Found within Montana's first state park, established in 1937, and located along the Jefferson River within the Tobacco Root Mountains, Lewis and Clark Caverns offers a glimpse into the state's subterranean marvels. Even given its depth inside the mountains, a tour of the caverns will, at one point, find you at an elevation of exactly one mile above sea level.
The
geological formation of the caverns is a result of ancient sea deposits dating
back to the Mississippian period, around 325 million years ago. Today, the
caverns showcase a variety of spectacular formations, including stalactites,
stalagmites, and columns, each requiring centuries of slow, patient
development. All of the formations are the result of slightly acidic water
dissolving minerals from the limestone, then dripping into the caverns and
leaving behind deposits of calcium carbonate. These deposits build up over the
eons to create all the wondrous features seen today inside the cave system.
Yesterday,
Desiree and I took a 2-hour walking tour of the caverns. The tour proved both
beautiful and pleasurable given the cool temperature of 50°F inside the
caverns. I am posting photographs from our tour.
—Mitchell Hegman
I was watching the water recede today at the beach. Yesterday’s low tide was 3’ and the high tide was 6.5’. So how does one get an exact altitude anywhere, like “exactly one mile high”? Just a very old man wondering about banal subjects.
ReplyDelete