Spelunking Hike, Carlsbad Caverns, NM 9/19/15

 We signed up for a 3-hour guided tour deep into the Caverns.  First, safety briefing ...

 Took the elevator down ~750 feet and off we went into the complete dark with only headlamps to guide us, ambling through large chambers admiring the formations and squeezing into narrow passages.

 Jim emerging from a tunnel.  For complete immersion, the guide asked to sit down in the small chamber at the end of this tunnel and turn our head lights off. We were plunged into absolute dark, an eerie experience to say the least. 

Know the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite?  A stalactite hangs from the ceiling and a stalagmite grow up from the cavern floor :)   

 Getting into the lower sections of the cave required rappelling using a knotted rope, and climbing and descending long, wet and slippery ladders.

Plenty of other formation on our path. Picture above shows columns (joint stalagmite and stalactite,) soda straws and popcorn calcite deposits. It is a steady 56 degrees F down below, actually a great reprieve from the 90+ degree weather above ground!