Oregon Caves National Monument

Yesterday we stopped for the night at Cave Junction, Oregon, less than an hour from Grants Pass. We were in plenty of time to visit Oregon Caves National Monument; tours end at 4 this time of year. Getting to the site involved miles and miles of curvy, climbing mountain roads, and by the time we got there, we were touching the clouds and could see patches of snow still lying about. After bidding the dogs goodbye in the parking lot, we walked the last little bit to the caves. The first building we saw was this, which is the downhill side of the lodge that was built in the early 30s. It wasn't set to open until May 9, so we weren't able to go inside.

Here is a view from the end--isn't the cedar siding something?--

and from the uphill side.

In the 60s, an unusually wet spring let to a mudslide that nearly destroyed the building. A couple workers who were present rushed to the building after the initial mudslide hit it and opened windows and doors, so the mud could flow through it. The entire lodge was displaced by a few inches, but allowing the mud to flow through it prevented it from being entirely swept away. It was cleaned, repaired, and painstakingly nudged back into place. Fortunately there are photos of its former glory days.

Turn around and look uphill and you see the visitor center (that's Jan striding up the hill).

 Inside, you'll buy your tickets and wait for the next available tour. I liked this quilt on display.

Groups are limited to 15 in size because of cramped quarters inside the caves. While waiting, you can browse in the gift shop or watch informative videos in the small theater. We learned about the history of the monument and the people who brought the lodge and visitor center into being. The local mascot in Grants Pass is the caveman, and many local businesses are named "caveman" this or that. It seems local supporters of the caves project called themselves "cavemen" (and women); they even dressed up for the role and were in parades and such. (I snapped this photo in the theater.)

At 2 p.m. our tour guide gathered us, and after a few instructions we were on our way.

We headed up the mountain.

Our guide, Katie, gave us a couple opportunities to catch our breath, as it was quite a climb to the entrance. Of course, each rest was disguised as a learning opportunity--she was very considerate. The entrance, protected by a gate, was almost inconspicuous, sunken in the mountainside.

Inside, I found the caves to be much closer quarters than the only other caves I have visited, the Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana, although there were a couple fairly large rooms. We mostly had to proceed single file, and there were many places we had to walk doubled over, as clearance was as low as 42".  Our guide shared lots of information about the formation and history of the caves. The tours are scheduled to take 90 minutes, although ours was about 20 minutes longer.

We left by a long, man-made tunnel,

which deposited us back on the mountainside.

We headed back to our campground just outside Cave Junction, where we were fortunate to have a spot right on the river. We fell asleep to the sound of rain; this is an area of significant rainfall--according to Wikipedia, some 61 inches a year. I am thinking that was a important factor in the formation of these caves, as the acidity of rain is an important component of cave formation (new knowledge!).