Each State in this great country has its claim to
fame in one area or another. It may be the biggest or the longest
or have a space center or the biggest city, and so it is with New
Mexico. This flat desert area is for the most part harsh and
uninviting, yet it is home to one of the world's great natural
wonders. Situated in the southwest corner of the state is the
small town of Carlsbad (pop. 27,000) which has existed for over a
century. Around 15 miles or so further south of the town is the
famous Carlsbad Cavern, a gigantic hole in the ground filled with
all sorts of interesting sights. It all started some 250 million
years ago with the creation of a 400 mile long limestone reef in
an inland sea that covered this region. This horseshoe-shaped
reef was formed from the remains of sponges, algae and seashells
and from calcite that precipitated directly from the water.
Cracks developed in the reef as it grew seaward. Eventually the
sea evaporated and the reef was buried under deposits of salts
and gypsum. Then a few million years ago, uplift and erosion of
the area began to uncover the buried rock reef. Rainwater, made
slightly acidic from air and soil, seeped down into the cracks in
the reef, slowly dissolving the limestone and beginning the
process that would form large underground chambers. At the same
time hydrogen sulfide gas was migrating upward from vast oil and
gas deposits beneath the ancient reef. This gas dissolved in the
percolating ground water to form sulfuric acid. The added power
of this corrosive substance explains the size of the passageways.
The exposed reef became part of the Guadeloupe Mountains and the
underground chambers became the wonder of Carlsbad Caverns. There
is evidence that the Indians of long ago entered the cave for
mining or other reasons but their activity was limited and the
contact lost in time. Then sometime in the 1800s local ranchers
rediscovered the opening to the cave while searching for the
source of thousands of bats that took flight each evening. This
led to the mining operation of bat guano for fertilizer. The
fascination with the cave grew as tours were given and in 1923
the U.S. Government named the Caverns a National Monument and
then finally a National Park which it remains today.
The access to the parking lot is simple and a short walk put us
in the information center. Ticket prices are reasonable. There
are several programs offered each with its own price. We were
again traveling with our good friends and editor Lynn and Sue
Davis. Sue unfortunately couldn't make this adventure and so the
three of us elected to take the self-guided walking tour which we
found out was more than enough for everybody except the most
dedicated spelunkers. After tickets we were ushered into a small
theater for a 15 minutes video on the cave, its history and the
dos and don'ts of the Caverns. Upon completion of the film, it
was time for the only real decision we had to make. To walk into
the cave through its natural entrance or take the elevator down
the 750 feet to the main room. The natural entrance is where the bats enter and
leave each evening at dusk, and is 500 feet from the information
center. For those who choose the elevator, by all means walk over
to the entrance and look down into the mouth of the cave. It is
quite spectacular and there is nothing to climb. We elected to
take the one and a half mile walk down from the entrance. No
matter which way you choose to enter the cave, all return by
elevator. The massive opening that is the natural entrance was
created when a portion of the ceiling fell leaving the hole.
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