Wild trip and the comercial side

Held on the property of the W.V. State fairgrounds

Commercial cave Located on the site of the 2009 spring VAR

General photos from the event a unique squeeze box the pan cake breakfast and dancing in the pavilion

My favorite cave

Alan Horn Dave Bookhammer Terrance Lovell and L.G. Cave of the imaginary rock.

Walnut ridge cave photo trip Alan Horn Breanna Yancey Matt

A fifteen hour photo trip to bone Norman cave. Alan Horn and Matt Saltzer in attendance

Woodward cave camp grounds. Kooken cave photos. Zip line fun. Squeeze box. Fellowship among caver's Attention the last three photo in this album are GIF animations!

My first cave experience as a child. My return as an adult forty years later with my friend Matt Saltzer on our way down to the V.A.R. caving event. Now I know what inspired my to become a cave explorer. What a beautiful cave!

Plastic Bag cave

TRA's OTR The largest annual gathering of caver's in the world. Wine party at the river on Sunday is my favorite aspect now with bands at the river both Saturday and Sunday

An underground mud city. Mud sculpture art at its finest must see to believe. Within this cave exists a spectacular waterfall it is awesome

This trip consisted of seven people Andy Leh, Alan Horn, Bill Livelsberger III, Bryon Brown, Nick Stoner, Matt Saltzer and, Pat "Jaws", We separated into two groups Bryan Matt and myself explored a very difficult area named the "New Hall" with many difficult climbs coated with very slippery mud over deep pits. A rope was rigged to safely navigate one exposed area over a deep pit. I had not fully explored this area many years ago due to those with me could not follow me. This trip however we all successfully explored this area to it's termination. It was evident that I had nearly reached this point on that earlier trip as there was only fifty feet or so that remained. I have seen all of this cave now! There were no extremely decorated areas here. The several photos exhibit the few formation and, the nature of the passage. The others in our group had never been in the cave before and explored the less difficult and more decorated areas passed the sand bank room.

Trip into the new section of Cleversburg sink cave. Alan Horn Bryan Brown and Duane Miller trip members. Not all of the photos are from the new section some were taken on the way. To allow you to recognize the new section I will add NS to the photos from the new section

This beautiful cave is only assessable during periods of extended drought. I think it has been about 6 years since the water receded enough to allow entry.

Duane Miller and myself explored this small but very decorated cave on the way home from the Fall 2007 MAR VAR at the OTR site in Daily West Virginia. Duane was a big help with the lighting while I photographed this pretty little cave. I have heard mention of but never observed the gathering of spider clusters comprised of thousands of Harvestman Spiders I found this phenomena to exist in this cave.

Celebrating Philadelphia Grotto's 60th anniversary.

A 184 foot deep entrance drop into this beautifully decorated cave excludes novice "spelunkers" from its beauty. Those on this excursion were Kevin Dunlvey, Nina Muller, Eric Richards. and Alan Horn

I was the only one who could not make it through the "Devils pinch". Taking my clothing off down to bare skin did not allow me to overcome this very tight obstacle, A 46 inch chest excluded me but I made the best of exploring and photographing the Bone side of this cave solo, as the others proceeded without me. This side of the cave has suffered much vandalism. Amazingly the active parts in this side of the cave are healing. Much of this side of the cave is so dry and dusty that dust masks are an advisable accessory to avoid lungs full of dust, Myself Alan Horn, Matt Saltzer, Chad Grim, and Stephen Paylor made this trip.

What great weather for the event and the wine party Sunday Looking forward to next year!

