Exploring an old volcano - Ape Caves, Lava Canyon

First, let me say that there are no apes in Ape Cave.  Dad said it probably got its name because of the frequent sasquatch sightings in that area (Mountain Apes).  Second, let me say that there are no (recent) Sasquatch sightings in Ape Cave.  Dad's hunt to find Bigfoot continues.  Amelia thinks the Bigfoots (or is it Bigfeet) ran away when Mt. St. Helens exploded.

Regardless, this past weekend was filled with a lot of exploring and some hiking.  On Sunday, we went to Ape Caves.  For my birthday, I received a lot of cool stuff, including a new backpack (perfect for hiking), a headlamp shaped like a panda and a new lantern.  I needed somewhere to test my gear.  Somewhere like a pitch black cave without bats (panda headlamps and Amelia are afraid of bats).

 Ape Caves was perfect.  It is an unlit, natural, underground lava tube (I call it a cave still).  Equipped with winter hats, coats, my backpack and plenty of lighting, we wandered through the dark, like explorers.  It was so dark, I could turn off the flashlights and not tell if my eyes were open or closed. 

Amelia and Dad made a hiking video of their adventure in the tunnel, check it out. 

Dad says the lighting is a little "Blair Witch" - whatever that means.  I think it is not so interesting to watch someone walk through the dark.

After a 1.5 mile hike down and back through the cave, we had lunch and rested for our next hike.  Lava Canyon.  I was excited, because I am struggling with the concept of lava and liquid earth/rocks.  How can rocks be like water?  For those wondering, Lava Canyon does not have any liquid lava, just a river running through an exposed lava chute.  It was still pretty cool.  Because of the higher elevation, the canyon had cooler temperatures so the leaves had already started to change!  The trees were like a rainbow.

 Amazingly, after 2.5 miles of hiking in one day (my farthest yet), I did not fall asleep on the long car ride home (mom did though, hehe). 

Unrelated to Sunday's activities, on Saturday, we had the neighbors over for s'mores.  As you can see in the picture below, we are sitting on a new bench that Dad, Amelia and I built Saturday morning.  Last weekend, we rescued a really cool and heavy wooden pallet.  After some labor, we turned it into a bench!  Now, we just need to paint it. 

Check out all of the pictures from Ape Cave, Lava Canyon and our Marshmallow Roast here.  Here's another link to Dad and Amelia's video.

Peace Out,
Phin