, Auditorium
Cave exploration in Wayne County, Kentucky since the 1960s has revealed world-class caves. The current generation of cavers, starting with the survey of Grayson Gunnar Cave in 2002-2008, has unveiled important caves and transformational science. Many classic caves have been resurveyed, and more than 45 miles of new passages have been discovered in Shearer Valley, Redmond Creek, Rice Hollow, Jennings Hollow, and Dry Hollow. Technical advancements in single rope techniques and European style rigging have made otherwise inaccessible passages reachable. Featured discoveries include 10.1 km of passage in Spelunger Cave on Edwards Mountain — located in an anticline along a fault and potentially the deepest cave in Kentucky — and 16.3 km in Bowman's Pit and its connection to Skert Well at Sulfur Mountain. Initial efforts in Disappointment Chasm and Procrastination Pit suggest enormous potential for connection and expansion.
Lee Florea (Bloomington Indiana Grotto & Oregon Grotto) & Chris Bauer (Greater Cincinnati Grotto)