Wind Cave National Park (5-5-11)
Some 350 bison roam the prairie's above Wind Cave, and this small herd greeted us as we drove in...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
We didn't get to explore the above ground portion of the park (over 28,000 acres) but through the windows of our bus...here, the high plains meet the forested Black Hills providing for a wide variety of flora and fauna...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
The beautiful arch bridge over Beaver Creek Canyon...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
A moving shot of the park entrance sign...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
From 1934-39 the CCC built many of the structures you see in the National Park, including the visitor center...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
A pre-National Park Visitor Log Book from July 5th, 1893...Wind Cave was run as a private attraction until becoming the country's 7th National Park in 1903...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Differences in pressure in and outside the cave create the namesake 'wind' at the cave entrance...today air was rushing out of the cave at 23 mph but I read that on rare days it can blow at over 60!!
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
There are over 130 miles of cave passages that have been explored to date...all under only 1 square mile of ground!!
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
This tiny opening is the natural entrance to Wind Cave, where explorers originally entered...I must admit, even with previous knowledge, it was strange feeling a 23 mph whooshing out of the ground...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
After passing through pressure-equalizing doors, we started the descent...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
The coloration on places was very cool...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Our first example of 'boxwork', Wind Caves' most famous formation...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Frostwork, created when seeping water is exposed to high rates of air flow creating a fine, fan-like pattern...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Another of Wind Cave's most common formations, 'popcorn'...formed when water seeps through limestone at uniform rates...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
More boxwork...boxwork forms when hard 'veins' of calcite are exposed as the softer surrounding rock erodes...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
An interesting stone shelf we had to make our way around...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Boxwork formations...boxwork forms when hard 'veins' of calcite are exposed as the softer surround rock erodes...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Continuing ever downward...by the end of the tour I estimated we were around 300' beneath the surface...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Interesting step-like formations...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Popcorn on the wall...popcorn forms as water uniformly seeps through limestone...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
This low hanging, flat ceiling is called a 'chert layer'...the smooth rock below is eroding slower than the softer rock it is hanging from...if I had known this at the time I wouldn't have hung around under it quite so long!
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Some gooey-looking popcorn formations...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Towards the end of the tour it seemed like there was a good quartz mixed into the rock...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Descending beneath yet more 'popcorn'...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
Photo-op...is it me or is my expression a bit creepy?
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
While standing around listening to the end of the interpretive presentation I noticed this cool clump of crystals, about the size of a fist, poking out of a nearby rock...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
The elevator building (ca. 1938) which was where we were returned to the surface...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate
The return...quite an interesting place, yet another park I wish I had more time to explore...
caveprairieNational ParkboxworkpopcornfrostworkformationstunnelbisonbuffaloBlack HillsHot Springscalcitelimestonearagonitecalcium carbonate