Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, California

Mitchell Caverns has two distinctions.  It is known as the commercial cave en route to Las Vegas from California on Highway 40.  It is also the backdrop for the film “The Doors” starring Val Kilmer where he goes on a drug induced trip in the cave.   Located at an elevation of 4,300 feet in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve offers a tour of the only limestone cave within the State Park System.   The preserve temperature remains mild throughout the year and the cave temp is a steady 65 degrees.   Most popular months to visit are between October and May when the weather is more comfortable in the desert.

Today Mitchell Caverns tours are led by Park Rangers who guide you through two cave systems that were connected.  Mitchell cave gets its name from past owners Jack and Ida Mitchell originally of Texas.  During the depression, Jack Mitchell left his business in Los Angeles, moved to the desert and eventually began operating a tourist attraction from 1932 to 1954, now known as Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve.

In Mitchell’s day, Jack led tours with flares into the two adjacent caves which he named “El Pakiva,” meaning the Devil’s house, and “Tecopa,” in honor of a Shoshonean chieftain.  The two caves were bought by the State of California in 1954 are now connected by a man-made tunnel for a total of a quarter mile of cave passage.   The actual building in which the Mitchell’s lived in is now the visitor center and there are other buildings nearby.  Wear good shoes when you do the cave tour as the total trip up the mountain, tour and back is one and a half miles of steep terrain.

Mitchell Cavern is the commercial cave opened to the public and there is a fee to enter.  There are also other wild caves within the Providence Mountains Recreation Area.  When you are there at the Preserve in the gift shop take a good look at the map they have on sale of “Cave of the Winding Stair” (or on their website).  This a non-public cave that we both helped on the survey project of the cave.  Look closely and you will see our names Don and Lisa DeLucia on the map.   Our friend Bob Richards drafted the map.  Now that was a fun trip, but this cave is on the most technical level and involves lots of deep pits to do and rappel drops.  But that was Winding Stair and another story for another time.

We invite you to follow along on our trip of Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve.  Guarantee our way will save you packing time and gas money.

Let’s go!

Devil’s Postpile National Monument, Northern California

It may have just closed for the season but you can take a virtual trip now to the most impressive geologic wonder that is the Devil’s Postpile National Monument in Northern California.  This is where you can see very rare and one of the best  displays of columnar basalt on the planet, natural columns of lava flows that slowly cooled into unique 60 foot tall vertical towers.  Viewed from close up or afar, these hexagonal shaped pillars offer some of the most scenic natural art works of mother nature and have been protected since 1911 by presidential proclamation.

The Devil’s Postpile was formed about 100,000 years ago when a lava flow eruption two miles up was obstructed and the flow was forced to pool as deep as 400 feet and cooled at such a slow rate that resulted in perfectly uniformed mineral composition of hexagonal columns.  Glaciers flowed 80,000 years later leaving a natural polish that is still visible as you can see in our slideshow.

A trip to the Postpile would not be complete without seeing the adjacent Rainbow Falls. It’s only a 2.5 mile hike from the Ranger Station and worth it.  Rainbow Falls is the highest waterfall, dropping 101 feet, on the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River.  And it gets its name for a reason, the lava black background spectacularly frames vivid rainbows that appear through the mist of the falls on sunny days. After the hike to the falls you can return via a shuttle bus at the trailhead. As with any hike, be sure to bring along plenty of water and sun protection.

Located in the Sierra Nevada this area can be subjected to brutal winter weather with 20 feet of snow not uncommon.  That is why the roads are closed for the winter season and reopen in the spring.

Hikers and backpackers can easily access the John Muir Trail and Ansel Adams Trail which both intersect at the monument.  Permits are required for all overnight trips.

The beauty of Rainbow Falls combined with the geology of the Devil’s Postpile makes for a most relaxing and worthwhile trip.

Let’s go!

Roppel Cave in Kentucky

It was the second trip back East for Don and I when we went to Kentucky for a National Speleological Society (NSS) Convention.  We were lucky to get in on a caving trip to Roppel Cave, one of the premiere wild caves in the state.  We did the connection made in the 80s by a blast in a tight area that opened up the cave to miles of new exploration.  The cave is in close proximity to Mammoth Cave National Park and the cave connection discovery linked the two caves together.  It was always a caving joke then that the commercial Mammoth cave would pass the 500 mile mark.

Roppel Cave became an official project of the NSS.  In early 2004 the cave had 70 miles of surveyed passage.  At present, the cave maps out at 96 miles and continues to grow.

This cave has tight areas where you must pull your body through that lead to huge passages and walking borehole, a caver term meaning big wide open underground space.  Borehole is also a caver’s payoff for working your body underground, as it always generates an “Oh, Wow!” reaction every time.  The cave formations are also a treat as you can see from our slideshow.  Roppel is known as being a pretty cave with delicate formations neatly tucked under ledges and in wide open spaces.  Cave velvet can be found and beautiful helictites and gypsum flowers.

