Grand Canyon Caverns

Arizona is a land richly endowed with geologic phenomena. U. S. 66 boasts ready access to some of the most picturesque Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert, Sunset and Meteor Craters, and Oak Creek Canyon to name a few.It is a fantastic place full of weirdly beautiful dripstone and flowstone stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, cave draperies, and other stunning formations. Carved in some distant Stygian past, it is a limestone labyrinth of chambers, rooms, and passageways. The waters that did the carving have long since disappeared leaving behind a rare place of subterraneous scenery where darkness and silence are absolute until man enters.

Grand Canyon Caverns haven't just been discovered. But they have only recently been developed to the place where they are easily accessible to the thousands of people who yearly use U. S. 66 as the most traveled cross-country route in Arizona.

Formerly known as Coconino Caverns, Grand Canyon Caverns are fast becoming a rival to world-famous Carlsbad Caverns in neighboring New Mexico. And rightly so.

There is something of other cave explorers in most of us -- Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, Ali Baba and Aladin. Deep and mysterious underground caverns have their irresistible appeal for the average person as they did for those storybook characters. Perhaps that is why we were tempted to stop when we saw the signs along the highway announcing the Caverns.

We followed the newly-paved road to a contempor ary stone, glass and wooden building, the Reception Cen ter. It is guarded by a replica of a monstrous dinosaur (Tyrannosaurus Rex) which once roamed this country millions of years ago. There is an attractive landscaped picnic area nearby. A 4000-foot all-weather airstrip for light planes beckons the air-minded traveler.

Inside the modern, well-equipped Reception Center is the entrance to the cave. Strictly in 20th Century style, a spanking new 16-passenger electric elevator comparable to those in any modern skyscraper whisked us down (not up!) 206 feet or about twenty-one stories into the earth. This is equal to half the height of the Washington Monument.

Our guide was a full-blooded Hualapai Indian, who lives on the nearby Hualapai Indian reservation. Extremely well-informed, his enthusiasm for the Caverns soon transferred itself to us. After leaving the elevator, we followed him into a man-made tunnel. A few feet beyond the natural Caverns, as old as time, began.

Adventure in an Underground Wonderland GRAND CANYON CAVERNS By Marian Talmadge and Iris Gilmore

The cave owners, Grand Canyon Caverns, Incorporated, have done a good job making the way easy and comfortable for the visitor. The half-mile long trail is paved and fenced. It is so located as to give the visitor the best advantage in making the tour safely and efficiently. Benches are placed at intervals for those who wish to rest.

The Caverns boast unique chambers and rooms filled with eye-stopping wonders. The first room is the ethereally beautiful Crystal Room, so-called because of the super-abundance of selenite crystals which line the walls and the 25-foot high ceiling. Selenite is a gypsum forma tion (calcium sulphate) commonly called "cave snow." Of the over 5,000 discovered caverns in the United States, Grand Canyon Caverns have the largest known deposit of this particular formation.

The ceiling of the Crystal Room is covered with what might be called cave "geodes" which look like snow-white grapefruit. Where these "grapefruit" have been broken open, the selenite crystals show up inside like miniature roses and flowers. Graceful cave or stone draperies hang from crevices, frozen forever in a flowing motion.

One wall shades from coral to maroon red, the result of the action of oxides of iron on the limestone. The exposed underlying rock is cave onyx. Marine fossils found here trapped forever in the limestone include such prehistoric creatures as bryozoans, brachiopods, clams and many minute creatures millions of years old.

The next room is called the Chapel of the Ages. Here the enormity of this underground place overwhelmed us. Even then we were amazed to learn that a full-sized foot ball field could be set down in it with room to spare.

On the floor of this room are formations known as dripstone and flowstone, They were formed by water drip ping on and flowing over the stones, some of it evaporating and leaving behind its lime (calcium carbonate) deposit.

Our guide pointed out more curtain or drapery for mations. Rainbow Dome was above us a many-hued ceiling painted by oxides of iron and other materials. Cathedral Dome formed another part of the ceiling.

"When this enormous room was first explored," our guide explained, "the mummified body of a prehistoric ground sloth (Megatherium) was found, his nose smack against an airhole. This extinct animal has not lived in Arizona for at least 20,000 years."

Scientists from the University of Arizona at Tucson, we learned, took the body there for study where it remains today.

The Caverns have an air conditioner built in by Nature herself millions of years before man discovered a mechanical way of cooling the air. The temperature in the Caverns is a pleasant fifty-six degrees Fahrenheit the year round. Only a light sweater or wrap is necessary even on the coldest days above ground. Interestingly, the air in any cavern is usually purer and better than outside air. That's because there is more pure oxygen available and there are fewer bacteria present.

