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Help Gate Rapps Cave

January 20, 2007

Rapps Cave is a small cave in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, but it contains some significant evidence of Indian use and it requires more protection.  The West Virginia Cave Conservancy currently leases the entrance and manages the cave. Our new Lease is more strict than the original one.

A steel bat-safe gate is needed to protect the cave and its contents. The gate will be constructed on Saturday, January 20, 2007, and caver help is needed.  It will be about 20 feet long, 5 feet high, and will contain about 2,800 pounds of steel.

We will be hauling steel about 200 feet across a field (a little down hill and short up hill) to the cave entrance. Hope to have a trailer so steel will only have to be loaded and unloaded – not carried.  Parking will be along Buckeye Road with a 500 foot walk over the hill to the steel staging area (working trucks can drive to the cave entrance).  Work will start at 9 AM and we hope to finish by dark or soon after.  Warm lunch, and a warming tent will be available at the work site.  The cave entrance will have lots of warm air blowing out.  Craig Hindman will be in charge of construction.   People with welding or cutting torch experience are especially welcome, but anyone capable of doing expert grunt work and handling steel is badly needed.

One cave trip will be offered when those wanting to go are no longer needed on the surface. The limit will be ten and those who have never been in the cave will be given first choice.  All who want to see the petroglyphs will be given that opportunity.  All who enter the cave must sign a waver.

Warm dormitory-style accommodations will be available on Friday and Saturday nights at the WVACS field station, which is a quarter mile walk to the cave (or drive and park on Buckeye Road).  The cost to stay at WVACS is $3/night, plus $1 extra if you want a hot shower.

If you are interested helping with this worthwhile project please contact Bob Handley at gbrbat@ntelos.net.   We need to know who is coming to plan for food and work assignments.  Directions to the field station and the cave will be sent to volunteers who request it.

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