Located up past Old Station and Hat Creek.
The entrance at a spot where the roof collapsed, which makes one a bit cautious when trundling through.
It's an old lava tube that drained out and cooled off.
The official description: Less than 20,000 yeas ago the lava of the Hat Creek flow was discharged in large volumes from a series of north-south fissures (cracks in the earth). This river of lava located near the town of Old Station, crawled northward 16 miles, covering the floor of Hat Creek Val- ley. While the top crust cooled and hardened, rivers of red-hot lava insulated by newly formed rock above, con- tinued to flow. Eventually, the lava drained away, leav- ing tube-like caves. The entrance to the cave was formed by a partial collapse of the cave’s roof many years ago. Subway Cave is the largest accessible tube in the flow.
The floor is quite rough - it's the top of the last lava flow to stop and cool.
Doing a little light painting in the inky dark.
Here you can really see the top of the lava flow as it was the moment it stopped moving and hardened up.
I really liked that last picture.
ReplyDeleteI've been in some of the tubes at Lava Beds National Park, they are interesting places. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAmazing those lava tubes. Been in many, really enjoy the ice caves. One sweltering Summer visited an undisclosed ice/lava tube out in the desert some distance from Bend. One minute it's 90+ degrees, then suddenly you're thrust back into the ice age merely walking into the shadow of the cave, confronted with thick ice better trodden by sure footed Saber tooth's.
ReplyDeleteI've visited Subway Caves several times with different ladies..A swell place to stop on a hot summer day road trip from Seattle...
ReplyDeleteOne year I stopped and gave my little sis a tour and turned out the lantern..totally dark, she freaked for a few, I explained the floor is still down and the ceiling is still up there...1972 or so..glad to see it isn't "Off Limits"..too dangerous...