Highly Caustic Acid Can Be Good

Can you spot the entrance?

Did you know that Carlsbad Caverns were carved by sulfuric acid? Apparently, Ancient Peoples — who were not as environmentally aware as we are today — would discard their old car batteries in this scenic valley where the harsh sun would crack the plastic allowing the acid to trickle into the earth, burning massive holes as it went. Silly Ancient Peoples!

Well, that first bit is true.



It turns out, this is where all the scenery went. Underground! It is pointless to try and convey the spectacle of this place. It is more immense than you can picture, more elaborate and convoluted, and filled with formations of incredible variety and delicacy. While the sulfuric acid made the holes some ten million years ago, water laden with minerals is filling the holes back in one tiny crystal at a time.



It’s a mile walk down the natural entrance and it took us an hour and a half because we would stop and gawk every twenty feet. Eventually you get used to the vastness. That’s when you become more amazed by the intricacy of the stalagmites (up from the floor) and stalactites (down from the ceiling), and the many other formations.



Elise earned herself another junior ranger patch and became mesmerized by Ranger Rebecca who led us on a tour through the “King’s Palace.” The ranger praised Elise for being a good size for cave exploring, since she didn’t have to duck anywhere and could fit into smaller crevices and such. For Danine and me, this was the kind of cave exploring we like: railings, lighted walkways, big openings.

At one point in the tour, we all sat down and the ranger turned off the lights, leaving only a flashlight on. Next she turned off the flashlight, leaving only a lighter on. It looked like a little flame in a big heap of blackness. Then she turned that off. My mind really wanted to picture things where I had seen them a moment before, but my eyes kept telling my mind that there was nothing to see. I waved my hand in front of my face. Still nothing. After awhile, the ranger said, “If you want me to turn the lights back on, raise your hand.” That’s a ranger joke. First, she flicked on the lighter again. We were amazed at how much our eyes had become used to the dark. Now the lighter seemed to illuminate the whole room. Both Danine and I wondered what it would be like to spend the night down here in the dark. Spooky, yes, but also kinda cool.

The disappointment of the day, was the lack of bats. The cave is a summer home to Mexican free-tailed bats. About 100,000 or so. At sunset they fly out of the cave and into the night searching for dinner. It is such an event that there is amphitheater-style seating at the mouth of the cave to witness it. Another kind of bat does remain in the caverns all year, but they hibernate. They fly miles — miles — down into the recesses of the place to make their homes. It takes them only a few minutes to fly in or out, in the pitch blackness.



We will likely make the hour drive to Guadalupe Mountains National Park tomorrow if Elise and I recover from our hypothermia after swimming in the campground’s indoor pool.


Here’s a trusty ladder.