Trifter

This is a photo display of Carlsbad Caverns and a description of our journey to the caverns.  My mate Jill and I entered the Caverns at 9am Sept 22, 2009: it took 2 hours to tour “The Big Room”. 

There is simply no way to describe Carlsbad Caverns.  I could say “beyond belief”, but that seems almost trite.  It is so vast and so magnificent that it defies description.  Pictures help but they really do not convey the awesome and titanic  beauty of Nature’s 240 million years of sculpturing limestone at 750 feet below the surface of the earth.  If you see this 8th wonder you have lived beyond all dreams of the majesty of the creations of Gaia.  The Caverns were discovered in 1898 by Jim White while he was herding cattle in near Eddy New Mexico.  The town of Eddy had many local mineral springs and was eventually renamed Carlsbad after a spa in Europe.  Up until 1930, the caverns were know as the Bat Caves.  It was renamed Carlsbad Caverns when the area was designated in 1930 as a National Park.  Recently a new visitor center was completed which includes gift shops and a book store.  Restrooms are “extremely” clean and well supplied.

Ample parking at the visitor center. (That little white Nissan with the bike rack is ours).

Restrooms

There are a variety of methods for seeing the Caverns: these include guided tours as well as a self tour around what is called “The Big Room” (2000 feet long and 600 feet wide).  The park service has developed a smooth cement covered path around the Big Room with a brass hand rail on each side.  At a brisk pace the path can be covered in an hour; however if you are taking pictures of the mineral formations and soaking up the intensity of the Caverns the walk around (about 1 and 1/4 miles) will be closer to 2 hours.  A very nice feature of the self tour is that there are quick exit paths for people who cannot walk the entire distance around the Big Room.  Also, as you walk along there are Park Service Rangers monitoring the path, you are never without help while on the self tour.  These Rangers monitor all activities very closely.  Also, there is a sort of scattered chain of people that wander along at a nice lazy pace (as seniors this was much appreciated by us: we are in our mid 60s).  The most dazzling feature of the Big Room is the extremely high Cathedral ceiling which at times reaches a height over 250 feet (that’s a 25 story building!).  It is difficult to feel claustrophobic because the actual area of the Big Room is so vast with a ceiling so high it staggers the imagination.  It needs to be emphasized that the self tour in the Big Room is easily traversed by seniors as well as younger people.  In fact, most of the visitors we saw along the way were seniors.  The Caverns are 750 below the surface and are easily accessed via an elevator.  These are quick and get to the bottom in about 1 minute.  (Note: regardless of time of year wear warm clothing because the Cavern temperature is always 56 degrees.)

As you exit the elevator you will see a variety of park service people and signs showing you the way.  There is always someone close by to answer questions.

Signs Along The Way (In this photo Jill is looking at a map of the trail around the Big Room)

The Big Room Sign

Start of the Big Room Path

You will meet a lot of travelers along the trail!

 Looking back down the path

The far walls of the cavern have lighting for viewing especially interesting mineral formations.

The path is really easy to walk over and the hand rails extend all the way around

The chain of travelers

Amazing mineral formations

Beautiful side paths (not accessible) that disappear into the deeper parts of the Cavern

The path has very gradual changes in elevation.

Jill turns the camera on me!

Maintenance side access service gates. (notice the no entry gate just behind Jill)

Lions Tail mineral formation

Where stalactites (hanging down) meet stalagmites (up from the floor) (This was really awesome!)

Looking down into deep cut formations

A doorway to the next area.

Some of the formations are simply beyond description.

Small pools along the way

The ceiling here is at one of its highest points.

End of the trail

Getting a drink before getting on the elevator (imagine, a drink of water 750 feet below the ground!)

I have attempted to present a view of the caverns as seen by the common traveler.  There is nothing fancy about these photos but they do convey what you will see without any of the special lighting effects as seen in commercial photos of the caverns.

The Journey Continues

Jill and Nevyn Campanella
Alamogordo New Mexico

aka: Woodland Star