1 Start of day two found the entire group exploring Valentine Cave. Laura was happy to go down the lava tube of love with me. This tube is one of 700 in a 30+ mile-long complex of tubes that kept 2000 degree basaltic lava insulated. The retained heat allowed the lava to stay liquid and flow many miles away from its source. When the eruption eneded, the tubes drained and left this for us to explore.
2 Lavacicles on the ceiling of Valentine Cave. Hard-hats generally advised for these tubes.
3 Laura ponders the smoothness of the pahoehoe lava on the cave floor. (Pahoehoe is the smooth, ropey for of basalt).
4 Small water droplets (~3mm) condensing on the side of valentine cave above a layer of hydrophobic cave bacteria (the yellow stuff).
5 Had I a tripod, this 1.5 inch strand of water droplets would have really been photogenic.
6 Love this shot of the crew going down the tube. It's dark down here, folks.
7 Garry, Susan & Dimitri do great and completed the entire tube.
8 Go towards the light! The entrance into Valentine Cave.
9 Valentine Cave entrance.
10 Gerry provides some scale for Valentine Cave. Note all the awesome lavacicles.
11 Valentine Cave.
12 John was prepared for the worst, but experienced the best Valentine Cave could offer.
13 Laura gives everyone the lowdown on the six different types of volcanoes that we'd see on the trip, along with why the magma types are different.
14 Mammoth Crater. This was the source for most of the lava tubes in the park and dates back to about 9,000 yrs. Once the lava lake drained out of the tubes, the crater collapsed leaving this gigantic hole.
15 Yup, I reckon that there is a big hole.
16 Jeff & Monty pose in front of the greatest trail name in history.
17 Steve shows us his stellar reading skills while showing-off a great hard-hat before entering Skull Cave. Schonchin Butte cinder cone is in the background.
18 The entrance into Skull Cave. It's tube is over 80ft in diameter and there's a sweet little drop-off where light meets dark. Several unsuspecting animals and humans met their demise here.
19 Cute lizard at the entrance.
20 Skull Cave.
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