January 1, 2016 found me at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona, where I decided to participate in their 1st Day Hike. Many State and National Parks have these, but this is the first time I've done one. It is a ranger-guided hike where we will learn about the southwest, edible plants, materials to make flour, dye, etc.
The park's main features are the caverns which lie beneath these limestone hills over which today's hike will lead us. Under the right hill lies the "Big Room." In the dip is the "Throne Room," and under the left peak is the "Rotunda."
Today's hike will follow the Foothills Loop, over and behind the caverns.
The original entrance is located within the fenced area, a tiny hole still used by bats to enter the caverns. The roof you can see above that area leads to the developed entrance that is used for tours.
The campground with a gorgeous view of the Whetstone Mountains behind us. There are more trails back there. RV friends Anita and Sandi were with me here.
We took a tour of the Rotunda and Throne Room. These next few pictures are from the park website, as no cameras or phones were allowed on the tour. First we boarded trams to carry us to the cave entrance.
Photos from the website of some of the formations we saw. Great pains are taken to protect the caverns from damage to these formations.
These hollow formations are called "soda straws." There is one here that measures over 21 feet long, the longest found in the world. It is in a remote location in the cavern, and not part of the tour, but we did see one 9 feet long.
About the soda straw formations.
In the Discovery Center is a display of a Ground Sloth whose bones were discovered inside the cavern. They have been dated to 86,000 years ago. A horse skull and coyote bones have also been found, which creates a mystery about how they got inside the caverns. Apparently there was another larger entrance that has perhaps collapsed, because the small hole that the bats use is the only known natural entrance.
These are the shoes and headlamp that the two men used when they first discovered and explored the caverns in 1967.
An interesting story about how the caverns were discovered and have been preserved in their natural state.
On the days leading up to January 1st, we were not idle. We woke up to beautiful sunrises from our campsites.
Sandi and I and the dogs hiked the Loop Trail together one cold, cloudy morning.
We started out along the Guindani Wash, which provides water for plant and animal life.
Even if you don't see water above ground, it is not far below the surface.
View of the Whetstone Mountains from the Foothills Trail.
That's a snowstorm coming over the mountains! We quickened our pace.
We love this stuff!
The snow caught up with us, but didn't last long and melted right away.
One day we drove into Benson for lunch and a Walmart stop. Sandi, me, Anita.
Anita and I walked off our big lunch with a hike on part of the Guindani Trail.
The part we hiked followed this old mining road into the V between the hills. We turned around when the trail started up the mountain, because the sun was going down and we wouldn't have time to finish it before dark.
Another day we drove down to Whitewater Draw (a Wildlife Refuge) to see the thousands of Sand Hill Cranes that winter there. The gray line above the water and below the mountains is them.
Thousands of Sand Hill Cranes. There are lots of other birds and wildlife to be seen here too, but I will come back later and camp free here to watch them.
And now it's time for our First Day Hike. It was a popular event with several children and even babies being carried by their parents.
There were so many wanting to hike that they divided us into two groups. This was our guide, Siria. Her topic was surviving in the Southwest, so she stopped to point out several plants that are edible or can be used for medicinal purposes.
Our group included several dogs.
On the right is a "Fishhook Barrel Cactus." The tart, lemony fruits are edible. It's not a good idea to drink the water inside because it contains oxalic acid which will cause diarrhea. The Prickly Pear fruits and pads are edible, but you have to remove the spines first. The big bites missing from the pads are done by Javelina.
Shin daggers get their name because the leaves are at shin level and are tipped with a sharp spine that can pierce your leg.
Oh my, I didn't realize I had got this butt shot of Anita.
View of the valley.
That's better.
The abundance of Ocotillo growing here is a sign that there may be a cavern beneath. That is one sign they look for when searching for caverns.
And a beautiful view it is.
Near the end of the trail we come to "The View."
The hike was fun, and I learned a little, but I decided I really prefer my quiet solo hikes or with a friend or two, so I can stop when and where I want along the way to take pictures or look for wildlife.
This is the start of a new blog for 2016. I post links on Facebook and the womenrv forum. It you wish to be notified by Email, please enter your Email address in the box at the top left.
This is the start of a new blog for 2016. I post links on Facebook and the womenrv forum. It you wish to be notified by Email, please enter your Email address in the box at the top left.
