The main entrance is not too intimidating with man made concrete steps and a handrail to ease visitors into the cave.
Once inside and down the stairs, the cave offers two trails - one easy and one difficult. We chose the more difficult that was described to be 1 1/2 miles long with several boulder falls along the way. 
Before we reached the first boulder fall, we saw this example of fallen boulders next to our path. Full of interesting bubble-like impressions on the smooth basaltic surface helped us to envision the lava that flowed through the mountain and formed the cave through the cooling process.
Everyone had their own flashlight to make way through the pitch black. If we explore a similar cave again, we'll take a lantern to more easily appreciate the cave's surroundings. The pinpoint focus of the flashlight forced us to make a stop to shine the beam on the cave's interior.
The temperature was a cool 42 F, but we had no problem staying warm through our activity level. The boulder falls are areas in which the cave's ceiling collapsed after the lava flow. This particular cave had seven boulder falls and a couple of lava falls that required a rope climb. One lava fall was about 8' tall and the other about 5' tall. Our fingers were cold and became sensitive to the sharp edges of some of the cave walls and boulders. We left our long sleeved shirts on to protect our arms and elbows from scrapes.Although there was a pretty sizable crowd in the area (judging from the very full parking lot), we met only a few groups along our way. Some had entered the cave from the opposite end and several groups were moving at a faster clip. We gladly let them pass and just took our time!
The photos are deceiving in that the flash shows so much more visibility within the cave.
This very odd photo shows our breath! We were trying to capture a photo of the ceiling of the cave and instead captured this eerie photo of foggy breath in the cool air of the cave. Craig's silhouette is within the 'fog'. We won't speculate about who was full of the most hot air!
The guys are gearing up for a climb over the boulder fall. Some covered more than 100 ft and others were much smaller. At times, the crevices between the boulders were a bit scary with a potential fall of 3-6 feet with an errant step. We had to watch carefully and also to look for slippery surfaces from the condensation and seepage.
Finally, we reached the end of the trail and were thankful for the ladder exit. The rope climbs were fun and challenging (more so for some of us than others), but we were ready for an easier way out!
The exit opening was quite a bit smaller than the entrance, but we all fit through - fanny packs and all!
After a rest at the exit of the cave, we trekked along a 1 1/2 mile surface trail back to the parking area.
Tired and sore for a couple of days afterward, we were pleased with ourselves for meeting the challenge of the more difficult trail. The trek through was a great experience to share together. The venture required us to work together, help each other, light the way for one another, lend a hand (literally) and be patient with one another. One woman along the way commented 'You don't see that much anymore.' We weren't sure to what she was referencing. Later, she reiterated, 'You just don't see families doing this type of thing together.' We were pleased to provide a testimony that families could do this together and also saddened that it seems so uncommon an occurrence!
The photos are deceiving in that the flash shows so much more visibility within the cave.
This very odd photo shows our breath! We were trying to capture a photo of the ceiling of the cave and instead captured this eerie photo of foggy breath in the cool air of the cave. Craig's silhouette is within the 'fog'. We won't speculate about who was full of the most hot air!
The guys are gearing up for a climb over the boulder fall. Some covered more than 100 ft and others were much smaller. At times, the crevices between the boulders were a bit scary with a potential fall of 3-6 feet with an errant step. We had to watch carefully and also to look for slippery surfaces from the condensation and seepage.
Finally, we reached the end of the trail and were thankful for the ladder exit. The rope climbs were fun and challenging (more so for some of us than others), but we were ready for an easier way out!
The exit opening was quite a bit smaller than the entrance, but we all fit through - fanny packs and all!
After a rest at the exit of the cave, we trekked along a 1 1/2 mile surface trail back to the parking area.
Tired and sore for a couple of days afterward, we were pleased with ourselves for meeting the challenge of the more difficult trail. The trek through was a great experience to share together. The venture required us to work together, help each other, light the way for one another, lend a hand (literally) and be patient with one another. One woman along the way commented 'You don't see that much anymore.' We weren't sure to what she was referencing. Later, she reiterated, 'You just don't see families doing this type of thing together.' We were pleased to provide a testimony that families could do this together and also saddened that it seems so uncommon an occurrence!Thank God for our family and thank God for the opportunity to do these things together! He is growing us all together and we are so blessed!
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