Subway Cave, Northern California

Subway Cave is a huge lava tube with borehole walking passage that is ideal for all ages to enjoy.  It is located off Highway 89 in Lassen National Forest.  The gentle passages can be easily explored with flashlights.  Cavers always have at least 3 light sources.

As you can see from the map at the entrance, Subway extends about 1300 feet meaning you will encounter total darkness in the passages.   That is because Subway is the largest accessible lava tube in the area, formed during a lava flow about 2000 years ago that covered the Hat Creek valley.  When hot lava flows, the top begins to cool into rock.  The hot lava continues to pour through, creating a large drain in essence, leaving a crust of lava that becomes a cave.  The roof of Subway Cave can range between 8-24 feet thick of lava rock.

The cave temperature averages a cool 46 degrees all year round.  Admission is free for Subway Cave and there are self-guided trail signs throughout.  Plan to visit late May – October when the cave is open.  It is closed during the winter.

Take a look at our slide show from a recent trip to Subway Cave and you will see how we take our pictures.  We even have video of this process.   The photos show how large and beautiful this lava tube really is.

Let’s go!

Jot Dean Cave, Northern California

Don and I have been going to Jot Dean Cave for so long that we even have a picture of the signage when it was once called Jot Dean Ice Cave.  We prefer the old name ourselves.  That is because the old lava tube is still filled with surprises, including an ice wall with a small room behind it filled with ice crystals.  For years the cave was naturally closed due to frozen ice blocking the entrance.  Now you can crawl in and explore the cave, but be warned, you will most likely get a little wet from belly-crawling.

As you can see from our recent slide show, the cave has major ice formations.   Be sure to grab something warm to wear as you venture into the cave.  It is a great way to stay cool on a hot day.  Plus make sure your shoes have good traction.  It’s very easy to slip on the ice floor of Jot Dean Cave.  But if you enter prepared, you will have the time of your life.

Let’s go!

Avila Beach, Central California

Located on the central California coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco is Avila Beach.  The town is known for its three piers and restaurants, but to us Avila is a great place for sea caving and the primary reason we go there.

The steep cliffs at the ocean provide stunning scenery and are littered with sea caves and crashing waves.  We had to plan our sea cave surveying on the most negative tide days for safety purposes, otherwise it could be a very aggressive undertaking.

Most people are content to just stare down at the sea cliffs and enjoy the beauty.  We went into the sea caves and explored, photographed and measured to survey and create maps.  Take a look at the slide show and you can awe at the wonderment inside the sea caves without getting splashed by a wave.

Let’s go!

Mountain Home State Forest, California

One of the more challenging caves is located at 6232 feet elevation in Mountain Home State Forest in California.  We have always referred to it as a climbers cave with its multiple rope drops in a wet, cold environment that has the reputation of giving cavers hypothermia.  The extreme climate and vertical topography has lead to tightly controlled access by the park system.  Cavers must go through a permit system and rigorous gear checks prior to entering the cave.  Two people must also stand watch at the entrance in case of complications in the cave.  The entrance is a culvert in the middle of a collapsed sinkhole with a 15 foot steel ladder.  Several steep climbs lead to the first rope drop.

Don and I were on the survey team for this cave that took a total of three trips and 19 cavers to complete.  Total surveyed traverse was 621.6m, 2041 feet with a total depth of -126.3m, 415 feet.  The most significant aspect of the cave is The Mountain Room, one of the largest underground rooms in California.  This room also has beautiful white flowstone and a large white angel wing which you can see in the slideshow.

Outside on the surface in the area we parked, there is a convenient giant sequoia tree which we used as a dressing room to suit up for a caving trip.  The cave is freezing and challenging but I always couldn’t wait to get in.

Let’s go!

Lassen Volcanic National Park

California

Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California is reminiscent of a smaller Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

There are four types of volcanoes in the world and all reside in Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Prospect Peak is a shield volcano.  Lassen Peak is a plug dome and Cinder Cone is just that.  Brokeoff Volcano is a composite volcano.

But it’s the unusual hydrothermal features at Lassen Volcanic that most fascinate park visitors and is what makes this region similar to Yellowstone.  In the Bumpass Hell section are boiling mud pots, steaming ground, roaring fumaroles, and sulfurous gases, all linked to active volcanism.  This is also an active reminder that Lassen holds the possibility of an eruption in the future.

Take your time and enjoy our slideshow of Lassen.  We like to take long hikes, camp in the area, and would love for you to join us.  One click, and we’re off!

Let’s go!