Entrance
To explore Carlsbad Caverns, you can either ride an elevator or hike over a mile down and back up. Most people hiked down and rode the elevator back up. I was a glutton for punishment and hiked it both ways.
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| About to Enter Carlsbad Caverns |
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| Begin the Descent |
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Cave Swallows
(they dart around the entrance before returning to their nest) |
Caves
Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 caves. The lighting made it impossible to photograph the larger ones. But I did capture a little of what the underground atmosphere was like.
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| Wind Your Way Downward |
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| Caves on Other Side of the Rocks |
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Dark Mystery
(passage opens up for glimpse of what's below) |
Named Formations
Carlsbad Caverns were formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone leaving behind caverns of all sizes and rock formations in often fantastical shapes. Some of them are unique enough to have been named.
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Whales Mouth
(draperies and flowstone) |
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Iceberg Rock
(200,000 tons...largest piece of ceiling to fall) |
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| New York, New York! |
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Crystal Spring Dome
(largest active stalagmite in the caverns) |
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Rock of Ages
(column) |
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Dolls Theater
(soda straws and small columns) |
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Chinese Theater
(columns, stalagmites, and stalactites) |
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| Taffy Hill |
Unnamed Formations
Seemingly around every corner, in every crevice, or everywhere I looked was something odd, interesting, and/or amazing. I came up with names or descriptions for a few of these natural wonders.
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Elven Trees of Lothlorien
(a Lord of the Rings reference) |
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| Melting Ice Cream |
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| Birth of an Alien Creature |
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| Jellyfish |
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| Fairy Castle |
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| Icicles |
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| Carnivorous Worm |
Floor and Ceiling
As one might expect, the caves were filled with stalagmites and stalactites. In some cases, they nearly touched or a solid column connected the floor and ceiling of the cave.
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| Golden Aura |
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| Lighted Chandelier |
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| Put Together with a Million Building Blocks |
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| Columns Connect the Floor and Ceiling |
Stalagmites and Columns
Probably because they were closer to eye level, easier to see, and varied more in shape and size, I found my eye drawn more to the stalagmites and formations on the floor than to most things higher up.
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| Caramel Topping |
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Staff of Magic
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| Caterpillar |
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| Popcorn Sculptures |
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| White Spire |
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| Giant Fungi |
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Egg
(from the Alien movies) |
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| Frosted Column |
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| Around the Campfire |
Stalactites
When I did look upward, the ceiling provided more sights to gawk at, and a wish that now wasn't the time for anything to break off and fall.
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| Countless Stalactites |
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| Ivory Horn with Scrimshaw |
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| Delicate and Elegant |
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| Broccoli |
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| Needle Sharp |
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| Cave of Horrors |
Evidence that I enjoyed this visit just as much as my first time 10 years ago are the more than 450 photos I took (double or triple the norm) and the four hours I spent in the caverns (most people apparently stay about two hours).
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