Click Here For Full Screen Photo SlideshowHaving decided to have one “last hurrah” before starting my new job, I looked at a map of California and keyed in on the one region of the state I had never visited: The Modoc Plateau. This is a region of high desert located in the north eastern corner of California. Smack dab in the middle of it is one of the frequently forgotten National Parks: Lava Beds National Monument.
Getting to this remote part of California involved driving 200 miles north on I-5, past Redding, to the town of Weed. Yes....the town is called “Weed”. From there, you go another 54 miles north east on Highway 97, then ~20 miles east along Highway 161 which parallels the Oregon/California border, then you weave your way down Highway 139 another 23 miles to Lava Beds National Monument. Oh, and be sure to stop off in Tulelake, CA to fill up on their $4.44/gallon gas (because you were too stupid to top off your tank earlier).
Having gotten a late start, I arrived in Lava Beds around 6:00 PM on Sunday, May 11th, after a 5+ hour drive from Davis. My immediate concern was to find a campsite and set up camp before sundown, since it gets kinda chilly in the high desert at night. I had my pick of camp sites as I was one of two campers in park, me in loop A and an RV in loop B. The one I settled on (A6), I would later learn from the camp hosts, is the best campsite in the park. The view of the valley from my campsite was absolutely stunning. It was like something out of No Country For Old Men, only without insane killers with cattle guns.
I managed to set up camp and cook up some ramen noodles before sundown, but it was too windy for a fire. Without a fire, it got very cold, very fast, so I hit the sack not too long after sundown. As I mentioned in my Crater Lake blog, solo camping can be a bit lonely. But when you’re the only person in the campground and surrounded by 70-100 miles of open desert....it’s VERY lonely. And a little bit creepy, particularly when your tent is flapping in the wind all night long and all you can think about is how your not supposed to wander mountain lion territory alone.
After a none-too-restful night's sleep, with a low of 33 degrees, I got up and boiled some water for tea, ate some breakfast, then headed off to the visitor center. I talked to one of the rangers and got the scoop on the park, including which caves were closed due to hibernating bats. I also acquired two very important items. Item number one was called a “Bump Hat”. This orange hard hat cost me around $7 and was worth its weigh in gold. It saved me from no fewer than 4 bonks on the head (two of which would have likely drawn blood). The other item was a free flashlight rental for the day. I almost didn’t get one, as I had a big Maglight, but I’m glad I did. I ended up attaching the flashlight to my backpack strap using a 2 foot shoelace. This allowed me to let the flashlight hang down when I needed two hands (such as when going down a ladder).
Below is a list of the caves I explored (in the order explored):
Mushpot Cave: The first cave I explored was called Mushpot Cave. This cave has lights and interpretive signs, so you understand what you’re seeing in the other caves. It’s definitely a good way to learn about the features of these lava tubes. Lava tubes are formed when lava is flowing out of a volcano and the outsides cool. Inside the “tube”, the lava remains a toasty 1,800 degrees and continues to flow like water until the flow eventually subsides, leaving a hollow tube behind. This is what created the caves I was about to explore. Most of the photos you’ll see are from Mushpot cave. The small amounts of light and wide opening allowed me to shoot a lot of photos. The photos from the rest of the caves are either near the entrance, exit or at a point where the top of the tube collapsed (Balcony Cave).
Golden Dome: The next cave I explored was called “Golden Dome”. It required a climb down a rather steep ladder and a squeeze passed “headache rock”. Once I got to the bottom of the ladder, I turned on my light and headed into the blackness. Here’s where words fail to do justice to the experience. The cave is completely pitch black. Your eyes do not adjust, as the only available light is from your flashlight beam. Outside the narrow beam, you see nothing. Forget taking photos. Heck, you’re too busy shining the light up, then down, then up, then down (to make sure you don’t A) bonk your head on the ceiling that just went from 8 feet to 5 feet or B) tripping over the rough floor. This being my first cave, I didn’t venture too far into the cave. It’s very easy to lose your sense of direction, which I learned even more so while exploring the next cave: The aptly named “Catacombs”.
