Oregon High Desert Grotto

Last updated

Oregon High Desert Grotto
AbbreviationOHDG
Formation1989
PurposeCave exploration and protection
Location
Main organ
Oregon Underground
Parent organization
 National Speleological Society
Website Oregon High Desert Grotto

The Oregon High Desert Grotto (or OHDG) is an American caving club, known as a Grotto. It is affiliated with the National Speleological Society.

Contents

OHDG is involved with caving and conservation efforts in central Oregon and beyond, including the Oregon Caves National Monument, [1] the Lava Beds National Monument in northern California, [2] and caves in western Idaho and southern Washington. Members of the Grotto have worked with the Department of State Lands and received a participation award from state leaders for their volunteer work. [3] [4] [5] In 2013, the Grotto was recognized by Region 6 of the United States Forest Service for various volunteer hours working with caves and bats. They received the R6 Volunteers and Service and Program Award. [6]

History

The Oregon High Desert Grotto was first created in 1989 by Dan Best. [7] It lasted only a year before complications terminated the Grotto. [8] In late 1995, the OHDG was reformed by the new founding member Ric Carlson, who was at the time an employee of the United States Forest Service. [9] By 1997, the Grotto had over 30 members, a newsletter publication, and a growing knowledge of caves in the Central Oregon area and beyond. [8] As of 2012, the OHDG continues to find new caves. Grotto member Matt Skeels has found over 100 new caves. [10] [11] Today, the Grotto is actively involved with caving in most of Oregon and the adjacent states. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

Exploration

Members of the Oregon High Desert Grotto understand that caves are a fragile resource. They are dedicated to preserving these special underground spaces. Each year, the group organizes a number exploration trips, study efforts, and preservation projects. The group’s exploration work includes caving adventures, cave surveys, and photographic documentation of cave resources. [17]

While members of the Oregon High Desert Grotto have explored caves all over the western United States, the group’s focus is on Central Oregon. Most of the known caves in Central Oregon are in Deschutes County, the group's home area. The Oregon High Desert Grotto has identified 813 caves in Deschutes County, 660 of these are lava tubes. Of the remaining caves, the majority are also lava-related formations including vertical conduits, fissures, bubbles, and lava molds. Of the 813 caves, there are only 52 that were not created by lava flows. Many of these are rift or fissure caves, some up to 150 feet (46 m) deep. There are also a number of rock shelters, large rock overhangs created by water or wind erosion. These caves occur throughout Central Oregon, usually in rim rock areas. Finally, there are a few talus caves. Talus caves are found in cracks and open spaces between boulders along faults and in rock fall areas. [17]

and mapping of the glacier-fumarole cave system at the summit of Mount Rainier in Washington. [18] Some Central Oregon caves are easy to explore, especially the larger lava tubes. However, other caves require significant planning in order to be explored safely. Many require a strenuous hike just to get to the cave; and while underground, dark spaces and tight passages can be dangerous for anyone who is not prepared. As a result, members of the Oregon High Desert Grotto are careful to bring along the proper equipment for each caving trip. Explorers always wear helmets to protect their heads. Each person brings three sources of light, and members never go caving alone. [17] [19]

Members of the Oregon High Desert Grotto are always careful to protect wildlife. During the winter, grotto members avoid caves with hibernating bats. Waking a bat from hibernation is extremely stressful, and may cause the bat to expend its fat reserves prematurely which can lead to death later that winter or early spring. The group also avoids caves with bat maternity colonies during the summer months. [19] [20]

Over the last few years, the Grotto has been involved in the study and mapping of the Sandy Glacier Caves on Mount Hood in Oregon. [21] [22] [23] Their efforts were recorded by Oregon Field Guide in 2013 and aired on OPB in October of that year. [24]

Partnership Award 2008 given to the Oregon High Desert Grotto for their work at the Stevens Land Tract in Bend, Oregon. Art by Linda Pitt. Oregon High Desert Grotto Partnership Award 2008.jpg
Partnership Award 2008 given to the Oregon High Desert Grotto for their work at the Stevens Land Tract in Bend, Oregon. Art by Linda Pitt.

The Grotto was also involved in the exploration.

