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The History and Exploration of
Wonder Cave
Presented by: Kelly Smallwood
May 7, 2019

Wonder Cave is located in the Pelham Valley in Grundy County, Tennessee and Is one of the oldest commercial caves in the state. It was discovered in 1897 by three Vanderbilt Students, and a few years later was commercial-ized by Robert M. Payne. Members of the Payne family continued to man-age the cave until the 1980's when Robert M.'s great grandson passed away. The cave was then sold to a local Chattanooga businessman, who operated the cave until the year 2000 when the cave was closed to the public and cavers. Even though Wonder Cave operated as a commercial cave for nearly 100 years, a complete and accurate map of the cave was never completed. In 2014, Jason Hardy and Kelly Smallwood began the survey of Wonder Cave and have surveyed nearly 3 miles of cave passage. Please join us for a journey through the history of Tennessee’s Wonder Cave. 

Kelly Smallwood is an accomplished cave photographer and writer. She has earned both Honorable Mention & Merit Awards in the NSS Salons for her photography & newsletter covers, as well as having some of her images featured on the cover of the NSS News. Kelly is a Life member of the NSS and has dedicated many years to the caving community for which she received her Fellow Award in 2014. She is also very involved with conservation and survey work with her husband, Jason Hardy. Kelly and her husband currently live in the heart of TAG in South Pittsburg, TN. (47:38) Download a copy (365 MB)

Grand Canyon's Double Bopper Cave
Reaches 40 Miles Long
Presented by: Beth Cortright
March 13, 2019

In the fall of 2018, two expedition teams returned to Double Bopper Cave in Grand Canyon National Park to continue survey and exploration of the extensivesystem. Through their efforts, the cave is now 40.6 miles long and has climbed into the top ten longest caves in the United States. The newest discoveries include many mummified mammals, an entire wall of gypsum hair, and more iron foam and gypsum flowers than anyone could imagine. Survey teams documented incredible boreholes and unique formations in the caves, while avoiding bark scorpions and flash floods on the surface. This presentation shows highlights of the October 2018 expedition and provides an update on the Double Bopper Cave system.

Beth Cortright has been caving for about 11 years. She began exploring underground while attending college and primarily caved in south central Kentucky, where she learned to survey. During this time, Beth also got involved with a group surveying caves in collaboration with archaeologists at Maya sites in the Yucatan, Mexico. Through her adventures with the caving group in Kentucky and Mexico, Beth was invited on a weeklong expedition into Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 2011. Beth has since returned to Lechuguilla many times, and to many other New Mexico caves as well, for more day trips and expeditions. Beth also participates in expeditions to Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness and Grand Canyon National Park. (1:16:26) Download a copy (178 MB)

Cave Safely, Cave Softly
BSA Caving Policy and Training
Presented by: Debbie Spoons & Allen Maddox
December 4, 2018

As of April 2018, the Boy Scouts of America has a new national caving policy and training program called "Cave Safely, Cave Softly." It is the BSA's program for organizing Scout activities in commercial and wild caves or lava tubes.

The BSA now requires that all leaders and participants who will be part of a BSA caving trip must read and understand the new policy and training information. If you are involved with Scouts and caving, then you need to watch this webinar, for the protection of the Scouts and your own liability.

The presentation includes details of what qualifies a trip leader, what age groups are allowed to enter a wild cave, how many qualified trip leaders are required for each group, the requirements for horizontal vs. vertical caves, and much more.

Allen Maddox is the NSS Youth Group Liaison, and Debbie Spoons is NSS-BSA Liaison and a BSA National Climbing & COPE Committee member. (1:15:10) Download a copy (135 MB)

Managing a Major Int'l Caving Project:
Proyecto Espeleologico Sistema Huautla
Presented by: Bill Steele
November 13, 2018

Our presenter, Bill Steele, will explain what it's like managing such a huge project as the exploration of Sistema Huautla (Proyecto Espeleologico Sistema Huautla, or PESH).

Bill is now busy organizing the 2019 expedition of PESH, which is an official NSS project. During these expeditions his team will be exploring, mapping, conducing speleological studies, and publishing information about of one of the world's greatest caves, Sistema Huautla. The cave is located in southern Mexico and is the deepest cave in the Western Hemisphere. PESH 2019 will be the 23rd expedition Bill has made to Huautla in 42 years. These expeditions have been his lifelong passion. What's it like managing such a big project? Watch and find out.

Bill Steele, NSS 8072 LB-FE-CM-AL, is co-leader of PESH. His first trip to Huautla was 38 years ago in 1977. He joined the NSS in 1964 at age 16. Steele lives in Irving, Texas, near Dallas. He caves in Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mexico, and China. He's a member of the NSS Awards Committee and an officer of the Dallas/Fort Worth Grotto. (1:27:00) Download a copy (147 MB)

Salt, Smoke, and Sketchy Slopes:
11 Miles of Survey in Grand Canyon Caves
Presented by: Beth Cortright
October 2, 2018

In Grand Canyon National Park, expedition teams have surveyed over 11 miles of new cave passage in the past 2 years. A new cave with large passages and impressive calcite, gypsum, epsomite, and mirabilite formations, called Gryffindor Cave, was discovered in 2016. The following year, surveyors mapped a connection between Gryffindor Cave and Double Bopper Cave, which was already the longest and deepest cave in Arizona.

Expeditions in fall 2017 mapped 5.7 miles of new survey in this system and brought the length of Double Bopper Cave to 36.7 miles. Several accomplished cave photographers were present on these expeditions, providing spectacular photographic documentation of the passages, formations, and the antics of the cavers involved.

Beth Cortright has been caving for about 11 years. She began exploring underground while attending college and primarily caved in south central Kentucky, where she learned to survey. During this time, Beth also got involved with a group surveying caves in collaboration with archaeologists at Maya sites in the Yucatan, Mexico. Through her adventures with the caving group in Kentucky and Mexico, Beth was invited on a weeklong expedition into Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 2011. Beth has since returned to Lechuguilla many times, and to many other New Mexico caves as well, for more day trips and expeditions. Beth also participates in expeditions to Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness and Grand Canyon National Park. (58:17) Download a copy (114 MB)

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