Craters of the Moon - 7-23-06

When we got there, we paid our entry fee into the park and found a campsite.  We setup the tent and watched a chipmunk roam around looking for a handout.  We also read our assignment for the 1st day of class.

The next morning we got up and went to the visitor center where we all met.  Our instructor was Doug Owen, he was the head geologist for the park.  We watched some videos about the park and about lava, and then talked about it until lunch time.  We went back to the campsite for lunch and then returned with our hiking stuff.  We went a short distance and hiked up a hill and we could see the camping area.  We could also see many buttes in the distance.

Our 2nd hike we went out onto a flat area of cinders and looked at some plant life that was there, and looked at where the cinder cones were throwing out the cinders and some bombs.

Our 3rd hike was up a small cinder cone that you could see down inside.  There was a bird nest and a bridge you could see light through.

Our 4th hike was to another cinder cone that was plugged with snow.  He said that the snow only melted every few years, and that the vent went down quite a ways, then to the side, and down even farther.  With a permit, you could climb down inside when the snow was melted and do research.  Doug said he wasn't brave enough to go inside though :)

Our 5th hike was up a hill and went quite a ways.  When we got to the top you could see down inside of a crater that was about 100 yards in depth and width.  He was saying that they trail we could see was closed down into the crater was closed, and had been raked over.  The next spring the trail was back, so they thought people were making it, when in fact it was deer.  The trail is still closed to people, the deer ignore the sign still :)

Our 6th hike and final hike for the day took us along a paved trail out into the lava beds to look at different lava flows.  We came to a cave and we went down inside and hiked around and looked at all of the features of Indian Cave.  We saw where birds had a nest, where water was running down and leaving mineral deposits, and other things.  When we left, we climbed through a small hole to get out.

We hiked back to the cars and that was the end of class for today.

We went back to the campsite and ate dinner and rested.  Later that night we went to the amphitheater and watched a presentation about meteors and space.

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