Dogwood City Grotto upcoming events

Members Meeting - Campout @ Kelly Smallwood and Jason Hardy's (November 06, 2026)

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Join us for our November campout meeting of 2026!

Friday and Saturday camping will be available, and the grotto meeting is Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Saturday Night Presentation

Andrew Matievski will be speaking on his recent expedition to Tears of the Turtle cave in Montana - "99lb backpacks, 22mi hikes, and the deepest known limestone cave in the United States (2477 ft deep of freezing cold mud and misery)."

About the Property

We can have a fire in the front yard and the meeting there as long as weather permits, if not we can use the living room.

If you are not camping, it is suggested that you park in the road and walk down the driveway. There is room for some small car camping, as well as an area to the right of the house that's big enough for three small cars to camp as well or for a small teardrop camper.

There is space to pitch a tent or hang a hammock in the front yard as well. And we also have some floor space inside.

For anyone interested in the 4x4 camping, please come find me before you drive into that area and I can show you where to park.

There are a few vertical caves in the cove below our house, which folks are welcome to hike to.

We will have our 950 gallon western red cedar hot tub fired up as well.

Wet Horizontal Trip led by Anna Pearce (November 07, 2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:30:00 GMT

I (Anna Pearce) will lead an intermediate horizontal trip to Smith Hollow Cave in Pelham, Tennessee on Saturday, November 7th. Please note we will be in waist deep water at the beginning of the trip. After that, there is some crawling and walking in dry passage to get to the waterfall at the back. I wouldn't recommend wearing a wet suit as you will only be in water at the beginning (and potentially the end). The rest of the time, you will be walking and crawling. I would suggest wearing warm layers and a cave suit if you have one. If the water is still low, we can exit the swim passage at the second entrance, but the water is deep so I recommend a life vest or a swaygo for this portion. This is optional, and you do not have to do it to exit the cave.

Let's meet at Kelly and Jason's place at 9:30 am eastern time, and we will carpool/caravan from there. The drive will be about 30 minutes away. The address will be provided upon registration.

H cave horizontal trip (November 07, 2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Bambi Marshall will be leading a horizontal trip on Saturday November 8th at 9:30AM.

This cave has some crawling, climbing with the aid of ropes, some canyoning, and one wet spot where you will get wet up to your knees, possibly waist deep. This cave changes character around every turn. Beginner to intermediate friendly.

Please only sign up if you know you can join the trip (i.e. please no “placeholder” signups).

Please check the additional information section of the registration email for important details.

For any questions regarding registration please contact Tim Rainey at (470)469-3874, Bambi's information will be provided after registration.

Gear to Bring:

Helmet: Must have a chin strap.

Lights: Three independent sources (e.g., helmet-mounted headlamp + 2 backups) plus batteries

Clothing: Non-cotton, synthetic, or wool layers.

Boots: Sturdy, good traction, ankle support (rubber boots are common).

Protection: Knee and elbow pads.

Gloves with a reinforced palm.

Pack: Small, durable pack (no zippers, drawstring preferred).

Food/Water: High-calorie snacks and water.

Trash Bag: Excellent for preventing hypothermia or keeping dry and also good to put dirty clothes in after the trip

Exploratory Beginner Vertical JC Trip (November 07, 2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Please read this listing in it's entirety, after registering please read the confirmation email for additional instructions.

Maverick will be leading an exploratory beginner vertical trip on Saturday, November 7th, 2026 at 9:30 AM EASTERN time.

You must be trained and competent with Single Rope Techniques (SRT) as this is not a training session but rather a trip for people who have already learned and are ready to take their skills to the next level.

This is an exploratory trip. We'll try to find a route up toward Johnsons Waterfall, then back down toward the Topless Domes. There's very little promise of success on either one. Come for the route finding and the adventure, not a guaranteed destination. Expect a slow pace, tight spots, and plenty of turning around.

The entrance is a snug hole in a large collapse sink. It drops 20 feet into about 1.4 miles (7,160 feet) of cave with climbs, crawls, canyons, formations, and a 100-foot dome. The pit is short, but you will rappel in and ascend the rope to get out. SCCi requires everyone on a vertical trip to be able to do a change-over.

