MAKC response to COVID-19: The MAKC recognizes the issues regarding COVID-19 and any impacts it may have on caves, caving, cavers, and bats. Masks, gloves, social distancing, and CDC, state, county, and local guidelines are encouraged as much as possible. Any travel restrictions are to be followed, as are the desires of landowners. Where caving […]
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INTRODUCTION The Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy (MAKC) is a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania in 1997. The MAKC owns or leases several karst preserves in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The MAKC was established by cavers to preserve and ensure access to caves by acquiring and managing caves and karst areas for conservation, scientific […]
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After much work and persistence, the MAKC and Franklin County Grotto (FCG) negotiated a lease of Cleversburg Sink with Southampton Township (the cave owners) in Cumberland County, PA. Since late in 2006, the cave has been closed until an access policy could be worked out. Cleversburg Sink is a significant geologic and hydrogeological cave.The management […]
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So, I got to go caving on Saturday for the first time in a very long time, and it was wonderful. I had such a great time, why not blog about it. I still don’t understand the concept of blogs, what they are for, why people write them, who reads them, etc, BUT I’ll hop […]
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March 2 Finally, after 15 years of fruitless discussions and suggestions to implement some type of scientific study of the fluctuating water levels in Cleversburg Sink, Franklin County Grotto is now participating in just such a project. Professor Tom Feeney from the Department of Geography and Earth Science at Shippensburg University contacted Jonathan Peterson a […]
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April 26 By Jeff Jahn There is an old commercial about ketchup where the catch phrase is “anticipation” and shows the red tomato sauce oozing slowly out of the container onto that juicy hamburger. This is kind of how cavers feel about Cleversburg Sink as its access is based on an anticipated lowering of the water […]
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March 2 CURRENT STATUS: This gated cave is located on property owned by Southampton Township. A full description of the original section of the cave, which was written by Bernard Smeltzer and is reprinted below, is located. in MAR Bulletin 4, pages 6-9.The description and map of the Straight Gorge Extension, by C. Miller and […]
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March 2The Cleversburg ladder replacement occurred today at Cleversburg Sink. I along with about 8 others from the Franklin County Grotto were there. The ladder was pre-cut for assembly by Howard of the FCG. We all carried pieces of the ladder into the cave including 4-10 foot sections of wood. The ladder was assebled inside […]
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