THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION OF THE NSS

The Rocky Mountain Region is an official internal organization of the National Speleological Society (NSS). We are composed of grottos from the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.  We are an organization dedicated to tackling regional issues and projects related to cave science, exploration, and conservation as well as to promoting fellowship among the cavers of the Region.

History of the Region

During the Thanksgiving holidays of 1971 a group of cavers from the Vedawoo, CSU, and Colorado Mines grottos met during the annual pilgrimage of cavers to the New Mexico Guads. It was here that the idea of forming a Rocky Mountain Region originated with Rebel Kuniansky (Vedawoo), Bruce Unger (CSU), and Mark Maslyn (Colo. Mines) as the prime moving forces.

The idea drew large support from the cavers of the Rocky Mountain states and an organizational meeting was held in Laramie with delegates from Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. At this October, 1972 meeting, a constitution and by-laws were drafted and approved. By Christmas of that year 5 grottos had signed the forms chartering the region.

That same winter the forms disappeared somewhere, and the idea of a region went into semi-dormancy. The interest remained however, a Rocky Mountain Pseudo-Region correspondent appeared and slowly the momentum began to build again.

This culminated in the summer of 1975 when the Colorado and Colo. Mines grottos jointly hosted a 4th of July regional on the White River Plateau in northwestern Colorado. More than 80 cavers from Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming showed up along with cavers from other states for a weekend of cave trips and a most hearty Saturday night spaghetti dinner. In the short business meeting that followed, representatives from the Salt Lake, Vedawoo, CSU, Colorado, and Colo. Mines grotto voted to reform and officially charter the region.

The rest of the history is occurring now as the Rocky Mountain Region is officially chartered.

Mark Maslyn
28 September 1975