Day 102: Lava Tubes

If you've never jumped from one couch to another to avoid the lava, you've never had a childhood.  ~ Unknown

Today we went out to Lava River Cave, or the lava tubes. This cave was formed by flowing lava from one of the eruptions of the many volcanoes surrounding Flagstaff. We crawled down through a small opening, and then hiked almost a mile to the end of the cave. It was a neat experience. In some places, the cave ceiling is thirty feet high, but in others it is only two feet. The cave is a relatively constant temperature all year - 30-40 degrees, so there were quite a few icy spots as well.

Of course, after hiking a mile underground, any hint of sunlight is gone. It's a little surreal to turn off all of the flashlights and headlamps at the end of the cave. The darkness is so absolute, and even after several minutes it was impossible to see even my hand in front of my face.

This was definitely a hike worth taking!