Conservation

The OHDG is an avid participant in conserving and restoring caves since many of the caves have been damaged from increased recreational activities, including rock climbing. [25] [26] [27] The Grotto often partners with the United States Forest Service (USFS) to help manage the caves of the Deschutes National Forest. [12] [28] [29] Cooperation with private owners of caves has also been done. [30] On National Public Lands Day in September 2000, the Grotto participated in the gating of Stookey Ranch Cave. [31] Cleanup trips to caves in the area are common and are synonymous with the caving motto: "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time." [32] [33] [34] In late 2010, missing lavacicles from Lavacicle Cave were reacquired by Grotto member Eddy Cartaya while working for the USFS. [35] [36] The lavacicles will be used as educational tools at Lava Lands Visitor Center. [37]

The Grotto is involved with caving and conservation efforts beyond its local area of central Oregon. Grotto member Brent McGregor produced a video for the Oregon Caves National Monument promoting safe caving to conserve the off-trail parts of the cave. [1] Other efforts have been done with Lava Beds National Monument in northern California, [38] western Idaho, and Nevada. [13] [14] [15] [16] Ken Siegrist, of the Grotto and former employee of the Bureau of Land Management, has worked to protect many caves, including those of eastern and southern Oregon. [12] Members of the Grotto have also worked in conjunction with the Department of State Lands and received a participation award from State leaders for their volunteer work with the state. [3] [39] Additionally, the Grotto along with land management agencies, has helped collect and discover millipedes, campodeans, arachnids, and the Taracus marchingtoni, some new to science. Neil Marchington has helped discover the Trogloraptor marchingtoni of southwest Oregon. [10] [40] [41] [42]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deschutes County, Oregon</span> County in Oregon, United States

Deschutes County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 198,253. The county seat is Bend. The county was created in 1916 out of part of Crook County and was named for the Deschutes River, which itself was named by French-Canadian trappers of the early 19th century. It is the political and economic hub of Central Oregon. Deschutes comprises the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area and media market. Deschutes is Oregon's fastest-growing and most recently formed county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newberry National Volcanic Monument</span> Protected area in Oregon, US

Newberry National Volcanic Monument was designated on November 5, 1990, to protect the area around the Newberry Volcano in the U.S. state of Oregon. The monument was created within the boundaries of the Deschutes National Forest, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and includes 54,822 acres of lakes, lava flows, and geologic features in central Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newberry Volcano</span> Shield volcano in Oregon, United States

Newberry Volcano is a large, active, shield-shaped stratovolcano located about 20 miles (32 km) south of Bend, Oregon, United States, 35 miles (56 km) east of the major crest of the Cascade Range, within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Its highest point is Paulina Peak. Newberry is the largest volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with an area of 1,200 square miles (3,100 km2) when its lava flows are taken into account. From north to south, the volcano has a length of 75 miles (121 km), with a width of 27 miles (43 km) and a total volume of approximately 120 cubic miles (500 km3). It was named for the geologist and surgeon John Strong Newberry, who explored central Oregon for the Pacific Railroad Surveys in 1855.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Sisters Wilderness</span> Wilderness area in Oregon, United States

The Three Sisters Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Cascade Range, within the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests in Oregon, United States. It comprises 286,708 acres (1,160.27 km2), making it the second largest wilderness area in Oregon, after the Eagle Cap Wilderness. It was established by the United States Congress in 1964 and is named for the Three Sisters volcanoes. The wilderness boundary encloses the Three Sisters as well as Broken Top, which is southeast of South Sister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Oregon</span> Region in Oregon, United States

Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south towards Klamath Falls. These three counties have a combined population of 200,431 as of the 2010 census, with Deschutes the largest of the three counties, having approximately four times the population of the other two counties combined. As of 2015, the most populous city in the region is Bend, with an estimated 87,014 residents. As defined by the three county definition, Central Oregon covers 7,833 square miles (20,290 km2) of land. Central Oregon has had 3 record tourism years beginning in 2012. Over 2.2 million people visited Central Oregon in 2012 and again in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Sisters (Oregon)</span> Three volcanic peaks in Oregon, U.S.

