Carnivore Heaven and Mammoth Caves National Park

 

Mammoth Caves National Park.

We had one travel day before reaching our next National Park and we’d booked a night at a Harvest Host site in Haubstadt, IN for Friday, 5/8. Although there are a variety of businesses that are Harvest Host sites, the most common are wineries and breweries. Now, you know I have nothing against that, but this one was a little different. Dewig Meats is a family owned and operated uber butcher shop that was established in 1916. They have four nice level spots set aside for guests adjacent to a huge lawn that the pups loved.

Dewig Meats, another great Harvest Host site.

But we were all about the meats. Wow! This wasn’t your typical small town butcher shop, it was huge with a mindboggling choice of meats – everything from a single porkchop to a whole side of beef. And it wasn’t just meats either, there was bread, cheese, snacks, sides, desserts, and beverages. Just about anything you could think of to throw together a carnivore’s dream dinner. Oh, and it just happened to be Rog’s birthday so, of course, we picked up some impressive (and absolutely delicious!) T-bone steaks to celebrate. The pups were not forgotten either, we got a whole bag of marrow bones that should keep them entertained for quite some time. 

The way Harvest Host works is that the overnight stay is free (unless you’re paying for hookups), but guests are expected to patronize the business and spend at least $30. Ahem. Let’s just say we exceeded expectations…by a lot. These “free” stays are killing my budget. Lol.  

Sooooo many choices!

We arrived the next day, Saturday, 5/9, at Mammoth Caves Campground. I really liked the campground, the sites were relatively large and shady with lots of trees. That may not be ideal for either our solar or the Starlink, but it sure makes me happy. The pups enjoyed sitting outside and I was delighted to oblige them.

Much nicer than a gravel parking lot. Lol.

Ahhhhhh. Relaxing with the kids. 

One of the neighbors. Lol.

Sunday was bike day. There was a big single track mountain bike loop that Rog wanted to do and I was interested in the rail to trail in the park. Rog had to take a (very) short ferry ride to get to the mountain bike trailhead and rode a total of 21 miles. He is loving his new Cannondale e-mountain bike. He took pics of an old church on the trail. The Good Springs Baptist Church that was established in 1842. The church is still used occasionally for weddings and other special events. 

Free ferry across the Green River.

Rog on the Big Hollow Trail.

Good Springs Baptist Church, established 1842.

After he got back from that ride, he took a little break, had lunch, and then we set off for the rail to trail. We rode 17 miles roundtrip from the campground to the park entrance on the trail. There were lots of displays along the way with information on the Mammoth Caves Railroad, buildings and early residents of the area. Although the church was long gone, another old cemetery remained with most of the headstones dates in the 1800’s.

Checking out the map before we start.

On the trail. (Love those rail to trails!)

Another old cemetery along the trail.
Most of the headstones are from the mid 1800's. 

The park entry sign was our turnaround point. 

When Mammoth Caves was established as a National Park in 1941, only 40 miles of the passageways had been mapped. Continued exploration and technical advancements in underground mapping led to additional discoveries and Mammoth Caves is now acknowledged as the world’s longest cave with over 400 miles of surveyed passages. The complex network of tunnels looks like a pile of spaghetti! There are about 20 different tours available at Mammoth Caves. We booked ours well in advance, as they do sell out during busy times. There is a huge variety of tours, all but one are Ranger led, and they range from 1½ hours up to 4 hours with various levels of difficulty.  

The yellow squiggles represent the mapped passageways.
No chance of getting lost is there? Lol.

The passageways are classified by shape.
It was fun looking for these on our tour.

We chose the Grand Avenue Tour, since it had components of several of the shorter tours. It was a four-hour, four-mile tour with 1521 stairs. (I didn’t count, but they might have missed a few. Lol.) It was a very different experience from the other caves we’ve explored. Carlsbad Caves, Kartchner Caverns, even the Natural Bridges Caverns that we just saw with Randi and Jose, all showcase the beautiful formations formed by water percolating through the limestone over eons. Although we did see some of those formations, they were few and far between. Why is Mammoth Caves so different? It’s all about the geology. These limestone caves have a large sandstone and shale cap that protected much of the limestone from water intrusion. Where the water did enter through cracks and sinkholes, it tracked downward forming large tunnels and underground rivers that cut through the limestone. That sandstone cap protected the network of tunnels that formed. When the water receded, the miles of passageways remained.

A large Tube passageway.

Examples of a Vertical Shaft.

I'm calling this a Large Canyon.

A Fissure.

Much of Mammoth Caves is considered a “dry” cave, so no stalagmites or stalactites, columns or draperies grew. What did grow were calcite blooms. These delicate crystal formations only grow in dry caves and crumble to dust if handled roughly. Unfortunately, the caves were a popular tourist attraction for many years during an era when conservation and preservation weren’t thought of. Tourists were allowed and often encouraged to take souvenirs from the caves. Thankfully, some areas were protected and we can still see these delicate formations today.

Calcite Blooms.

These fragile formations rarely made it home as souvenirs.

Cave popcorn on the ceiling.

Also on the ceiling and walls...cave crickets! 

We walked for miles (literally) up and down through huge tunnels several stories high that narrowed to spaces where you had to duck and turn sideways and regretted that second scoop of ice cream. And there were the stairs, lots and lots of stairs. The cave system is still being explored and as new passages and connections to other cave systems are found, there’s no telling how long the Mammoth Cave system really is. 

Miles of open passageways and lots of stairs, and... 

...some narrow spots too.

Drapes, one of the more typical cave formations, and...

...stone flows and small columns, too.

The Ranger stopped several times along the way to provide information on the geology and history of the caves. Both were fascinating. The caves were originally privately owned and since the cave system does not follow any property lines, there was a period of “Cave Wars” where everybody that had property with access to a cave vied for the tourists and their money. Competition was fierce and often bloody. In the winter of 1842-1843, Dr. John Croghan converted a portion of Mammoth Cave into an experimental hospital for tuberculosis ("consumption") patients, believing the cave's stable temperature and pure air would cure them. The 16-20 patients lived in stone and wood huts, but the damp, dark environment worsened their condition, leading to several deaths.

Old sign left over from the Sanitorium.

Toward the end of our tour, we had an option to do another 100 stairs down to the Frozen Niagara Falls. Well, the stairs down were optional, but back up was mandatory. Lol.  It was well worth it. The Falls formation was a large flow that you could walk under and behind. I think there are other tours in different parts of the cave that have more of the typical formations that I was expecting to see. With over 400 miles of caves to explore, there’s something for everyone!

Frozen Niagara Falls was the most impressive formation on our tour.

It was very cool going under and behind the Falls.

Crystal Lake, proof that the cave isn't totally dry!

We have another travel day before we make it to another (new to us) National Park. We’ll be visiting New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia. But before we do, we have a special tour booked that looked super cool. What is it? You’ll just have to wait and see. 😊