A Sad Relict

Near the city of Glenwood Springs, along the northern wall of scenic Glenwood Canyon, is a sad example of a once beautiful cave. Following a century of abuse and neglect, cavers seldom visit the Cave of the Clouds overlooking Interstate Highway 70.

A commercial attraction in the 1890s, Clouds is a shadow of its former self today. Visitors to this once wondrous cave have chipped and smashed nearly every stalactite and stalagmite that earlier delighted paying visitors. Spray-painted names cover the walls. Dust kicked up from countless visitors covers the remaining formations with a uniform gray color. Even if the private owners decided to build a gate on the entrance and restrict access to a selected few, the cave will never again regain its former glory. It stands alone and abandoned, a reminder to all who venture underground about how man can soil some of this planet’s most beautiful areas.

Surprisingly, few caves in Colorado contain streams or lakes. Most are dusty or filled with boot-sucking mud. The sound of water flowing underground is melodic, a pleasing change from the exceptional quiet of most caves. More than once I have been surprised to hear the beating of my own heart when waiting alone for the return of companions exploring side passageways.

The complete and total darkness of caves can be intoxicating. Although some commercial cave tour guides claim the darkness is a certain percentage darker than the darkest night, it is technically much more than that. Caves are darker than any overcast night or even deepest outer space, for there are no distant stars or planets to bring forth light. The darkness underground is utterly black without the tiniest amount of light, no matter how long you wait for your eyes to adjust.

Caves at altitude are also cold. They remain a constant temperature throughout the year – an average of the highest and lowest temperatures of the outside world. The air is the same temperature as the rock, meaning that a cave at 38 degrees, like many Colorado caves, can bring about hypothermia and even death if the visitor is not properly dressed. Just like one would not consider spending a night outside in the mountains without warm clothing, a visitor to a cave inadequately dressed will become very cold in a short amount of time.

One reason for the coldness is the constant humidity in caves. In many caves, the humidity is usually near 100 percent. This is much moister than the outside world where Coloradoans enjoy days with 20 percent or lower humidity. With such high humidity underground, the cold feels even more so. Yet, it is the constant humidity that allows the continued growth of stalactites, stalagmites and other speleothems.

As stewards for the natural features of this state both above and below ground, we must make the effort to see that there are no more Cave of the Clouds in Colorado’s future. Each cave, no matter how unimportant or insignificant it appears, must be fiercely protected. For unlike the forests of trees that cover the Rockies, or the air and water that flow freely across the surface, the underground world cannot be replenished, restored or rebuilt within the lifetime of all mankind. Our actions and decisions in caves like Hubbard’s Cave, Cave of the Clouds and countless lesser-known caves will be felt for generations.

Adapted in part from ColoradoCaves (Westcliffe Publishers, 2001) by Richard Rhinehart with photography by David Harris. Copyright 2001 by Richard Rhinehart; used with permission of the author. Portions of this feature previously appeared as “Exploring the Mysteries Below the Surface,” by Richard Rhinehart in Colorado Country Life Magazine, July 2004. Copyright 2004 by Richard Rhinehart; used with permission of the author.