Our guide then called our attention to the lovely helictites seen in some of the cavern grottoes. These fan tastic formations are another rare gypsum deposit. Spele-ologists cave scientists - still can't explain what causes helictites to form actually they are mavericks among cave shapes. The scientists know that stalactites and helic tites are made by the water dripping through the limestone for eons and sons of time. Eventually the water evaporates and deposits its burden of lime in the cave.

skull and jawbone of a prehistoric dinosaur (restored)

A helictite begins life as a stalactite - the icicle-like cave formation that hangs from the ceiling. But then some thing happens to the stalactite. Suddenly it shoots off at odd, unbelievable angles. It may even grow back up toward the ceiling in delicate airy patterns. Speleologists suggest such causes as air currents, peculiar crystal growth, or surface tension effects on the water drops which may cause these fantastic shapes. But they admit they don't really know.

Anyway, the helictites are fascinating with their "arms" or "branches" twisting this way and that a per fect example of Nature at work.

"There are dozens of waterways leading from this room where water escaped at one time probably form ing many chambers and rooms beneath us," our guide told us as he pointed out several of these ancient waterways.

A man-made tunnel 125 feet long connects the Chapel and the Halls of Gold. Before this tunnel was built, the acoustics in the two rooms were so perfect that blasting could be done in either room and not be heard in the adjoining one.

The Halls of Gold - gold! that alluring word which conjures up visions of untold wealth and fabulous riches. But no soft yellow metal was found here.

Instead, the room was so-named because the walls and ceiling are golden in color. Here again oxides of iron seep ing down through the limestone reef painted the ceiling and walls with a delicate touch. It's as if rays of sunshine had filtered down into the depth of the silent earth. The Hall is 580 feet long and 250 feet wide another awe some sight, truly breathtaking in its beauty.

Above us was Mammoth Dome covered with weirdly beautiful crystal formations known as "grape clusters," also formed of pure lime. These clusters were once actively growing stalactites. But when the source of water dried up, the formation remained at this stage.

The Dome is a nearly vertical solution-formed water channel, about eight feet in diameter and 142 feet high. It is almost another natural entrance, nearly reaching the surface.

Our guide then showed us the Giant's Keyhole which looks exactly like a huge keyhole. A light behind emphasizes its size. No. 1 Dome is a solution dome, also. It has an unusual feature which was discovered by accident. Light from the far side of the room shines through a small water channel which shapes the beams of light. This, in turn, filters out into a perfect "No. 1" which appears on the surface of the dome. This effect also plays up the transparency of the lime crystals.

In the Snowball Palace, the next room, are other rare cave formations called "snowballs" or "popcorn balls" which cover the walls and ceiling. At one time a tunnel lead into this room from a sinkhole in the surface. Water used to rush in through this opening after a rain or when the snow melted in the spring.

In addition to the ground sloth remains, bones of a coyote, fox and bobcat were found here animals which accidentally fell into the hole and couldn't climb out again. Claw marks on the wall testify to their desperate plight. We saw their mummified remains along the trail perfectly preserved in the pure, dry air.

The Mystery Room is the lowest point in the Caverns explored to date 318 feet below the surface of the earth. That's equal to the height of the Statue of Liberty. A water channel curves off to the right, but comes to a dead end.

It was named the Mystery Room because all evidence points to the fact that the greatest volume of water came down to this point. Since the water had to go somewhere, it is believed that at one time there were openings here where it went to lower levels - probably to chambers and rooms far below.

Speleologists and the owners are excited about future explorations. They are sure they will find many, many more fascinating rooms and spectacular formations. One indication they have is that so much has already been found on this first level.

At Carlsbad Caverns which is in the same kind of limestone reef, and at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, comparable cave formations to Grand Canyon Caverns were not found until the "cavers" reached the third level in those two well-known caves.

A climb up Bobcat Trail named for the mummified body of a bobcat found here is along one side of the Halls of Gold. From this point we could see the size of the Mystery Room. Looking back from the trail we could also see the Gothic Arch near the Snowball Palace. This arch reminded us of the pointed arches architects used in constructing the cathedrals of medieval Europe.

Here, too, is where the natural entrance to the cave once was. We saw the old swinging wooden bridge installed by early explorers down which brave visitors picked their precarious way.

Our guide, also showed us fossilized footprints of extinct animals and shells from ancient seas.

We returned to the Chapel of the Agès through another entrance, never retracing our steps. It looks quite different from this angle but is still massive and aweinspiring.

Here at the entrance to the tunnel which would take us back to the elevator, our guide pointed out cave bacon another interesting form of flowstone. When the seepage water created this formation, it carried with it more iron oxide at some periods than others. The graceful curving curtain of stone was stained with alternating stripes white and reddish brown. It looks for all the world like a giant slice of baćori.

