Oct 3rd – Carlsbad Cavern
Man, the air was bad when we woke up this morning. I’m glad I had the van mostly closed but it still needed airing out. We only had a 40-minute drive to Carlsbad Caverns. Not a bad commute. We opted for smoothies for breakfast just to get out of there.
I’d made a reservation months ago for the first cave tour of the day so we needed to sign in by 8 am since it started at 8:30. We picked up Benny’s Junior booklet at the same time we signed in. He was jazzed.
Due to crowding the ranger-led tours get booked way in advanced. Rather than be forced to take an odd-time tour I opted for the self-guiding tour that start at 8:30 when the first elevator went down, this way we weren’t forced to move faster (or slower) than we wanted. I got lucky and managed to avoid the worst of the early morning crowds as we did The Big Room trail which is the most popular route. It is the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America. The 1.25-mile trail is relatively flat, and took us about 1.5 hours to complete. I overheard one of the ranger’s spiels and he said that actor and comedian Will Rogers called the cavern, "The Grand Canyon with a roof over it." Having recently been at the Grand Canyon I’m not sure I agree but it is a good exaggeration or tall tale for the kiddos.
I’m going to record the trail as best I can. It isn’t easy. I’ve been in caves plenty since we started the Big Adventure, but I gotta admit that Carlsbad is something else.
The trail, and the King’s Palace Tour, are the most popular trails at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. All three are paved, lighted walks with handrails lining the trails, but the Big Room Trail is the only one that is considered easy. In fact, a 1.0-mile section of the trail is accessible to those in wheelchairs.
We began our exploration of the Big Room from the
Underground Lunchroom. I’m not kidding, there’s an underground lunchroom down there. From there we walked through a well-lit passage, and were immediately surrounded by amazing speleothems. Then on the other side of the passage the cavern opened up into the largest cavern we have ever been in.
The Big Room is like no other cave we have visited. That’s no exaggeration. The rock formations along this trail are lit to provide the most dramatic and impressive views and one after another after another appear around every turn.
We passed the Sword of Damocles, a stalactite that looks like a sword, the Lion’s Tail, a stalactite with a gnarly bulb at the end, and an enormous limestone column called Temple of the Sun. We walked through the Hall of Giants with several giant towering stalagmites — the 16 foot wide Giant Dome stands 62 feet tall and the Twin Domes are just a little smaller.
We stood among what felt like a sea of popcorn covered stalagmites on the floor, while soda straws (tubular stalactites) covered the ceiling above. We marveled at other stalagmite formations like the Caveman and Totem Pole, and a gorgeous stalactites grouping called the Chandelier.
Sign-thingies along the trail told the stories of cave and formation discoveries, and an old rope ladder hangs into a large hole in the floor of the cave — that ladder was the original way cave explorers accessed the Lowers Caves.
Just a bit farther down the trail there was a better view into the Lower Caves. Soon we made it to the area of The Big Room known as the Top Of The Cross, named for its position on the shape of the Big Room Trail. Here there are rows of benches installed in a mini theater setting with plenty of room for groups to take a break and relax. Years ago the stage was used for underground concerts but they don’t do that these days as they worry about sound vibrations damaging the geology.
Next we passed Mirror Lake and the Bottomless Pit that isn’t really bottomless — it measures 140 feet deep. This marked the approximate halfway point of the Big Room Trail. As we worked our way back to the Great Room and the Underground Lunchroom, we passed a wall of glittering rock, a huge live stalagmite named Crystal Spring Dome, examples of draperies and cave bacon, painted grottoes, the Rock Of Ages formation, and a pool of ice-blue water.
Both Benny and I were sorry to go back up the elevator, but you can’t stay down there forever. But when we got up a woman pulled us to the side. “Excuse me but are … are you Gus and Little Bear?”
I made a face. “Okay, who is taking bets?” I said and laughed.
She chuckled laced with a little guilt. “No bets but someone else gets to make the coffee in the morning if I came out and asked you.”
We chatted and laughed over how we were turning into a “Where’s Waldo?” game for the rangers. I didn’t mind I told her if it lightened their day and workload.
“Oh, you have no idea,” she said with a grin.
In the process of chatting with a couple of rangers that had finally gotten the nerve to come over I found out there is another entrance that is rarely used but is still open. It is called the “Natural Entrance.” It is a 1.25-mile trail and extremely steep. She wouldn’t have recommended it if we weren’t experienced hikers and wearing hiking boots with good treads. Depending on if you decide to hike up or down, you gain or lose about 750 feet—equivalent to walking up or down a 75-story building. My calves were complaining once we got to the bottom. The hike takes about one hour for most people to complete. The sights were different, and we got to follow in the footsteps of early explorers and see formations like Devil's Spring, the Whale's Mouth, and Iceberg Rock. At the bottom we had a pass to take the elevator back up instead of going out the same way we came in.
The cave isn’t the only activity at Carlsbad though it is the most popular. We did some surface hiking as well after eating a lunch made out of most of the leftover bits and pieces as well as the fresh food still in the frig.