Clean Caving:
Dade County is white-nose syndrome positive. Please clean all of your caving gear before and after the trip, following SCCi's clean caving procedures: [https://www.saveyourcaves.org/learn/clean-caving.html](https://www.saveyourcaves.org/learn/clean-caving.html)

Gear to Bring:
- Vertical kit: harness, ascenders, descender (e.g., rack or bobbin), and locking carabiners. You must be able to do a change-over.
- Helmet: must have a chin strap.
- Lights: three independent sources (e.g., a helmet-mounted headlamp plus two backups) and spare batteries.
- Clothing: non-cotton layers, synthetic or wool.
- Boots: sturdy, with good traction and ankle support. Rubber boots are common.
- Protection: knee and elbow pads. There's a lot of crawling.
- Gloves: gardening gloves or rubber-dipped gloves.
- Pack: a small, durable pack with no zippers. Drawstring is preferred.
- Food and water: high-calorie snacks and plenty of water. Exploratory trips can run long.
- Trash bag: good for staying warm and dry, and for bagging muddy gear afterward, as the clean caving rules require.

Special Intermediate Vertical Trip to Larsons Well (November 07, 2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Riley Drake will be leading a Larsons Well vertical trip on Saturday , November 7th, 2026, and they currently have four spots open. The group will meet at the campout location near the fire at 9:30 AM EASTERN (8:30 AM CST)

Basic Description of Cave:

Larsons well is a beautiful ~160 foot open air pit. The bottom can only be reached using vertical caving skills, knowledge, and equipment to safely descend into its depths by rappelling a rope and ascending that same rope with specialty equipment to exit the cave. There are more in cave pits that are planned on being done.

Gear to Bring:

Vertical Kit: harness, ascenders, descender (e.g., rack or bobbin), and locking carabiners.
Helmet: Must have a chin strap.
Lights: Three independent sources (e.g., helmet-mounted headlamp + 2 backups) plus batteries
Clothing: Non-cotton, synthetic, or wool layers.
Boots: Sturdy, good traction, ankle support (rubber boots are common).
Protection: Knee and elbow pads.
Gloves: Gardening or rubber-dipped gloves.
Pack: Small, durable pack (no zippers, drawstring preferred).
Food/Water: High-calorie snacks and water.
Trash Bag: Excellent for preventing hypothermia or keeping dry and also good to put dirty clothes in after the trip

Vertical Trip to The Sinkhole (November 07, 2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Dane Garreau will be leading a NS vertical trip on Saturday , November 7th, 2026, and they currently have four spots open. The group will meet at Andy’s market at 10:30 am EASTERN time. Please register for the Scci permit.

Basic Description of Cave:

The Sinkhole is a beautiful ~165 foot open air pit. The bottom can only be reached using vertical caving skills, knowledge, and equipment to safely descend into its depths by rappelling a rope and ascending that same rope with specialty equipment to exit the cave.

Gear to Bring:

Vertical Kit: harness, ascenders, descender (e.g., rack or bobbin), and locking carabiners.
Helmet: Must have a chin strap.
Lights: Three independent sources (e.g., helmet-mounted headlamp + 2 backups) plus batteries
Clothing: Non-cotton, synthetic, or wool layers.
Boots: Sturdy, good traction, ankle support (rubber boots are common).
Protection: Knee and elbow pads.
Gloves: Gardening or rubber-dipped gloves.
Pack: Small, durable pack (no zippers, drawstring preferred).
Food/Water: High-calorie snacks and water.
Trash Bag: Excellent for preventing hypothermia or keeping dry and also good to put dirty clothes in after the trip

SP Intermediate Vertical Trip (November 07, 2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Sebastian Weber will be leading an intermediate South Pittsburg Pit vertical trip on Saturday , November 7th, 2026. Please have prior vertical experience to register.

**Please register for the Scci permit.**

Basic Description of Cave:
The entrance, which is 30 feet by 10 feet, is in a sinkhole 75 feet in diameter. The pit drops for 160 feet through the center of a large room more than 100 feet long. The bottom can only be reached using vertical caving skills, knowledge, and equipment to safely descend into its depths by rappelling a rope and ascending that same rope with specialty equipment to exit the cave.

