Kartchner Caverns: a Gift of Nature

WELCOME

THIS GREAT CAVE, LONG A SECRET, AND STILL COAL-BLACK AND MUDDY, WILL SOON UNDERGO DEVELOPMENT AS OUR NEW UNDERGROUND STATE PARK

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It has been almost four years since I last crawled into Kartchner Caverns, and I wonder if it will be as beautiful this trip as I remember. Your mind can play tricks on you sometimes, particularly if your memories are entwined with the excitement of discovery, secrecy, and an announcement that reaches the media across the country. Such is the legacy of Kartchner Caverns.

It dawns on me as I am preparing for this excursion that legacies are not born of common people or places. Whether it is Wyatt Earp at the O.K. Corral or Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic, the placement of unordinary people in unusual circumstances creates a magic that's remembered.

When Randy Tufts and Gary Tennen ventured into the cave in 1974 there were no footprints, and they swore themselves to secrecy for protection's sake. Imagine. There were footprints on the moon before there were footprints in Kartchner. When the discovery was announced to the world 14 years later, editorials stated that Tufts and Tennen had the "uncommon good sense not to blab their news to the world" until the cave was assured of protection. Uncommon people found a far from common place.

Kartchner Caverns, in southern Arizona halfway between Benson and Sierra Vista, on State Route 90, was named after the family who owned the land (and helped keep the secret). It is a striking contrast to the surrounding desert landscape. Two large rooms, each 100 feet high and a football field long, are connected by 2.5 miles of passageway. It has all of the ingredients of a subtropical rain forest except the most important: the light of the sun.

Basic chemical reactions and not photosynthesis have been the architect of this underground landscape.

Those reactions first hollowed the limestone base and are now filling it with stalactites, "soda straws," helictites, rimstone dams, and calcite "shields." Even the walls that are undecorated are incredibly beautiful tapestries of reds, blue-greens and browns, grays and whites.

I find myself getting excited in preparation. My trusted boots have a Velcro strap at the top, and the last time in the cave the mud rendered them useless. I have the straps replaced with grommets at a local shoe repair shop. I check out the latest in headgear and lamps.

Do I want halogen or krypton bulbs? Which is brighter without changing the natural colors of the cave? Which batteries will last the longest? I choose a halogen and a small battery pack with a new lightweight helmet. A small hand-held light, a rummage for my old coveralls, and I'm ready for an adventure.

(PRECEDING PANEL, PAGE 4) Exploring the once-secret Kartchner Caverns, our author notes how tempting it is to name all of its fanciful geologic features, such as the huge "carrot" in the "strawberry room." (PRECEDING PANEL, PAGE 5) In the cave's "big room," Nature created what some think looks like a fried egg atop a cone. (ABOVE) In one area, the rock resembles strips of bacon. (RIGHT) The cave encompasses two 100-foot-high rooms connected by 2.5 miles of passageway.

IT'S TIΜΕ ΤΟ DESCEND THE 40-FOOT SHAFT AND ENTER KARTCHNER. A SHORT CRAWL THROUGH THE FIRST CHAMBER, AND WE STAND UP IN THE 'BIG ROOM'; IT'S AS BEAUTIFUL AS I REMEMBERED IT.

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I get up on the morning of the big trip and feel as though it is my birthday. It's that happy feeling that gifts await you just for being there. I notice my companions can't help but smile their version of my smile. Before we can go "down under,"

there are other safety items to be checked. Beyond the equipment, Park Manager Jeff Dexter reminds us of procedures to protect not only ourselves but also the delicate features that we'll be walking near. Some of them, called speleothems, are so fragile that a careless touch can ruin 10,000 years of growth. It's finally time to descend into the 40-foot-long shaft and enter Kartchner. Along with other state parks people, we make our way down and go in through a freezertype door that had been installed for its air-lock capability. A short crawl through the first chamber, and we stand up in the "big room"; it's as beautiful as I remembered it. Nearby, shadows hide behind stalactites as we move by with our headlamps. The bobbing of our heads as we walk makes the shadows dance. We stop to watch, and they stop as if to taunt us. A short distance away is darkness. Our light is absorbed by the void, and what may be a hundred yards to the outer wall could just as well be a hundred miles. Comfort comes through the knowledge that our paths are marked, and several people know their way around. I think back upon the first visitors and marvel at what it must have been like the first few years while the cave was being mapped. After an hour or so, we take a break to quench our thirst. We decide to break up into two smaller groups, one going to explore areas for future photography while the other, mine, gets to be more leisurely and discuss some of the technical challenges in opening this cave. Our group sits down, and we turn off our lights. Total darkness can be wonderful for concentration, particularly if turning them on means that you'll be spending your time gawking rather than planning the future of the development. There are many challenges to be addressed in the development and operation of Kartchner Caverns. Because humidity is almost 100 percent and it's 68° F. just below the surface of the desert, we need to ensure that we don't dry out the cave when we open it to the public. Lighting is particularly tricky. People will bring spores in on their clothing, and the light we add along the paths could start growths of algae. Keep the lights too low, however, and visitors will stumble. In addition, how do you get people close enough to the formations so they can fully appreciate their beauty but at the same time not so close that a curious hand

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will damage them? This is a sad story in many caves around the world. Indeed, in many of the show caves that opened early this century, people would break off stalactites for souvenirs. Our conservation ethic has come a long way since then.

