***I encourage you to enlarge the pictures by clicking on them!***
The Glenwood Caverns are located at the top of Iron Mountain to the west of Glenwood Springs. To reach this location, a person can take a narrow windy road to the top. Or take a more popular route, the Cable Car Tram. A person can get quite the view from the Cable Cars!
Glenwood Caverns started out with only the one cave for visitors to see but now it has become quite the tourist attraction with an Alpine Coaster, Cliffhanger Roller Coaster, and a Giant Canyon Swing. A second cave, Kings Row, was opened to the public just this year.
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| Giant Canyon Swing |
Hubby enjoyed the Alpine Coaster - a cross between a roller coaster and a slide. One or two people can sit in a wagon/cart which rides on rails as you descend down the mountain. Once you reach the bottom, a cable pulls you back to the top. Racing down the side of a mountain at break-neck speed is not my cup of tea!
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| Alpine Coaster |
Nor was the Giant Canyon Swing. A contraption that swings seated individuals out over the yawning chasm that was carved by the Colorado River.
I came to see the caves. The Fairy Caves were extraordinary. To see this hidden world which began life millions of years ago makes one pause for a moment in awe. This was Living Rock!
A new cave had opened to the public a week before we were there. This cave, Kings Row, was discovered in 1960 by an adventurous group of Cavers who followed a breeze. They traversed a passageway that was as small as 8 inches wide! That passageway is now known as Jam Crack, because you had to ooze through it like jam. On the other side were caverns in pristine living condition.
The first cave we entered was called The Barn. (Cavers like to name things) Because it was as big as a barn if not bigger!
The second chamber was smaller but it was filled with the most amazing formations! All lined up like the pieces on a chess board.
Nature is a magnificent sculptor.
Next Week ~ We'll go see Doc!
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4 comments:
Swing. out. over. a. canyon. eeeeeeek!
"Jam Crack" -- so descriptive! I take it there must be another way in now. Not too many people can ooze like jam. I know I'd get stuck!
The current owners drilled a tunnel into the new cavern and installed two steel doors to form an airlock to maintain the Caves' climate. The tunnel was drilled using state-of-the-art technology so that minimal impact would be made upon the caves.
Debra - LOL! Me too! :0)
Great photos! I loved the glowing views of the caves with all those cool stalagmites. "They traversed a passageway that was as small as 8 inches wide!" That puts it into perspective. I can't imagine!
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