As you descend into the darkness, frosty air greets you, toasty rays of sunshine extend their goodbye and goosebumps pop up on your arms and legs.
You drop deeper into the jet-black tunnel. Ricocheting off the walls and ceiling, your flashlight beam invades the darkness, searching. Suddenly the trail ends. Before you a thick layer of ice covers the cave floor, ice that remains throughout the long, hot days of summer.
Back outside-where the brilliant sun warms chilled bodies-mule deer browse, red-tailed hawks shriek and eagles soar over this rugged land where mysterious caves, abundant wildlife and a rich history provide a learning experience for all those who visit the Lava Beds National Monument.
In northeast California, just south of the Oregon state line, the region was ”born” millions of years ago when molten basaltic lava gushed from nearby volcanoes, covering the surrounding land with rivers of bubbling lava. Later the earth cooled, then hardened, forming a harsh, yet beautiful land. Today, that beauty beckons visitors to this unusual monument.
Cave exploration and wildlife
A variety of caves awaits exploration. In addition, there`s an assortment of wildlife to see, hear and photograph, and in the spring, wildflowers to touch and smell.
Walk around the historical sites in the monument, tracing the steps of the Indians and soldiers who fought in the Modoc War of 1872-73. Those who thirst for solitude will enjoy hiking the park`s two wilderness areas.
The 72-square-mile preserve, established as a national monument on Nov. 21, 1925, is 30 miles south of Tulelake. Two main entrances lead to lava beds off California Highway 139. Each entrance leads straight to headquarters where travelers find a visitors center and a scenic campground nearby.
At the visitors center, park personnel provide maps, rent flashlights, answer questions and offer handouts on caves, geology, plants, animals and other subjects. Books and other items are for sale.
Summer visitors will want to check into the activities and ranger-guided tours provided during this, the busiest season of the year, May through September, when the entry fee is $1 per person or $3 per car. Of special interest is the evening program. Topics include caves and caving, geology, Indian lore, stars and volcanoes. Ranger-guided tours include visits to the Petroglyphs, Schonchin Butte, Black Crater, Captain Jack`s Stronghold and various caves.
A 44-unit campground near headquarters has facilities that include picnic tables, fire pits and cooking grill, pit toilets and level sites for tents, pickups or small RVs. The fee is $6 per campsite May-September; there`s no charge the rest of year.
Start with Mushpot Cave
Exploring lava tubes is a favored pastime for most visitors. Most begin with a self-guided tour of Mushpot Cave, near the visitors center, the only lighted cave in the monument. Most visitors drop into the cave knowing little about caves except that they are dark, and emerge with valuable insight into the unique features fashioned during the birth of these caves. You`ll learn to identify the different lava formations on an introductory walk through Mushpot Cave.
Cave explorers will find 21 developed caves, safety-checked and paths cleared, available for exploration. In addition, there are more than 100 wilderness caves. Some are easy to examine; others require advanced rock-climbing skills. Before exploring any of the caves, check at the visitors center for information on general safety and specific caves.
Thunderbolt, Hopkins Chocolate, Paradise Alleys, Hercules` Leg and Sunshine are just a few of the 14 developed caves to explore off Cave Loop Road, a one-way road and easy walk from headquarters.
Each cave has something unusual to offer. For instance, in Sunshine Cave you`ll find a fascinating collection of plant life at ceiling ”collapse points” where sunlight penetrates the darkness. And in the 600-foot-long Hopkins Chocolate Cave, you`ll marvel at the mud that blankets the ceiling and walls-hence the name.
Skull Cave, south of Schonchin Butte, the highest point in the monument, has the largest entrance of any cave in the monument. The ceiling of this lava tube is more than 80 feet high. No need to worry about bumping your head as you walk through the 500-foot long cave. At the end of the cave, the upper tube dissolves into a lower tube. Here, you`ll see ice that lingers year-round because trapped winter air keeps the cave remarkably cold all year.
Summers are warm, with highs in the 80s and 90s. Cool nights are typical all year. Spring and fall can be cold, hot or something between. Temperature and rainfall vary enough between the low and high points to form a diverse community of grassland, chaparral and pine forest, providing habitats for many species of wildlife.
Ice and snow blanket all of the area during part of the winter. Because the monument elevation ranges from 4,000 feet to 5,700 feet, snow usually doesn`t accumulate to much more than a few inches and melts in a day or so.
Mule deer, found here year-round, are especially thick during winter, when immense herds feed and rest, often standing on or near the roadways. Coyotes, pronghorn antelope and the elusive mountain lion also reside in the park.
Squirrels, marmots, porcupine, badger and rabbits are among many of the small and medium-sized mammals in the park. Employees ask that you do not feed the creatures, even the squirrels.
Occasionally, summer visitors see both bald and golden eagles, but families visiting in winter will experience a thrill as nearly 600 bald eagles assemble in the Klamath Basin to feed on dead and dying waterfowl.
As the first trace of dawn touches the land it is sometimes possible to see 100 or so eagles gliding from Lava Beds to nearby Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where the majestic birds spend the day feeding.
Twenty-three other species of birds of prey inhabit the park. They include hawks, falcons and owls. The great horned owl, a year-round occupant, raises its young in nests on cliff ledges and in trees. Other birds include the scrub jay, western meadowlark and many species of smaller birds.
In spring and fall, a visit to the wildlife lookouts along the northern boundary of Lava Beds almost certainly will grant every visitor an opportunity to observe hundreds of thousands of migrating ducks and geese.
These waterfowl, flying, feeding and resting on the refuge, are joined by white pelicans, a variety of shorebirds and many other birds, all on a journey that for some leads thousands of miles to and from their wintering grounds in the south.
The northern portion of the park also provides visitors with an opportunity to examine the area in which the Modoc War took place. At Captain Jack`s Stronghold, a trail leads through a brutal landscape where 52 Modoc warriors held off the U.S. Army for nearly five months. At times the warriors fought Army forces that grew to 20 times those of the Modocs.
Along the self-guided trail, brochure in hand, you soon will learn how the Indians held off the soldiers in this, the only major Indian war fought in California.
There are records of man inhabiting this region for thousands of years. Evidence of early man`s existence may be found in pictographs (figures painted on rock surfaces) and petroglyphs (figures carved in surfaces) on some of the cliffs and caves in the monument. Researchers believe the pictographs were painted between 500 A.D. and 1600 A.D.
Pictographs may be viewed at Symbol Bridge, a 3/4-mile hike from Skull Ice Cave Road. And it`s possible to drive to the petroglyphs in the northeast section, then walk along the cliff face and view the drawings.
Wilderness hiking is perhaps the best way to get a feel for the rugged beauty of Lava Beds. Those interested in such a hike will need to obtain a free permit from headquarters and bring drinking water.
To avoid the crowds, visit sometime other than Memorial Day and the 4th of July. Spring and fall are especially pleasant; winter is secluded but cold. Before leaving the monument you may want to climb 476 feet to the top of Schonchin Butte. From this 5,253-foot vantage point it`s plain to see that Lava Beds is a land of many wonders.
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For further information regarding Lava Beds, write: Superintendent, Lava Beds National Monument, Box 867, Tulelake, Calif. 96134.
