After we visited the Big Obsidian Flow Barb and I drove a few miles north to see the Lava River Cave. It is a lava tube nearly one mile long. There are no natural light sources and the only light sources are those you bring in with you. Pictures were difficult to take and those which were attempted were nearly pointless in attempting to convey the size and awesomeness of this tube.
Barb had never been in a cave before and found the experience less than enjoyable. It wasn’t claustrophobia because we didn’t get to anything particularly small and she has been in small confined spaces before without issue.
I have never been in this lava tube, but the Ape Caves, near Mt. St. Helens are very impressive. The sheer size of many portions of the Ape Cave defy the human scale. Looks like the Lava River Cave will be a future trip along with the Obsidian Flow. I have never seen obsidian pieces as large as the one in the picture with Barb. Nature has some truly amazing things to show us.
I haven’t been in that cave, but I’ve been in a non-commercial lava tube in Lassen National Park, and some kind of volcanic cave in California’s Mojave Desert Reserve. A coworker gave me a book, “Central Oregon Caves”, by Charlie and Jo Larson, and by remarkable coincidence, the brochure for the Lava River Cave.