MT 7-11 Lewis & Clark Caverns

 

Lewis and Clark Caverns are so incredible and wonderful, I'm surprised more people don't know about them, and how they are so close to Yellowstone, that it could be a day trip.

Discovered late in the 19th century, yet it was named to commemorate that Lewis and Clark who went up the river right below it in the earlier part of the century.   

The cave's entrance is on the left, toward the top.  It's a bit of a hike, but I did it fine.  You exit the cave at about the level William is at, and walk straight back to where he's standing, looking at it.

The first guys who went in, had a much smaller hole.  After a dispute as to who owned the cave, and a guy who kept breaking in to take visitors, the US Government finally enhanced it for easy viewing using job corps labor.  I wonder how this recession would go if folks were willing to work that hard?

Some of the formations were huge.

This was deposits on a wall, in what they called 'bacon.'  If you see it closely, it looks like strips of bacon.

I thought the stars were interesting, as they had to literally carve them out of where a stalagmite had been.

Sometimes you had to go up...

  

Sometimes you had to go down...  The guide (in blue) was always waiting.  Occasionally, the lights the put on in the cave (in the section you're going through) go out.  She has a flashlight, but says people's phones now are wonderful to light the way.  Of course, it's not all lit, just the pathways, a bit.

At one point, you have to slide through a very small opening.  I made it, with a backpack.  But it was hot and stuffy in the cave.

There was an international group in our group (they only let certain sizes of groups go in... you pay for the tickets.  They took our picture, I took theirs.  When I said a few words in Japanese, the 3 Japanese guys were really impressed!

This was in one of the last rooms, the largest.  It kinda looks like a cathedral.

Sometime back in the 70s, a couple got drunk, and vandalized the place.  They did more damage than all the workers did while making adequate stairs and entrances.

The improvements to the cave are nice, as you go down more than you go up.

So, you exit way below where you went in, and then have an easy walk back to the car.  We sprinted, as a lightning storm had started.  It was close, and we were in the hills!

I would highly recommend this as a side-trip for anyone who wants to go spelunking without having to really work at it!  :)