Some of the other things we did included:
- Walnut Canyon Overlook, a paved walkway that provided a scenic view into Walnut Canyon along a short trail of 180 yards. It only took about 5 minutes to go from the parking lot to the overlook. The trailhead is located along the paved road to the visitor center.
- Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail was a half-mile long day use trail. One-way it only took 30 minutes and had several sign-thingies on the flora of the Chihuahuan Desert. It is closed just before and during Bat Flight programs which was something else I’ll get to.
- After lunch we did the Slaughter Canyon Cave Trail. This one had a little elevation change, gaining 500 feet over a rugged path. The views of Slaughter Canyon were spectacular. Considered a difficult trail, hikers generally take about 45 minutes to go from the parking area to the cave entrance. It took us an hour and a half to do the entire thing and I was really surprised. We didn’t cover much ground but there was a lot of elevation change in a short distance making it more challenging. Plus we stopped to take lots of pictures.
When we were finished, I gave Benny the option to quit for the day. He thought about it and said, “Nah! I’ve still got wiggles.”
I laughed but maybe I should have just made the decision anyway. The next trail took four hours. Man. Within the day use area, you can begin this trail at the dirt road adjacent to the natural entrance to Carlsbad Cavern. It follows the historic road used to haul guano from the cavern in the early 1900s, and hikers will see ruins and debris from the mining operation about a mile from the entrance. Bat crap. Yuck. The trail runs 3.7 miles descending the escarpment, and ending at the Whites City campground. One-way travel takes an estimated two hours at an easy activity level with a 750 feet change in elevation. Going down wasn’t bad, it was the up that had me regretting dragging poor Benny along though he didn’t seem to be bothered by it at all. Little sooter booger.
Our last activity before leaving was the Bat Flight Program we’d heard so much about. It was at the amphitheater. The bats haven’t migrated yet though their numbers have thinned as some bats from further north have already headed that direction. The numbers will thin more and more until by the end of October all of them will have headed towards their warmer winter homes.
After the cool show … not really a show but a natural phenomenon … we headed to the van. I was hacked when I got there. I put Benny in the van and was doing my routine of checking the van over after we’ve been away from it for a while. That’s when I saw that it was obvious someone had tried to get into the galley box. They probably tried to bump the lock but there’s a reason I had Groucho show me how to change out the cheapo cabinet lock for the same kind of secure lock used on freezers that are stored outside. You can’t shove a screwdriver in there and turn it. Found that out on my grandparents’ outside freezer when they had to replace one of those funky keys when their plastic one broke.
Here's where things went calliwumpus. I know things are tough all over but to try and break into someone’s vehicle at a national park that is out in the middle of nowhere seemed calculated to be criminal, not just someone down on their luck and desperate.
I was in the middle of checking the rest of the van over – thank the Creator I had put Benny inside the van and locked the door – when someone came up behind me and thought they’d take me out with a chop to my neck. Dang stupid people wandering this planet. I managed to hold onto the mag light in my hand when I went down to one knee and then turn around and popped the guy with the flashlight on his knee cap. I got off the ground and my next “tap” got him in his pearlies and sent a few of them flying. Another guy ran towards me but then changed his mind and fled when several men came running from different directions, having seen what was happening.
Well, that took a couple of hours to clear up. But that didn’t even start until I had gotten Benny calmed down. He’d been watching out the windows the entire time. Whew, it had scared him so bad he had an episode like he hadn’t had since right after Lawrence didn’t come home. Not even Penny’s choice caused one this bad. I nearly had a meltdown of my own until an older lady came over and asked, “PTSD?” I looked at her and she nodded her head towards Benny’s bracelet. “You’re Gold Star?”
I was holding Benny and walking back and forth but I nodded.
“My name is Charice Banning. I work at Bethesda. Is he on meds?”
I wanted to grind my teeth, but I figured she was just trying to help. “No. We got it under control with counseling and getting him off gluten. He has severe separation anxiety.”
“Understandable. My brother is a pediatric psychologist so I’m aware of some of the issues. You mind if we try some relaxation techniques? See if that breaks the cycle?”
At that point I was willing to try anything. Turns out he was partially feeding off the adrenaline rush I hadn’t been able to quite control. My initial outburst had been survival but then it had gone from anger to my own type of fear of leaving Benny alone. See, Benny wasn’t the only one that needed a little counseling along the way.
After he stopped hyperventilating and crying he said, “I’m sorry Aunt Gus. I shoulda been a big boy. I’m six years old.”
“Hey … hey, hey, hey,” I told him softly. “You ARE a big boy. You follow the rules. You help me out all the time. You are NEVER a crybaby or rotten snot or any of those things. You give everything a try rather than running away. But
everyone gets topped off sometimes. And some people have more reason than others to get topped off. This just made you remember some scary stuff. But now you’ve got it under control. You know what’s real and what isn’t. Right?”
“You didn’t leave me.”
“No. I didn’t leave you. And you didn’t leave me.”
He blinked owl-eyed at me at my own admission of fear. We hugged each other but I could feel he was still shaking. “Look, Aunt Gus isn’t going far. In fact, if they want to talk to me, they can come over here. But I need to be responsible and tell the police what happened.”
