Finally! The stalagmites and stalactites are beginning to show! These monstrous monoliths dawn the cave with a sense of mystery and awe. They remind me of ancient spirits from the past trapped in stone.
A couple of basic cavern terms:
Stalactite - An icicle shaped formation that hangs from the roof of the cave.
Stalagmite - the same shaped formation that grows from the floor of the cave.
This texture that forms on the cavern walls is known as popcorn.
These are the very first large stalagmites in the cavern. They stand about 20 feet tall and tower over their admirers.
The stalagmites are surrounded by a dark yet crystal clear pool of water. You can see the reflection of them in the pool. There is no running water in the cave so all the pools are comprised of little drops that filter through the earth over time. The pools do not flow and are very still like glass mirrors.
While descending through the cave, a large cavernous opening appears. This cavern is about 40 feet tall. The dark part of the photo is where we will be walking! This is about as close as we will get to the roof of the cave during the entire trip.
It is hard to see, but this photo shows the practically VERTICAL descent we must take to go deeper into the cavern. I am literally tilting the camera down to get this shot. You can see the handrails which is a safeguard to falling into the hole.
A Beautiful and smooth stalagmite about 15 feet tall.
The first landmark we come across in the cavern is known as Iceberg Rock. You can see the mammoth size of this rock in comparison to my boyfriend! Weighing several tons, the rock fell from the roof of the cave many years ago. The sound of the rock falling must've been comparable to a massive explosion! I wouldn't have wanted to be in here when that happened!
This is just the beginning of the cavern. It is over a mile to the Big Room, which we haven't even reached yet. One whole mile until we get to the main portion of the caverns! There is so much to see it is overwhelming.
Stay tuned for the next part as we delve deeper into the cave!
