Monument in 1998 and a nomination for a national award for our years of restoration efforts.

Summary -

Our main interest was, and still is, caving. Over the years people with varied interests have joined the grotto. These interests include cave management and protection; photography; archaeology; bat studies; thorough exploration, survey & cartography; restoration; expedition caving; inventory; rescue and vertical training with Siskiyou SAR. We have gone from being a small group with narrow interests, to a small group with a broader view of our active role in the caving scene.