The Catacombs: The Catacombs are the most extensive cave in the park. It runs a total of 6,903 feet, with so many twists and turns that a map is required to navigate it. Here I learned how easy it is could be to lose one’s sense of direction. Mine is pretty good, but there are few points of reference in a cave. Since you only see narrow slivers of your environment as you pivot your flashlight around, things look different from different angles. This cave allowed you to walk upright for the first 800 feet, then the ceiling dropped to 3 feet. I’m not sure I made it the full 800 feet, as I made it my rule that I only went three intersection deep, so as not to get lost. I would find out later from the campground hosts that, a few years back, and 11 and 12 year old got lost in the Catacombs for 22 hours, after stumbling into an antechamber that had never been discovered.
Lunch Break (not a cave, but figured I’d include a funny story here): At this point, I broke for lunch. I got back to camp and immediately went for my food box, which I’d placed on top of my cooler to keep it safe. Unfortunately, the box had been chewed into by something and my apple and hot dog buns were half eaten. Thankfully, the rest of the food was untouched. I originally blamed a little chipmunk, who came to eat the half eaten apple. But I later realized the culprits were two very aggressive ground squirrels. The stupid things were lucky it was a National Park or I might have done them harm.
Upper and Lower Sentinel Cave: After lunch, I headed back to the caves to explore what would be my favorite cave in the park: Upper and Lower Sentinel cave. If you explore no other cave in the park, do not miss Sentinel. It’s the only cave with an established “trail” inside and two entrances. I would never have ventured this deep into a cave, but I knew this cave had no side channels to get lost in. It was absolutely amazing to walk through this total darkness knowing that I’d arrive safely at the other entrance. I should note that there are ladders going up or down and some narrow paths to walk, so those afraid of heights should be cautious. I’m not big on heights myself, but I was able to tough it out.
Skull Cave: Speaking of heights, Skull Cave was next on the agenda. This cave has a huge opening into an 80 foot high cavern. You follow a very defined path to a series of staircases that take you the down to the bottom of the cave, where there is solid ice that lasts all year. The climb down can be a little nerve-wracking, as your climbing down a steep staircase into total darkness. This is where I’m glad I had the flashlight tied to a safety line, which allowed me to keep both hands on the railing. Unfortunately, the ice portion is blocked off, but you can see it from the viewing platform. This was the only cave where I encountered anyone (a nice, older couple at the very bottom of the ladder). It was actually kind of nice to have someone down there with a light.
Balcony and Boulevard Caves: Next on the list were Balcony and Boulevard caves. Balcony had a small collapse in the center of the lava tube, which allowed me to take some neat photos inside the tube. Actually, I was a bit nervous in this tube, as the ceiling looked remarkably unstable. And with the recent quakes in odd places through California and Nevada, I didn’t hang out long. Boulevard cave was interesting in that the floor was completely smooth. I could’ve explored deeper here, but it would’ve required knee pads and I was already sore enough from all the ducking and dodging.
Merrill Cave: A similar cave to Skull is Merrill Cave. This also had a series of very steep stairways and an ice lake big enough for ice skating at the bottom. I attempted this one AFTER I had returned my flashlight to the rangers station by the 4:30 PM deadline and had to turn back because I couldn’t attach my maglight to a safety line. I wasn’t keen on dropping my mag light, leaving me in total darkness in the middle of a steep ladder (with my backup flashlight in my pack).
Big Painted Cave and Symbol Bridge: After aborting my Merrill Cave exploration, I decided to check out the pictographs at Big Painted Cave and Symbol Bridge. Big Painted Cave turned out to be a Big Freaking Disappointment, as I couldn’t see any pictographs. Thankfully, I found some at Symbol Bridge and was able to photograph them with my long lens. The hike was only 0.82 miles, but caving is fairly tiring and I was dogging it during the hike back to the car.
The evening consisted of dinner (curried vegetables in a pouch), followed by a few nicely roasted marshmallows. I had an awesome fire using the remains of an oak wine barrel that a fellow Davisite had posted as Free Firewood on Craigslist and left in their front lawn for any takers. I sent them a thank you card. The fire also helped stave off the mosquitoes that were swarming about (assume they must be laying their eggs in puddles in the caves?).
I slept slightly better that evening, though the tent still flapped in the wind all night. I awoke to relatively warm temperatures, as the heat wave was just getting started. I debated staying an extra day, to see some of the historical sites in the park (related to the Modoc Indian War) and climbing a Schonchin Butte, but I’d come to see the caves and was ready to head home. I broke camp by about 11:00 AM and headed out the south entrance. Not recommended, as the road is terrible. I stopped off in the town of Newell, hoping to see the Tule Lake Japanese Internment Camp, but all that was there was a historical marker. Apparently, money was allocated to restore it in 2006, but no work has been done yet.
