| Day | Time | Event | |
| THURSDAY | |||
| 8:45 PM | Virgin Reception Please join us for a special Welcome Reception for OTR Virgins and their Sponsors Thursday evening after the bonfire Lighting. Come to the Virgin Welcome at the Bonfire at 8:15, pick up your Virgin Guide, and then follow the Virgin Procession to the Virgin Reception. Come meet and greet some of OTR’s key staff and resources and get some signatures for your Virgin Guide. You’ll meet other Virgins, maybe plan some cave trips, and have some light refreshments. Many people report meeting the very best of people at OTR for lifelong friendships | ||
| FRIDAY | |||
| 8-9 AM | Yoga for Cavers with Emilee Goodman This gentle Hatha yoga flow helps to revitalize the body and mind to promote overall strength and wellbeing. “Yoga is a great way to prevent injuries and decrease recovery time physically, while meditation and breathwork help with focus and emotional resilience. These skills are helpful in the cave, and beyond,” she says. These classes unite your breath and body – offering a variety of poses accessible to all ages and experience levels. We will focus on poses that encourage strength, flexibility, balance, and relaxation. Bring a mat and treat yourself right by exploring the world of yoga this weekend! Please bring a yoga mat or towel as well as some water. | ||
| 10 AM -12 PM | Paint with Cheryl with Cheryl Suitor Stencils, expert instruction, paints, brushes, and canvas are all included! $30 per person (PayPal preferred) LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE! To sign up, please send Cheryl Suitor a message directly at cavefox216@gmail.com; include your name and how many in your group. You may pay via PayPal using “Friends and Family” or pay on site with cash or card. | ||
| 1-3 PM | Tie a Knot with Dan with Dan Lemaster While you may have found yourself following the old adage “If you can’t tie a knot, tie a LOT!” at least once in your life, have you ever wanted to be able to tie a knot, and tie a lot, simultaneously? Please consider yourself invited to stop by and learn, and join us as we learn a few of the greats from the fascinating and useful art of knot-tying! (Knot of the day TBD) | ||
| 3-5 PM | 1950 Society Reception Prospective and current 1950 Society members are invited to share a pleasant afternoon and learn about our mission and passion. Light refreshments will be served. Hosted by Mike Tripodi and Tim Brown. | ||
| 5-6 PM | Cavers Against Sexual Harassment (CASH) Come learn from fellow grottos and caving organizations their lessons learned on how to handle those difficult situations of sexual harassment. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure a safe, supportive caving culture. We will have a respectful, open discussion about sexual harassment issues in our community. What can we do together, what support do we need, what resources already exist. | ||
| 6 PM | 2026 NSS Convention Keynote speaker – Genevieve von Petzinger (Recording) Genevieve von Petzinger is an internationally recognized paleoanthropologist and rock art researcher specializing in prehistoric cave art and early proto-writing systems. Her academic work focuses on the evolution of symbolic thought in hominin species during the Paleolithic, with particular attention to geometric signs, early art-making practices, and the emergence of structured graphic communication. She is the author of The First Signs: Unlocking the Mysteries of the World’s Oldest Symbols, which has been regarded as one of the most significant works of our evolutionary ancestry since Richard Leakey’s Origins. *Note that this recording is from Tuesday, July 7, at the 2026 NSS Convention, where Genevieve presented ‘live’ from Ireland. | ||
| SATURDAY | |||
| 8-9 AM | Yoga for Cavers with Emilee Goodman This gentle Hatha yoga flow helps to revitalize the body and mind to promote overall strength and wellbeing. “Yoga is a great way to prevent injuries and decrease recovery time physically, while meditation and breathwork help with focus and emotional resilience. These skills are helpful in the cave, and beyond,” she says. These classes unite your breath and body – offering a variety of poses accessible to all ages and experience levels. We will focus on poses that encourage strength, flexibility, balance, and relaxation. Bring a mat and treat yourself right by exploring the world of yoga this weekend! Please bring a yoga mat or towel as well as some water. | ||
| 10 AM-12 PM | Speleoprintmaking Workshop with Kara Bond In the style of traditional printmaking, you will learn to carve and print your own interpretations of cave life. We’ll provide all the printmaking supplies and pictures of various underground wonders, but if you have a favorite photo of a bat, cave salamander, or formation to use as inspiration, please bring it! This is a family-friendly activity for all ages and stages. The ink is permanent, so wear old clothes! ***Donations of any amount are welcome to offset the cost of materials.*** | ||
| 12:30-2 PM | History of OTR with Kelley Deem and Charlie Williams | ||
| 2-3 PM | The Legend of WV Caver Peter Hauer and His Fateful End with Dr. Henry Rauch | ||
| 3-5 PM | Knots & Hitches with Bru Randall and Friends This hands-on session will cover the knots and hitches that are included in the NCRC Level 1 Entrance Skill Prep that is included in the NCRC Level 1 Student Prep Guide. This session is appropriate for all ages, but children should be accompanied by an adult. Some rope will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. We also suggest that you bring some 1″ webbing. | ||
| 6:30 PM | WVASS Annual Meeting Agenda includes reports of the various survey and cave-inventory work completed in West Virginia over the past year. Anyone with an interest in such work is invited to attend. | ||
| SUNDAY | |||
| 9:30 AM-12 PM | The Robertson Association (TRA) Business Meeting All TRA members are welcome to attend. Bring a chair. | ||
| 12-3 PM | OTR Fermenters’ Forum with Bob & Carly Oehler Do you ferment fantastic wines or mead? Do you brew beer with bravado? Come one, come all to the OTR Fermenters’ Forum. Over the years, OTR has had wine-making contests and beer-making events, but starting in 2025, we combined them both under one roof. Join us for a tasting and discussion of everything and anything that comes to mind. Please bring two bottles of your homemade wine or beer for the tasting. As we taste, we will talk about that specific beverage. If we have time, we will sample other wines or beers that can be shared. Bring extras for trading. Bring lawn chairs for sitting. If you would like to pitch in crackers or snacks, just bring them the day of the event. |