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stopped in carlsbad in the way to texas. another hole in the ground. but, what a hole! one can either walk down the natural entrance or take an elevator. either way, its 800′ down. i walked. sure its a hole in the ground, but its a really BIG hole in the ground. largest one in the world i believe.
took a bunch of pics, but i should have taken my tripod. the large chambers, one is 600,000 square feet, are just too large to photograph without time exposure, and one can’t do that without a tripod.
amphitheater at the entrance to the cave. virtually everything here was built in the 30's by the CCC — damn socialist roosevelt!
the switchbacks (well, a few of them...) to the entrance.
carlsbad.
carlsbad.
tites and mites.
a really big mite.
mighty mite.
ok......
watched a ranger fall to her death into this hole when the ladder rungs broke on her.
tites.
carlsbad.
now, exactly why there is a need for a fire hose in cave, a cave that is made ENTIRELY out of ROCK is not something i fully understood. but, i guess there is a reason...