The '99 Conservation Project of the OVR will take place Saturday, October 23, 1999, held at the world-renown Sloan's Valley Cave System in southern Pulaski County, Kentucky, about 15 south of Somerset. Tom Crockett, our landowner host, is providing primitive camping in the field below the Crockett's home. Tom would prefer that we camp out of sight of the road, behind the grove of trees north of the greenhouse (if at all possible). There is plenty available camping for all. Please feel free to come on Friday and stay through Sunday, hopefully seeing some of this grand & diverse cave system while you're there. Directions to the Crocketts' are included with this mailing.
The project will officially begin at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning and will continue until around 8:00 p.m.-as much or as modest a commitment you can make during those hours will be greatly appreciated & worthwhile. I have included below the description of the project that appeared in the Spring Meeting announcement earlier this year. As implied in the announcement, groups will be organized (depending on the turnout) to tackle a variety of "subprojects". We will be pow-wowing around the campfire Friday evening to finalize plans. If you have specific interests or expertise, please let us know. You can contact me (John Cole) or Bill McCuddy at the addresses listed below and advise us beforehand-which would help with organization. Personal equipment should include nylon-bristle brushes, some heavy-duty trash bags, a bucket of some sort, rugged gloves, basic caving gear, plenty of light, and whatever amenities you find important toward making yourself comfortable during a long stint underground. The project area is mostly dry, but use of water in cleaning will make for slick & mucky going in some areas. Anyone possessing portable pressure sprayers is encouraged to bring them as well. Although there is some work to be done on reasonably flat cave floor within close proximity to the entrance, much of the project work is along a rollercoaster of up & down bouldering in spacious trunk passage, though reasonably safe for your average adult caver. Also note that a 20' extension ladder is the usual (& easiest) way into the open pit that provides the entrance to the cave & project area. If you are not up to this degree of physicality, then you might find the project excessively taxing. I don't want to discourage anyone, but a word of advisement I feel is warranted nonetheless. The project description follows:
"This year's conservation project will involve speleothem restoration, as well as mud, trash, & graffiti removal in the Garbage Pit entrance of the Sloan's Valley Cave System. For those of you who've never visited this 23+ mile cave system, don't be dismayed by the entrance name-landowner Tom Crockett cleaned the entrance free of garbage nearly 20 years ago. The main thrust of the project will tackle the restoration of broken speleothems on Garbage Pit Hill and in the nearby Oasis/Appalachian Trail are; damage done during a 911 rescue gone awry several years ago. There is also mud tracking and debris of a caver nature that is slated for removal during the project. Camping & water will be provided on site (there are also limited electrical hookups available). Plan to make a weekend of it, and take the time to enjoy some of this world-class cave system. Bill McCuddy, OVR Conservation Liaison & Director, is spearheading this project, and has plans to restore the Guardian, a very large stalactite at the top of Garbage Pit Hill. This formation, also broken during the 911 rescue, has a chunk weighing several hundred pounds that Bill plans to reattach to the host formation."
Please bring your expertise & enthusiasm to make this project the most successful ever! We look forward to seeing you there!
DIRECTIONS TO 1999 OVR CONSERVATION PROJECT SITE:
Tom Crockett residence: (606) 561-5422
1. Heading SOUTH* on I-75 take EXIT 62, Renfro Valley/Mt. Vernon Exit
(between Berea & London, KY.).
2. Make RIGHT (west) onto 461. Continue until 461 terminates into 80.
3. Make RIGHT (to Somerset) on 80.
4. Make LEFT onto 914 to take Somerset bypass OR continue on 80 to Somerset.
5. Make LEFT onto 27 (south). (This works whether you took bypass or
went on to Somerset.)
6. Continue south through Burnside. At General Burnside Island State
Park, distance to Crockett turn-off is 4.35 miles.
7. Pass 751 (Keno Road-on right), Pass Dixie Bend Road (on left).
These are just landmarks-don't turn onto them!
8. Turn-off is FIRST RIGHT past abandoned, mostly destroyed white
house trailer (trailer is on left). (Turn-off is OLD U.S. Loop #3,
but the sign is often missing.)
9. Make quick RIGHT onto gravel road (Minton Hollow Road-sign usually
missing).
10. Make another quick RIGHT into Crocketts' driveway
(plastic-sheathed, hanger-type greenhouse is right of driveway).
11. Park in lower field at section indicated (probably to the right,
just past the green house; subject to change if bad weather).
NOTE: If you enter McCreary County on 27, you missed the turn-off &
have drive 3.5 miles too far. Go back to trailer or 751 and try again!
Questions? John Cole (606) 245-3383, koshka@iglou.com
*If heading North on I-75 (from Tennessee) take EXIT 41 onto 80
(London/Somerset exit); make LEFT (to Somerset). Then follow Steps
4-11 above.
1999 OVR Annual Conservation Project: Sloan's Valley Cave System. Tentative Date: early to mid October, 1999
Please review the enclosed letter by OVR Conservation Liaison, Bill McCuddy, regarding this year's annual conservation project. The project promises to be a very interesting combination of cave clean-up and speleothem restoration in this world-class cave. Primitive camping will be available on-site on Tom Crockett's farm within view of the project site cave entrance. Water & limited electric hook-ups will be available for the project weekend. Please make plans now to attend & participate in this long overdue & greatly deserving restoration project. And please look at your caving event calendar and get in touch with us to help us choose the best date for all. Bill McCuddy: (937) 767-9427; John Cole (606) 245-3383.