Day trippin at Porterfest

[Brian Roebuck]

Lynn and I attended Porterfest for a day this weekend and ended up going caving with a diverse group of cavers. Joe Douglas led the Monis, Bill Walter, Clinton Elmore, Sherri Person and her two children, Lynn, myself, and young Mr Bishop.The age range in our group was from 4 years old to 60+! We drove down the plateau to find an easy way to get to this horizontal cave and after a few turns and twists we ended up out in a clearing to gear up for a nice hike up a very dry streambed to the sinkhole entrance just off to one side of the stream. River cane was said to have grown in this sink but we did not see any this day. It felt good to get into the cool cave after a warm hike in cave gear. Our party moved slowly through this cave and enjoyed the easy going stream passage. Not too much water was present in the cave but we did spot some Leopard frogs, crickets, bats, and a crayfish or two along the way. At the far end of the cave we saw a nice formation up a 50 foot tall dome where normally lots of water would be falling. It was only a trickle this day. We made our way out of the cave and headed back to the trucks to change and go back to the camping area on Short Mountain. Some cavers went to do some vertical caves nearby. It was a nice time, the kids had fun, and we all had a good trip with everyone there.

We hung around the camp area talking to everyone that was there and eating Avis' home made cookies! A few more folks showed up and tried to find some of the vertical caves arouns the area. Eventually a bunch of us headed into town for dinner where Lynn and I said goodby after eating and headed home. It was a fun day of caving and hanging out with our favorite people - cavers!

[tncaveres]

I wanted to come but Tricia's whole family came in from Memphis on a last minute notice. I also had to work today.
I was wanting to hit some of those vertical caves.
Glad to hear yall had a good time.

[Brian Roebuck]

You would have enjoyed it. It was a nice place to camp, great weather, good people, and lots of deep pits in the neighborhood. It was about an hour and fifteen minute drive from our area as well. The only negative was the place we ate Saturday night. Greasy Spoon comes to mind. They had fried pickles that were so salty it made you want to choke! Well the salads weren't too bad hehe. There was a car show going on in the town square as well so at least the entertainment was good.

You'll have to attend next time if you can.

[paul snook]

please allow me to add to the porterfest report, by saying:
it was a good time, sorry I didn't get to stay for more of it,
the basics vertical class, on Saturday morning at the rock house went well, Robert Sewell and his family attended, along with ed and his brother, and a long lost porter Ray Heery even managed to crawl out from under his rock to lend me a hand in teaching,
several drops were made, and a couple of climbs with a change over or two in the mix, ( tncaveres, I need some help tweeking the three knot climb) sadly on Saturday, not to long after going back to camp and watching Ranger Maynard sniff Dr. Beaners beard for left over breakfast, I had to leave,
however, on sunday, I did meat up with Brian b. and jlynn and Becky for snail shell cave " Venetian av." and after gearing up and giving some time for others from porterfest to show up, we headed in for the girls first trip in to TN's most notorious danger cave, all was safe the water was down, some photos were taken, the girls handled it like pro's, and when we headed out, some more pictures were taken and the water was up about a foot more than on the way in, all in all it was a good end to what part of porterfest I was able to make


the Sewell's share a wall, one going up the other down

" what was breakfast Dr. Beaner?"

[Robert Sewell]

"Bull" Snook held a beginner's vertical class which turned out to be private lessons for my youngest daughter, Erin. She wanted to learn before shipping out to Navy boot camp in northern Illinois.

The bible camp rock house has some good cliffs, around 40' with an easy lip and a big landing area. Erin got on-rope, learned what to do, then got off rope to watch me drop the cliff. Then she got back on rope and made the descent with a big grin on her face. She's hooked! She made the drop one more time, then used Bull's rope walker to ascend, qualifying her as a total Yo-Yo. You can see her on rope in Bull's first pic, above.

After that my family (except me) took off for home to tend to the animals. I went back to the festival site where I unsuccessfully looked for any takers on the two horizontal caves within walking distance. Instead, I chatted with the Roebucks, and, as they came back from various vertical trips, Ed Shakelford and his brother, Michael, the Monis, Bill Walter, Clinton and Anne Elmore, and Mark Joop.

When they left for dinner and home, Ed, Michael and I mozied down to Frank's A-frame cabin and joined Frank Maynard, Rob and Philis Davidson, Carl Bishop, Brian Weaver and a few others (I missed getting their names) at the cooking fire where we ate and chatted into the late night. We enjoyed a mean adult beverage professionally mixed by Ed.

