CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK

By Caroline Clemmons

They say what we fear fascinates us, which may explain my fascination with caves. I have a fear of closed in, underground places and that pretty well describes a cavern. Contradictory as it sounds, when I was growing up in West Texas I longed to tour Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. However, when my family traveled back and forth from Texas to California, we did not deviate from Point A to Point B. Ever! Fortunately, my husband is a fun traveling companion willing to take a side trip when the opportunity and time permit. So, I finally saw these caverns—well, the main one.

Carlsbad is huge, of course. What I didn’t know is that there are over a hundred caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park and many more in the area. Prior to this, the fact that Caverns is plural had never caught my notice.

My husband had visited Carlsbad when he was a boy and again as a teen. One of the things he and his brother lamented is the loss of colors from the formations inside the main cavern. A guide explained this change was due to exposure to circulating air.

Doesn't this look scary?

Environmentally destructive events happened through the years—blasting to install elevators, air whooshing down the elevator shafts, electricity, plumbing, paving, etc. Officials constructed air locks to protect the formations from further degradation but great damage had already occurred. Since I hadn’t been on the tour before to make a comparison, I was awed by the varied beauty the formations offered. And, I’ll admit, very uncomfortable being underground!

Stalagtites stick tight to the roof,

stalamites might grow to reach the roof.

Thanks to an inland sea

Carlsbad Cavern is one of over 300 limestone caves in a fossil reef laid down by an inland sea 250 to 280 million years ago. Twelve to fourteen thousand years ago, American Indians lived in the Guadalupe Mountains. Some of their cooking ring sites and pictographs have been found within the present day boundaries of the park. By the 1500s, Spanish explorers were passing through present-day west Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Eddy, New Mexico, which later became the town of Carlsbad, was established in 1888. New Mexico became a state in 1912.  

Although the first to discover the caverns is disputed, credit is most often given to a sixteen-year-old cowboy, Jim White. From April 6 to May 8, 1923, Robert Holley of the General Land Office surveyed and mapped the cavern, guided by Jim White and photographed by Ray V. Davis. Holley recommended the establishment as a national monument. On October 25, Carlsbad Cave National Monument was established.

Those aren't ants, they're people.

Work Begins

From 1923 to 1927,  W.F. McIlvain served as the first superintendent. His job involved overseeing the first trails, stairs and lights. He supervised Jim White, worked with Willis T. Lee, and coordinated with city officials, including the Chamber of Commerce. For this sure-to-have-been-a-headache position, he made $12 a year.

Not until 1924 and the sponsorship of National Geographic Society, did Dr. Willis T. Lee, assisted by Jim White, extensively explore the cavern. The staircase from the natural entrance to Bat Cave was installed, eliminating use of (Euww) a guano bucket to enter the cave.

Trails were laid beginning in 1926 through the Main Corridor, Kings Palace, Queens Chamber, and three quarters of the Big Room. Electric lights were installed in Main Corridor and Kings Palace followed a year later by the trail past Bottomless Pit (such an inviting name).

And They're Off...

That’s when Cavern Supply Company was established as the park concessioner. The entry fee was set at $2.00 per person. On May 14, 1930, Congress upgraded the designation to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. On June 23, the first wedding ceremony was held in Carlsbad Cavern, performed at Rock of Ages formation. 

Rock of Ages Formation

Continual improvements have been made since then. In addition to tours of the main cavern, park rangers will arrange tours to other caverns within the park. An amphitheater is set up for those who wish to view the evening flight of bats from the caverns.

Mexican Free-Tailed Bats 

Emerging From Caverns

I suppose there are caverns in every part of the world. There certainly are many, many in Texas. My family and I have visited a lot of them because, while I'm NOT a fan of dark holes in the ground, one has to overcome phobias for the greater good. We tried to show our children as many historic sites as we could. That included watching the bats emerge from Carlsbad's main cavern.

My Journey

In my personal writing journey, I’ve used caverns and caves in several books. The first was THE MOST UNSUITABLE HUSBAND, in which the male main character, Nate, overcomes his fear of a cavern to rescue a child. Another was HIGH STAKES BRIDE, in which the hero, Zach Stone, saves the heroine, Alice, by taking shelter in a cavern then helps her exit out the other side. (That’s one of my favorites of my books, by the way.) In addition, the contemporary romance/mystery GRANT ME THE MOON, and the mystery ALMOST HOME use a cave as a major part of the plot. Others by me which utilize a cave to a lesser degree are the historical romances AN AGENT FOR LYDIA, GARNET, MAIL-ORDER PROMISE, and PRUDENCE. Whew, I must be obsessed by caves.

