Lava Beds National Monument

mmm4444bot

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Had time to rent a car and drive into CA to visit the lava tubes, yesterday, while in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on a layover. There are over 500 known lava tubes within the Lava Beds National Monument. I had only tennis shoes and a lame flashlight, so I didn't venture more than 200 feet into any of the five tubes that I entered. The last two images are stock. The tubes are pitch black, so I could only photograph near the access points -- not good enough to visualize the tube formations; those ferns are located in a tube that contains native remains, thus access without prior arrangements is limited to Modoc tribal members. The nicely-developed tube (with lighted path) was removed from the others far enough that I could not drive there (it started snowing, and I didn't want to get stuck). I only had a few hours; I'd like to return -- with better lights!

The peak in the background (Schonchin Butte) is what's left of the Medicine Lake volcano, associated with the tubes.


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This is the entrance to the Golden Dome tube, so named because algae on the walls resembles gold when illuminated. I could not hike to its dome "chamber" -- to see the gold -- because the tube floor was way rough for casual footwear.

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Beautiful! I can definitely see why you want to return with better lights/shoes!
 
Beautiful! I can definitely see why you want to return with better lights/shoes!
Most of the Galapogos Islands are national park, but there are some private farms etc there. I visited one where the owners had set up an informal dining room in a lava tube, complete with a nesting owl on the day that I was there.
 
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