Caspairus Cave - Quarry
- Thread starter jthuman
- Start date
yes, there are still trails open in the area, but they are working on getting them closed.
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i'll look for links from the local online paper talking about it. i try to avoid the place until the land use hase been settled. that way i dont help to aggrivate the situation.
rob
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i'll look for links from the local online paper talking about it. i try to avoid the place until the land use hase been settled. that way i dont help to aggrivate the situation.
rob
nosivad_bor said:
Uh, isn't that a felony? You can gate a cave, but you can't blow one shut or bury it.... we can't even close mine portals without going through a lengthy survey process to make sure that bats aren't using it as a habitat, etc.....
-L
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailycourier/news/s_141065.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04044/272471.stm
i cant find the other article. these two places are connected by the trail system.
rd
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04044/272471.stm
i cant find the other article. these two places are connected by the trail system.
rd
The Pennsylvania Game Commission, which owns the land where the man-made caves sit, is currently considering a number of actions to deal with the instability of the caves and the ongoing illegal riding of motorcycles, ATVs and other vehicles in and around the caves. The caves are all that is left of the old quarry, which was began by Kenneth Casparis in 1916. A number of people settled on the mountain above South Connellsville and worked at the quarry. The caves recede into the mountain approximately a quarter mile and have 30-foot entrances and 40-foot high ceilings. According to Joe Stefko, a wildlife educator with the PGC's Southwest Regional Office in Ligonier, commission officials, mining experts and quarry personnel have visited the site and determined that it is an unsafe area.
And...
While Stefko said the game commission is gathering input from a number of agencies, one thing that is of concern are bats that make their home in the caves. If the game commission decides to blast the entrances shut, which is one of the proposed solutions, Stefko said they would want to ensure the bats and other wildlife still have access into the caves.
So, they're not really caves (ie, naturally-occurring), but they're quarried horizontal mine shafts.... and, they're addressing the habitat issues......
I can handle that... Mines aren't stable in the long-term w/o adequate engineering protections in place, so, yeah, I don't want to see a rooffall squash a group of high-school kids...
-L
And...
While Stefko said the game commission is gathering input from a number of agencies, one thing that is of concern are bats that make their home in the caves. If the game commission decides to blast the entrances shut, which is one of the proposed solutions, Stefko said they would want to ensure the bats and other wildlife still have access into the caves.
So, they're not really caves (ie, naturally-occurring), but they're quarried horizontal mine shafts.... and, they're addressing the habitat issues......
I can handle that... Mines aren't stable in the long-term w/o adequate engineering protections in place, so, yeah, I don't want to see a rooffall squash a group of high-school kids...
-L
Yeah,
It's kind of freaky when you are back in there. you look up and can see the cracks in the ceiling.
subterranean homesick offroading....
pict's if you are wondering Les http://www.discoweb.org/caspairus/memorial/
It's kind of freaky when you are back in there. you look up and can see the cracks in the ceiling.
subterranean homesick offroading....
pict's if you are wondering Les http://www.discoweb.org/caspairus/memorial/
"Nature abhors a vacuum"
I love to cave, and, I know of a couple of caves where I could fit a vehicle..... and I don't "worry" about a cave-in when caving....
But in an old mine, in a quarry, well..... wow.... At least its in limestone, so it's more stable than an old coal mine, but still, it will close up on its own, sooner or later......
Cool, though..... I've come up w/ some good captions for some of those....
"And if you look closely, you can see the wild Rover pack in its native habitat, peering out of its lair......"
lol...
-L
I love to cave, and, I know of a couple of caves where I could fit a vehicle..... and I don't "worry" about a cave-in when caving....
But in an old mine, in a quarry, well..... wow.... At least its in limestone, so it's more stable than an old coal mine, but still, it will close up on its own, sooner or later......
Cool, though..... I've come up w/ some good captions for some of those....
"And if you look closely, you can see the wild Rover pack in its native habitat, peering out of its lair......"
lol...
-L
they are located on state gamelands that are basically blocked in by timber reserves. point is no more wheeling the the mines. glad i got to do it before it was outlawed.
rob
rob
When FPLRG goes offroading in the area, they say the area is Casparius. So are they still wheeling in the area and just not in the caves? I'd like to get out there sometime to wheel. Am close to Connelsville several times a summer. Ohiopyle area. Some trails there.
Yeah, there are some easy trials near Casparis that some of the guys still go to. I quit going because i didnt think it was helping the cave situation.
There are alot of other areas in connelsville, dunbar and ohiopyle to wheel , your best bet is to join the FPLRG yahoo group and you'll find out when the next trail ride is. Usually once a month.
http://www.fplrg.org/members.htm
There are alot of other areas in connelsville, dunbar and ohiopyle to wheel , your best bet is to join the FPLRG yahoo group and you'll find out when the next trail ride is. Usually once a month.
http://www.fplrg.org/members.htm
http://www.usmra.com/photos/casparis/slideshow.htm
http://www.usmra.com/photos/casparis/slideshow2.htm
http://www.usmra.com/photos/casparis/slideshow3.htm
http://www.usmra.com/photos/casparis/slideshow4.htm
On August 5, 2005, the Casparis Caves in Connellsville, Fayette County were closed due to a cooperative effort between DEP, Laurel Sand and Stone, Cenex Explosives, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The caves were actually four abandoned limestone mine passageways that had become a serious public safety hazard for people entering these passageways, due to very unstable conditions such as roof and rib falls. Representing the Bureau of Mine Safety were Industrial Minerals Underground Mine Inspectors Mark Eckley and John Bentzel, and Emergency Response/Training Specialists John Cool and Larry Stowinsky. The floor in front of passageways was shot to create material to be used for the closure of the mine portals. This closure was supposed to be completed on August 10. Efforts such as these are in conjunction with the Department?s ?Stay Out ? Stay Alive? public safety awareness program.
Rob
http://www.usmra.com/photos/casparis/slideshow2.htm
http://www.usmra.com/photos/casparis/slideshow3.htm
http://www.usmra.com/photos/casparis/slideshow4.htm
On August 5, 2005, the Casparis Caves in Connellsville, Fayette County were closed due to a cooperative effort between DEP, Laurel Sand and Stone, Cenex Explosives, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The caves were actually four abandoned limestone mine passageways that had become a serious public safety hazard for people entering these passageways, due to very unstable conditions such as roof and rib falls. Representing the Bureau of Mine Safety were Industrial Minerals Underground Mine Inspectors Mark Eckley and John Bentzel, and Emergency Response/Training Specialists John Cool and Larry Stowinsky. The floor in front of passageways was shot to create material to be used for the closure of the mine portals. This closure was supposed to be completed on August 10. Efforts such as these are in conjunction with the Department?s ?Stay Out ? Stay Alive? public safety awareness program.
Rob
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Those slide shows were great Rob, but frankly, I think all they did was make off-roading there more interesting...LOL. I'm sure they plan to close access to the area as well.
actually i was thining the same thing. now people will try to drive up the damn thing.
they wont close the roads around it as they are fire roads for state game lands.
they wont close the roads around it as they are fire roads for state game lands.
Conclusion, Problem not resolved, situation improved for off-roaders, situation unchanged for partiers. Photos? priceless.