Day 28: The Oregon Caves

So far on our trip, we’ve seen the indescribable sculptures of Red, Bryce and Grand Canyons, heard the phenomenon of 200 voices blend as one and witnessed the broad brushstrokes of crashing turquoise surf paint the California coastline.  Today, we witnessed an art form that was difficult to name – a   combination of stone sculpture, water art, and landscape architecture created in the absence of vegetation and sky over hundreds of thousands of years. Such is the beauty and mystery of the Oregon Caves. And this doesn’t even touch on the science behind the formation of the caves which I won’t pretend to understand.

A long and winding 20 mile road that felt more like 50 miles delivered us to the cave entrance.The cave was discovered in 1874 by Elijah Davidson, a hunter, whose dog was chasing down a deer when it ran into the cave with Elijah after him. Elijah had only a handful of matches to light his way and when they were exhausted he was in total darkness; he had only his sense of touch and the sound of an underground stream to lead him to the outside. The legend tells that it took Elijah almost 4 hours to find his way out of the cave but when he reached the outside his trusty canine companion was waiting for him.

The temperature inside the cave was 44 degrees (F) and the air was fresh and damp. Water dripped from the ceiling, a natural part of the formation of stalactites and splashed onto the floor, where stalagmites are formed. Over thousands of years, if undisturbed by nature or man, they will eventually meet in a “column”.  OK, so maybe I understand some very basic science.

The tour through the cave is about 1 kilometre long and includes 500 stairs and narrow passageways as low as 45 inches. The route has been enhanced over the years to include concrete walkways, and metal hand rails and stairways. These have been put into place, not only for the comfort of visitors to the caves but to help preserve the integrity of the very fragile environment. Around the turn of the century, in the early days of tours into the caves, visitors would touch the walls, climb on the formations and break off souvenirs. The renovations have reduced the human impact on this environmentally and geologically sensitive arena.

The Oregon Caves is an underground art gallery well worth the price of admission at $8.50 and the arduous drive to get there.

Until tomorrow. . . .