May 10 2018. We continued our exploration of Volcanic badlands today – but this time on foot. Hiked the El Calderon area of El Malpais National Monument, saw lava tubes, caves, lava flows, sinks, close up cinder cone, and cinder bombs; cool stuff!
Chuck at mouth of Junction Cave, El Malpais National Monumentchecking out another lava cave at the El Calderon Area of El MalpaisThis is a Lava Sink – very deep – at El MalpaisSo much lava around, someone lined the hiking trail with lava rocks!Xenolith Cave entranceIf you get a (free) permit, you can crawl through the caves – the trail signs are cute!Looking a the inside of the Cinder Cone for El CalderonClimbing up the side of the Cinder ConeYes, we saw wildlife! Here is a lizard!
Then we traveled nearby to the commercial “ICE CAVE and BANDERA VOLCANO” site. This was actually much better than we had hoped, and we would recommend it. The hike to the volcano was relatively short, the cinder cone was magnificent. The Ice Cave was very educational (and also nice and cool after the hike to the volcano). The inside of the ice cave stays at no more than 31 degrees F.
Inside the cinder cone, BANDERA VolcanoViewing the BANDERA cinder coneLava flows at BANDERA VolcanoLava flows at BANDERA VolcanoGoing down 70 steps into the Ice caveViewing Platform at bottom of steps at the ice caveIce at the Ice cave – oldest ice dates back to 1100 AD
May 9 – After our wonderful weekend in Texas, we drove to New Mexico (picking up 18 counties along the way). We spent two nights in Santa Fe, “restocking”, the headed to El Malpais (means the badlands) National Monument and Conservation area. This area encompasses over two dozen Cinder Cones, Lava Flows, Lava Tubes and caves. The last eruption was probably 3000 years ago (the “new area”), but most of El Malpais lava is 10,000 years old. There is also a ridge of Cinder Cones (30 of them) that erupted probably 200,000 years ago.
We stopped at the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook for lunch and then headed to the La Ventana Natural Arch (the largest arch in New Mexico.
Chuck scrambling at Sandstone Bluff OverlookChuck at Sandstone Bluff, El MalpaisSandstone Bluffs Overlook, El MalpaisView from Sandstone Bluff – you can see all the lava throughout the valleyLa Ventana Natural Arch, El Malpais NMSelfie in front of La Ventana Arch
We then spent quite a few hours driving across the “Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway” (4×4, high clearance recommended). Saw lots of Cinder Cones. Road is probably a geologist’s dream. Too bad we are not geologists.
Chuck airing down the tires to start the Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway hunt for volcanosLots of cows along this backcountry bywayHere are a few of the Cinder Cones (from volcanos that erupted 200000 years ago)Closer View of Cinder ConesLots and lots of ant hills along the bywayGot the camper pretty dirty