Gear to Bring:
* Vertical Kit: harness, ascenders, descender (e.g., rack or bobbin), and locking carabiners.
* Helmet: Must have a chin strap.
* Lights: Three independent sources (e.g., helmet-mounted headlamp + 2 backups) plus batteries
* Clothing: Non-cotton, synthetic, or wool layers.
* Boots: Sturdy, good traction, ankle support (rubber boots are common).
* Protection: Knee and elbow pads.
* Gloves: Gardening or rubber-dipped gloves.
* Pack: Small, durable pack (no zippers, drawstring preferred).
* Food/Water: High-calorie snacks and water.
* Trash Bag: Excellent for preventing hypothermia or keeping dry and also good to put dirty clothes in after the trip

Friendsgiving Ropes Night (November 20, 2026)

Fri, 20 Nov 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Come get on rope for the first time, or swing by to practice your SPAR skills. All experience levels welcome. Food provided, donations for said food and for rope maintenance always appreciated.

We have a couple of loaner gear sets, and a variety of different types and brands of gear that you can play with.

Our perma-rig in the trees includes:

Fixed free-hang lines
Lowerable free-hang lines
Free-hang rebelay ladder
Rebelay against the tree
Deviation
Bolted spar for aid climbing practice
Low j-hang
High j-hang as part of the course
Optional cable ladder

If you want something specific rigged to practice on, please let us know in advance and we’ll try to get it rigged up for you. Interested parties can help us work on weaving the permanent space net at the top where folks can hang out.

Not into rope but want to come hang out? We’ve got a fire pit set-up where you can watch the action from outside the fall zone.

Please bring your own helmet, leather gloves, and sturdy shoes.

Please don’t block the driveways and avoid parking too close to the stop sign.

We plan to do these on the last Friday night of every month as long as we don’t have a conflict. Rope Nights are rain or shine. Severe weather (lightning, hail, hurricanes, etc) may have us inside for a brief time, where we have a ceiling anchor for sizing gear and a library of caving books with knot practice.

NOTE ON MINORS: Hosts are not currently equipped to have minors (those under the age of 18) on the course. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for extraordinary circumstances.

Grotto CAJUN Karstmas Party (December 05, 2026)

Sat, 05 Dec 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Come out and enjoy an evening of fun with your fellow caving family at Michael and Olivia Mckinsey's house. This will not be a grotto meeting. It is purely fun and fellowship!

Jambalaya will be provided by the grotto. Please bring a side or dessert to contribute. Bonus points if it's something cajun related. We will have a white elephant gift exchange following dinner so bring a gift with a $20 limit if you'd like to participate.

There is an indoor and outdoor gathering space with a covered carport and fire ring as well as plenty of room for camping. Well behaved dogs are welcome!

We are also looking for help with decorating and clean-up. Please email ec@dogwoodcitygrotto.org or reach out to a board member if you are interested in helping.

Holiday Ropes Night TENTATIVE (December 11, 2026)

Fri, 11 Dec 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Come get on rope for the first time, or swing by to practice your SPAR skills. All experience levels welcome. Food provided, donations for said food and for rope maintenance always appreciated.

We have a couple of loaner gear sets, and a variety of different types and brands of gear that you can play with.

Our perma-rig in the trees includes:

Fixed free-hang lines
Lowerable free-hang lines
Free-hang rebelay ladder
Rebelay against the tree
Deviation
Bolted spar for aid climbing practice
Low j-hang
High j-hang as part of the course
Optional cable ladder

Not into rope but want to come hang out? We’ve got a fire pit set-up where you can watch the action from outside the fall zone.

Please bring your own helmet, leather gloves, and sturdy shoes.

Please don’t block the driveways and avoid parking too close to the stop sign.

NOTE ON MINORS: Hosts are not currently equipped to have minors (those under the age of 18) on the course. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for extraordinary circumstances.

Dogwood City Grotto upcoming events

Members Meeting - Campout @ Kelly Smallwood and Jason Hardy's (November 06, 2026)

Wet Horizontal Trip led by Anna Pearce (November 07, 2026)

H cave horizontal trip (November 07, 2026)

Exploratory Beginner Vertical JC Trip (November 07, 2026)

Special Intermediate Vertical Trip to Larsons Well (November 07, 2026)

Vertical Trip to The Sinkhole (November 07, 2026)

SP *Intermediate* Vertical Trip (November 07, 2026)

Friendsgiving Ropes Night (November 20, 2026)

Grotto CAJUN Karstmas Party (December 05, 2026)

Holiday Ropes Night TENTATIVE (December 11, 2026)

SP Intermediate Vertical Trip (November 07, 2026)