TOP: Calcite along the cave walls and ceiling. You felt like you were in a giant spiderweb
2nd: The only (to date) natural entrance to wind cave. Big enough for a teenager to fit through. Maybe not a bad idea to just stuff them all into it...
3rd: Ranger Barb delivering her "Look out for the cave bears" speech
x
Today we went and toured Wind Cave National Park. WCNP is the 4th largest cave system in the world (hundreds of miles mapped thus far, which they think is only about 5% of the cave system). It was pretty darn cool, and we did the "easy" 2 hour tour. I wouldn't do a 3 hour tour because of the Gilligan thing...
x
Once you got in the cave there were tunnels leading everywhere. I kept thinking of that original star trek episode where the silicon eating wormlike thing eats all those tunnels through the rock. It was just like that, and I kept waiting for one to appear.
x
During the orientation from Ranger Barb, one little kid asked if there were any bears in the cave. We all had a good laugh, and Ranger Barb told him no, they weren't those kind of caves. He seemed relieved.
x
Of course, about an hour into the tour, just when it was getting really dark, some buthead (can anyone guess who? Bueller? Bueller?) says "hey, look at that bear". Well, doesn't the kid just shit a brick! Starts screaming, and 10 minutes later when his parents finally calm him down, then he has to go pee. Of course, you're in a cave, not exactly lots of toilets down there. So he spends the rest of the tour going "Mommy, I have to pee" every 2 minutes. Great fun was had by all...
x
Caves are a cool thing, but I think I would be scared shitless to go crawling around one by myself with just a headlamp and some string to lead me back out. I'll stick to wide open mountaintops!
x
"Does a bear shit in a cave?" Lumpy out
No comments:
Post a Comment