The Three Sisters are closely spaced volcanic peaks in the U.S. state of Oregon. They are part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Cascade Range in western North America extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. Each over 10,000 feet in elevation, they are the third-, fourth- and fifth-highest peaks in Oregon. Located in the Three Sisters Wilderness at the boundary of Lane and Deschutes counties and the Willamette and Deschutes national forests, they are about 10 miles south of the nearest town, Sisters. Diverse species of flora and fauna inhabit the area, which is subject to frequent snowfall, occasional rain, and extreme temperature variation between seasons. The mountains, particularly South Sister, are popular destinations for climbing and scrambling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lava Butte</span> Cinder cone in central Oregon, United States

Lava Butte is a cinder cone in central Oregon, United States, just west of U.S. Route 97 between the towns of Bend, and Sunriver in Deschutes County. It is part of a system of small cinder cones on the northwest flank of Newberry Volcano, a massive shield volcano which rises to the southeast. The cinder cone is capped by a crater which extends about 60 feet (20 m) deep beneath its south rim, and 160 feet (50 m) deep from the 5,020-foot (1,530 m) summit on its north side. Lava Butte is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deschutes National Forest</span> National forest in the U.S. state of Oregon

The Deschutes National Forest is a United States national forest (NF) located in Central Oregon, in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties. It was established in 1908, with border changes following in 1911 and 1915. The forest now encompasses almost 1.6 million acres (6,500 km2) along the east side of the Cascade Range. The forest is bordered to the south by the Fremont–Winema NF, to the southwest by the Umpqua NF, and to the west by the Willamette NF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Desert (Oregon)</span> A region of the U.S. state of Oregon

The Oregon High Desert is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon located east of the Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains, in the central and eastern parts of the state. Divided into a southern region and a northern region, the desert covers most of five Oregon counties and averages 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level. The southwest region is part of the Great Basin and the southeast is the lower Owyhee River watershed. The northern region is part of the Columbia Plateau, where higher levels of rainfall allow the largest industry on private land to be the cultivation of alfalfa and hay. Public land within the region is owned primarily by the Bureau of Land Management, which manages more than 30,000 square miles (78,000 km2) including five rivers designated as Wild and Scenic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lava River Cave</span> Cave near Bend, Oregon

The Lava River Cave near Bend, Oregon, is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is managed by the United States Forest Service. At 5,211 feet (1,588 m) in length, the northwest section of the cave is the longest continuous lava tube in Oregon. While the cave's discovery in 1889 was officially credited to a pioneer hunter, the presence of obsidian flakes near the cave has led archaeologists to conclude that Native Americans knew about the cave long before settlers arrived in central Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Badlands Wilderness</span> Wilderness area in Oregon, United States

The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is a 29,301-acre (11,858 ha) wilderness area located east of Bend in Deschutes and Crook counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The wilderness is managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System and was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on 30 March 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse Lava Tube System</span> A lava tube system located near Bend, Oregon

The Horse Lava Tube System is a series of lava tubes within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The system starts within the Deschutes National Forest on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano and heads north into and near the city of Bend. The system continues north to Redmond and includes the Redmond Caves. The flow diverts into the Redmond Dry Canyon, where the last known segment is known to exist; however, the basalt flow that created the system goes beyond to Crooked River Ranch and terminates just short of the Crooked River Gorge. The lava flow that created the Horse system is also referred to as the Horse Cave lobe and it filled the ancient channel of the Deschutes River which at that time flowed around the east side of Pilot Butte. The Horse Cave lobe is a part of the basalt of Lava Top Butte which also consists of the Arnold Lava Tube System, the Badlands rootless shield, and the Lava Top butte basalt. All have a geologic age around 80,000 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Lava Tube System</span>

The Arnold Lava Tube System is series of lava tubes in Deschutes County, Oregon, in the United States. It is located several miles southeast of the city of Bend. The system starts in the Deschutes National Forest on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano, heads northeast onto BLM land before finally terminating on private property near Horse Ridge. The system acted as a conduit for the lavas from Lava Top Butte that later fed the Badlands rootless shield. The lava flow that created the Arnold system is also referred to as the basalt of Lava Top Butte and is related to the Horse Cave lobe which is a lava flow that created the Horse Lava Tube System. The lava flows of Lava Top Butte, the Badlands, the Horse system, and the Arnold system all have a geologic age around 80,000 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redmond Caves</span> Cave system in Oregon, U.S.

