Craters of the Moon

Ah… Craters of the Moon. I’ve had you on my to-do list every single year I’ve been traveling yet I never really made it into Idaho to drop in for a visit. This time around we get to meet.

Every time I looked at a map of everywhere I have been in the West, a huge hole always glared back at me. Idaho… just sitting there flipping me the bird. In that gaping void is a National Monument that thoroughly surprised me, now that I have had the chance to drop in.

The National Park service had had the campground in the park closed all season (for repaving). The fear was that we were only going to get a day-trip into the park. Lucky for us, and a few others, just two days before our arrival the campground was re-opened, and we grabbed up a spot as soon as we arrived, then immediately took to an auto tour of the park.

With cooled lava as far as the eyes could see, we hiked to the top of a cider cone where a single large tree stands guard. We hiked into other cones to peak down into the empty expanses below, waiting for mythical creatures to come charging out.

Then, as the afternoon sun was dropping lower in the sky, we set out on a 2 mile hike to find a lava cave to explore. Bats, rats (actually it was a squirrel), and darkness kept us company for the next hour as we tinkered about.

The following day we wanted more caving action, and with headlamps in hand, we set out on the trail that was known for having numerous caves… and we crawled and/or into each one over a few hours.

I wonder how much longer the NPS will allow visitors to freely wander these caves. I hope for a long time, but I know it will take only a single “bad apple” to ruin it for everyone else. The sheer joy of being able to tinker about at our own pace, no ranger yapping away and no crowded tour group, made this park stand out. Hiking up top, on the lava, is special enough for anyone that has not done it before (I have, at Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii) but the be *under* that lava… well that was just amazing. It’s good to have finally been able to visit Craters of the Moon.