The most eerie experience in the cave was when our guide asked everyone to stand still in place. Then he said, "A person who has eyesight cannot not appreciate what total - really total darkness is like until he has experienced it in a cave. Now I'll turn off the lights and show you."

As the lights clicked off, a weird feeling swept over us the darkness in a cave is quite different from night darkness. It is a complete lack of light -- a hundred times darker than the darkest night. As the soft, velvety, pitch-black darkness enfolded us, we became more acutely aware of sounds people breathing, our own hearts beating, a cough from somewhere which seemed magnified. Suddenly we could feel more strongly the currents of air flowing around us. Awe-struck, we spoke only in whispers.

Time seems to stand still there is no time no weather very little sound in a cave. It is truly another world this strange world underneath the earth a nether world.

A feeling of wonder came over us. This cave seemed so far away from the everyday bustling world. Here was a cavern slowly and silently changing and growing, with water forever creating and destroying.

We drew a breath of relief and shivered slightly when once more the lights illumined the inky blackness. The Cavern was still a vast, silent place. But it was not as scary and eerie as when the lights were off.

But what are limestone caverns doing in the middle of this high desert country, 5600 feet above the level of the sea? It's a long story and dates back some 200,000,000 years give or take one hundred million years or so. The Caverns share much of their history with nearby Grand Canyon and have some of the same earth strata: If we could have visited Arizona at that time, we would have seen nothing familiar. Where were the Grand Canyon and the San Francisco Peaks? All we would have seen was a vast ocean with an occasional island. Sea animals lived and died here and when they died, they left behind their shells which were made of lime. The seas receded and returned at least three times, each time leaving behind a deposit of lime and silt.

There were upheavals of the earth, too. Mountains were born, eroded away, and more were born. Nearby Grand Canyon is the best "picture book" in the world of what happened over these many millions of years.

During the Mesozoic Period, called the Age of Reptiles, this area was covered with swamps. The climate was hot and humid, and dinosaurs roamed the land. Their tracks have been found in some of the rocks. They, too, disappeared as the land and climate changed. Grand Canyon Caverns were formed during this period.After the last great upheaval which left behind the San Francisco Peaks to the northeast, the land began to erode away. Here where the Caverns are located several top layers were washed away over millions of years. Now the top layer is a mixture of the Supai and the Redwall Formations of the Mississippian Period.

San Francisco Peaks to the northeast, the land began to erode away. Here where the Caverns are located several top layers were washed away over millions of years. Now the top layer is a mixture of the Supai and the Redwall Formations of the Mississippian Period.

Grand Canyon Caverns are found in the Redwall Formation which is actually a blue-gray limestone reef just under the earth's surface here. The name "redwall" comes from Grand Canyon where this formation was stained red on the canyon walls by the water seeping through the overlying red Supai sandstone.

Limestone is a soft, chalklike rock. When it cracks, it splits up and down as well as sideways forming rectangular blocks. It also dissolves easily. Two things form caves: cracking and the wearing away which follows, and dissolving. Water is the arch enemy of rocks -- any kind, hard or soft. So water becomes the chief worker in making limestone caves.

Through millions of centuries rain and water have percolated down through the limestone. Rain water contains some carbon dioxide. Water picks up carbon dioxide from rotting plants and animals as it seeps through the earth. This forms a weak acid solution carbonic acid, the same thing you pay for in ginger ale and club soda. The acid solution tunnels through cracks in the limestone and dissolves the lime like salt in water. After a few million years, limestone caverns appear.

When the water evaporates, it leaves behind the fantastically beautiful and weird cave formations known as dripstone. These are called stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, cave roses and flowstone to name a few.

Probably various Indian tribes knew of these caverns in centuries past although there is no record of this. Grand Canyon Caverns have an interesting modern history, though.

One oldtimer, Clarence Denny, who owns a ranch adjoining the property, claims he found the sinkhole leading to the caverns in 1896. In that case, he was probably the first white man to see the entrance to the Caverns, although he didn't explore them.

Caves and caverns are always mysterious and they invoke many tales and legends. For many years there was a legend that the ancestors of the nearby Hualapai Indians used the caverns as an ancient burial ground. It is true that two Indian bodies were brought out of the Caverns in the late '20's.

The Caverns were "discovered" for the last time in 1927 by two Mohave County ranch boys out rabbit hunting. Their dog chased a rabbit which disappeared down a hole in the ground like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. The boys pulled aside the heavy brush and saw a hole a little larger than a wash tub. About thirty feet below on a ledge they could see what they thought was a human skeleton.

They hurried home and told their parents, who in turn notified the sheriff. This officer brought ropes, ladders and together with some other men lowered themselves into the cave. They found, to their great surprise, not one but two human skeletons.