The Redmond Caves are a group of six lava tubes in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. The caves are located in the city of Redmond and are jointly managed by the city and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Five of the caves are in the Redmond Caves Park and have been known locally for over 100 years. The caves are part of the Horse Lava Tube System and the farthest northern extent of the system. The lava flow that created both the Horse system and the Redmond Caves continued into the Redmond Dry Canyon and terminated near Crooked River Ranch. The caves have a geologic age of about 80,000 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skeleton Cave (Oregon)</span>

Skeleton Cave is a lava tube within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The cave is within Deschutes National Forest and is located on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano near the city of Bend. The cave is between 75,000 and 400,000 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derrick Cave</span>

Derrick Cave is a lava tube located in the remote northwest corner of Lake County, Oregon. The cave is approximately 1,200 feet (370 m) long. It is up to 80 feet (24 m) wide and 46 feet (14 m) high in places. It was named in honor of H.E. Derrick, a pioneer rancher with a homestead 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the cave. The land around the cave is managed by the United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Derrick Cave is open to the public year-round; however, camping is no longer permitted in the cave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Glacier Caves</span> Glacier caves in Oregon, United States

The Sandy Glacier Caves are a system of glacier caves within the ice of Sandy Glacier on Mount Hood, Oregon. They are thought to be the largest glacier caves in the lower 48 states of the United States. Surveys done in 2011 and 2012 have measured the system at over 1 mile in length or about 7,000 feet. The caves formed from internal glacial melting at what are the headwaters of the Muddy Fork river. As melting continues, the caves grow larger with their entrances melting their way up the glacier's slope. Eventually it is predicted the caves will be completely gone within 7 to 10 years once the interior melting has reached the surface of the glacier.

Boyd Cave is a lava tube within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The cave is within Deschutes National Forest and is located on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano near the city of Bend.

Skylight Cave is a lava tube within Deschutes County, Oregon, in the United States. The cave is within Deschutes National Forest and is located east of Belknap Crater about nine miles northwest of the city of Sisters. Skylight Cave is closed to visitation from September 15 to April 30 because of hibernating Townsend's big-eared bats.

<i>Taracus marchingtoni</i> Genus of arachnid

Taracus marchingtoni is a genus of harvestman found in the lava caves of semi-arid and arid regions of central Oregon. It belongs to the family Taracidae and was first collected by Jean and Wilton Ivie in 1965 in Lava River Cave but not identified as a new species until collected by Neil Marchington of the Oregon High Desert Grotto in 2008. Its range is suspected to be the surrounding areas of Newberry Volcano. It has enlarged but thin chelicerae, typically equal to or longer than the entire length of the body, and in small-bodied males nearly three times as long. The harvestman is troglobiotic and has a predominantly white abdomen, black chelicerae, and highly reduced eye size. T. marchingtoni has been observed feeding on small troglophilic millipedes identified as Plumatyla humerosa of the Conotylidae family.

