My 4th trip to Craters of the Moon, and I'm thankful it was on earth and not in space. I like adventure and my parents made it a habit of always taking a summer vacation, for which I am very grateful. Craters of the Moon was on our list when I was about 8 years old......1958! It was a side trip on the way to Yellowstone Park (a beautiful National Park). Craters of the Moon was an eerie looking place to me back then and today it is still eerie looking! I certainly don't think I have the adaptation skills it takes to live even one day in this harsh environment. However, our visit was certainly educational....hot....and exhausting for "the girls" the "Dad" was loving it and hated that we had to leave to come back to "the girls" idea of what makes life worth living! I took lots of pictures, so just zoom through them. Then if you feel the need.....make the trek to visit Craters of the Moon yourself someday...........but for Hell sakes...don't wear FLIP-FLOPS! ~Sorry just want you to be prepared~
Visitors Center.....Ali read the signs that said SNAKES live here. Not a good idea for girls that hate snakes....that's the 2 of us for sure.
View from the visitors center overlooking the valley
Pretty much sage brush, rocks, and dirt! Lucky for us we saw no snakes!
This is stop #3 on the Loop Drive - Devil's Orchard
This was an amazing shot I got of Ali on top of Inferno Cone.
Ali thought this tree was a little to close to the edge, but after venturing over she could see that the mountain of fine lave continues on and on and on!
A spectacular view from the top of Inferno Cone. I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the top. There were lots of ladies older than I am making it (as in hiking) so................I gave it my best effort~.....lol!
When you first arrive in the parking area of Inferno Cone it looks like there is one tall mountain to climb....not so! When /IF you get to the top of it there is another one right there in front of you. Here Ali is standing on the top of the second peak.... on our way back down!
The next stop is Spatter Cones. This is the trail going up to the cones. It was an easy hike and only took a few minutes to reach the incredible formations.
This is looking down into the cone. It doesn't look all that deep from my picture, but it is!
This is another view into the Spatter Cone
So many volcanic features are up close as you hike each of the trails.
The trail winds through lava flow and what a spectacular view you get from the top of
Visitors Center.....Ali read the signs that said SNAKES live here. Not a good idea for girls that hate snakes....that's the 2 of us for sure.
View from the visitors center overlooking the valley
Pretty much sage brush, rocks, and dirt! Lucky for us we saw no snakes!
This is stop #3 on the Loop Drive - Devil's Orchard
This was an amazing shot I got of Ali on top of Inferno Cone.
Ali thought this tree was a little to close to the edge, but after venturing over she could see that the mountain of fine lave continues on and on and on!
A spectacular view from the top of Inferno Cone. I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the top. There were lots of ladies older than I am making it (as in hiking) so................I gave it my best effort~.....lol!
When you first arrive in the parking area of Inferno Cone it looks like there is one tall mountain to climb....not so! When /IF you get to the top of it there is another one right there in front of you. Here Ali is standing on the top of the second peak.... on our way back down!
The next stop is Spatter Cones. This is the trail going up to the cones. It was an easy hike and only took a few minutes to reach the incredible formations.
This is looking down into the cone. It doesn't look all that deep from my picture, but it is!
This is another view into the Spatter Cone
So many volcanic features are up close as you hike each of the trails.
The trail winds through lava flow and what a spectacular view you get from the top of Spatter Cones.
My dad loves rocks, I took this picture for him. We still have many pieces of volcanic rock in our collections that we have made for many school science projects.
More formations........just to show you I really did hike the trails.
Yes....that is snow in the bottom of the cone. It was dark, deep, and surprising to see snow on a 100 degree August day.
I loved the look of this formation. I thought it kinda looks like an elephant......petrified.
Broken Top......what a name for a volcano formation!
Inside Buffalo caves.....I have no idea who these tourist are, but they were nice to allow their picture to be taken. Ali was getting a little tired of having me snap the camera.
