MAMMOTH
Last week, I worked in
Glasgow, Kentucky, which certainly isn’t the most exciting place I’ve
visited. Glasgow is in a dry county,
which of course means there are no restaurants there. Actually that’s not quite true.
There are two restaurants in town where you don’t order by number. One was lousy, and the other closes at
8pm. Guess what time I got there?
The most intriguing dining
option is the Church’s Fried Chicken / White Castle, which share the same
building. I’ve seen some unusual combinations
of fast food restaurants, but that is certainly the most bizarre.
I finished my job on
Thursday afternoon, and I was ready to get out of town. Mammoth Cave National Park is only 20 miles
from Glasgow, and it would’ve been a crime not to visit. I made reservations for the Star Chamber
tour, which begins at 6pm daily.
I arrived a couple of hours
early and stopped at the visitor’s center.
What should I do for 2 hours?
The ranger I spoke with suggested touring a section of the park that few
visitors see - the part that is above ground.
Mammoth Cave National Park
protects 53,000 acres of rolling, forested hills. It’s exactly the sort of landscape that never would’ve qualified
for national park status if it hadn’t been hiding the world’s longest
cave. I suppose there’s a lot to be
said for that.
I embarked on a short hike,
heading down a gravel road past the historic cave entrance. That is the way we’d be going in later. Beyond the mouth of the cave, I headed
through a deep green forest towards the river.
I reached the muddy banks of the Green River, which twists through a
narrow gorge of heavily forested walls.
From the river, I took a short side trip to a spring where the River
Styx emerges from the cave. At the
spring, a deep blue pool is tucked up underneath a rock bluff decorated with
ferns. I must give some credit to the
folks that named this river. What
better name can there be for an underground stream?
From there, I hiked the
Green River Bluffs Trail downstream.
The trail gradually climbs away from the river, to traverse the cliffs
on the side of the gorge. Despite the
trail’s location, the heavy foliage limited views to one overlook, which gave
me a nice look at the river and gorge.
I took one short side trip
to the mouth of Dixon Cave. Dixon is
now fenced off, to protect an endangered species of bat. From there, I followed the trail around to
the picnic area. This part of the hike
surprised me, by providing a parade of wildlife. First I spotted a deer, followed by a pair of small frogs, and a
wild turkey. Finally I came across a
turtle crossing the trail. At first he
hid in his shell, but after a couple of minutes he poked his head out to see if
I was still there. I was ready with my
camera, and got some good close-up shots of him.
I returned to the visitor’s
center, where I changed into jeans and a sweatshirt for the tour of the
cave. I joined 2 rangers and 39 new
friends, for a 2 ½ tour to the Star Chamber.
I had picked Star Chamber largely because it is the only tour offered in
the evening. However, it was appealing
for another reason. During the tour,
the electric lights would be turned off.
Our only light would be provided by lanterns that some of the visitors
would carry.
We reached the historic
entrance, where we left the miserable heat of southern Kentucky behind. Heading down the steps into the entrance
felt like walking into a freezer. The
sensation was better than any air conditioner.
The tour was interesting,
and was highlighted by the ranger, who turned out to be quite an accomplished
storyteller. Highlights included the
Rotunda, where remains of a 19th century Saltpeter Mining Operation
can be seen. Beyond, we reached “the
church”, where services were actually held many years ago. In the church, an unusual rock formation
looks like the face of a person. Some
say it is the face of Jesus. I’ll admit
it was a little spooky, but I am surprised that the Park Service hasn’t dug it
up and sold it on Ebay.
Our tour took one side trip,
into the Gothic passage. Gothic is
interesting, in that it features several columns and stalactites. The most interesting of these is the wedding
altar, which has been the site of several such ceremonies over the years. Unfortunately, Gothic is also the site of
considerable 19th century vandalism. Countless visitors signed their names on the walls and
ceiling. Some would describe those
markings as historic, but at what point does vandalism become history?
The tour ended at the Star
Chamber. Star Chamber is named for the
crystals on the ceiling, which look like the night sky when viewed from
below. It was a nice ending to a fun
tour that was well worth $11 and 2 ½ hours of time. If you visit the park, I’d recommend the Star Chamber tour, or
perhaps one of the other tours done by lantern light. Going in with lanterns seems more natural. After all, it is a cave, and it’s supposed
to be dark! The next time I visit, I
hope to have time for the Wild Cave Tour.
The Wild Cave Tour is real caving, as it leaves the civilized sidewalks
behind for parts of the cave that other visitors don’t get to see.
Back to Kentucky
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!