Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and offers for help for our recent trip to New Mexico & Carlsbad Caverns
Badlad and I had a great time and I would recommend a visit to the show cave to any caver - there's something surreal about exiting a lift, 750ft down and walking into a cave chamber complete with concession stand
I would also highly recommend a 'road trip' around New Mexico - here are some of our highlights:
Roo Walters & Andy Eavis at the lift ready for an evening's scanning after the public have left for the day. The whole team were made very welcome by the National Park staff, especially Rod Horrocks who accompanied us for hours and hours and hours....
Must have been one heck of a lot of work to dig those shafts:
This is what you see as you leave the lifts - hot food is no longer cooked underground, however you can buy drinks and sandwiches etc. Some would like to remove the stands, however some believe they are now part of the cultural history of the showcave. I was shocked to hear this was the case as they were over fifty - officially an 'antiquity' - I'm 51 next birthday, so am already an antiquity!
There's an extensive visitor center and souvenir shop - indeed am supping my tea from my new Carlsbad mug as I type
Saw many kids wearing the brightly coloured cavers - excellent, introduce them to caving young
The visitor center was informative, however needed a cut out of a female caver too! Don't think that stal was real...
Yes, I know - rubbish shots - I blame Chunky for not coming with us!
Waiting for the bat flight...
The 'Natural' way in - a long, very steep walk - on the last day the lifts were being serviced (Don't often have that as a problem for cave access!) so we had to walk in and out - glad I wasn't carrying the scanner or batteries
A holiday snap