NSS 2006 Convention: News February 21

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Come to the NSS 2006 Convention!
Bellingham, Washington
August 7 – 11, 2006

Bellingham is located about halfway between the two great Northwest cities of Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia on Bellingham Bay. The weather in Bellingham is superb in August, with typical temperatures in the upper 70s during the day, and clear, cool nights.

Western Washington University is uniquely located above the city of Bellingham and has some of the best facilities (and views) for the NSS Convention you will ever find. From the time you arrive and sign in, you will find the Northwest atmosphere surrounding you with beautiful alpine vistas on all four points of the compass and lush vegetation only the northwest can provide.

The Bellingham area will provide you with many non-caving attractions. There are many museums in the area you might like to visit; Bellingham Railway Museum, The Radio Museum, Whatcom Museum, and Lynden Pioneer Museum all might be of interest. The Mt. Baker scenic Highway to the Mt. Baker ski area provides stunning views that are always a treat. Water sports abound in Western Washington (we get enough of it in the winter after all) with sea kayaking on Bellingham Bay or in the San Juan Islands or one of many whale-watching cruises.

But what about the caves? Well, we thought you would never ask. Even though the area is not as rich in caves as the southern US we do have caves that you will enjoy. In the local area, we have a several small limestone caves, talus caves, and snow caves (and we will even help you find them, or give you tours). The longest limestone cave in Washington State is a daytrip from Bellingham, accessible by hiking in the foothills of the Cascades.

A bit over an hour drive from Bellingham, in lower British Columbia, is the Chilliwack caving area. The Chilliwack has high alpine karst caves as well as low valley caving. The area sports vertical as well as nice horizontal caving options, and the Chilliwack scenery is truly spectacular.

The largest concentration of limestone caves in Washington State is about three hours from Bellingham and east of Seattle. These caves require a beautiful, but challenging hike. At the top, you will find numerous caves including Washington’s deepest cave, Newton, at nearly 700 feet deep.

Southern Washington state, five or more hours drive from Bellingham, hosts a huge concentration lava tube caves in the Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams areas. If you want the big caves, then Vancouver Island is your destination. A 1-hour drive and 2-hour ferry trip to Vancouver Island will bring you to some spectacular international caving.

The Chilliwack, Vancouver Island, Victoria, and Vancouver, British Columbia Canada all require crossing the border. You must have your passport or other valid identification on hand to cross the border.

At this years convention you have a range of accommodation options from camping to motels and fantastic dormitories with fine dining in the cafeteria or one of many restaurants a short distance from the campus. If you are traveling far and want to travel light, you might consider one of the dorm rooms near the registration area. If you want to reserve a dorm floor for your grotto or a group of friends then let us know.

For up to the minute convention information, check the convention web site at http://www.nss2006.org. For more Bellingham information, check the Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism web site at http://bellingham.org/.

Looking forward to seeing you in August!
Michael McCormack and the NSS 2006 Convention Staff