After driving over 400 miles on Friday,
Mr. Hawthorne and I headed off Saturday morning
to our first destination point-
Linville Caverns,
which lie deep inside Humpback Mountain,
seen in the background.
We stopped along the way so I could take a video.
A train was nice enough to provide ambiance.
Road to Linville Caverns.
While waiting for our guided tour to begin,
I shot a few pictures of the area.
There's a little stream coming out of the caverns
with trout.
This is right at the entrance to the caverns.
Linville Caverns, North Carolina's only show caverns,
were discovered by a fisherman, Henry E. Colton, in 1822,
when he noticed trout swimming in and out
of the mountain and he started looking
to see where the fish were going.
There was a small opening in the mountainous
terrain which allowed the fish to enter
the subterranean recess that is still
home to native trout in an underground stream.
Colton, who later served as the state geologist
of Tennessee, wrote of his exploration:
"...now began the wondrous splendors of the hidden world...we emerged into an immense passage, whose roof was far beyond the reach of the glare of our torches, except where the fantastic festoons of stalactites hang down within our touch. It looked like the arch of some grand old cathedral, yet it was too sublime, too perfect in all its beautiful proportions, to be anything of human, but a model which man might attempt to imitate. It was not a large, gross cavern,...pendants were of a delicate lightness, and a most beautiful hue..."
The caverns were opened for public touring in 1937.
Recently, the US Fish & Wildlife Service
has closed numerous undeveloped caves
frequented by spelunkers
to prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome
in bat colonies.
The recent closings do not apply to Linville Caverns
or other commercial caverns.
The small number of bats that hibernate in Linville
are not infected and are monitored on a daily basis.
The caverns maintain a consistent
52 degree temperature year round,
allowing a unique ecosystem to exist inside.
Linville Caverns remain active as mineral deposits
continue to form the stalactites and stalagmites.
The mineral rich water produced by Humpback Mountain,
with its carbon dioxide,
created the caverns by dissolving limestone
and dolomite,
thus creating natural labyrinthine
passageways into the mountain.
Our guide showed us one area
of clear water, a bottomless pool,
the depth of which
has never been measured.
Researchers and scientists have tried to
determine where the bottom lies but have not
been able to.
Divers have explored the pool also
and have not been able to reach the bottom.
Enjoy the pictures of Linville Caverns.
This is a hibernating Eastern Pipistrelle Bat.
In the 1860's American Civil War deserters
from both sides used the caverns as a hideout.
Two soldiers were hiding out
and having a camp fire at this spot.
They were later captured
after soldiers on top of the caverns
saw smoke coming out of the ground.
This is not for the claustrophobic.
A little cave humor.
You can see here where the water table used to be.
Mr. Hawthorne, of course, had to stop at the
Linville Mountain Gem Shop.
I wanted this little pretty,
but Mr. Hawthorne wouldn't buy it for me.
It was only $1600.
I wanted something to bring home with me
but it's awfully hard to choose.
I decided on this pretty amethyst geode.
And this one.
And this pretty quartz crystal.
Mr. Hawthorne likes his gold nuggets
and he picked out this 6.85 gram piece.
If you look carefully on the top in the recesses,
you'll see quartz crystal.
Mr. Hawthorne so wanted to stop at a gold panning place,
buy a bucket of rocks,
start panning,
and sneak in his nugget just to see
the expression on the proprietor's face
when he "discovered" gold.
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