The Caves Trail................total desolation! Give me the city life.....girl! I call the bug man when we have ants and earwigs! Get my point??
From the car window....The Caves Trail formations
Ali was so sick and tired of me taking pictures and her dad yelling at her, because.....she wore flip flops! She wonders why he wears hiking boots...........everywhere.............always!
I begged for a smile....these formations are HOT....well not anymore, but I bet they were 2000 years ago.
More of the same "Old" stuff. The trail winds around seas of lava which leads you to an underground world of a lava tube. For this you need sturdy shoes ...............not flip flops "Girl".
Entrance to "Dew Drop Cave"
Inside Dew Drop Cave...bring your flash light and DON'T WEAR FLIP FLOPS
Indian Tunnel....where are the pretroglyphs?
Boy Scout Cave Entrance
The Boy Scout cave contains ice all year round, the floor is covered by ice and often water too. As snow melts on a warm spring day, the runoff seeps through the cracks and the crevices of the lava and drips into the tube below. Once inside the cold air within the caverns causes the water to freeze again. On this warm summer day the "100" degree temperature cause some of the ice to melt.............along with the tourists!
Beauty Cave....
My dad loves rocks, I took this picture for him. We still have many pieces of volcanic rock in our collections that we have made for many school science projects.
More formations........just to show you I really did hike the trails.
Yes....that is snow in the bottom of the cone. It was dark, deep, and surprising to see snow on a 100 degree August day.
I loved the look of this formation. I thought it kinda looks like an elephant......petrified.
Broken Top......what a name for a volcano formation!
Inside Buffalo caves.....I have no idea who these tourist are, but they were nice to allow their picture to be taken. Ali was getting a little tired of having me snap the camera.
The Caves Trail................total desolation! Give me the city life.....girl! I call the bug man when we have ants and earwigs! Get my point??
From the car window....The Caves Trail formations
Ali was so sick and tired of me taking pictures and her dad yelling at her, because.....she wore flip flops! She wonders why he wears hiking boots...........everywhere.............always!
I begged for a smile....these formations are HOT....well not anymore, but I bet they were 2000 years ago.
More of the same "Old" stuff. The trail winds around seas of lava which leads you to an underground world of a lava tube. For this you need sturdy shoes ...............not flip flops "Girl".
Entrance to "Dew Drop Cave"
Inside Dew Drop Cave...bring your flash light and DON'T WEAR FLIP FLOPS
Indian Tunnel....where are the pretroglyphs?
Boy Scout Cave Entrance
The Boy Scout cave contains ice all year round, the floor is covered by ice and often water too. As snow melts on a warm spring day, the runoff seeps through the cracks and the crevices of the lava and drips into the tube below. Once inside the cold air within the caverns causes the water to freeze again. On this warm summer day the "100" degree temperature cause some of the ice to melt.............along with the tourists!
Beauty Cave....The walls of Beauty Cave are completely in the dark once you are away from the entrance of the lava tube.
The brochure from the visitors center said there are more than 660 types of plants living in this barren landscape. I think this cute little flower is a mini carnation.....probably I made that name up because I have no idea what it is really called.
There are fields and fields of them growing. So if you know their name....go ahead and leave me a comment. I'd be ever so thankful for the education lesson. For now I'll just call them mini-carnations in a dangnation of hard dirt!
The brochure from the visitors center said there are more than 660 types of plants living in this barren landscape. I think this cute little flower is a mini carnation.....probably I made that name up because I have no idea what it is really called.
There are fields and fields of them growing. So if you know their name....go ahead and leave me a comment. I'd be ever so thankful for the education lesson. For now I'll just call them mini-carnations in a dangnation of hard dirt!
2 comments:
Well, if I EVER visit, I will be wearing my hiking boots, and leave the comfy flip-flops back at the hotel. You have some awesome photos. Tell that DH to just chill out for H--- Sakes!
Chill out is not part of his life style....but I will tell him and see what response I get. Thanks for the advice.
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