Washington by Jetta (Part 1)
This was a random trip one Saturday. The point was to go to Ape Cave which I saw as an interest point on the map. When I got there though, it was totally unlike any cave experience I've ever had back east.
For one, it was over 2 miles long! The top right title in the picture says, "The longest lava tube known in North America."
It was cold enough to see your breath down here. I guess all the melting snow runoff keeps this place just above freezing.
Being all excited, I followed these people just a little too far in. Wearing just jeans and a t-shirt though I wasn't prepared to go over a mile to the next opening. Not having a light, meant that I had to wait for the next group to show me out. Glad it was a busy day cause that experience got me a little nervous.
Ahh, back in the sunlight.
This is what the other side looks like. It's quite a squeeze at one point.
This whole area is also marked by smaller lava tubes with evidence of lava flow everywhere you step.
Shots of the scenery around the Mt. St. Helens area.
Gotta have the jetta in here somewhere. It's driven about 7600 miles at this point.
This last set of pictures was taken at the lava canyon. Its formation was the result of water erosion followed by lava flow which was again eroded by water. It was then covered by earth for quite some time until a recent (geologically speaking) mud flow uncovered it. It's being shaped by water once again. Quite a dramatic effect.
It was pretty interesting to see solid rock in the shape of waves.