Roppel was always one of our favorite caving trips.  We had a stellar caving group underground that day.  Our trip consisted of:  Ron Simmons, Ward Foeller, Dave and Andrea Futrell, Dave Bunnell, Carol Vesely, Bob Richards, and Don and Lisa DeLucia.  This is one of those caves expedition cavers were always big on.

One of the coolest parts of caving in Roppel is entering the cave via a Roppel entrance and exiting via the commercial Mammoth Cave with its paved cave passages and hand rails.  That was a different feeling underground but welcomed after a sporty caving trip and made the way out very easy.  Roppel is a caver’s cave and is closed to the general public, but you can see its beauty right here.  And visiting the nearby and commercial Mammoth Cave National Park, is always worth the trip and a real treat.

Let’s go!

This was a recent school project for our daughter.  Her teacher specifically asked her to write about caving.  When we read it, it brought a smile to our faces.  As we enter the second year of our travel blog “30 Years in 52 Weeks” we felt it was appropriate to share Dani’s story with you.  We felt she really captured the essence of caving.   We hope you enjoy, -Don & Lisa

Underneath It All

By Dani DeLucia

Darkness, rock, and long drops would scare some people, but to me and my family it is what we live for.  Caving, also known as spelunking, has been a big part of my life for as long as I’ve been alive.  It is not a sport for everyone, but the adventure, challenges and beauty of each new cave is what keeps me interested in it.

In the caving world I have a lot to live up to.  My parents are both well known cavers and being their offspring means I am expected to be just as good as they are.  Although caving comes easy to me it is still a big challenge.  Each new cave I explore is just as dangerous as the one before.

Caving takes a lot of discipline, communication skills, trust and respect for the Earth.  There has been more than one occasion where I have been scared in a cave, but those experiences have made me a stronger person.  Also, it has taught me to be more calm because when things go wrong underground, the last thing to do is freak out.

Caves are beautiful places filled with some of Earth’s greatest treasures.  Growing up in a family of cavers I have learned to respect the Earth and help to preserve it.  I have learned that you can still have fun while keeping the environment clean.

Caving has taught me a lot about myself and the Earth.  It has made me a better communicator, climber, stronger person and has given me a love for nature.  I know, no matter how old I get I will still be caving and someday I hope to get my children into it just like my parents did.  To me being a caver is in my blood and it is one thing about me that I never want to lose the passion for.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona

For those who like to really get away from it all, there’s Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona, 40 miles east of Flagstaff.  Being in the area of this cinder cone volcano can make you feel more as if you are on another planet.  It’s desolate, quiet and simple in beauty.  And even though you cannot walk directly into the cinder cone, the trail was closed in 1973, you can still marvel at the awe of the surrounding San Francisco Volcanic Field and dark lunar landscape look and feel.  But don’t worry, as you explore the territory, volcanologists believe Sunset Crater erupted between 1040 and 1100 and will probably not erupt again.

To get a good look into the crater, the best way is to climb to the top of the Lenox Crater Trail, or hike a Forest Service trail up to O’Leary Peak.  Here you can see the scars still evident in Sunset Crater leftover from when folks could walk down, even though it was closed 32 years ago, the resulting damage is still there as a reminder to tread lightly in nature.

Sunset Crater does give an otherworldly appearance.  That can explain why in the 1960’s, NASA had astronauts practice for the first lunar landing in the cinder fields and lava flows around the crater.  The vent at the top of the volcano is 1000 feet above the surrounding landscape.   This giant hole made for an ideal training ground for NASA.

Sunset Crater is also the only eruption in the Southwest witnessed by the locals, as the Colorado Plateau’s most recent volcanic eruption.  Prior to western inhabitation, archeologists believed the Sinagua Indian culture lived in pithouses they dug in the area and farmed corn fields in the open meadows.  Research reveals burned pithouses filled with cinders and lava.

If you look closely you will see how life returns on the cinder field with small batches of wildflowers, desert shrubs, pine and aspen trees, as well as wildlife, in an arid volcanic landscape.

It was President Herbert Hoover whom established the national monument on May 26, 1930 to protect the unique geologic formations for all future generations to enjoy.  It is believed that nineteenth-century explorer John Wesley Powell named Sunset Crater as he marveled at the red and yellow rim colors.  Today the National Monument protects 3040 acres surrounded by Coconino National Forest and is the youngest, least-eroded cinder cone in the San Francisco Volcanic Field.  We invite you to join us on our trip to Sunset Crater National Monument and an ice cave that is no longer open to the public.

Let’s go!