Sunday, July 29, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
As I descended into the depths of Carlsbad Caverns, the word that kept popping into my mind was "otherworldly." Another description of the cave comes from Will Rogers: "the Grand Canyon with a roof on it." No matter the words, the cavern is a wonder to behold. Dim photos of the weird calcite formations and voluminous underground space capture but a fraction of its grandeur.
Park visitors can choose to enter the cave either by way of its gaping natural entrance and a lengthy, downward-sloped hike or take an elevator 750 feet below the surface directly to the Big Room, the largest known underground room in the Western Hemisphere equivalent in area to about fourteen football fields. (The world's largest underground room is in Borneo.)
I made it to Carlsbad Caverns National Park a stroke past 3 p.m. last Sunday. My timing was fortuitous because the natural entrance closes at 3:30. I started my expedition into the cave just before they locked the gates. The descent into the huge space eroded by ancient seas is dark, slippery, and steep but marked by plenty to see.
Well-known formations like stalactites, hanging tight to the ceiling, and stalagmites that might one day reach it decorate the gloom. Lesser known formations such as draparies, soda straws, flowstones, cave pearls, popcorn, and helectites also encrust the cavern's floors, walls, and ceiling.
The descent to the Big Room leads past a wide assortment of wonders: Devils Spring, Whales Mouth, Iceberg Boulder, and the Boneyard to name a few. The Big Room itself features many more: Twin Domes, Giant Dome, Bottomless Pit, and Rock of Ages. I spent about an hour and a half exploring the cave and then had to wait another hour or so for an elevator ride back to the surface.
Park visitors can choose to enter the cave either by way of its gaping natural entrance and a lengthy, downward-sloped hike or take an elevator 750 feet below the surface directly to the Big Room, the largest known underground room in the Western Hemisphere equivalent in area to about fourteen football fields. (The world's largest underground room is in Borneo.)
I made it to Carlsbad Caverns National Park a stroke past 3 p.m. last Sunday. My timing was fortuitous because the natural entrance closes at 3:30. I started my expedition into the cave just before they locked the gates. The descent into the huge space eroded by ancient seas is dark, slippery, and steep but marked by plenty to see.
Well-known formations like stalactites, hanging tight to the ceiling, and stalagmites that might one day reach it decorate the gloom. Lesser known formations such as draparies, soda straws, flowstones, cave pearls, popcorn, and helectites also encrust the cavern's floors, walls, and ceiling.
The descent to the Big Room leads past a wide assortment of wonders: Devils Spring, Whales Mouth, Iceberg Boulder, and the Boneyard to name a few. The Big Room itself features many more: Twin Domes, Giant Dome, Bottomless Pit, and Rock of Ages. I spent about an hour and a half exploring the cave and then had to wait another hour or so for an elevator ride back to the surface.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
When I checked in to the Town & Country Inn in Fort Stockton last Friday night, I asked the owner how far it was to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. He thought about it for a moment then responded, "I don't know. Everyone wants to know how far Big Bend National Park is and that's about an hour and a half south."
The fact that he didn't know Guadalupe Mountains National Park--the other national park in Texas--is about two and a half hours northwest of Fort Stockton speaks to the park's remoteness and lack of visitors. Traveling along Highway 54 the next morning, the route connecting Interstate 10 to the park entrance, I encountered only a single car on the 65 mile stretch of road.
El Capitan, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park's most iconic structure, first appears from the highway about 35 miles away. Starting as a speck in the distance, the massive rock face gradually grows larger and larger until it's looming above the road.
When I arrived at the park in the early afternoon, I snagged a campsite in the Pine Springs Campground then did the 4.2 mile Devil's Hall hike. This trail leads through the Chihuahuan Desert to a dried up creek littered with round, white boulders. The creek bed eventually turns into a narrow, ribbed canyon that hikers enter by walking up naturally carved stairs.
I camped out in the park on Saturday night. Although the sky was cloudy at first, it cleared up as the darkness thickened allowing pinpoints of starlight to poke through. The darkness made for some inspiring views of the Milky Way Galaxy, which resembled a pale strip of gauze arching overhead.
The next morning, I packed up my supplies and began the eight mile roundtrip hike to the top of Guadalupe Peak. At 8,749 feet above sea level, this is the highest point in Texas. The hike starts out as a series of steep and rocky switchbacks through the desert. After ascending about a thousand feet, however, the terrain gives way to pine forests and splendid views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Overall, the trail rises about 3,000 feet over four miles. The last half mile or so hugs the side of Guadalupe Peak, which rises behind El Capitan. From the back, El Capitan almost looked like the prow of a ship. The peak is marked by a small aluminum pyramid with three sides commemorating the postal service, WWII airmen, and American Airlines.
Besides the stunning mountain views and overwhelming remoteness, my favorite thing about Guadalupe Mountains National Park was the wide variety of desert flora. Many of the plants--spikey ferns, towering grasses, exquisite wildflowers--looked like something straight out of Dr. Seuss.
The fact that he didn't know Guadalupe Mountains National Park--the other national park in Texas--is about two and a half hours northwest of Fort Stockton speaks to the park's remoteness and lack of visitors. Traveling along Highway 54 the next morning, the route connecting Interstate 10 to the park entrance, I encountered only a single car on the 65 mile stretch of road.
El Capitan, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park's most iconic structure, first appears from the highway about 35 miles away. Starting as a speck in the distance, the massive rock face gradually grows larger and larger until it's looming above the road.
When I arrived at the park in the early afternoon, I snagged a campsite in the Pine Springs Campground then did the 4.2 mile Devil's Hall hike. This trail leads through the Chihuahuan Desert to a dried up creek littered with round, white boulders. The creek bed eventually turns into a narrow, ribbed canyon that hikers enter by walking up naturally carved stairs.
I camped out in the park on Saturday night. Although the sky was cloudy at first, it cleared up as the darkness thickened allowing pinpoints of starlight to poke through. The darkness made for some inspiring views of the Milky Way Galaxy, which resembled a pale strip of gauze arching overhead.
The next morning, I packed up my supplies and began the eight mile roundtrip hike to the top of Guadalupe Peak. At 8,749 feet above sea level, this is the highest point in Texas. The hike starts out as a series of steep and rocky switchbacks through the desert. After ascending about a thousand feet, however, the terrain gives way to pine forests and splendid views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Overall, the trail rises about 3,000 feet over four miles. The last half mile or so hugs the side of Guadalupe Peak, which rises behind El Capitan. From the back, El Capitan almost looked like the prow of a ship. The peak is marked by a small aluminum pyramid with three sides commemorating the postal service, WWII airmen, and American Airlines.
Besides the stunning mountain views and overwhelming remoteness, my favorite thing about Guadalupe Mountains National Park was the wide variety of desert flora. Many of the plants--spikey ferns, towering grasses, exquisite wildflowers--looked like something straight out of Dr. Seuss.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)