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CAVING TRIP – Spelunking in West Virginia
Caving Trip – Spelunking in West Virginia.
Stockade Sentinels Caving Trip to Jones Quarry Cave in Martinsburg, West VA
We have done these caving trips every other year for over 10 years. They are very popular with the boys. There were 13 of us including dads and boys, a perfect size group for this activity in order to keep everyone close together. It was a great team building activity as everyone helped each other through climbs, crawls and roping up and down areas of the cave. The boys had fun tromping through the mud exploring passages and finding many hibernating bats hanging from the ceilings and walls. We have a picture of one bat hanging to the wall. Two years ago, we found a hibernating snake.
Dads were able to have fun with their sons doing an activity that they probably would never do on their own. I find that this activity builds confidence in the boys and the dads. One of the memorable things we do is to turn off all of our lights when we get far enough into the cave so that with no lights on, you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Then I recite Psalm 119:105 and John 8:12 and explain that God send his Son Jesus, to be the light of the world and give us the light of God’s Word to lead us safely through life in contrast to those who don’t have that light.
I will be leading another trip for the Builders to Donaldson’s Cave in the Martinsburg, West VA area, a good one for the younger boys. I have made connections with Tri-State Grotto that maintains and controls access to these caves. They trust me enough to let me lead these trips on my own. That group may be able to help other Stockade groups experience a trip through the caves if they are interested. There are other caving groups in other areas that have access to other caves.
This time of year is great because there aren’t many people caving now and the cave temperature is 55 degrees year round. Before the trip, we instruct the boys on what basic equipment they will need and have them bring it to a Stockade meeting to be checked. I have accumulated enough construction helmets and outfitted them with lights and chin straps that can I provide.
An interesting Stockade meeting can be held about caves and how the remains of many interesting animals have been found in West VA caves, such as lemmings, peccaries, tapirs, giant ground sloths, mastodons, wooly mammoths, jaguars, cheetahs and sabre tooth tigers. Who knew? There are articles about how these discoveries support the story of Noah’s flood and creation as the way the animals were buried contradicts scientists’ evolutionary theories and boosts the truth of God’s creation.
Larry Powell, Ranger
Chantilly Bible Church CSB 7280
Chantilly, Virginia
February 2020
See Photos: Sentinels Caving Group and a close-up picture of a bat hanging on the wall.
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