Menu

Tag: Oregon Caves National Monument

Oregon Caves tour (Part one)

Welcome to Oregon Caves National Monument. We are about to go on a virtual Oregon Caves tour. Hope you’re ready to climb 527 stairs in the next half mile, mostly up. In order to protect this special place, I will ask you not to touch the cave walls as oils from your skin are left behind and the story of this cave is based on water. Oil and water just don’t mix.

The main entrance of four natural cave entrances
Elijah Davidson discovered the cave in 1874 on a hunting trip when he followed his dog chasing a bear into a dark cave opening. With only six matches he didn’t go far. Yet he ran out of fire and groped his way through the dark exiting the cave several hours later.

Entering Watson’s Grotto

Please watch your head. Is everybody comfortable? I can let you out the gate right now. Otherwise, you’re stuck with me until we reach the 110 exit, about half way through the Oregon Caves tour.

The rock surrounding us is marble which metamorphosed from limestone that was once at the bottom of the ocean. Uplift caused cracks and fractures in the marble which was then dissolved and eroded away by the power of water.

Leaving Watson’s Grotto

We’ll be walking through some of these enlarged fractures.

Petrified Gardens

And discover how water can also decorate a cave. As acidic water from above ground slowly works its way through cracks in the marble it absorbs and carries the mineral calcite. Then when the drop of water enters an air filled passage the carbon dioxide is released into the air, the water falls, and the calcite is deposited. If the water falls slowly the deposit is usually on the ceiling in the form of stalactites (that’s “c” for ceiling). If the water falls rapidly the calcite can be deposited as flowstone or stalagmites (that’s “g” for ground). We’ll see stalagmites further ahead.

At about 60 ft, deepest known Douglas Fir tree root

Enter the Belly of the Whale

An active creek still runs through parts of the cave and flows out the main entrance. This flowing water erodes rock and increases the size of passages. Openings in caves come and go over time changing the dynamics of the creek. This key-hole passage formed because of the change in flow. Evidence is seen by the shelf-like bevels on the walls. Look down into the River Styx to see how it still carves the marble.

Water erosion reveals the true shades-of-gray marble

Dynamite blasted connection tunnel

Yet humans also had a hand in shaping the cave. During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps blasted a connecting tunnel between two known cave passages to make touring easier. No more crawling on hands and knees unless desired.

Jack’s Pass once had a bottle-jack sporting some rock fall

We’ll just lip through Jack’s Pass into the Imagination Room.

I call this the “heart” of the cave, Imagination Room

This imaginative heart shape is formed by a combination of mineral and bacteria. Originally named Gnome’s Milk in Germany, it is believed to have curative properties similar to Neosporin.

We’re almost to the next natural cave entrance, or exit if you’re ready to leave. Just up these stairs…

Stairs from Imagination Room

….and through this squeeze.

Originally called “Fat man’s squeeze”

This is called the 110 exit as we have climbed about 110 feet up inside the mountain. Historically, it was referred to as “the ladies entrance” because of the easier and shorter journey deeper into the cave from here. Imagine crawling in long skirts. So you can leave here and walk a gentle quarter mile on paved trail back to the visitor center.

110 exit

Or continue with me deeper into the earth and discover more natural sculpture in part two of the tour.

National Parks and Monuments, Oregon, Oregon Caves National Monument , , , , , 9 Comments

The gypsy life of a seasonal park ranger – Spring/Summer 2002

After too many years barely surviving financially in the buy and sell flea market business of my gypsy life, and really missing being a seasonal Park Ranger, I secured a position with the National Park Service at Oregon Caves National Monument as a cave tour guide.

RV in snow at Oregon Caves National Monument Oregon

Carson in RV space at Oregon Caves National Monument

I arrived on a Thursday in March and parked my RV at an assigned site two miles away from the visitor center and cave entrance. It snowed all weekend and I didn’t see a soul. Monday, and for the next two weeks, I mostly walked to training. Then I bought a cheap car.

Gaelyn in Visitor Center Oregon Caves National Monument Oregon

Me in the visitor center

Sometimes I worked in the visitor center selling cave tour tickets, books and postcards. Every person going on the 90 minute cave tour must be able to walk a paved half-mile at 4,000 feet, climb 527 steps mostly up, twist, turn, stoop to 4 feet in one place, and kids must be 42 inches tall. Plus the cave temperature is 43F degrees.

Cave entrance Oregon Caves National Monument Oregon

Cave entrance

Most of the time, I lead tours of no more than 16 visitors through this maze of marble cave, up to three times a day. I wove together a story about the natural and cultural history of the cave along the way. It’s a very personal cave, narrow, walls close enough to touch, which is the number one thing not to do. If you want to see more of the cave and can’t visit it yourself (closed in winter) click here for a cave tour.

Petrified Gardens Oregon Caves National Monument Oregon

Travertine flowstone in Petrified Gardens

After the tour it’s like a step back in time visiting the historic lodge. Called the Chateau, it was completed in 1934 and you can still sit in the old fashioned soda shop and enjoy one of the best milk shakes ever.

Chateau Oregon Caves National Monument Oregon

Historic Oregon Caves Chateau

Oregon Caves National Monument is located in southwestern Oregon between Crater Lake and Redwoods National Parks just 20 curvy miles off the Redwood Highway. I visited both, however this was the summer of many fires and Crater Lake wasn’t visible for photos.

Redwoods California

Giant Redwoods

The Smoke from the Biscuit Fire actually came into the cave’s upper blasted entrance tunnel but not past the door. I went camping on the coast with another guide and returned driving thru the fire along the Smith River. My body hair stood up as we drove past trees candling next to the narrow shoulder. Unfortunately, no photos.

Panther Creek campground Six Rivers National Forest Oregon

Carson in Panther Creek campground Six Rivers National Forest, Oregon ( and the cheap car)

I really enjoyed being a Park Guide at Oregon Caves.  Such a fulfilling experience to learn and share an intimate experience in our underground world.  But my season only lasted six months so I gave away the car to another guide and continued my gypsy life.
My gypsy life, Oregon, Oregon Caves NM , , 17 Comments

Lijit

© Copyright 2008-2024. Geogypsytraveler.com