by Steve
We went to the moon. Well, not exactly the moon, but something pretty close to it here in the US: Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. This is an area of volcanic activity that was formed during several eruptions dating from 2,000 years ago to 15,000 years ago. There are several types of lava here, including cinder cones, splatter cones, lava flows, and lava tubes.
Here's Jane as we're about to ascend a large cinder cone. This one is about 600 feet high, but we didn't have to start at the bottom, which makes the ascent rather pleasant. It doesn't appear that anything grows on a cinder cone, but at the top we found a tree that had taken root.
The eerie landscape of hills and craters, cinders and ashes looks rather foreign. So foreign that NASA used Craters of the Moon to prepare for the actual moon landings in the 60s and early 70s. NASA still has projects at the monument, because it is as close as you can get to walking on the moon here on earth.
This is a splatter cone. These are formed when molten lava gets spewed out of a fissure in globs. The lava cools just enough to so it doesn't flow like a river, but rather piles up in a cone around the fissure.
Much of the national monument is a landscape of lava, hardened into ridges and boulders. It's a very hard surface that is also difficult to walk on. When pioneers came through this area on the way to Oregon, they avoided these lava fields. They would not have been able to traverse them in wagons. So the Oregon Trail bypasses Craters of the Moon and follows the Snake River to the south.
Another cool feature of the park are the lava caves or lava tubes. These are caves formed when a large lava flow that is really deep (like 50 feet) begins cooling on the outer edges and forms a hard shell. The inner part is still molten and eventually flows out of the shell, leaving a cave-like tube. These tube caves can range from relatively small to hundreds of feet long. There are a number at Craters NM that you can explore. Just be sure you bring along your own flashlights (and backup light), and wear a helmet for when you inevitably bump your head on a low spot. Sometimes getting into the cave can seem a bit challenging, like the one Jane is entering above.
But often the inside opens up and there's lots of room. In the one above, we have a fairly smooth floor. That's not always the case, as there are usually rocks and debris that have fallen from the ceiling. You don't get the same features like stalactites and stalagmites in typical caves. But there's a coolness factor to them. Especially when you explore on your own. We had explored lava tubes at Lava Beds National Monument in California the previous summer, so we knew what we were getting into.
Here's another neat feature: a "lava tree." These are formed when a lava flow cools around a tree. The tree is long gone, of course, but the lava retains the shape of the tree. We had not seen these elsewhere.
Here's some logistical details if you decide to visit. Expect to spend a full day in the park to see most things, but if you want to do some hiking and caving, plan on 2 days. There is a campground in the park with no hookups, showers, or waste station. Water is available seasonally.
The nearest town to Craters NM is Arco, Idaho, about 15 miles away, which is where we stayed. Arco has a couple of RV parks, 4 or 5 restaurants, a grocery store, and a couple of gas stations. Arco appears to be dying, having lost around 25% of its population over the past 10 years. Most of the stores on main street are boarded up. Arco is 190 miles from Boise, 240 miles from Salt Lake City, and 150 miles from Jackson, Wyoming.
