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View Full Version : So the Pentagon is coming to Caspirus on Wednesday



jdetar
07-25-2005, 10:40 AM
According to the game commission some people from the pentagon are flying directly to the caspirus limestone mines (yes, there's a landing zone right in front of the mines now). While no one knows for certain WHY they are coming, but rumor has it that because of the high quality limestone in the area the military will be doing further mining as limestone is apparently an ingredient in some high powered weapons of ours. I personally have no idea. This is just what I heard.

Bill
07-25-2005, 10:56 AM
According to the game commission some people from the pentagon are flying directly to the caspirus limestone mines (yes, there's a landing zone right in front of the mines now). While no one knows for certain WHY they are coming, but rumor has it that because of the high quality limestone in the area the military will be doing further mining as limestone is apparently an ingredient in some high powered weapons of ours. I personally have no idea. This is just what I heard.

That is interesting. Where are you getting your information? Is it reliable information / from a good source? I was up at the mines yesterday and I saw no landing zone (and I work with helicoptors on a daily basis.)

Give up a little more info...

jdetar
07-25-2005, 11:02 AM
Not exactly a pretty landing zone but open ground none the less. It's military so they don't exactly need a helipad. hehe :)

But yes, it's reliable. I was just curious too if anyone else knows anything and more specifics. I'd hate to see the land turned into some big gov't project and the surrounding area closed off. Figures too right when the sammi is about finished.

blackjeep04
07-25-2005, 11:13 AM
Well, I have plans to go back Thursday to hit more trails maybe I'll run into them... :lol:

http://wvjeepclub.proboards40.com/index.cgi?board=Rootin&action=display&thread=1122291252

TimMichaels
07-25-2005, 10:05 PM
Personally I just heard that the entrances are being demolished... something that has been suggested for years now...

Bill
07-26-2005, 07:39 AM
Personally I just heard that the entrances are being demolished... something that has been suggested for years now...

Probably not a bad idea... It is only a matter of time before someone ends up dead up there.

r6cyclegal
07-26-2005, 09:12 AM
Yeah the caves aren't safe. I hope that's all they are doing and not anything that will shut down the trails. :?

mrpistol
07-26-2005, 09:23 AM
ahh, the good old days, before they bulldozed the hell out of that area....

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5507/jpcvillecvexit3nv.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/8971/jpcvillecave2bz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

TimMichaels
07-26-2005, 12:02 PM
I personally can't deny ever going into the mines on foot or by Jeep (even after they "blocked" it...) but I am just a stupid teenager. They are rather unsafe. I think its somewhat a shame to see them go if they are demolished; even if just from the outside I think they are something interesting to see. But as long as they don't close up the natural cave down over the ridge...

In any case, I really can't see remining from there a possibilty. The tunnels are in poor condition, and I doubt there's anything they could do to make that thing even close to safe to start mining in again. The orgininal operators of the mine already have it bored into the mountain pretty deep, it would be a hell of a job to start it again.

r6cyclegal
07-26-2005, 12:13 PM
Tim, I was going to say something about the "you're so 20" people going in the caves but decided to be nice. You would fall in the "you're so 20" group :D

I did walk in the caves but I'm chicken so I stayed close to the edge. The farthest I went was when Aaron got hit in the head, when the rocks started falling, and he ran out and left pregnant Tammy (his wife) in the cave! :lol:

They are very nice to look at but are dangerous to enter so they may just close the ends off.

TimMichaels
07-26-2005, 06:37 PM
Thanks for holding back on me 8)

A little known fact about the area is that a pretty long natural cave is very close to the mines. The passages are tight, but worth the trek as one of the rooms deep into the cave contains an amazing underground waterfall.

The Atlas mines right across the river from Casparis are very similar but seldomly visited... those ones lead to an underground lake if you make all the right turns.

Guess I spend more time learning about the local landscape than I actually do wheeling :roll:

r6cyclegal
07-27-2005, 10:09 AM
Do you cave or do you just go places you shouldn't be?

jdetar
07-27-2005, 10:15 AM
really? natural cave? where at exactly? I've never been in it and I'm all for some spelunking

mrpistol
07-27-2005, 11:30 AM
a few years back after hearing about it, some friends and I eventually found it just by exploring awhile...but i'll make it easier for you.

going towards mines....shortly after crossing the stream there will be a "parking area" on right...there will be a trail to the left of this area....follow trail down a bit and onto the ridge....follow that downwards until you come to an opening (more like a crack) in the side of the mountain...you'll see some graffiti....that's it.

there definately some tight spaces (fat man's misery) where you literally shimmy through....but fun none the less

TimMichaels
07-27-2005, 08:50 PM
Do you cave or do you just go places you shouldn't be?

A little bit of both :wink:

And yes, as mrpistol said there are some very very tight passages. I'm a pretty small guy but still had to army crawl through one section. The bigger rooms usually aren't much more tolerable as they usually fill with extremely cold water... I know as you near the waterfall it can get up to the waist. But if that's your thing its undoubtedly worth it. One of the most fun things I've ever done.

There's some apple orchards back in the woods along the trails too. They're leftover from when the area was a pretty big farm. Lot's more to that area than just wheeling.

BigZees
08-02-2005, 11:11 AM
There is a lot more than just those caves in the area. I know of several small caves, some chimneys, and lots of other free climb rock outcroppings in the area. The Yough river gorge is famous for its little caves and scenery. Most of that area, at least 25 square miles of it, I have jeeped over, hiked over, crawled, climbed, fell, hunted, fished, and just generally made a nuisance of myself around. The area is beautiful, and wheeling opens it up to other activities. I feel an all day trip to the gorge for some fishing coming up. Time to pack a shore lunch and warm up my chainsaw. 8O

TimMichaels
08-07-2005, 11:20 PM
I've heard a lot of conspiracy theories about what has been going on up there such as the government remining as well as things like dumping toxic waste. Looks like they were all pretty bogus. The game commission blasted the entrances shut on Friday to keep people out. Nothing more, nothing less.

jdetar
08-07-2005, 11:37 PM
That's probably a good thing. Too many people were getting hurt and rocks were always falling. There's plenty of other fun things to do in the area :)