Images of Carlsbad Caverns National Park – Southern New Mexico, taken in March 2016.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a mere 30 miles from Guadalupe National Park and it is indeed a part of the same ancient reef. As the reef lifted, caverns were formed and water seeping through cracks and faults created the stalagmites, stalactites and other formations that are visible in the cave. This process began over 500,000 years ago and continues today.

Most people use the elevator to travel to the most explored area of the cave, the Big Room, but for the last few months (and into the foreseeable future) that is impossible because the elevator is out of commission. It’s sad that the lack of funds coming to our parks is making it tough to maintain them but that is the reality and nowhere is it more noticeable than in this situation.

So, having planned to hike into the cavern anyway, I began my trek. But because of the aforementioned elevator issue what I had hoped would be a pleasant, peaceful hike became a loud procession of humanity…a one hour winding line of people a bit like what you would find at an amusement park! And it was clear that a lot of the people were not up to a one hour, 755 foot/8 stories decent into a cavern…and more importantly, the march back to the surface! Luckily my plan was to spend the day in the cavern and by the time I made my way back to the sunlight the crowds were long gone and I was glad that I didn’t have to witness the pain and agony of their procession.

Once clear of the masses and after eating lunch 755 feet underground, I joined the guided tour of the Kings Palace which took us to the 829 foot level. In this area there was an array of delicate formations and occasional large stalagmites, almost completely opposite of what I would see later in the Big Room.

The Big Room is the largest known underground chamber in the Western Hemisphere. It is 1,800 feet long, up to 1,100 feet wide (a dozen football fields could be fit inside) and 30 stories tall, it is an awe inspiring site! I’ve been here before, a little over thirty years ago, but have always wanted to return to see it again and this time to photograph it. Unfortunately I am a lazy photographer and I don’t like to spend a lot of time on set up or carrying a tripod, which is probably one of the reasons I enjoy shooting sports so much…get the shot and move on! And that is what I did. This approach however did stretch my skills to the limit; thank goodness for high ISO and a little understanding of exposure compensation! So the images may not be the best that you’ll ever see but they are mostly natural light and a pretty good representation of what you can see down there…and what is down there is fascinating, incredible and a must see for everyone!