Kenilworth
New member
What about another sort of crux?
Carlsbad Caverns, US, is an astounding cave whose natural entrance series would serve to exclude the majority of visitors. It was navigated with ropes and ladders by the original explorers, and then partially bypassed by a shaft and bucket/winch. Now there is a paved path, road almost, not only disruptive of the natural beauty of the place, but utterly destructive of respect for its severity.
The cave is a national monument, so it is fitting that the national obsession with size and quantity should be manifest here. The Big Room is vast and so are many of its calcite features. It can be reached by walking down the natural entrance path, but since it is considered the dominant feature of the cave, this effort has been made unnecessary by the construction of an elevator, leading down from the surface through 750' of limestone (once down it is encouraged that you refresh yourself at the restroom, at the snack bar, at the gift shop)
These modifications are justified by the claim that Carlsbad Caverns are a wonder that the public deserves to see. I am baffled by this logic. In making Carlsbad Cave, a forbidding and fragile place, casually available, it has been degraded to something far beneath what it was. The sum of joy, wonder, and satisfaction available from it has decreased as the quantity of visitors increases.
Carlsbad Caverns, US, is an astounding cave whose natural entrance series would serve to exclude the majority of visitors. It was navigated with ropes and ladders by the original explorers, and then partially bypassed by a shaft and bucket/winch. Now there is a paved path, road almost, not only disruptive of the natural beauty of the place, but utterly destructive of respect for its severity.
The cave is a national monument, so it is fitting that the national obsession with size and quantity should be manifest here. The Big Room is vast and so are many of its calcite features. It can be reached by walking down the natural entrance path, but since it is considered the dominant feature of the cave, this effort has been made unnecessary by the construction of an elevator, leading down from the surface through 750' of limestone (once down it is encouraged that you refresh yourself at the restroom, at the snack bar, at the gift shop)
These modifications are justified by the claim that Carlsbad Caverns are a wonder that the public deserves to see. I am baffled by this logic. In making Carlsbad Cave, a forbidding and fragile place, casually available, it has been degraded to something far beneath what it was. The sum of joy, wonder, and satisfaction available from it has decreased as the quantity of visitors increases.