Birmingham Grotto Earth Day Clean Up II
Hidden
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Saturday, April 16, 2011
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(large)
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Annually on Earth Day, the Birmingham Grotto of the National Speleological Society trys to help our planet by doing a CITO event. The twist? We "Cave In and Trash Out."
We need surface help as well as "inside" help so everyone is welcome!
Dixie Cachers has up to date discussions here:
http://x.r2designs.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=3597
The Event starts at 10:00 am and will be over by 12:45 pm.
As a number of geocachers have expressed a desire to safely explore a cave and as we have a need for extra people power, I am offering this CITO event to the geocachers.
Unfortunately, this place has suffered decades of abuse from the local community. The Birmingham Grotto has worked for years to keep the trash at a minimum and our efforts seem to be paying off.
What to bring for the clean up?
1) Make sure you bring GLOVES!
2) Water - Bring your own refreshments. If you want to do the post-cleanup cave trip, bring a small pack you don't care about that can carry a spare light, some snacks, and your water bottle(s).
3) If you want to help inside the cave, bring a helmet, hard hat, or even a bike helmet if you have one - we will have a dozen or so helmets to loan out for those who don't have anything. Tell me in your "will attend" if you need a helmet and I will confirm via email to reserve you one.
4) Clothing - I can't stress this enough - if you want to help in the cave, bring a change of clothes which includes shoes! (If you plan to join CaverScott on "the cave trip" you will get 50%-75% soaked!!!! So bring a change of clothes!) Good boots are not a requirement, but if you have a spare pair you should bring them! (Unlike our previous geocacher trip, this cave has an active stream!)
5)With regards to the trash, if you have any burlap bags or farmer type "grain sacks," please bring them. The cave has a habit of tearing up the heavy duty plastic bags.
We will have a trailer or a pick up truck there to collect all the trash.
The coordinates are for GCMXB1. Parking will be available to west, at the bottom of the hill. Otherwise, feel free to meet and carpool from the Park & Ride located here: GCX66G (this is only 2.3 miles South of the clean up)
Post Event Cave Trip around Noon - For those of you who really want to experience an honest cave trip, here is your chance. CaverScott and maybe CaverJules will lead you through the mountain and out the bottom (closer to your car). This will entail very confined spaces, water, and mud. No Snakes! You must have a helmet with a helmet mounted light (you can get a headlight for under $20 at walmart). Although "sneakers" will get you by, better boots will make your trip more enjoyable.
Post Cave Trip "pitch in" lunch at a cavers house within 15 minutes of the cave. Everyone is invited. You can even explore two more caves including a cavers secret ... the infamous "House Cave" in Blount County.
We’ll begin the work at Bryant Mountain Cave and continue until lunch. We’ll have garbage bags and burlap sacks to contain any garbage that we find. Our emphasis this year will be on mud-washing spray-painted graffiti from the cave walls. We’ll be careful to avoid any signatures that are over 50 years old. We’ll provide the buckets and brushes for this work. You should come prepared with gloves, as well as your normal caving gear, since much of what we will pick up is glass.
After the cave trip, we will break for lunch at a cavers house. Bring your sandwich materials & drinks, and join us on the deck. After lunch, you can check out the caves in the vicinity. Gaut’s Shortcut Cave, Bamboo, Wine Cellar, Bryant’s Corkscrew, and Mill Creek Squeeze within walking distance of the cavers house.
As the muddy cavers straggle in, we’ll prepare for an evening meal. Everyone is welcome to use the showers. If you want to join us for dinner, please bring a side dish to share, as well as whatever soft drink, beer or other liquids you might desire. The kitchen is open for any prep. The local caver family will be providing BBQ pork for the meat dish.
This is a kid-friendly gathering. Many of the caves are kid-friendly. With the grandkids next door, there’s a trampoline, fort, and other toys available. There’s a creek to play in; we’ll have the rope in the tree for kids of all ages to climb on; and lots of woods to explore.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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