By Walt HammSaturday August 22, 2015 was this year’s maintenance work day at the preserve. A year ago members refurbished the parking lot (see Volume 16, Number 4 of the Karst Chronicle) and this year the accumulating deadfall was the primary focus of our efforts. While Tom Metzgar and I had cut and removed fallen […]
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By Dave Field Jeff Jahn and I attended MudFest at Lincoln Caverns July 29 to August 2. We did not get a final attendance count, but believe there were over 150 attendees. There were cavers from New York, Philly, Baltimore-Washington, West Virginia, Ohio, and probably a couple other locations from which I did not catch […]
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Here’s hoping this news comes true.
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This past winter, as we do every year, MAKC members do a bat count in Hall Cave, our first preserve. The first time the cave was counted for bats was in 1985, by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Census records show the PGC counted the bats again in 2000. Those totals were 35 and 143, respectively. […]
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Cataloguing all of the books in the MAKC library was a challenge, a time-consuming challenge. If anyone has a specific research need, let us know. I think periodically, as time permits, I’ll write a little bit in the newsletter about some of our books. For fiction books and children’s books, we do permit lending to […]
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On three consecutive weekends volunteers from the Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy closed Coon Cave, Lemon Hole and Barton Cave for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as specified in our closure proposal for 2014. The first closure was Coon Cave. We took that opportunity to do a beginner Boy Scout trip with Mark Somers and […]
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By Dave Field I found some useful free apps for navigating to your favorite cave searching spot using your smartphone, pad or tablet. The first is ViewRanger GPS. Assuming your device has GPS, this makes your phone or tablet essentially a handheld GPS. You may also be able to locate your position using cell towers, […]
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MAKC is raising money for its library and education center in Blairsville by giving cavers the opportunity to buy a brick in honor of or memory of a friend, family member, favorite pet, loved one, grotto, or cave. We have had many benefactors thus far from all over the place. Board member Jeff Jahn has […]
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By Kim Metzgar Tom, Alex and I arrived in Shippensburg to find Mike Schirato, Kerry Speelman and many other friends anxious for the convention to begin. We were staying in the dorms, and the three guys were visiting us. Tom and I prepared for bed, while the others decided to sleep in the living area, […]
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By Evan Witek and Amanda King Beaver County Times www.timesonline.com Posted: Tuesday, June 4, 2013 Harlansburg Cave in Lawrence County is the longest cave in Pennsylvania. Each winter, it was home to a large population of hibernating bats. A few years ago, the number of bats that made the cave their winter home began declining. […]
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MAKC Convention raffle winners:The MAKC decided to raffle off various prizes daily at the 2012 NSS Convention. Winners include: Monday: Hillbilly wine glasses, Tom Metzgar; Billy Clay Pit Print, Frank Herceg; Billy Clay Pit Print, L.J. Graves; Pennsylvania Caves book, Frank Herceg; etched glass bat, Tom Metzgar. Tuesday: Hillbilly wine glasses, Frank Herceg; Billy Clay […]
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What better way to kick off the Memorial Day weekend than a cave trip to McAlisterville Cave in central PA on Saturday May 24th. Kudos to Kerry Speelman for arranging the trip. Other participants were Sharon Fairchild and Jeff Jahn from Front Royal Grotto and a few other MAKC members and friends including, John Shero, […]
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I received a call January 10 from Marci Mowery, the president of The Pennsylvania Parks and Forest Foundation. The foundation recognizes outstanding service, programs and places which remind us of the exemplary work being done in parks and forests, by both staff and volunteers, to improve Pennsylvania’s quality of life and to protect our natural […]
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The MAKC recently acquired a house in Blairsville, Pennsylvania, for approximately $28,000, paid in full with funds donated for an education center and library. Significant collections have already been donated to the conservancy, including an original postcard index created by the late Dale Ibberson; the Frank Mielcarek Collection of slides, which were saved from a […]
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The new, updated version of Climb Pennsylvania—expanded to 72 pages and with over 15 photos—is available right now. This is a revision of the popular 1985 first edition which has long been out of print. MAKC member Curt Harler wrote the copy, printed and published it, and MAKC has autographed copies for sale. The retail […]
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Large sandstone outcrops are located near mile marker 18 on the southern side of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail just on the Fayette County side of the Fayette/Somerset County line. Many years back as a boy scout hiking the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, a bunch of us camped at a shelter rest area near the […]
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March 3 NSS Fellow and Life Member Barbara Schomer died November 2, 2011 after a year long battle with cancer. Barbara started caving in the early 1970s with Norm Snyder and the American Youth Hostel chapter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Norm led hard, bare bones, beginner trips and was surprised when Barbara kept coming back. Her […]
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