Hi folks,
I've just joined this group, and wanted to give you a bit of a bio. I'm a caver and a rockhound, or at least, that's my path to mine encounters. I'm up in Vermont, fairly northern VT,at that, and so most of my mine-time in the copper belt up here, with some pretty fine explorations of the talc belt up here,of late. While I lean more towards the rockhounding side of things, the history is of reasonable interest to me, as well. I'm vertically capable, have a group around me that are at least my equal, in that regard, and we're always open to finding new sites to explore.
I think I can offer some sites to the group, and some safety insights, from a caver's perspective, to any interested.
For now, if there are any cavers out here, if anyone's going to the Spring NRO in Rosendale, I'd be happy to meet and chat with you, there. Look for a gray VW camper, and just strike up a conversation!
minerPete

_________________
Illigitimi non carborundum

Welcome to the group! There are a few whom are vertically challenged in this group and since I am not vertically challenged, some times I wish I was doing this.

Hi Pete-
good to here from another new england mine explorer! I am from CT, many of our mines here in CT MA andNY are entered through shafts or have several levels, so SRT has become integral with our explorations as well. my focus is to go places that sometimes havent seen human footsteps in 100 years and to document it from the perspective of industial archeology.
my question for you pertains to rappeling, when you are deep inside a mine and you need to rappel a winze to the next level, what do you prefer to tie off to, do you set bolts or a cams? we always find something to tie off to but it would be nice to know you can rappel at any winze without tieing off to 100 year old tracks or timbers, rocks, rock piles, or having to build an A frame!
-Ct Mike

Hi CtMike,
Good to hear from you, and to know there are other SRT fans out here!
As to your question about anchoring, for us, it really depends on conditions, information, and preparation. If there are good, solid iron or rock anchors nearby, we'll use them, as long as we can back them up. But in the talc mines, we've set our owm bolts, not wanting to trust anythingiold in rock like that. And the bolts we've set have been 12" X 1/2" stainless steel, epoxied into the best areas we can find within 50'!
Have you done any talc? Have you done any caves? Are you thinking about the Spring NRO in Rosendale?

_________________
Illigitimi non carborundum

Pete, I have not yet done talc, I wanted to take a ride up to moretown talc mine and check out that area, but I think I'll wait till we have a whole weekend free for this. I have done a bit of caving up in schoharie NY and we have also done twin lakes in Ct, i very much enjoy the technical aspect of caving , squeezing through tight slots, digging , crawling, etc. but so few people are exploring and documenting mines, so i consider 19th and early 20th century mines to be my niche in the underground world. maybe I'll check out the spring nro Ive been wanting to get up to rosendale to check out those huge cement mines.

Mike,
If you do make it to the NRO, look me up! I'm not thrilled with the caves around that area, except for one, which is not to be missed, if it's open. But I was thinking about trying to hit some of the mines around there, as well, and don't know what sort of crew I could muster for it down there.

_________________
Illigitimi non carborundum

Since the spring nro is hosted at a historic mine barons estate with a huge limestone mine on the property I think some of us ironminers should make it to this event!! its may 16-18 which is next weekend. Im in, for either day or even the weekend depending on who else can go and what day
so who else is up for some limestone and cement mines?

minerPete,

Is it just you attending, or you and other members of your group? Overall this is a bad weekend for some of us, but we are trying to figure out a way to go. I've got plans Saturday night. So my choices are to come up Saturday for some of the day, or come up Sunday. But is Sunday "pack up day" and nothing really is going on that day?

Miner Greg

Miner Greg
I'm just back from a weekend out-of-state, so I'm trying to figure out who-all else is coming along, over the next few days. Noone's being very commital, so far, other than me, amongst my own core group, but there will be other members of our VT Cavers Club (NSS grotto) that will be there, 'tho that may be less relevant... Anyway, I'm working on it. I'll be sure to have some pictures of some of our adventures, to give you a taste, at least, of what we're into.
As far as activities are concerned, Saturday is generally the big day for people to get out, duriong the day, and underground somewhere, before coming back to camp for the evening events. Not that everyone is out, and there's nothing going on around the site, but most people will caving somewhere. I'm hoping to find some of the mines in the area, and do some of them, keep track of others for another time, and meet up with like-minded folk. However, if it turns out that Surprise Cave is open, I'd like to get in on one of the trips there, as well. I've only seen about a quarter of it, from what I've seen of the map, and it's spectacular!
Sunday usually has a few trips planned as available, but they're smaller trips, smaller groups, attended only by those who don't have so far to return home or have less urgent time pressures.
I'm planning on getting therre Friday afternoon, when there's time to pick a good spot to set up, meet other folk as they come in, and maybe catch an early trip to somewhere before dinner. If I leave here by ten, I should make it there before three, barring complications. Complications? Hey, it's a Volkswagen!
caverPete

_________________
Illigitimi non carborundum

Has anyone else been looking at the weather forecast for this weekend? Looks pretty sloppy to me. Long hikes to undergrounds may suck, and wet caves, like Rhodes, might even be unpassable. Crap! Oh well, I'm still going, just gonna play it by ear. If all I get to do is meet up with Miners CT Mike and Greg, it'll be a good trip. Getting underground will just be icing on the cake.
minerPete

_________________
Illigitimi non carborundum

Hey Pete- it looks like me and a few members of our group will be up to the NRO on Sun. around 10 or 11. I'll PM you with my cell # -Mike

Does anyone have a report on how the NRO went? Saturday just wasn't a good day for Miner Mike or I, so only Miner CTMike was able to join. Just curious to hear how things went. Sounds like it was probably a pretty good event.

Miner Greg