Curiosity prompted the party to explore beyond the skeletons. They found strange rocks and minerals. As they descended, their lights picked out a profusion of snowy crystals and grotesque formations. When they entered what is now the Snowball Palace, they were awe-struck at this fantastic underground wonderland. So Grand Canyon Caverns were discovered.

Anthropologists from an eastern university came and removed the bodies for study, thinking, perhaps, that this was an ancient Indian burial ground. When the nearby Hualapai tribe heard about the removal of the skeletons, they came to the sheriff and told how the bodies got there.

According to their story, between the years 1915 and 1923 at two different times, two of their tribe members died in the vicinity of the Caverns. It was in the dead of winter and they were unable to dig graves for them in the frozen ground. Knowing about the Caverns, they decided to bury the bodies there. When the anthropologists learned of this, they returned the bodies to the Hualapai for proper burial.

From the time of their rediscovery in 1927, the Caverns have been developed intermittently. For several years the only way to enter was via the sinkhole where the dead Indians were entombed. You descended a swing-ing 30-foot rope ladder, then about ninety feet of rickety, wooden steps. The route wasn't exactly conducive to attracting many visitors. Only "cavers" or spelunkers were willing to take this precarious trail. Today's swift electric elevator is a far cry from this primitive entry way.

Thomas C. (Cal) Miller has been the leading spele-ologist to explore the Caverns. Hired by the owners, Mr. Miller brings a wealth of enthusiasm and experience to his job.

Now retired, he was assistant superintendent at Carlsbad Caverns for many years, and also worked at Mam-moth Cave in Kentucky, where he played an important part in the development, protection, maintenance and operation of these two great caverns. This makes him peculiarly qualified by experience, training and nature to help develop Grand Canyon Caverns.

Cal says, "Grand Canyon Caverns have reached an all-time high by having the best job of trails and indirect lighting of caves in our country. We have placed the lights most ingeniously so that their beams illuminate the ceil-ing and reflect back to the trail without shadows, bringing out the most outstanding features of the trip. This makes these caverns a unique masterpiece of good showmanship and development. The excellent trail plan protects the visitor from the cave and the cave from the visitor - this is the ultimate desire of any cave owner. It is my opinion that the visitor can get more satisfaction out of the one hour trip here than in any other cave in America."

One of the most fascinating things about Grand Canyon Caverns today is that their full extent and size are not known. Under the surface of our everyday earth is this challenging world of unexplored caves exciting, mysterious, weird, beautiful, truly a different world.

We realized vaguely as we finished the tour that we had seen only a part of this vast underground maze of tunnels and rooms. But the impressiveness was so massive that we were a little overwhelmed by the part we had seen. The awe-inspiring vastness of the great chambers in their pristine beauty, the colorful draperies, the everpresent stunning little grottoes filled with their treasures, the ghostly stalactites and stalagmites, the festooned splendor of the Halls of Gold were enough to populate our dreams for many a night.

Even then we said to our guide, just before returning to the surface, "What do you suppose is down below what we've seen?"

Our imagination was constantly tickled. What lies on the other side of that rock wall? How many unexplored chambers are beneath our feet? How far down are they ten feet? fifty feet? a hundred feet? How many secrets are still hidden in these fascinating and unexplored underground spaces? These are some of the questions we asked ourselves as we finished our cavern tour.

When we returned to the surface via the electric elevator, we were again in the large Reception Center which covers 8000 square feet. A Curio and Gift Shop and rest rooms were available. The Juniper Room which seats 150 people serves delicious food.

Between the Reception Center and U. S. 66 is a plush new 48-unit motel with a super service station all for the comfort of the visitor.

The free museum in the Reception Center is a "must" for those who want to learn more about the Caverns and their long history.

Cal Miller says, "I believe the Dioramas (framed exhibits) have an important storage of knowledge for the visitor. They tell a good story as to the how, when, where and why Grand Canyon Caverns were made. They show further the Caverns' important place in the future development and operation of the area."

On exhibition, too, is an Indian Ceremonial Drum presented to Mr. Miller by his friend Judge Lemuel Paya, of the Supai Tribe. The judge made the drum over forty years ago of cowhide and a cottonwood tree trunk. It was used for many years by the Supai in their ceremonial dances.

Like Aladdin's house, the Caverns are always drawing men on to further exploration. And while the speleologists will never find Aladdin's magic lamp which would summon a genii, or bags of gold, silver and precious jewels such as Ali Baba found in the robbers' underground cave, they will undoubtedly find other treasure rooms and chambers filled with breathtaking beauty. These men are the ones who will say, "Open, Sesame" for us.

It will take much more hard workpicks and shovels, dynamite and plenty of digging. But any "caver" or spelunker will tell you that what they find in these underground caverns is worth all the effort.

And whether you are a spelunker or just an ordinary tourist, the lure of Grand Canyon Caverns will draw you back to the ever-splendored Grand Canyon State.

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