The Last Chance Fall VAR 2023

The Last Chance Fall VAR is two things. One, there wasn’t going to be a Fall VAR this year. With literally days left Tri-State Grotto stepped up as the last chance to have The Fall VAR. Second, this will likely be your last chance to camp out this year.

The dates of the VAR are October 20-22, 2023.

We will be staying at the Antietam Creek Campground, Antietam, MD

The campground is located near the mouth of the Antietam creek. Nearby towns are Sharpsburg, MD, and Shepherdstown, WV.

The campground is located between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. It is a walk-in campground. Canal Road parallels the campground. Parking is on the shoulder of one side of the road. This is the normal campground parking. Some of it is paved and some places it is level dirt. We cannot handle large self-contained units. Pop-ups are sketchy; you only have the shoulder for parking, then it drops off into the canal.

As like all National Parks, no alcohol is allowed.

There will be lead tours to several caves: Molars, Cricket Maze, Jones Quarry, and Donaldson caves.

You can also hike and bike the canal, or put a kayak into the Potomac River and paddle around.

Dinner Saturday night will be pulled pork, green beans, potato salad, and drinks. There will be a vegetarian option. You must request it on the pre-registration form.

Prices:

Pre-registration

Download the registration form and mail in with your payment. There is currently no option for on-line payment.

$35.00 - includes VAR fee, camping, lead trips on Saturday, and a dinner Saturday night. 18 and up.

$30.00 - 17 and younger includes camping, lead trips on Saturday, if capable, and a dinner Saturday night.

Free - 6 and under.

At the door

$40.00 includes VAR fee, camping, lead trips on Saturday.

Note: does NOT include Saturday night dinner.

$30.00 - 17 and younger includes camping, lead trips on Saturday, if capable. Note: does NOT include Saturday night dinner.

Directions to camp

From the South

Take I 81 North to Martinsburg, WV. Exit 12, 45 and 9 East, Winchester Ave. Turn right at the end of the ramp. Follow 9 East toward Charles Town.

Take exit 480 and 1, Kearneysville, Leetown. At end of ramp turn left toward Kearneysville Shepherdstown.

Follow 480 through Shepherdstown and across the Potomac River bridge. After you cross the bridge you will go up hill. At the top of the hill turn right onto Canal Road - It is a hairpin turn. This will take you down to the canal where it is a 90 degree left turn.

Take this a few miles and you will come to Millers Sawmill Road. Turn right here to stay on Canal Rd. This is a one lane road at this point. After a deep dip in the road, where you ford a creek in high water, it turns back into a two lane road and you are almost at the campground. Parking is on the right. Come down to the foot bridge and walk across to registration.

39.42149, -77.74857 Foot bridge in camp. Use this for your GPS.

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From the North

Take I 81 south to I 70 East. Follow I 70 east to Exit 29A 65 South Sharpsburg. Follow this to the stop sign in Sharpsburg. Turn right onto Main St.

At the square in Sharpsburg turn left onto S. Mechanic St. As you leave town this will turn into Harpers Ferry Rd.

You will go over a hump and pass a church on your left and then go down a hill, You will pass a farm on your right with a block building right beside the road. At the end of the fence you will turn right onto Canal Rd. You make a hard right and the campground is on the left. You will have to turn around to park.

39.42149, -77.74857 Foot Bridge to Registration.

39.42149, -77.74857 Foot bridge in camp. Use this for your GPS.

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From DC and Baltimore

From I-70 west. Take Exit 49, 40 ALT Braddock Heights, Middletown. At the end of the ramp, turn left toward Braddock Heights, Middletown. Go through both towns and continue to Boonsboro. Follow to first light in Boonsboro and make a left onto Potomac St. Follow this to Sharpsburg.

At the square in Sharpsburg turn left onto S. Mechanic St. As you leave town, this will turn into Harpers Ferry Rd.

You will go over a hump and pass a church on your left and then go down a hill, You will pass a farm on your right with a block building right beside the road. At the end of the fence you will turn right onto Canal Rd. Make a hard right and the campground is on the left. You will have to turn around to park.

39.42149, -77.74857 Foot Bridge to Registration.

Saturday, April 22, 2023

sinkhole cleanout 2023

Beginning 9 a.m. (may carry over into Sunday). camping is available Friday and Saturday nights.

Location:

Apple Horse Farm
5921 Hot Springs Road
Hot Springs, VA 24445

Details:

Lunch and water will be provided Saturday, but please bring your own snacks and extra water
We'll be cleaning out 3-4 sinkholes
If you have a truck (or trailer) with a winch and are available for transporting trash from sinkhole to dumpster, please let us know.

