Saturday, March 26
Having bought tickets to tour the smaller of the two caverns here at Kartchner the day we arrived, once again I arose early for our 9:20 tour. The ranger recommended getting to the Discovery Center about an hour early, so that's what we did. Pat on the back for Pam.
We have been nothing short of amazed at the design and construction of both the discovery center and the concrete, easy-access paths into the mine. First we rode a small tram car to the entry point from the Discovery Center, then we entered three sets of what looked like vault doors, and did not pass through the next until the entire group had come through the one door behind and which was closed before opening the next. It was like visiting a butterfly exhibit at a zoo: two sets of doors ensure no butterflies escape. The reason for these doors in the caverns were to keep contaminating pollutants out that might threaten the ecosystem of calcite formations and the animals and organisms that thrive among them. While it's nearly impossible to keep from carrying contaminates in on our clothing, shedding hear and skin cells, or rubbing up against the rocks in tight spaces, the rangers and maintenance crews do their best. While on the tour, any tourist who brushes against or touches a rock or formation is instructed to tell one of the ranger guides who then marks the spot with a red flag. At the end of each day, crews enter the caverns and hose down the walkways and the areas inadvertently touched, washing away contaminates down and out through plumbing installed in the system of walkways and curbs. We couldn't imagine how much such preparation and protection must have cost, and wonder if the preservation of these caverns was a public-private cooperative project.
The engineers who designed and the workers who built the paths, did what was thought impossible, in fact what they were told could only happen in their imaginations: Bucket by bucket of concrete were carried in and poured to create level walkways and curbs with railings throughout. Because they were told it would be impossible to build in such a space, the pathways have been dubbed “imaginary pathways.” Much of the caverns are off limits to preserve what nature has been creating with the help of water over an estimated 200,000 years. I've been to Carlsbad Caverns years ago as a child, and Duffy visited Mammoth Caves in Kentucky during boot camp in 1967, but neither of us has seen such care taken to preserve and protect a natural resource. The lighting is low and controlled by buttons in control boxes along the tour route operated by the ranger guides as the tour group moves along. As we moved to a new area, the depressed control button dimmed (turned off) the lights behind us and gradually turned on the lights before us. In each instance, lights had been placed strategically among the formations to softly highlight various shapes, or to give soft illumination to the the entire area being viewed. Often, the ranger guides use flashlights to illuminate a particular formation, such as soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, drapery, flowstone and bacon, to name but a few. Kartchner Caverns boasts the tallest column in all of Arizona and one of the longest “soda straws” in the world at over 21 feet long. The area where Kubla Khan, the tallest column so named by the discoverers, included benches for viewing as soft music played and programmed lights came on to illuminate a particular formation. Incredible design and planning.
Have I enticed you to visit yet? Go to Arizona Parks' website at www.azstateparks.com and select Kartchner Caverns.
Since we toured the cavern in the morning, we decided to stay over another night. What we did not plan on was the popularity of the caverns on weekends, even in the spring. The past three weeks have been spring break for school kids in Utah and Arizona, which we've evidenced by the presence of more families in campgrounds. Thus, whatever the reason, the state park's campground was full for the weekend and we needed to move on. Getting our priorities straight, Duffy prepped for travel while I toured the gift shop. (Sometimes it's easier to buy postcards than to take pictures, especially where cameras are not allowed, such as in the caverns or where the landmarks are located along hiking trails that we're not taking, such as in the Chiricahua National Monument, our new destination. And, don't you know, it takes a long time to choose just the right post cards, so much time that the trailer prepping was almost done when I returned to camp. Is my timing exquisite or what?)
It was about 4pm when we arrived at the Chiricahua National Monument, another unexpected surprise. I can't tell you how happy we are to have a National Parks Senior Pass. Entry was free and the campground cost us a mere $6, that's half the normal $12 – a bargain in anyone's book. This campground, Bonita Canyon Campground, was built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) during WWII. As such, it was built for tent camping at the time with short “driveways” for the campers to park their sedans. We got the last semi-level spot (level trailer pads weren't required in the '40s and level tent pads were provided in most sites in areas inaccessible to vehicles).
Chiricahua National Monument in the Chiricahua Mountains is another one of the “sky islands” rising up out of the valley floor, a result of volcanic activity thousands of years ago, 1,000 times greater than Mt. St. Helens. The result? Vertical rhyolite columns rising above the tree-blanketed hills. Beautiful. The canyon is narrow with rocky views on either side. Certainly not what we expected.
After setting up and unhooking our trailer (easy with no hookups, just a leveling act), we drove up the canyon to the end of the road at Masai Point. From here, braving the buffeting wind, we could see the valleys below on both sides, Sulphur Hills Valley to the west and the desert of southeastern New Mexico to the east toward Deming and Las Cruces. After dinner and a nap for Duffy, we attended the ranger talk and slide show in the amphitheater for some stunning photos of flora and fauna that inhabit the monument and rock formations with descriptive and colorful names. Very well done.
Well, time to turn in for the night.
Until next time,
Pam
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