Into the unknown! York Grotto member Matt Saltzer is contacted by property owners in Adams county about an extremely large sinkhole that had developed in a pasture on their land. They wanted some one to explore this pit to see if perhaps a significant cave might have opened up????? Matt’s prior commitments were such that he was unable to pursue the exploration of this sink hole personally. So he contacted me to see if I was interested in trying to assemble a team of vertically competent cavers to drop this pit / sinkhole. I accepted and gratefully! I was very excited about the prospect of being one of the first people to enter what may well have been a large unexplored cave. I called Kevin Dunlevy, Chad Grim, and Andy Leh. Although Andy has no vertical expertise he would have still been an asset if he could have attended. He had prior commitments and was unable to attend however. So the team was composed of myself, Chad Grim, and Kevin Dunlevy. Charlie and Crystal Higgs were also in attendance. We arrived at the location introduced ourselves to the land owners and were shown several sinkholes while on route to the “BIG ONE” Everyone’s excitement levels I am sure peaked upon arriving at the sinkhole. It was huge thirty plus feet in diameter and forty-seven feet deep. With many undercuts and recesses that from the surface held the promise of being cave passage! I decided with Chad Grim in agreement that Kevin should be first to repel into the sink as his vertical skills have been put to use more recently and more regularly then mine or Chad’s. I also equipped myself in my vertical gear in the event Kevin ran into trouble or if there was in fact a cave. Kevin descended forty seven feet to the waters surface and found no passage under any of the overhangs or in any of the recesses that left question from the surface. We then used a weighted line in an attempt to estimate the depth of the water. The waters depth we estimate to be around fifty seven feet sloping down at an angle. This all transpired October 28 2006. Yesterday I was contacted by one of the land owners. She informed me that the water level had dropped about thirty feet and that the holes diameter had expanded to the extent that twenty five more linear feet of fence would be necessary to enclose the opening. This all transpired in the three months the time since we were there in October. Is it time for another look…………I hope Matt may be able to explore it this time as he was the initial contact. Alan Horn

The largest annual reunion of cavers in the world. T.R.A. members and guests only. Rain had an effect the turn out as there were less then 2,000 people at this years event. But the rain could not dampen the spirit of those hearty hard core cavers who braved the weather!

Historic Church and the cave on this properties land also one unrelated inside looking out photo

Trip to Bone Norman cave organized by Alan Horn. Attended by Matt Saltzer, Andy Leh, Harry and Larry Sowers, Chad Grim and his Girl freind Mya, Ted Sargent and his Son, John Vose, Nate Hirneisen, And Paul Pocavich

Last cave of 2005

So many caves so little time!

Barry Duncan was trip leader Alan Horn, Eric, and Kevin Dunlevy joined him on this trip into Bone / Norman cave the in West Virginia what a beautiful cave. Seventeen miles of pretty I am going to return soon!

Mid Appalachian regional Field meet of th N.S.S.

Photo trip to Corker Hill Alan Horn and Andy Leh

August thirteenth two thousand and five

Trip into a formerly commercial cave many years ago 1920s - ? The wooden platform walk ways have been removed due to their deterioration. This leaves some exposed canyons to traverse but the level of difficulty is still beginner when a knowledgeable trip leader is present. This cave is closed in the winter months due to the cave being a hibernaculem for large numbers of bats during the winter. Gary Dunmire trip leader accompanied by his young nephew. Alan Horn on the trip for photographic purpose. George and Karen Bange and three others whos name escape me (Sorry)

