Stegers Fissure, Augusta County, Virginia

April 2023

Gate Type: BASIC

What do you do when you have a cave with an Endangered isopod that is adjacent to a planned hike-bike trail? And that cave is a steep fissure leading almost immediately to extremely deep water? You gate it, of course! But that same steep slope makes gating nearly impossible. Our solution: build a platform and then build the gate on the platform. Genius! We took care of the safety issue and made the cave easier for researchers to access, all at the same time. All photos © Jim Kennedy.

Here’s the intrepid Tom hanging his butt out over empty space and deep water to drill a hole for the first anchor pin.
Tom assists Jim who is drilling for the second anchor pin. The bar in Tom’s right hand is for leveling purposes only.
Once a few more basal supports are attached, Lydia trims the expanded metal grating used as the walkway.
With a safe and secure place to stand, the actual gate goes up rather quickly.
The finished gate, functional AND stylish!