Sentinel Cave
Lava Beds National Monument, - Sat, 31 Aug 2019, 3pm
After driving through Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge we entered Lava Beds National Monument and oriented ourselves at the visitors center. We decided the next thing we should visit should be a cave, as a) the park is known for extensive lava-tube caves, and b) there is a network of caves right next to the visitors center. We picked Sentinel Cave as it's one of the largest caves in the area, with a navigable path 1km long, and is rated "less challenging"... meaning one doesn't need to get on hands and knees (or worse) for 1km to explore it.
At the trailhead we put on our helmets, checked our flashlights, and headed down into the opening.
"There's a great arch here!" Hawk exclaimed as she got near the mouth of the cave.
"Yeah, it's right in front of you!" I shouted from the top, wondering why she was pointing back at me.
I was actually standing atop an arch- without knowing it!- while taking the picture above. Here's the view from down in the pit:
The arch is in the center of the picture above. You can see boulders beneath and daylight shining through, while atop it there's a sizeable tree growing.
Meanwhile, the entrance to the cave is even lower....
Keep reading as we go through the cave....
After driving through Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge we entered Lava Beds National Monument and oriented ourselves at the visitors center. We decided the next thing we should visit should be a cave, as a) the park is known for extensive lava-tube caves, and b) there is a network of caves right next to the visitors center. We picked Sentinel Cave as it's one of the largest caves in the area, with a navigable path 1km long, and is rated "less challenging"... meaning one doesn't need to get on hands and knees (or worse) for 1km to explore it.
At the trailhead we put on our helmets, checked our flashlights, and headed down into the opening.
"There's a great arch here!" Hawk exclaimed as she got near the mouth of the cave.
"Yeah, it's right in front of you!" I shouted from the top, wondering why she was pointing back at me.
I was actually standing atop an arch- without knowing it!- while taking the picture above. Here's the view from down in the pit:
The arch is in the center of the picture above. You can see boulders beneath and daylight shining through, while atop it there's a sizeable tree growing.
Meanwhile, the entrance to the cave is even lower....
Keep reading as we go through the cave....