CRF Lava Beds Trip Report
Thanksgiving Weekend 1998
by Ken Robertson

Thursday, 26 November 1998
Robert said to meet him at his apartment at 11 AM, so when he came out at 10 AM to load his car and found me napping, his first words were "you're early." After a quick trip upstairs to meet rats "Precious" and "Mischief" (who seemed quite wary of this wild-eyed stranger in their home), Robert, Ginger and I hit the road at the appointed hour only to find the mass exodus of bay area population still clogging the arteries of HWY 80 et al, heading for Sacramento, and then Reno or Tahoe. After many hours we gained the few miles to HWY 505, where we were so overcome with the joy of the open road that we promptly got a speeding ticket.

8pm - Even with the afore mentioned delays we arrived at the predicted time. Weaving through suicidal wildlife, our headlights find jackrabbit, cottontail, buck, doe, field mice, coyote and kamikaze owls. At the cabins we find that only Bill and Paul have arrived so far. A quick check of cabin assignments confirm that only those who talked to Bill were listed. (Congratulations to Janet on the new addition) After storing our gear in the appointed cabin we went to Bill's cabin for a hour discussion of geology and the present location of the rest of our party. Since Bill and Paul had just come from dinner with the park staff and it was apparent that the rest of us would be arriving throughout the night, it was decided to postpone our Thanksgiving feast until the following night.

10pm - Robert and I head for the visitors center and are immediately met by Kristen and her friend Ron. Kristen assails us over our direction giving abilities and we try and appease her by offering some caving before bed. She asks for fifteen minutes to move in and get ready, so a half hour later we are on our way to Mushpot. Mushpot Cave, being the showcase cave located in the middle of the visitors center parking lot, is small, track-lit, and has a small theater complete with movie screen in the center.

We then made our way across the street to Indian Well Cave. I went though first and sat in the sink hole on the other side as Robert and Kristen discusses whether to go back overland or back through the cave in the door to the sink hole. I gave up and walked over land to rejoin the discussion from the entrance. We then proceeded toward the loop and dropped in the first hole there which was Lava Brook Cave. Then it was time for bed.

That night Ginger came down with a migraine that would subsequently take her out for the most of the next day. Around 1:30 or 2 AM, Jonah and Amy popped in. I explained the cabin disbursement so far and they decided that there would be more room in Kristen's cabin and I did not see them again until morning.

Friday, 27 November 1998
9 AM came much too early for all as Bill made the rounds of the cabins. The agenda for this morning was ice monitoring. It was overcast throughout the day, but warmer than expected. The threat of inclement weather ruled out recon and monumenting, but we were hopeful for some mapping in the afternoon.

We first went to Cauldwell where Kristen and I were excited at the prospect of photographing icicles we had found and maybe the frozen bat and rat remains. Unfortunately, upon entering the iceroom, Robert mentioned to Bill that there was a Townsends perched above his head and we quietly filed back out to wait while Bill took measurements. After, Bill showed us several side passages, which contained among their formations some arachnids we could not identify and some beautifully amberized rat urine. Over the cave we examined the remains of the Cauldwell cabin. We then proceeded to Merrill, where there was much discussion over the ever-widening hole in the ice.

Our last measurements were in Skull. While Bill took measurements, the rest of us thoroughly enjoyed the many ice rooms and passages. Bill, Amy, Jonah and I were the first to head for the surface, passing a party of eight coming in. We paused at the base of the stairs to examine some deer bone emerging from the ice. Once in the parking lot, we were surprised to hear the lilting voice of a mezzo soprano in full aria wafting up from the bowels of Skull. I did not recognize the piece, but understand it was Ron who asked for and received a short encore.

It was 4:30 PM when we arrived back at the cabins, so it was decided that we would rest until 8 PM when we would all meet at Bill's cabin for our Thanksgiving feast. Ginger was feeling better and we were joined at dinner by several members of park staff.

After dinner Robert was up for a trip to Catacombs. Ginger and Amy were tiring and wanted to do something a little easier, so Robert, Ginger, Amy, Kristen, Jonah and I went up to Valentine and had a wonderful time (no trip should be with out at least one visit to Valentine). Back at the cabins Bill gave Robert a copy he had made of the map of Catacombs and we were off again. Ranger Kelly joined Robert, Kristen and I for the trip. Robert, using the map, planned a route up the right side which was fairly easy yet not as spectacular, through the cross over, then back down the left side which was a little more challenging. This turned out to be perfect for me since, had I met the challenges of the left side first, I would surely have backed out and not pushed through the entire cave. It is a beautiful and challenging cave, but my phobias about squeezes are just too strong.

Saturday, 28 November 1998
Oddly Ginger and I are up before Bill comes to call. She attempts to wake Robert, and I check on the others. In Kristen's cabin, all are up but her. I ask Ron, who has come down with a fever and will be resting for the rest of the weekend, if I should wake her. He says he had just tried and would try again. He came back after only receiving vague mumbles that he interpreted as a desire to sleep in. We would live to regret this later. Outside the snow had left only the barest trace that it had been there. The sky was clear and blue and there was no wind. It was a perfect day for recon. First, however, there was a lake to measure at the bottom of Heppe. On the way Heppe Chimney drew oohs and ahs from all. The lake had shrunk considerably from the last measurement. On the way back, Bill took us for a quick glimpse of Mammoth Crater and Hidden Valley. It is mindboggling to consider the vast amount of lava flow it took to produce these, and tubes such as Skull and Craig. I was also struck by the flat floor of Hidden Valley.

We then drove for what seemed like half the valley to Jack Williams Cave. Now imagine you look all around you and you see an occasional juniper, some sage, dry grasses, various pastel scrub--your typical high desert. Now you look down and see A small hole chocked full of lush green moss and fern, and even amphibious life. We measured the entrance and distance to various landmarks, then struck off for Spotlight and Circles caves. As Jonah and I dropped into the front entrance of Spotlight, Bill was particularly delighted with the bright orange and yellow lichen on the fall at the mouth. He went overland to the rear where Jonah and I joined him while Robert went to look at Circles. Robert soon returned to report on Circles complexity.

With Jonah drawing and none of us were quite prepared for working underground that day, Bill, Amy, Robert and I went about mapping Spotlight for the rest of the day, abandoning any more recon. This amazing cave contained ancient fire circles, animal bones and nests, a small pool, cave coral, soda straws and other significant features. After measuring about two thirds of the cave, Jonah was far enough behind and it was close enough to dinnertime to call it a day.

Back at camp, we faced the wrath of Kristen, who ended up spending the entire day stuck in her cabin with Ron who was ill. After diner Kristen, Ginger, Robert and I visited Golden Dome, then Hopkins Chocolate. The golden slime was spectacular and the chocolate remelt tempted one to lick the walls. Hopkins had some particularly fun interconnecting tubes and I had a blast in the last cave of my trip.

Sunday, 29 November 1998
We woke to almost hurricane strength winds and a dark rolling cloud cover. The snow flurries of the previous night refused to stick, so the ground was clear. By the time we had packed up the vehicle and cleaned our cabin the winds had died for a bit. Bill was off for Frozen River. Ranger Kelly was escorting Jonah, Kristen and Amy to Spotlight to finish mapping. Robert, ginger and I hit the road for home. Except for a small blizzard over Shasta and some rain in the delta, traffic and weather was with us.

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