“Are you in trouble?”
A man’s voice said, “No Son, she isn’t.”
Benny jumped and grabbed my neck but I’d seen the man walking around the outside of the ruckus and had tracked him from the corner of my eye. I turned to give him my full attention. “My name is Beckett Dempsey. I’m here with my family but in real life I’m an attorney. And no, I’m not being an ambulance chaser, just wanted the kid to know that it is a clear case of self-defense. My brother even has the evidence on film from his RV cameras. The guy was stalking you and then attacked. My brother’s mother-in-law is a nurse and wants to know if you need anything.”
“Uh … no. Thank you.”
Well, if you can judge a person by their handshake his was a firm one without being overpowering. I watched him walk over to one of those super luxury RVs, you know the ones that look like a penthouse on wheels. If the inside looked as luxe as the outside, I knew they were making bank on something. Didn’t have anymore time to think about it as it was my turn to give my statement.
It was a lot later than I had wanted but we finally made it to the Quality Inn & Suites in Carlsbad, NM because there is no camping in Carlsbad Caverns NP. And there isn’t exactly a lot of hotel rooms near there either. Benny had refused to sit in his seat so his booster was temporarily attached to the front passenger seat. I will have to change it back in the morning and I hope he doesn’t give me any trouble about it. I really needed to fill the freshwater tank and pick up some groceries but that wasn’t going to happen.
After getting into our hotel room and getting Benny settled, I played ET and reached Stella on the first ring. I asked if Groucho was available.
“What’s up Kiddo? Van having problems?”
“No,” I answered. I proceeded to tell him what had happened. He asked if Benny and I were okay.
“Yeah.”
“Er … I’m not your pops Gus. And I don’t wear a collar so I’m not your priest either.”
“I know that, but you trusted me to do right by Benny and …”
“You’re shook up more than you want to admit aren’t you.” Perceptive man.
“Maybe. I’ll deal. I …” I checked to make sure Benny was asleep and went into the bathroom. “He made me mad Groucho. All I could think was what would happen to Benny if something happened to me. I don’t know if that is selfish or …”
“Gus, listen to me. Stop second guessing yourself. You got a right to be worried. But sometimes you have to do the right then, right there … because it is the right thing or because it is a matter of survival. You blame Lawrence because he was a hero?” Again, perceptive man.
“No. At least not now, not most of the time. But he’s not here. Benny is. I just want to be up for the job. I
need to be up for the job.”
“Gus, if I ever had any doubts? I don’t now. That shit on the mountain. Now this incident today. Probably other things you haven’t told me about. It tells me you’ll fight and do whatever you have to. And that’s all anyone can ask of you. Including Benny. If I say you gotta do anything else it is build connections. Maybe rebuild some.”
“Rebuild.”
“Yeah. Your uncle calls every couple of days. Gets a big kick out of that blog.”
“Uncle Daniel?! You gotta be kidding me Groucho. He all but threw Lawrence and I …”
“I know what he did. More importantly he knows what he did. And he knows he made a mistake.”
“And how do you know this?”
“’Cause he told me. But that’s between the two of us. Just because he knows he was a jackass doesn’t mean he is ready to admit to you he was a jackass. Got me?”
I sighed. “Yeah. I suppose I do. Lawrence wasn’t exactly using Ms. Manner’s Book of Polite Conversation when he got me out of there. Told Uncle Daniel that he wouldn’t be letting me be raised by him anyway because he’d already proved the only thing he could do was raise welfare queens and pot heads.” Feeling pretty bad even though none of it was my fault. “Lawrence refused to go to Jerry’s funeral after he drove high and wrapped his Camaro around that tree. Jerry, Trish, and Robbie … all gone just ‘cause he had to have his “medicine” … I used to babysit Robbie when he was a baby.”
“Got news for you. Daniel figured out who sent that anonymous prayer card.”
“Uh …”
“The postage was cancelled in Jacksonville.”
I winced at how naïve I used to be. “Did he ever tell Lawrence?”
“Yeah. Lawrence and him met up a couple months later.”
“What?!”
“Guess you don’t know everything. And instead of hearing it from me maybe you should at least give the old guy a chance. Even if nothing comes of it, you’ll be able to tell Benny you tried … for his sake.”
“Jerk,” I muttered. “That’s blackmail.”
Groucho laughed. “Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. Now go get some rest Gus. Tomorrow is another day and Benny needs you to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.”
“That’s ship shape and Bristol fashion.”
“Yeah … whatever. Give us a call back in a couple of days to let us know how you’re doing. And Stella says thanks, and so do I, sticking your nose in with Garrett even when you did need to. He arrived and Stella is really happy.”
Groucho may be eccentric and a hardcase extraordinaire with weird friends that are even more eccentric than he is, but he is also a stand-up guy to have on your side and smarter than he lets on. And he’s right. I need a crew … or something similar. Benny needs to learn what a social support network is. He needs to learn to let himself be able to count on other people. You can sail a ship with one person but having a crew is a lot better, especially when a storm comes.
Resources:
https://www.nps.gov/gumo/learn/kidsyouth/upload/Jr-Ranger-Booklet.pdf