NSS CONVENTION 2005
Huntsville, Alabama
INTRODUCTION
The National Speleological Society 2005 convention was held Huntsville Alabama, from July 4 to July 8.
I attended the pre-convention caving camp near Rock Island, Tennessee, June 30 to July 3.
After the convention, I also attended the post-convention caving camp near Sewanee, Tennessee, July 9 through July 13.
Harry and another caver frogging out of the Neversink pit.
Photo by Brian Masney with persmission.
PRE-CONVENTION CAVING CAMP
Rock Island, Tennessee
The pre-convention caving camp was hosted by Marion O. Smith near Rock Island, Tennessee.
I visited two cave's, Rocky River Cave and the famous Camp's Gulf.
Rocky River Cave is a spectacular river cave with fun climbing, stunning waterfalls and serene pools.
Camp's Gulf is know for its monster rooms.
The entrance to Rocky River Cave.
The main passage of Rocky River Cave.
Climb up to the rope, then traverse the cave along the ledge.
Harry traversing a wide part of the ledge.
The first major waterfall.
The crayfish were huge!
This one was about 9 inches long.
The second waterfall room.
What a great swim hole!
The serene rimstone dams.
A large entrance to a large cave - Camp's Gulf.
The big room in Camp's Gulf.
Notice the caver at the top of the breakdown pile.
NSS CONVENTION 2005
The 2005 convention was held in the heart of TAG country in downtown Huntsville, Alabama.
The convention campground was an old airport.
Nearby was the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
A hurricaine at the end of convention caused everyone to scurry home.
During the convention itself we explored Neversink, Hooper's Well, Ledbetter Cave, War Eagle Cave, Tumbling Rock Cave and Limrock Blowing Cave
Harry's camp in downtown Huntsville at the convention campground.
Kelly Hart and Phil Gowaty, and the Saturn V at the rocket center.
A variety of rockets.
Inside of the rocket center, showing a lunar rover and the LEM.
Dropping into Neversink during the convention.
Dave Milligan descending into Neversink.
Doug McCarty at the bottom of Neversink.
The climb out of Neversink.
Tall passageway in Ledbetter Cave.
Phil Gowaty scrambling around the cave, looking for the "Super Formation."
Damn, where is the "Super Formation?"
Maybe the "Super Formation" is down here?
POST-CONVENTION CAVING CAMP
The post-convention caving camp was hosted by "Mud Puppy" held near Sewanee, Tennesse.
There was a poor turnout because of the hurricaine that hit at the end of convention.
After a day or two, Dave Milligan and I were the only two "foreigners" remaining at the post-convention camp.
Despite the deluge, we did drop into deep waterfall pits and crawl through small tunnels in the days after the hurricaine.
First we hit "Hang 'Em High Cave," a wonderful technical cave that drops over 400 feet over a series of seven drops.
Then we dropped into "Main Well," a nicely decorated cave with multiple waterfall pits.
We also had the fortune of getting into "Cedar Ridge Crystal Cave."
The post-convention camp campground right before the hurricaine.
Here is where we spent the night of the hurricaine.
Terror at camp during the "Night of the Hurricaine."
More terror during the hurricaine.
The fluted stream passage of Hang 'Em High.
The second drop (36 feet) in Hang 'Em High.
The fifth drop (25 feet) in Hang 'Em High.
The sixth drop (60 feet) in Hang 'Em High.
Our guide, Marion O. Smith.
The entire gang at the bottom of Hang 'Em High, more than 400 feet deep.
Our other guide, Mud Puppy, is lower right.
Dave Milligan ascending out of Hang 'Em High.
"On Rope!" in Hang 'Em High.
Dave Milligan in Hang 'Em High.
Crawling through stream passage in Main Well.
Rimstone formations on the floor of Main Well.
Active formations in Main Well.
Crawling past bacon in Main Well.
The nuisance drop (16 foot free-fall) through a tight mud hole in Main Well.
Harry geared up for the 60-foot waterfall dome drop.
Looking down the 60 foot well of the fourth drop of Main Well.
Mud Puppy gears up to climb out of Main Well.
Dave Milligan climbing out of the 60-foot waterfall dome in Main Well.
Cedar Ridge Crystal Cave.
Cedar Ridge Crystal Cave.
Cedar Ridge Crystal Cave.
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