I think everyone had a good time, and we had a pretty good turn-out.

But darn it, I didn't see a single cave! <sniff!>

[jlynn]

You could have came with us Robert, we had a great time. I loved our trip. It was my first time seeing a cave like that and would do it again and again. I was disappointed that i didn't get to meet some of the other cavers that I have been chatting with but I'm sure I will one day.

[Robert Sewell]

Isn't that a neat cave, JLynn? One of the few where you come out cleaner than when you went in!

I'd like to have gone with you guys to Snail Shell, but I can't cave on 3 hours sleep. Well, I could, but I wanted to spend time with Erin before she shipped out to the Navy. She leaves tomorrow.

We'll go back to SS soon. Ed needs to see it, I want to finally make it to Venutian Ave., so we'll do it again. Hope you make that trip, too.

[jlynn]

Yeah I agree you need plenty of rest before doing S.S. it's exhausting walking through the water. Becky did the trip with only 4 hours of sleep and trust me she wished she had gotten more. I'm up for another trip anytime. Just let me know when.

[L Roebuck]

Hey JLynn why didn't you and Becky come to Porterfest? You could have met a lot of cavers. Cave Daddy Bull is a fine caver and no doubt has done well to get you two over the nOOby stage....but isn't it about time to start caving with other cavers?

[jlynn]

Yes Lynn it is about that time. We couldn't come Saturday because of work and my daughter has gymnastics. Our schedules keep us restricted to caving on Sundays and everyone else seems to cave on Saturdays. I thought I was going to have a chance to meet more people on Sunday. We were under the impression that more people were coming but they never showed.

[paul snook]

"We were under the impression that more people were coming but they never showed. "

we waited, but it seems like pits were more important than snail shell, or sleep was more important, dang yoyo's and lazy cavers, it's ok though, we understand, you guys just dont got it in you to do such a NON- sweaty trip, I mean its not like your going to be getting hot and muddy in snail shell, you dont even have to clean gear afterwords, seams like yall just want to do the up and down sweat pouring caves or the crawl'y muddy ones, but we forgive you, maybe next time,

[Brian Roebuck]

I was fixin the brakes on my Mustang Sunday - so there!

I had no caving plans at all since I needed to clean up all the junk used to paint our truck topper and tailgate. I figured brakes on the car would come in handy too.

Glad y'all had fun though.

[paul snook]

are the new brakes comin in the mail next week?

[L Roebuck]

cavebull said:

"We were under the impression that more people were coming but they never showed. "

As I recall Saturday night, just a few cavers other than Porter's discussed the possibility of attending your trip to Snail Shell Cave on Sunday. One group did drop a nice pit on Sunday. ;D
Us? Well we only had plans for Saturday Day Tripping. Sunday a new master cylinder and bleeding the breaks on the Mustang was Dr. B's top priority.

[Brian Roebuck]

cavebull said:

are the new brakes comin in the mail next week?

No more than your next cave trip is??? What a strange question Bull??

[tncaveres]

I am going through withdrawls. I have not been in a cave or on rope in like 2 weeks
What size pits did they drop this last weekend?

[Brian Roebuck]

Lots of pits from 100 - 200+ from what I heard. You would've loved it!

[tncaveres]

I was afraid they might do the 240' Man makes me really hate I missed it.

[Sharon Faulkner]

Sounds like everyone had a good time caving and at Porterfest last weekend. Great photos Cave Bull!

[Brian Roebuck]

nssmembersforum said:

Sounds like everyone had a good time caving and at Porterfest last weekend. Great photos Cave Bull!

Yep we did! Come on by next year and enjoy it with us!

[Sharon Faulkner]

I would have considered coming to Porterfest this year, but the ACS meeting was scheduled for the same weekend and I wanted to attend, or at least pay my dues and pick up the updates. I expect next year's ACS Meeting will be held this coming Spring 2008, so that will be one less conflict in the always busy Fall Caving Events schedule.

Actually, I kinda wish the Fall Caving Events were spaced out a little more, but what'cha gonna do....

[paul snook]

are the new ones coming in the mail next week? a quote from " the beverly hillbillies" movie
jethroe is asked if he fixed "them bare as bones breaks" his reply, " yep took'em off yesterdee, the new'uns is comin in'da mail next week" and this conversation goes on while drivin DOWN a hills and curves ozark MTN. rd