The National Speleological Society is pleased to present video presentations featuring pioneering cave explorers, karst scientists, and other long-time NSS members. These talks are designed to give young and old cavers alike the opportunity to learn from some of the true superstars in our Society. This program is the brainchild of AVP Geary Schindel and Dave Hughes; the videos are produced by Dave Socky and Webmaster Alex Sproul. Recommendations for future speakers are encouraged.

2018 CONVENTION, HELENA, MONTANA

MIKE McEACHERN

Mike McEachern happened upon Bill Halliday’s book entitled Adventure is Underground and, in due course, was invited on a grotto trip with Ray Beach and Dave McClurg. He transferred his college major from electronics to anthropology and, ultimately, did a master’s thesis on the mortuary caves of the Mother Lode region.
Offered a research assistant position in archae- ology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, McEachern moved to Canada to search for signs of early man in the caves of the Canadian Rockies. Mike was conducting excavations in the Crowsnest Pass region during the same time that Derek Ford and his colleagues were searching for caves in that area. As a result, Mike ended up on the first trip to the Andy Good Plateau, when both Yorkshire Pot and Mendips Cave were discovered.
Leaving Canada and moving back to California, McEachern planned a short reconnaissance trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, where a small cave had been found the previous summer. This trip resulted in the discovery of the Silvertip System. Mike was heavily involved with the initial work at Silvertip, including the recruitment of other strong cavers to assist with the project. Along the way, McEachern discovered the entrance to Getout Cave on this mountain. Getout was soon connected into the main complex, resulting in a cave that was over 1,000 feet deep.
One of Mike’s major interests in the sport involves cave photography and, in particular, stereo cave photography. Beginning with a basic Stereo Realist camera, Mike expanded to the ownership of about a dozen stereo cameras. One of his stereo photography projects involved providing the imagery populating the three-reel View-Master set that features the justly famous Caverns of Sonora. Download a copy (53:06, 585 MB)

CHRIS HOWES

Chris Howes’ first cave exploring trip was in 1968. Afterward, his dad—believing that caves were dangerous—emphasized to Chris that he was not to venture underground—not no how; not no way. That was all that it took, and Chris Howes was off on a lifetime of caving.
An avid above-ground photographer, it seemed perfectly natural for Chris to extend his photographic endeavors to the realm of the underworld. At first the results were sophomoric, but they soon evolved into something exceptional. To capture the desired images, Chris (and his photo assistants) hauled gear through grim conditions, backbreaking passages, up and down drops, and across all manner of obstacles and wonders. Each trip helped to refine his skill set and perfect the methods for which he became famous. Encouraged by friends, Howes penned a manuscript detailing the techniques that he had learned, developed, and employed. The resulting Cave Photography: A Practical Guide appeared in 1987.
Also fascinated by the historical aspects of underground photography, Chris Howes carefully researched the entirety of that niche, collected certain of the associated artifacts, assembled many rare images, and wrote up the results in his own inimitable way. For cavers fascinated by a journey along the bumpy road from magnesium flares and flash powder to modern electronic strobes there is no better book than Howes’ To Photograph Darkness: The History of Underground and Flash Photography. Then, in 1997, Chris updated and consolidated some aspects of his previous work with the publication of Images Below: A Manual of Underground and Flash Photography. Download a copy (1:06:18, 504 MB)

More Luminaries - 2017 and 2016