What's more, it is anticipated that people will come from around the world to visit this splendid place. To protect the cave, we will have to communicate in a variety of languages the need for extreme caution during the visits.

It sometimes seems that the list of issues to be handled is endless. How do you protect the small colony of bats found here in summer? How large should a group tour be; and how long should it take? What color lights do we use for display purposes? And can we develop this resource without stairs in the tour to allow for complete access for the disabled?

As we sit and discuss some of these things, we notice that the other part of our expedition is returning. We can't yet hear them, but we see an occasional flicker of light in the distance. I am reminded of the summer storms of my youth in the Midwest. Heat lightning, that's what we called the flashes in the distance that were too far away to produce thunder.

We gather once again and make a short trip to the "strawberry room" and another to the "echo passage." It is very tempting to name everything that you see as a reference for those who will follow you. We are trying to avoid that temptation for two reasons. First, we think that your imagination is every bit as fertile as ours, and when you visit we don't want to take away one of the real joys of Kartchner: it is so highly decorated that you are sure to find something you'll want to name yourself.

And second, we have been told by other cave owners that naming features dates a cavern to its discovery and sometimes those names lose their meaning. Cave owners have shown me their biggest embarrassments, and most often they are names they wish they could retrieve from the public mind.

A quick trip by Santa Claus, the Bishop, Lady's Foot, the Big Carrot, and the Fire Fall... see, I told you it is tempting.

As we begin to make our way back to the shaft, we're starting to feel tired. The crawling and stooping for the last four hours in an atmosphere of 100 percent humidity is beginning to take its toll. We slow down as it becomes apparent that our pace is not restricted so much by our physical condition as by our mental state. We know we're headed back, and we don't want to leave there might be a WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE-THERE MIGHT BE A BEAUTIFUL STALACTITE OR HELICTITE THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE, AND WE DON'T WANT TO MISS IT.

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(LEFT) The main corridor in the big room leads past a dazzling display of flowstone drapery stalactites and stalagmites.

(ABOVE) Jerry Ravert, a Kartchner Caverns State Park ranger, takes a close-up look at formations in the main corridor. Our expedition members took precautions to protect themselves in the cave and to safeguard the cave itself, which is extremely fragile. One careless touch can destroy thousands of years of Nature's artistry.

beautiful stalactite or helictite display that we have never seen before, and we don't want to miss it. A short while later we are out on top again, getting into cleaner clothing, putting away our equipment, and stealing moments to ourselves to reflect on the day. I think back to my youth when I went on a hunting trip with my grandfather. It was the first time I was allowed to go into the woods on my own. I found a large English walnut tree to sit under and, thinking youthful thoughts, wondered if anyone had ever sat there before. Looking down I noticed a discarded tin can. I have wondered ever since that moment if there was anyplace left on Earth that man hadn't ruined with disrespect. That is the real present of this "birthday." There is such a place, and I have been given a present that will keep me smiling for a lifetime.

Author's Note: The grand opening of Kartchner Caverns is scheduled for November, 1997. During the next two years, we will construct the facilities that took 20 years to plan. The 16,000-square-foot "discovery center" is designed to prepare you for your cave tour. In the "cavatorium," you will experience what it is like to explore the Earth's hidden depths and accompany the discoverers, through a multiscreen show, in the caving find of a lifetime. The exhibit center is designed not only to educate but also to engage visitors in the stewardship of all caves. Hiking trails in the area will give you panoramic views of the San Pedro River valley. You may want to begin your day at the trailhead to the Whetstone Mountains, the dramatic backdrop to the cave. A partnership between Arizona State Parks and the Forest Service will provide that opportunity. Any direction you take on the trail system will entreat you to linger and learn about the desert landscape.

An outdoor amphitheater is planned for a variety of uses. Ranger-led interpretive talks, outdoor classroom discussions, or simply a passive viewing of Guindani Wash are all accommodated. We suspect we will even get requests for marriage ceremonies.

A small campground is snuggled into the mesquite. If that is not your style, the discovery center will be able to provide you with information on local accommodations and other sites of interest.

While 1997 may seem far off, remember that this attraction was thousands of years in the making. You have two years to plan your visit. You'll be glad you took the time.

Ken Travous is executive director of the Arizona State Parks Board.

David Elms Jr. has photographed other underground wonders for the magazine, including the S.P. Cave and the Lava River Cave. He also contributed the "Hike of the Month" photographs in this issue.