NSS CONVENTION 2006
Bellingham, Washington
INTRODUCTION
The National Speleological Society 2006 convention was held at Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, from August 7 to August 11. Over 750 people attended the convention. Monongahela Grotto received two honors: Doug McCarty is a new NSS Fellow and Brian Masney had a slide shown in the photo salon.
PRE-CONVENTION CAVING
I attended the pre-convention caving camp, located on the slopes of Mount Saint Helens.
The volcano belched steam during the entire campout. We explored numerous lava tube caves in the area, including the “tourist” caves Ape Cave (over 4,000 feet long) and Lake Cave (over 6,000 feet long). We were fortunate to also explore the gated cave Pillars of Hercules that contains fantastic lava driblet formations.
Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument.
Mount Saint Helens from the south. The blast zone is on the opposite side of the mountain. Clear-cut logging is disturbingly common in the pacific northwest.
Mount Saint Helens belching steam. Taken from the climber’s bivouac camping area on the south slope.
PILLARS OF HERCULES CAVE
Pillars of Hercules is a gated lava tube cave on the slopes of Mount Saint Helens.
It contains fantastic lava driblet formations, including lavacicles and driblet stalagmites.
The lava beds are covered with luxurious carpets of moss and pine forests.
Harry at the innocuous entrance to Pillars of Hercules Cave.
Roots penetrate into the passageway of Pillars of Hercules.
One of the pillars in the braided passageway that give this cave its name.
Lava driblet stalagmites. They are about eighteen inches high.
Lava driblet stalagmites, about two feet in height.
Detail on a lava driblet stalagmite.
A particularly impressive passageway, with lava helictites and driblet stalagmites.
Matt shows us some impressive lava roses and driblet stalagmites.
Lava helictites. They are about four inches long.
LAKE CAVE
Lake Cave is a 6,000-foot long lava tube cave on the slopes of Mount Saint Helens, downstream from Ape Cave. It is well-visited by tourists who find themselves descending a broken cable ladder just past the entrance. The cave terminates in a lake room where inflowing silt and sand filled the cave. The lake is dry in the summer.
The broken cable ladder in Lake Cave.
Typical lava tube passage in Lake Cave. The shiny white surfaces are colonies of bacteria.
Phyllis in the lava tube passage in Lake Cave. The humidity in the tube is evident. Flash assistance by Matt.
Phyllis in the lava tube passage in Lake Cave. Flash assistance by Matt.
APE CAVE
Ape Cave is another well-visited 5,000-foot long lava tube cave on the slopes of Mount Saint Helens. Even though this is considered a tourist cave it has impressive geologic features that it a worthwhile trip for the caver. The most famous formation is the “meatball,” an oblong boulder that was rafted in the lava flow and became wedged in the ceiling as the lava receded.
Phyllis investigates an effluent stream tube in the wall of the lava tube.
The red color is iron oxide staining.
Classic lava tube passageway in Ape Cave.
Classic lava tube passageway in Ape Cave.
Phyllis examines the meatball in Ape Cave.
THE CONVENTON
The 2006 NSS Convention was held on the beautiful campus of Western Washington University. During the convention I went caving only on one day. We explored the Big Four Ice Caves in the North Cascades, about two hours from the convention site.
Haskell Plaza, site of the nightly convention parties.
My buds from Sandia Grotto, New Mexico.
Harry and Dave.
My buds from Sandia Grotto, New Mexico.
Jackey and Harry at the convention banquet.
BIG FOUR ICE CAVES
The Big Four Ice Caves are located at the base of Big Four Mountain in the North Cascade of Washington. The ice caves are carved out of a permanent snowfield at the base of high cliffs by the action of waterfalls and streams.
The glaciers high on Big Four Mountain avalanche during the winter. The avalanche debris piles high into permanent snowfields at the base of the avalanche gullies.
Later in the spring, as snowmelt cascades down the cliffs, tunnels are melted into the snowfields. A tunnel forms at the back of the snowfields from the waterfalls.
The streams run under the snowfields and melt braided tunnels that emerge from the downhill edge of the snowfields.
These “ice caves” are extremely unstable. They are always in a state of collapse and remodeling. We believed that it was safest for us to travel along the walls of the caves instead of out under the roof. We also stayed away from the thin edges of the snowfields where the collapsing was most notable. Finally, we discovered that it is best to stay away from the waterfalls. Rock fall bouncing down thousand foot cliffs make quite a crash when they enter the back of the cave with the cascading water.
We explored two ice caves at Big Four Mountain. The first cave was the largest of the two ice caves. It had a large entrance tunnel but was very short. Thus it was well lit from the various entrances. The second ice cave was much smaller, longer, darker – and colder. It was definitely much more like a real cave. The waterfall room in the back of the cave was dark and full of spray.
The constant dripping of water from the egg-crate-like patterns on the ceiling make photography very difficult. One of my digital cameras failed due to moisture and I had to switch to a backup camera.
The lush rainforest of the North Cascades.
The warning sign at Big FourMountain.
Another warning sign at Big Four Mountain.
Wildflowers above treelike near Big Four Mountain.
A tremendous erosional gully at the base of Big Four Mountain. The gully was formed by erosion of a soft layer on the metamorphic bedding planes.
One of the permanent snowfields at the base of Big Four Mountain’s avalanche gullies.
Notice the waterfall entering the back of the snowfield.
Blake approaching the snowfield.
Notice the people for scale near the cave entrance.
Blake traversing the edge of one of the snowfields.
Blake at the entrance of the first ice caves.
Harry in the first ice cave.
Blake at the back of the first ice cave near the waterfall.
Blake.
Harry at the base of the waterfall in the first ice cave.
Harry.
Blake in a large room in the first ice cave.
Harry.
Blake entering the second ice cave.
Harry entering the second ice cave.
Blake explores braided passageway in the second ice cave.
Blake explores braided passageway in the second ice cave.
A backlit photo of Blake showing all of the water droplets pouring from the ceiling.
A waterspout pouring out of the ceiling in the second ice cave.
Blake nearing the exit of the second ice cave.
Blake at the exit of the second ice cave.
Harry drying out after the second ice cave.
POST-CONVENTION
Jackey and I visited Vancouver, British Columbia, for three days after the convention.
We visited countless art galleries and museums. These include the Vancouver Art Gallery and the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology.
Vancouver
Vancouver Art Gallery
One of Bill Reid’s wonderful bronze sculptures.
The University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology.
Another Bill Reid masterpiece.
Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver
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