In the event you're interested, here's a snippet from HIGH STAKES BRIDE when the hero and heroine first meet:

Zach slipped into the bedroll and waited, pistol in hand. He feigned sleep, wondering what kind of man tarried nearby. Whoever it was could have picked Zach off, so the sidewinder must not have murder on his mind.

Probably up to no good hiding out like that, though, because any Westerner would share his campfire and vittles with anyone who rode into camp. Zach wriggled into a comfortable spot and lay motionless. Anger at recent events helped him remain awake.

The footfalls came so softly he almost missed them. He opened his eyes a slit, but enough to see a thin shadow move toward the fire. About then heavy clouds overhead parted and the moonlight revealed a boy who scooped up a slice of bacon and slid it into his mouth.

The culprit set Zach’s tin plate on the ground near the fire, ladled beans into it, and picked up a fork. He squatted down and balanced the plate on his knees before he commenced eating. Zach noticed he kept his left hand in his pocket the whole time.

Something must be wrong with the thief’s left arm.  Looked too young for it to have been a casualty of the War. Lots of other ways to get hurt out here. Whatever had happened to his left arm, his right one worked well enough. He forked food into his mouth like he hadn’t eaten in a week.

Zach let him shovel beans for a few minutes. Crook or not, anyone that hungry deserved a meal. When the kid stopped eating, Zach couldn’t figure out what he was doing.  It looked as if he used the fork to scratch around on the ground, so he must have eaten his fill. Zach slipped his hand from beneath the cover and cocked the pistol.

“Hold it right there, son. I’d like to know why you’re eating without at least a howdy to the man who provided the food.”

The boy paused, then set the plate down slowly. “I left money here on a rock to pay for it.”

Odd sounding voice, but the kid was probably scared. Zach slipped from his bedroll and stood, but kept his gun pointed at the food robber. “Maybe.”

Zach walked toward the kid, careful to train his gaze so the firelight didn’t dim his eyesight. Sure enough, he spotted a couple of coins on the rock beside his pot of beans, or what remained of them, and his empty plate.

He faced the intruder. “Why not just come into camp earlier instead of sneaking in after you thought I was asleep?”

“I—I was afraid you weren’t friendly.”

Zach thought he also heard the kid mutter what sounded like “...or maybe too friendly.” Must be the wind, he thought, as he neared the boy.

Zach motioned with his free hand. “I don’t begrudge anyone food, but I hate dishonesty and sneaking around.  Stand up so I can see you.”

The kid stood, hat low over his face and his good hand clenched.

Zach reached to push the brim back. “What’s your name?”

The kid stepped forward. “None of your business, mister.”

A fistful of sand hit Zach’s face. He heard his assailant run. Mad as the devil, Zach brushed grit from his eyes and set out in pursuit. The kid was fast, he’d give him that, but so was Zach. His longer legs narrowed the distance between them.  With a running lunge, he tackled the kid.

“Oof. Let me go.” The lad was all wriggles and kicking feet as he squirmed trying to escape.

Zach wasn’t about to let that happen. They rolled in the dirt. In one move Zach pinned the boy’s good arm. The hat fell aside and a mass of curls spilled around the kid’s face.

His jacket parted and unmistakable curves pushed upward where Zach’s other hand rested. Zach stared in disbelief. Registering his hand pressed against a heavenly mound shocked him and he jerked his paw away.

“Well, I’ll be damned. You’re not a boy.”

The woman glared at him. “Right, and you’re not exactly a feather. Get off me.”

Zach stood and bent to help her but she curled into a ball where she lay. “Ma’am, you okay?”

“Just dandy.” She sat up, moving like a hundred-year-old. She glared at him while holding her stomach with her good hand. The other arm dangled uselessly. “You’ve likely broken the few uninjured bones I had left.”

His temper flared. “Hey, lady, don’t try to put the blame on me. If you’d been honest and come into camp like any other traveler, I’d have shared my food with you.”

“Yeah, well a woman on her own can’t be too careful and I don’t know you or anything about you.”

Universal Amazon Link https://mybook.to/Zach  

Many will be celebrating the holiday via Zoom and Skype. Whatever your situation, I hope you and your family enjoy a safe and healthy Thanksgiving!