| December 2025 Minutes | | Meeting was held on December 02, 2025 | | Minutes recorded by: Brian Alger |
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| Attending | - Tammy Tucker (Host)
- William Tucker (Host)
- Brian Alger
- Lee Ann Dean
- Matthew Plett
- Sofiya ??? (Guest)
- Ryan Marshall
- Nichole Alton
- Darcy Phillips
- Madison Westfall
- Matt Brasher
- Gunnison Brasher
- Jenson Brasher
- Pierson Miller
- Yee-Bien Chuah (Zoom)
- Tim Chariton (Zoom)
| | Old Business | - Covered last month's minutes
- Vertical Training — William had four people attend the session at his house.
- Ralph Canyon Dig Project — No change; it remains on hold pending BLM formalities.
- Ft Stanton Trip - Still waiting on paperwork.
- The Bureau of Land Management is still seeking volunteers to help with non-cave-related work.
- Brian confirmed he is able to get the jackhammer. We will try to set a date sometime in January.
- Caverns of Sonora — They will host a Small Party Assisted Rescue (SPAR) class January 16–19 in Sonora, Texas, focusing on techniques for assisting an injured caver in horizontal caves. The cost is $250.
- Aaron Lynch is looking for summer help in El Malpais.
| | New Business | - Treasury Report - $940.14
- Endless Cave — Trip leader training is scheduled for December 13, and two openings remain.
- Jennifer Foote and the Pecos Valley Grotto are working to organize trip leaders for the National Forest Service. Contact Jennifer if you’re interested, fennifer.foote@usda.gov.
- LAG will cover the cost of National Speleological Society memberships for Ryan and Darcy for their officer roles in 2026.
- Lee Ann encouraged everyone to join the Cave Research Foundation, noting that membership is free.
- Dues are due in January: $10 for individuals or $15 for families.
- Lee Ann will hold a Cave Research Foundation meeting to plan projects for 2026. Date to be determined.
- The Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) program is on hold due to disagreements over how it should be managed.
- It appears that Lower Cave tours are restarting at Carlsbad Caverns, as rangers have begun training for the tours.
| | Trip Reports | - Ryan and Pierson visited Virgin Cave. Highlights included the Snake Dancer formations and a dually that had slid off the road.
- Pierson attended the YESO trip on November 14. He found a gypsum cave with a layer of limestone in it. The entrance drop was 20 feet into a large room that quickly became too tight to continue.
| | Upcoming Trips | - Blowing Crack Cave dig in January
- Possible trip to Crockett Cave in New Mexico.
- Project Yeso - Upcoming trips are scheduled for Dec 12-14 & Jan 9-11.
- Ryan has organized a trip for December 6–7 to possibly visit Bobcat Alley, Skylight Cave, or Selenite Canyon Cave, with camping at Sunset Reef or Parks Ranch.
- SWR Winter Tech - This technical meeting of the Southwestern Region will be held December 6-7 and is being hosted by the Sandia Grotto.
| | Grotto Elections | - Officers for 2026 are:
Chairman - Ryan Marshall
Vice Chairman - Lee Ann Dean
Treasurer - Brian Alger
Secretary - Darcy Phillips
Safety - William Tucker
Outreach - Matthew Plett
| | Next Meeting | - January 6, 2026
- 7:00 PM
- Lee Ann Dean Residence
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