For those who like caves and caving...
- Thread starter porky
- Start date
I've done Carlsbad back in the early 50's, when the new easy paths didn't exist and you were totally guided [turning out the lights and going totally silent was a biggie moment in the tour: that's dark, and that's silent]; Marvel; Lost Lake; Ruby Falls, the heart of Mt. Dicte, where Zeus was born---nearly killed myself and the guide on that one: slipped; most of the commercial and one semi-commercial, slither-with-a-lantern one in Missouri; but I have yet to manage to arrive at Mammoth when I had enough time. Great, great hot summer day venture...always the same temp down there. 
I really want to spend a week doing all the various Mammoth tours, and I'd love to do the one by torchlight, even if I kind of wince at the live flame down there.
I really want to spend a week doing all the various Mammoth tours, and I'd love to do the one by torchlight, even if I kind of wince at the live flame down there.
Yep! We done 5 tours.
The Violet City Lantern tour was really cool. We went down in one of the historic caves carrying only a gas lamp like they used in back in the 1800's. It was really dim and eerie, esp. when we got to the "haunted" part of the tour.
I'd love to get out to Carlsbad sometime...
At one time, Mammoth caves were home to the worlds largest population of bats,
but human intervention has changed that.
Some of the caves are still privately owned...
These caves were not part of the National Park but tended to be better lit.
In Diamond Cavern, one of the private caves, they sliced open a stalagmite to see what was inside... I don't know what they were hoping to find...
One of the coolest parts of our trip was learning about the legacy of the old African American cave guides...
The caption on the above plaque reads:
An African American Heritage
In 1839 African American slave Stephen Bishop (buried here), Matt Bransford and Nicholas Bransford came to Mammoth Cave to work as cave guides. Cave visitors from around the world extolled their exploits as guides and cave explorers. The guides descendents continued a tie to the cave, working as farmers, teachers, and timberman, while supplementing their income as cave guides.
In 1939, the retirement of Matt Bransford's great-grandson, Louis, ended 101 years of unbroken family cave guide service, a profession long dominated by African Americans. Today the heritage lives on as family live in the local community.
The Violet City Lantern tour was really cool. We went down in one of the historic caves carrying only a gas lamp like they used in back in the 1800's. It was really dim and eerie, esp. when we got to the "haunted" part of the tour.
I'd love to get out to Carlsbad sometime...
At one time, Mammoth caves were home to the worlds largest population of bats,
but human intervention has changed that.
Some of the caves are still privately owned...
These caves were not part of the National Park but tended to be better lit.
In Diamond Cavern, one of the private caves, they sliced open a stalagmite to see what was inside... I don't know what they were hoping to find...
One of the coolest parts of our trip was learning about the legacy of the old African American cave guides...
The caption on the above plaque reads:
An African American Heritage
In 1839 African American slave Stephen Bishop (buried here), Matt Bransford and Nicholas Bransford came to Mammoth Cave to work as cave guides. Cave visitors from around the world extolled their exploits as guides and cave explorers. The guides descendents continued a tie to the cave, working as farmers, teachers, and timberman, while supplementing their income as cave guides.
In 1939, the retirement of Matt Bransford's great-grandson, Louis, ended 101 years of unbroken family cave guide service, a profession long dominated by African Americans. Today the heritage lives on as family live in the local community.
yellertang
New member
Mammoth is beautiful.........just a tad touristy though...great pics
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