Moonshine - That good Ole Mountain Dew

[L Roebuck]

Since cavers may occasionally encounter Moonshine Stills in caves and/or while ridgewalking I thought it good to post this Clarion Ledger article.

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Stillers pass down tricks

" Since Prohibition in the early 1900s, locals have used the cover of this county's backwoods to craft some of the nation's finest - or most potent - moonshine.

During that time, moonshining methods have been handed down from generation to generation, and for a few old-timers, concocting white lightning is a family tradition."

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[Azurerana]

Amazingly enough, you can order moonshine stills off the Internet!!! (Lots of disclaimers, but hey, they work...)

Not only that-- Make your own moonshine...call it ethanol...and the alt energy folks will help you get the permits... Someday people are going to wake up and discover what ethanol fuel really is...power for the first NASCAR mountain racers out of NC, eastern Tenn...."they called it thunder, thunder, on the Thunder Road...white lightin' was his power and moonshine was his load..:"

Dang city folks.

[Rebel Rouser]

."they called it thunder, thunder, on the Thunder Road...white lightin' was his power and moonshine was his load..:"


"And there was thunder, thunder over Thunder Road
Thunder was his engine, and white lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine to quench the Devil’s thirst
The law they swore they'd get him, but the Devil got him first."

www.univie.ac.at/Anglistik/easyrider/data/ballad_of_thunder_road.htm

Not trying to nit pick , Azurerana, just thought I would help with the lyrics. ;D Rebel

[Azurerana]

Hey, I was doing this entirely from memory off my Jim and Jesse CD before dashing off to work. Thanks for the assist.

[dhparker]

Being very nosey here: Have any of you ever run across stills or other illegal activity in your caving adventures?

[Tony Anders]

Not yet Donna,

I have seen a few beer bottles and some kids that smelled a little like Maryjane as they entered the cave we was exiting, but no stills or(worse here) meth labs. That is what scares me this day and age is someone having a working cook going on and us happen up on.

[L Roebuck]

In our area (Tennessee) we do not find as many stills these days usually just the remnants of long-forgotten stills. (Cool historic value). I maybe be wrong but I believe moonshiners now enjoy the more modern conveniences for brewing.

But these days Cavers are more likely to find meth labs in some of the caves. I recall a few years ago at a bat cave nature preserve the police were called to arrest a couple of guys who were caught in the act by a nature preserve visitor for making and using methamphetamine in the cave. Apparently they did not even notice the visitor watching them and she slipped back out and called the local police.

Hey Tony you would likely smell the people making meth before you actually found them. If the cave is breathing out you might even smell it at the entrance. It has a strong cat-urine type odor.

[Azurerana]

While caving, or at caving functions? I've run across shine at MVORs in the deep Ozarks relatively recently, not to mention other substances the DEA would not approve of. Some people I know have run across meth making refuse in caves, but no confrontations that I know of.

But heck, I ran across shine at a church youth function in High Ridge about 20 years ago. It was the kids making it.

[dhparker]

Hummm. I mean while caving. Hadn't even thought about caving functions--mostly because I'm ignorant about caving functions. MVORs?

Interesting that moonshine is still out there, although I don't suppose it's big business anymore. I would worry more about the meth production, too. Hopefully putting the decongestant meds behind the counter is helping cut back on those.

Thanks for your replies!

[madratdan]

I've come across people drinking and smoking both cigarettes and mary jane in caves, but that's about it. I sure have picked up a lot of glass and trash over the years. There is the famous pot cave and house that burned recently.

nssmembersforum.proboards28.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=newsprint&thread=1165418228&page=1

[L Roebuck]

Yes, there are several caving events and caver functions every year, not only in the U.S. but the World. Just some U.S. caver events include; MVOR, NSS Convention, SERA Cave Carnival, TAG on the Mountain (TAG Fall Cave-In) ,Kentucky Speleofest, Karst-O-Rama, Crawlathon, etc, etc. Then there are also all the cave org related business meetings. Our Caving Calendar helps us know what event is coming up.

Personally, I think it doubtful that moonshine is still a big business, but who knows? I don't know if putting pseudoephedrine and other decongestant medications behind the counter is helping slow down meth production or not. I would hope so, since people like me (sinus and allergy) have a much harder time just getting the medications we need.

Wikipedia has an informative article about Methamphetamine

[madratdan]

pretzlgirl said:

I don't know if putting pseudoephedrine and other decongestant medications behind the counter is helping slow down meth production or not. I would hope so, since people like me (sinus and allergy) have a much harder time just getting the medications we need.

Just saw a thing on TV about this. Seems like the production and especially sale has somewhat moved to Mexico, since they don't regulate how much you can buy over the counter.

[Azurerana]

pretzlgirl said:

I don't know if putting pseudoephedrine and other decongestant medications behind the counter is helping slow down meth production or not. I would hope so, since people like me (sinus and allergy) have a much harder time just getting the medications we need.

Don't even get me started on this one, Lynn. My state rep is trying to make it even harder to get this stuff--I've tried other things-- it doesn't work. I mean, they ought to either make it legal or requiring a prescription-- this quasi-legal situation means it's a pain to get the meds, and the pharm people look at you suspiciously as you suppress a sneeze when you hand over your driver's license. I'm in the middle of a full-blown head cold right now, and without the pills I wouldn't be sleeping. I'm not a big pill-popper, but without those pills I couldn't be around people who smoke, or who have cats, or both without being a teary sneezy mess.

I've got a lot more sympathy for moonshiners than meth cookers, because it is the meth cookers who've made my life (as an innocent person with a medical condition) miserable.

[L Roebuck]

madratdan said:

Seems like the production and especially sale has somewhat moved to Mexico, since they don't regulate how much you can buy over the counter.

Um, well that still doesn't help some of us with OTC medication purchases here in the U.S.

azurerana said:

--I've tried other things-- it doesn't work. I mean, they ought to either make it legal or requiring a prescription-- this quasi-legal situation means it's a pain to get the meds, and the pharm people look at you suspiciously as you suppress a sneeze when you hand over your driver's license.

All well then just try requesting two boxes of medication and see what an 'Evil Eye' you get! ;D

azurerana said:

I've got a lot more sympathy for moonshiners than meth cookers, because it is the meth cookers who've made my life (as an innocent person with a medical condition) miserable.

Yes, I agree 100%!

Az, I think I caught your head cold. Did you send a virus via the forum? ;D

[Sharon Faulkner]

I've had the same battle with OTC medication this week. My pharmacy has now moved the children's liquid cough and cold medicines behind the counter. I had to buy two separate cold medicines (one for adults and one for children) at the same time.

If someone had a large family I'm not sure they would be allowed to purchase cold medicine for all of them at the same time.

[L Roebuck]

dhparker said:

Interesting that moonshine is still out there, although I don't suppose it's big business anymore.

Humm..... it appears the moonshine industry is still somewhat popular afterall.


State Makes Biggest Tri-Cities Moonshine Bust In Almost 15 Years
Nate Morabito News Channel 11 Feb 10, 2005

Tennessee investigators make the biggest moonshine bust in the Tri-Cities region in over a decade. The bust brought in well over 250 gallons of the illegally distilled corn whiskey. When state agents asked for Mary Ann Kinch's permission to search this Washington County, Tennessee, storage unit she said yes. She had no clue what police were going to find inside, 265 gallons of moonshine. "Sure enough there wasn't any question after you smelled it," Kinch said. Police say somebody was storing these cases here without anyone else knowing, including the rental property's owner.

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