References

  1. 1 2 "Off-Trail Caving Tours". National Park Service. August 31, 2009. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  2. ↑ Brook, Edward, A Preliminary Investigation of Cave Ice at Lava Beds National Monument, northern California (PDF), retrieved July 11, 2013[ dead link ]
  3. 1 2 Ramsayer, Kate (April 18, 2009), "State Leaders Recognize Spelunkers for Exploring, Mapping Local Caves", The Bulletin , p. C1, C8, archived from the original on March 4, 2016, retrieved November 16, 2009
  4. ↑ State Land Board (2009). "Land Board Awards 2008". Oregon Department of State Lands. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  5. ↑ "State Land Board Meeting" (PDF). Oregon Department of State Lands. April 14, 2009. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 'It's my ... pleasure to present the 2008 partnership to the Oregon High Desert Grotto for their exceptional work at the Stevens Road property event.'
  6. ↑ USFS (2013). "R6 Winning Volunteers Honored at RLT" (PDF). Pacific Northwest Forest Service Association (PNWFSA). Retrieved July 11, 2013.[ dead link ]
  7. ↑ Best, Dan (November–December 1989), "Introduction to High Desert Grotto", Oregon Underground (Introductory ed.), pp. 2–8
  8. 1 2 Carlson, Ric (Spring 1998), "Chairman's Corner", Oregon Underground, no. 5, pp. 2–3
  9. ↑ Carlson, Ric (January 1996), "We're Back!", Oregon Underground, no. 1, p. 1
  10. 1 2 Hansen, Joe (October 20, 2012), "A dedicated group of central Oregon cavers have found hundreds of new caves", OregonLive.com , retrieved October 21, 2012
  11. ↑ Harris, Hannah (Fall 2013). "Into the Dark". Ethos. Retrieved October 6, 2013– via Issuu.
  12. 1 2 3 "Lava Caves". Oregon Field Guide . February 13, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  13. 1 2 Skeels, Matt (Summer 2007), "Oregon Caves National Monument Cleanup Trip", Oregon Underground, no. 21, pp. 4–6
  14. 1 2 Skeels, Matt (Summer 2007), "Lava Beds National Monument Speleo-Ed", Oregon Underground, no. 21, pp. 7–8
  15. 1 2 Skeels, Matt (Fall 2008), "Oregon Caves Cleanup Trip 2008", Oregon Underground, no. 23, pp. 9–10
  16. 1 2 Skeels, Matt (Fall 2008), "Saddle Butte Trip Report", Oregon Underground, no. 23, pp. 11–12
  17. 1 2 3 Skeels, Matt, "The Caves of Central Oregon", Oregon High Desert Grotto, Bend, Oregon, 5 October 2013.
  18. ↑ United States: Inside the Ice Caves of Mount Rainier, Petzl Foundation, 2015, p. 9
  19. 1 2 "Cave Access", Oregon High Desert Grotto, Bend, Oregon, 5 October 2013.
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  22. ↑ "Sandy Glacier Cave Project: Mt. Hood, Oregon" (PDF). Mocavesandkarst.org. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  23. ↑ Pflitsch, Andreas; Cartaya, Eddy; Brent, McGregor; Homgren, David; Steinhöfel, Björn (December 2017). "Climatologic Studies Inside Sandy Glacier at Mount Hood Volcano in Oregon, USA" (PDF). Journal of Cave and Karst Studies. 79 (3): 189–206. Bibcode:2017JCKS...79..189P. doi:10.4311/2015IC0135 . Retrieved January 16, 2023.
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  30. ↑ Nichols, Sarah (June 1997), "Horse Cave Community Restoration Project", The Oregon Underground, no. 3, pp. 5–6
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  33. ↑ Sistum, Arnold "Buck" (1996), "Tales From The Triangle - Skeleton Cave Number Two And The Brad Austin Case", The Underground Express, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 5, 9
  34. ↑ "Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests and Prineville District, Bureau of Land Management Office of Communications" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. October 12, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  35. ↑ Cliff, Patrick (June 5, 2012), "Deschutes Forest's Top Cop", The Bulletin
  36. ↑ "Thin Ice: Exploring Mount Hood's Glacier Caves". OPB.org. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  37. ↑ Anderson, Jim (February 2, 2011). "Cave Robber Case Closed: Intrepid forest investigator hunts down missing lava cave formations". Source Weekly. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  38. ↑ Skeels, Matt (Fall 2004), "Lava Beds Trip", Oregon Underground, no. 11, pp. 6–7
  39. ↑ Deto, Ryan (November 18, 2010), "Protected by Darkness", Proma magazine, archived from the original on July 20, 2011, retrieved November 25, 2012
  40. ↑ York, Julie (Fall 2008), "Into the Dark, A Journey into the Caves of Central Oregon", Cascades East, pp. 30–34
  41. ↑ Griswold, C.; Audisio, T.; Ledford, J. (2012). "An extraordinary new family of spiders from caves in the Pacific Northwest (Araneae, Trogloraptoridae, new family)". ZooKeys (215): 77–102. Bibcode:2012ZooK..215...77G. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.215.3547 . PMC   3428790 . PMID   22936872.
  42. ↑ Scott, Aaron (December 30, 2019). "A Father-Daughter Journey To The Center Of The Earth". Oregon Field Guide. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
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