Colossal Cave … Part 3

Game of Thrones Western Style

Gun Bar 2

Colossal Caves: Part 3

Colossal Caverns Park Logo

Some closing shots.

Colossal Ranch cactus

Colossal Cave

Below Colossal Cave there’s other things to see and do in Colossal Cave Mountain Park. Hike, picnic, camp, Ranch, trail rides, field museum, gift shop … and more. We took a quick tour.

Colossal Cave Mountain Ranch Park Map

Down at La Posta Quemada Ranch we find this awesome sculpture
“The Cowboy” by Buck McCain. It’s almost like finding a Rembrandt
in a barber shop.

Colossal Ranch Buck McCain Statue The Cowboy

Colossal Ranch The Cowboy Plaque

THE COWBOY
THE COWBOY standing 6’8″ high including the a base (32″ x 32.5″) is an edition of 35. He depicts a working cowboy. Dress and gear are authentic reproductions. THE COWBOY stands at the entrance of the Mountain Oyster Club, Tucson, AZ; Evergreen Cementary, Colorado Springs, CO; the Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA; Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Tucson, AZ; Leanin’ Tree Western Art Musuem, Boulder, CO; the Foss Company, Golden, CO and is found in several private collections.

Gun Bar 2

Colossal Ranch phone booth

Southern Pacific Rail Road
Booths like this one, were a vital
communication for rail workers and
engineers. They were positioned about
every seven miles. Keeping the booths
operational included ____ing the
glass ____ed wet cell batteries. They had
to be kept filled with oil and battery acid.
This one was recovered form Pantano.
It had to be abandoned during the 1960’s
when the system was modernized

Colossal Ranch windmill

Colossal Ranch barb wire
What cowboys and ranchers think about barbed wire.
Colossal Ranch CCC fieldhouse museum
Civilian Conservation Corps Museum

Colossal Cave CCC museum 2

Colossal Cave Park ... leaving

Gun Bar 2

Hotel

After a hot day of caving we earn a dip in the pool!

Back at the Hotel

Back at the Hotel 2

Ya Baby !

 Next:
Old Tucson Studios

Colossal Cave … Part 2


Silent Partner / Event Departure

Part 2: Colossal Caves / Inside

Colossal Caverns Park Logo

Before we go inside Colossal Cave, I need to clarify something: Rose and I are not ghost hunters. It’s not on our minds. Nor are we paranormal researchers, etc. Yet in our journeys in Arizona we seem to be continually encountering ghostly phenomenon – namely in the form of what paranormal researchers call ‘orbs’ – supposedly ghostly manifestations that are often seen in haunted locations. But it’s only pure coincidence that these places we’ve visited in the past in Arizona are ‘paranormal hotspots’.

Our first encounter was in Yuma where Rose photographed an orb in the notorious “dark cell” at old Yuma State Territorial Prison. The fact is that we were only in Yuma because I was getting dental work done across the border in Algodones, Mexico. Otherwise we wouldn’t have gone there at all.

Our next encounter was in Tombstone’s Bird Cage Theatre. This trip to Tombstone was a gift from Rose to me because of my interest (and Blog) on Westerns Movies. I had not planned to go to Tombstone – and hadn’t known of The Bird Cage’s reputation for being haunted. I’d hoped I’d be able to visit Tombstone someday, but hadn’t counted on it.

Now we come to Colossal Cave – where I’ve now learned is yet another famously haunted location. All of these locations are high on the list of people who investigate and seek out ghostly phenomenon. But we didn’t know that. Even if we had known it, I surely wouldn’t have expected to encounter anything. And apart from visiting Tombstone itself we had no intention of going to Colossal Caves – and didn’t even know it existed. Our experiences were not intentional – or sought out – but hard to ignore – though fun and interesting to us. I mentioned them here and shown what evidence we have for your own interest and fun. I’ve known for a long time that ghosts exist and I didn’t need any proof – and truthfully, I’d generally avoid such any such encounters if possible.

Onward.

Colossal Caves entrance

Above is the first photograph I took in the caves.
That’s our Tour Guide on the steps.

There’s a small orb right behind Rose.
(You are free to think otherwise, but that’s exactly what it is.)
Below enlarged.

Colossal Caves orb 1

Colossal Caves onward and upward

Below and above: Broken stalactites are evident. There was a lot of this throughout Colossal Caves which had been inhabited, used and visited for hundreds of years by local natives – then miners – then outlaws. This is just one of the reasons the 2 cavers who discovered Kartchner Caverns kept them a secret for 14 years. Soot from fires in the cavern also can be seen. I’m sure there was plenty of graffiti and garbage that was needed to be removed as well.

Colossal Caves Rose

Colossal Caves tour

The second shot with a very visible orb right in the middle.
(No, that is not from his flashlight.)
Pardon my finger in the shot.

Colossal Caves Tour 2

Colossal Caves Tour 3

Below: 2 orbs appear quite clearly at the top center.

Colossal Caves Tour 4

Below: When you Tour these caves, keep a tight grip on your cameras and purses. There are lots of places where you will not recover them if they fall.

Colossal Caves Tour 5

Colossal Caves Tour 6
???

Colossal Caves Tour 7

Not as spectacular as Kartchner Caverns, but definitely some decent things to see here.

Colossal Caves Tour 8

Colossal Caves Tour 9

Colossal Caves 10

Colossal Caves Tour 11

Colossal Caves Tour 12

Colossal Caves Tour 13

Colossal Caves Tour 14

Colossal Caverns Park Logo

Colossal Cavern … Part 1

One good cave deserves another.

Not really knowing what to expect, the next day we head over to Colossal Caverns.

If you were wondering why 2 cavers, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts decided to keep Kartchner Caverns a secret for 14 years (from 1974), you’re about to find out.

Colossal Caverns aren’t as big as Kartchner Caverns, but have a unique and interesting History. And other things …

We came away with so many photos from around there that I’ll need to do this in 2 or 3 Parts.

Part 1: Colossal Caves / The Entrance

Colossal Caverns 1 at the entrance
Colossal I tell ya !
Colossal Caverns - dismounting
Dismounting from rental steed …

Colossal Caverns -  the sign

Colossal Caverns - cave facility
Cave Entrance and Gift Shop in background
Colossal Caverns - trail to Cave
Path to Gift Shop and Caves

Colossal Caverns gift shop and entrance

Colossal Caverns - plaque

Colossal Caverns - plaque 2 Colossal Caverns - resting

Colossal Caverns - panorama
Nice View

Colossal Caverns - Rose and miner

Colossal Caverns - Frank S

Colossal Caverns - Frank Schmidt plaque

Colossal Caverns view

Colossal Caverns Gift Shop

Colossal Caverns - entrance
Cave Entrance
Colossal Caverns - thermometer
A comfortable 70 Degrees F. inside the cave

Colossal Caverns - panorama 2

Colossal Caverns - view 2

Next: Part 2: Into Colossal Cavern