Alan Horn

Solo photo trip to the "p" Caves

1 Arndt cave 2 Alexander cave 3 Bahners cave 4 Baker cave 5 Baker 2 cave 6 Billy clay pit cave 7 Boiling springs cave 8 Bowden cave 9 Buchanan cave 10 Blue hole cave 11 Butler cave 12 Carl’s bad cave 13 Carnegie cave 14 Carpenter’s cave 15 Cass cave 16 Cleversburg sink cave 17 Cleversburg den # 1 cave 18 Cleversburg den # 2 cave 19 Cleversburg den # 3 cave 20 Corker hill cave 22 Crab tree cave 23 Crystal cave 24 Dead dog / Shirley’s cave 25 Dear bone cave 26 Dam # 6 cave 27 Davie Lewis cave 28 Duffield cave 29 Drebalis cave 30 Emig’s cave 31 Endless cave 32 Flood cave 33 Frazer cave 34 Frustration pit cave 35 Goods cave 36 Goshen cave 37 Hall cave 38 Hamilton cave 3 9 Hennigh cave 40 Hershey / Coy cave 41 Hipple cave 42 Indian cave 43 Indian echo cave 44 Island ford cave 45 J-4 cave 46 John Long cave 47 Johnson cave 48 Laurel cave 49 Lincoln cave 50 Lost river cave 51 Luray ( My 1st ) cave 52 Mcalisterville cave 53 McClungs cave 54 Moore's cave 55 Mumau cave 56 Mount Joy cave 57 Mount rock cave 58 Nelson cave 59 New Trout cave 60 North York cave 61 Onyx cave 62 Organ cave 63 Parker cave 64 Patience cave 65 Peiper’s cave 66 Penn Aqua cave 67 Penn’s cave 68 Pill box cave 69 Plastic bag cave 70 Platter / Persistence cave 71 Python cave 72 Red run cave 73 Robins Rift cave 74 Scott’s Hollow cave 75 Sea ray cave 76 Shenandoah cave 77 Silers cave 78 Sinks of Gandy cave 79 Sites cave 80 Shears cave 81 Spider Hell cave 82 St. Rd. quarry cave 83 Still house cave 84 Stitzer cave 85 Surprise / Mystery cave 86 Scary breakdown pit cave 87 Trout rocks cave 88 Wind cave 89 Walnut bottom cave 90 Walnut ridge cave 91 Warm river cave 92 West York cave 93 Whiteing’s neck 94 Woodchuck cave 95 Woodchuck pit cave 96 Woodward cave 97 Woomers cave 98 Mystic 99Bone / Norman 100Cross roads cave 101Rehobeth 102 My cave 103 Sharps 104 Simmons Mingo 105 Big Run 106 Plan B picnic pit 107 Kerry Scary cave 108 Dreens cave 109 Cross roads cave

Alan Horn, Chad Grim, and Kevin Dunleavy on a trip to one of my favorite Pennsylvania wild caves Penn aqua!

Mid Appalachian regional meet of the National Speleological society May 13th -15th caving event

Vertical caving expert Ed Sira gives a vertical equipment demonstration at the York Grotto's April 2005 meeting

Trip to Peipers cave leader Alan Horn. with Alice, Andy, Cassi, Diane, Doug, Joel,Mike and Pepper.

Almost there
update: We hit new cave! I was the one to finish digging into it and the first person on the earth to enter this never before seen cave! It is only about 70 feet long but decorated with a small room at the end that is also decorated. We have a lead to dig in the opposite direction that hopefully will yield new passage.

These are my hand picked cave photo favorites

( I left this open you guys help yourself I enjoyed caving with you today Alan)Our cave exploration club was contacted by a young adult coed division of the Boy Scouts of America called Venture Scouts. I volunteered to lead them. I am sorry that I did not realize that my cameras resolution setting was on the lowest setting they are not of a very high quality I am still going to post them for the benefit of those in attendance.

These are fossils embedded in the lime stone walls and ceiling of Rupert cave in Pennsylvania USA this cave is owned by George and Karen Bange who are good friends of mine.

Lost River Cave in Hellertown Pa where I was a participant in a restoration effort. Cleaning years of allege growth and other contaminants introduced into the cave from some 100 year of traffic. Some 50 years or so this was high volume commercial use as it is used presently. The skin cells and lint deposited by those entering the cave are a vehicle for fugal growth. The lighting promotes the allege growth. A mild bleach solution is used to inhibit further growth

Various scenes from the largest gathering of cavers in the world squeeze box the river a band at the pavilian

Alan W Horn and friends caving in West Virginia during OTR and VAR. The caves featured are Moore's, Sites, Red run, Mystic, and Benidicts, and others. Sites cave has an 184 foot vertical entrance drop that requires special equipment and training.Some other photos represent areas in Rupert cave past the Jewel room. This part of the cave is seldom visited. The owners prior to this trip had no photos of this area. Due in part to the fact that the nature of the cave changes dramatically. There are exposed climbs, very tight crawls, and pits which need to be traversed. This was a ten and one half hour trip. I have included several photos of the Jewel room also You must also seek permission from the property owners for entrance into any of these caves! You should not attempt cave exploration with out first seeking training from knowledgeable person and possessing proper equipment to do so safely "Take nothing but pictures kill nothing but time and leave nothing but foot prints" National Speleological Society Alan Horn