Carlsbad Caverns ~ New Mexico

WOW - Today was so cool.

First ... the two hour time change is taking a little getting used to.  If you go to sleep at 9 (because your body thinks its 11) you are probably going to wake up around 4 - unless you are Tom, boy can he sleep/snore.  But he does need his rest from all the driving and repairs!

Anyway, as I was sitting at the table watching it get lighter, I saw a jackrabbit.  Just like a regular rabbit, only BIGGER.  And when he turned to run away he kept his tail down, like a dog would between his legs.  And his tail was black - a definite difference from the rest of his coloring.  He completely blended in with the dessert.  I was wondering why some of the trees around the ranger station and restrooms (the only places with trees) had giant aluminum coverings around their bases.

Its not a very good picture, but see how he blends in ... and his ears are huge.  Sorry no pictures of the tail ...  he was too fast!

Carlsbad Caverns - A Journey Underground

An encounter with Carlsbad Caverns begins in the Chihuahuan Desert of the Guadalupe Mountains.  But beyond the somewhat familiar surroundings of rugged mountains and broad plains is another world.  Away from sunlight, away from the flowering cactus, away from the songs of the desert birds and the howl of the coyote, lies the celebrated underground world of Carlsbad Cavern.  It is an incomparable realm of gigantic subterranean chambers, fantastic cave formations, and extraordinary features.  The first adventurers entering Carlsbad Cavern has no idea what to expect as they walked, crawled, and climbed down into darkness.  Today many of the wonders of Carlsbad Cavern are well known, yet the experience of exploring its chambers is every bit as exciting.  (Sounds good doesn't it - I took it out of the brochure)

This is the natural entrance.  Paved trails lead you down, down, down 750 feet into the cave.  The lighting is very dim - on purpose - to give you the "cave feeling" and to keep the swallows and other animals from going deeper into the cave.  The temperature is a constant 56 degrees.  During the Summer "The Bat Flight" is a big deal.  Thousands of bats exit the cave at dusk to feast on insects.  People gather in the ampitheater to watch.  But ... the bats are not back from wintering in Mexico ... so we missed them.  As you descend into the cave the smell of the bat guano is pretty strong - and that's from last year.

This picture is looking back up at the natural entrance - last daylight you see for several hours!  While American Indians and early explorers knew of the cave and and ventured into the entrance, Jim White, a 16 year old cowboy was the first to really explore the cave.  He had a hard time convincing others of the huge underground wilderness full of unusual formations.  In 1915 black and white photographs finally created a sensation and White began conducting tours that began with a 170 foot descent in a bucket once used to haul bat guano.

In 1923 it was declared a national monument and White, who continued cave explorations for most of his life, became its first chief ranger.  In 1930 it became a National Park and in 1995 was designated a World Heritage Site. 

Kind of hard to get good pictures ... flash .... doesn't do it justice.

The cave formations were really cool.  These ones are called "The Giants - Giant Dome and Twim Domes."

These ones are called Lions Tails.  The bottom part is made of "popcorn" formations.  Isn't that so cool.

A stagalatite holds tight to the ceiling and a stagalmite might grow up to the ceiling.

The Big Room of the cave is the size of 14 football fields, at its highest point the ceiling is 255 feet.

Crystal Spring Dome is the cave's largest active stalagmite.

And last - "Rock of Ages" - the tours used to stop in front of this formation, turn out the lights, and sing "Rock of Ages" - sadly, they don't do it anymore.  That would be really cool.

Back in 1923 US Dept. of the Interior sent Inspector Robert Holly to see whether Carlsbad Cavern was truly an outstanding natural scenic wonder.  Originally a skeptic, Holly worte in his final report: 'I am wholly conscious of the feebleness of my efforts to convey in words the deep conflicting emotions, the feeling of fear and awe, and the desire for an inspired understanding of the Divine Creator's work which presents to the human eye such a complex aggregate of natural wonders.'

Couldn't say it any better ... and again its from the brochure!