I headed home via Highways 139 and 299, with a brief stop in Alturas for what was, quite possibly, the best burger and fries I have ever eaten. I should’ve gotten the address, but based on some searches, I think it was Gil’s Burger Stop. All I know is it had 3-4 stone tables in a little “side yard” like area (and the best darn fries I’ve ever eaten).
All in all, it was a really neat trip and certainly one of the most unique adventures I’ve been on. If you choose to go, be sure to print my recommendations below. I lucked out on a couple choices and there were a few things I’d have done differently.
Mike's Recommendations (if you decide to visit):
- Buy a “bump hat”: These light weight hard hats, available for purchase as the visitor center, are an absolute necessity. Don’t think twice. Just buy it. Lava is sharp and you run out of headroom frequently and often unexpectedly in the caves. It saved my skull on at least 4 occasions
- Check out the flashlight: Check out one of their flashlights (for free) at the visitor center. They have handles and put out as much light as a 3 D cell mag light. Unlike a mag light, they have a handle you can tie to your belt or backpack, allowing you to use both hands while climbing ladders.
- Leather Gloves: They do not sell these, but I brought my own. Nice to have when you’re crawling on sharp lava.
- Kneepads (optional): If you have a pair and plan to do serious exploring, bring some or buy them at the visitor center ($15). Recommend the kind with hard plastic covering the knee. Only necessary if you don’t plan to crawl.
- Buy a “bump hat”: Wait, I already said that. Oh well. It bears repeating.
- Other gear to bring from home: Long pants and a long shirt that you don’t mind tearing are a must. It gets down in the 30’s in some caves and you need protection from the often sharp lava rock. A backpack is good for water, etc, but keep it low profile (as it can get stuck when climbing through narrow passages). Bring extra flashlights (at least two), with a small maglight accessible in your pocket. If your main light dies, you don’t want to be stuck on a ladder with no light.
- Photography: I brought my camera with me, but was only able to take shots at the entrances of the caves. If you bring yours, wrap it safely in your backpack to avoid bumps from the rock walls.
- Tie your flashlight to your belt or backpack: : I tied the handle of my flashlight to my backpack strap, which allowed me to dangle it down when I need two hands. Be sure to tie a good knot, as you don’t want to lose your flashlight halfway down a staircase in the pitch black.
- Food containers: Do not leave food out or store it in hard plastic containers, due to the aggressive wildlife (squirrels, chipmunks, blue jays, mice, etc). You do not have to worry about bears. You don't have to worry about Mountain lions eating your food, unless you consider yourself (as food).
- Chapstick, Visine and sunscreen: Be sure to bring Chapstick and Visine on your trip, as the dry, windy high desert will take its toll on eyes and lips. Sunscreen is a must, even on days your caving, as you spend more time than you think in the sun.
- Plan for cold nights: Many people forget that temperatures reach freezing and below in the high desert at night. A 20 degree sleeping bag is recommended. I brought a 40 and a 20 degree bag and slept in both, as I find the 20 degree mummy bags a little claustrophobic.
- Buy a freakin “bump hat”: You’re not gonna buy one, are you? You’re either too cheap or you don’t want to look dorky, right? OK. Fine. Don’t buy the bump hat. You were warned.
- One Day or Two?: You can spend two or more full days at Lava Beds if you plan to explore all the caves or visit some of the historic sites. There are also some trails nearby. However, if you’re like me and visiting 10 caves was enough, you can do it in one full day.
- Top of your gas tank often: Top off your gas tank in Weed, as there are not many towns between there and Lava Beds. You can also take a short jog north into Oregon to the town of Merrill, which supposedly had cheap(er) gas. If you forget, you can pay way above average at the one gas station in Tule Lake.
- Stuff I missed: I did not hike up to the fire lookout atop Schonchin Butte, nor did I see any of the Modoc War sites, but part of me wishes I had.
- Guaze packs: If you failed to heed my advice and did not buy a bump hat, at least be sure to pack enough gauze to staunch the blood flow from your thick skull when you do (and you will) crack your head on the ceiling. If not for yourself, do it for the National Park system. This IS a national monument and it’s unpatriotic for you to bleed all over it.
Enjoy the photos and let me know if you have any questions!
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