We hiked 75 stories down into Carlsbad Caverns for the best geology lesson ever.
Meandering down switchbacks along the 1.25-mile natural entrance trail allowed us to appreciate the depth and beauty of the caverns, which formed between four and six million years ago.
We had a timed-ticket, which made us feel like we had the whole cavern to ourselves as we descended, seeing the occasional park ranger that the boys would pepper with questions. We passed the 200,000-ton Iceberg Rock; the Twilight Zone, where natural light turns into darkness; and Devil's Spring, a pool with columns, which form when stalactites and stalagmites meet and grow together. We saw fascinating features like the Witch's Fingers, which are narrow and crooked formations known as totem poles.
We made our way down to the popular Big Room, which is the largest single cave chamber in North America. The cavern was very dark, a brisk 56-degrees, and the air was moist as we heard a constant sound: Drip. Drip. Drip.
In the Big Room, we took a 1.25-mile trail around the awe-inspiring formations:
The ornate Temple of the Sun, featuring a large column and hundreds of stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
The Bottomless Pit, which actually has a bottom about 140 feet below, but that early explorers would drop rocks into and never hear them hit the ground.
The humongous 62-foot Giant and Twin Domes.
Rock of Ages, where Christians in the 1920-1940's would gather to sing the hymn by this name.
Doll's Theater, a grouping of small, delicate stalactites that look almost magical.
The beautiful Chandelier.
Lion's Tail, a whimsical stalactite that hangs down with a bushy end like the hair on a lion's tail.
Cave pools and Longfellow's Bathtub.
The boys were very intrigued by what they deemed the "coolest bathrooms ever," which were built into the cave near the Big Room. (It's too cool to describe; see the picture below). And Brad and I were very happy to find an elevator, instead of having to walk back up those 75 stories.
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