Supplies to bring:

Chainsaws
Wire cutters
Weed whackers
5-Gal buckets
Rakes
Shovels
Old tarps
Rope
Chain with 3/8" sling hook on end of chain
Tool to separate tires from rims
Loppers
Work gloves
Boots
Hat
Sunscreen
Insect repellent

RSVP - Helps with planning!
merecaver at yahoo dot com
janete at shentel dot net

October 21-23, 2022
RASS Field Station
Millboro, VA

Overview

The Fall VAR 2022 is scheduled for October 21-23 at the RASS Field Station, Millboro, VA, hosted by the VPI Cave Club. Details are just starting to become available. Directions and a map were just published on the VARList.

COVID

The Field Station is wide open and should be reasonably safe. Doing the squeezebox two at a time, not so much!

Registration

Pre-registration is now OPEN until October 15. Download the Registration Form now and mail it in before October 8th to make sure it arrives in time. Pre-registration is only $20, with dinner optional for an additional $15. Dinner is only guaranteed to pre-registrants. On-line Registration is also now open, but the prices are slightly higher ($21.00/$36.50) because of processing fees. Onsite registration will be $40.

Camping

The RASS Field Station has 26 acres of open grass for camping, and an outhouse building. Please bring a chair, and everything you will need for the weekend, the site is remote with only a few convenience shops nearby. There will be no on-site recycling. Please plan to carry all your trash and recycling home with you.

Cell Service

Cell service at the site is non-existent to low depending on your carrier. Don't count on it.

Dogs

Yes, well behaved pets and well behaved owners please.

Fires

Allowed ONLY in designated fire rings.

Hotels

Out here? Are you kidding? Maybe in Staunton

Alcohol

BYOB

Caving

Yes!

Wild Caves

Yes! There will be led tours and self led to open caves. See Saturday below for caves. Signup for guided trips starts Friday evening at 9 PM.

Other Activities

Of course! There will be a vertical tower, trails and footpaths around the RASS fieldstation and hikes near by!

Vendors

TBD

Friday, October 21

Arrive and mingle!

9:00 PM - Sign up for Saturday's guided cave trips.

Saturday, October 22

Led Cave Trips

There will be builded trips to Butler, Porters, 5 Springs Cave, and Grapevine.

DIY Cave Trips

Anyone is free to do a self-guilded tour at Island Ford, Crossroads, or Lowmoor Caves throughout the weekend.

Conservation Project

TBD

Dinner

Beef Brisket, Pork BBQ, and some pulled chicken BBQ if available. Sides include Buns, bake or green beans, coleslaw, macaroni salad, cucumber/onion vinaigrette salad. Drinks include sweet & unsweetened tea, lemonade, water.

While we will attempt to accommodate all the hungry cavers, only those who pre-register will be guaranteed a meal.

Evening Program

TBD but we are hoping to have one.

DJ

TBD but there will be a dance party of some sort!

SUNDAY, October 23

Meeting

The VAR business meeting will begin at 9:00 AM. Bring a chair.

Spring Restoration at Endless Caverns

Earth Day Celebration

Who: Cavers of VAR
What: Spring Restoration at Endless Caverns
When: April 23, 2022 at 9 a.m. promptly!
Where: New Market, Virginia (just south of the town at Exit 264 from the North, or 257
from the South off I-81. Take Route 11 to Endless Caverns Road and follow that to the
end)
Why: Maintain caving community ties to local commercial caverns/cave conservancies
and exchange knowledge about good cave conservation techniques

Details About What We’ll Do
Endless Caverns managers are compiling a list of possible chores that may include
algae abatement, trail maintenance/improvement, formation repair, surface sprucing, or
light carpentry. Come prepared to work; bring shovels, rakes, clippers, and work gloves.
Vaccinated and boosted volunteers are preferred.

Camping Info
Free tent camping (bring your own tables and chairs) on April 22-23 (Friday/Saturday)
If you have a camper or RV-type dwelling, there will be a charge.
Based on weather forecasts, consider bringing canopies for meals.
Please let us know if you plan to camp Friday, Saturday, or both nights.

Lunch
VAR will provide a hearty lunch for the participants. Please let Carol This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
know you are coming so she knows how much food to order. Indicate if you are a
vegetarian. Please us know if you plan to stay for dinner too.

Questions?
Contact Meredith at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.