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Mitchell CavernsWonder of the Mojave Desert
Providence Mountains State
Recreation Area⢠100 mi east of Barstow; 60
mi west of Needles⢠Contains 20 known caves,
including Mitchell Caverns
⢠5,900 acres in eastern Mojave Desert
⢠elevation range: 3,400 - 7,171 ft
Mitchell Caverns⢠Located at Park headquarters⢠4,300 ft with view of
surrounding land⢠Dimensions
â 300 ft below surfaceâ several hundred ft long
⢠65° year round⢠Only limestone caves in the CA
park system⢠Electrically lit, paved walkways
The Caverns
⢠2 caverns may have been continuous but filled in by calcite deposits
⢠Passage created in early 70s⢠Winding Stair Cave also
included in parkâ Used for practice cave
rescues
⢠El Pakiva â âhouse of the devilâ or
âpool of water from the eye of the mountainâ
⢠Tecopa â Legendary Shoshone
chief
Whatâs the difference between a cave and a cavern, anyway?
According to the National Park Service, not much:
Cave: An underground chamber or cavity created by natural means.
Cavern: A large cave or a cave of indefinite extent. Considered by some cave geologists as
caves formed by solution.
Geologic History
Formation of Caverns
⢠About 12 Ma:â Area had wetter climate; rainforestâ Organic groundcover makes rainwater
acidicâ Carbonic acid seeps through ground;
dissolves limestone⢠Climate change
â Water table lowersâ Environment for creating speleothemsâ Calcite-rich water precipitates when
caverns are not water filled
Rare and Exciting Speleothems
⢠Coral Pipesâ small, cylindrical formationsâ pebbles allow for erosion into silt pillarsâ pipes created when travertine deposits on
silt pillarsâ only found in 8 caves worldwideâ rare because flow of water must cease at
critical point
⢠Cave Shieldsâ 3 ft wide, 1/2 in thick, semicircular sheet of calciteâ formed when water seeping in from a crack in the
walls deposits layers of calciteâ only found in 60 caves in the US
Fairly Nifty Speleothems
Flowstone (travertine): formed by flowing water.
Cave coral (popcorn): knobby clusters of calcite or aragonite
Stalagmites: formed up from the floor, generally beneath a stalactite.
Helictites: deposit that generally spirals as it grows, seems to defy gravity.
Stalactites: formed on ceilings.
Wanted: Dead or Alive
⢠Probably last growing significantly at the end of the last Ice Age (10,000 yrs ago)
⢠Long thought to be âdeadâ⢠Currently active only during heavy rains⢠âNormalâ growth rate: 1 inch/20 yrs⢠Mitchell growth rate: 1 inch/10,000 yrs
Cave Life
⢠Townsendâs batsâ relocated after installed passage
created airflow changesâ after airlock put in, started to return
⢠Rare spider beetle⢠Prehistoric Ground Sloth
â 15,000 yrs old; from Pleistocene timeâ also fossilized tissue of giant
redwoods, tropical ferns from this time
Chemehuevi Indians
⢠500 years⢠âEyes of the mountainâ⢠Evidence
â cavern walls blackened by smokeâ pottery shards, arrowheads, hidden food and tool caches found
⢠Thought to be used seasonally for shelter and storage⢠âyoung boys were probably left in the darkness of the caves as part of
a coming-of-age ritualâ; âcame to harvest pinyon nuts in a five-year nomadic cycleâ
⢠Way of life changed with introduction of miners, explorers, etc.⢠Currently live on reservation by Colorado River
Crystal Cave and Ghost Stories
Jack and Ida Mitchell⢠Moved to desert
â Early 1930sâ Came because of Depression
⢠Decided to develop caverns commerciallyâ Prospecting silver not profitable
⢠Improvements to areaâ Stone buildings, including current park headquartersâ Built 23 mi road to caverns
⢠Explored caverns; stuck in Winding Stair Cave for 2 days⢠Gave tours of the caverns
â Known for candle lit tours; ghost stories
Birth of a Park
⢠Park transferred to state 1954⢠Kept a state entity according to CA
Desert Protection Act of 1994
⢠By 1950s, Mitchell could no longer care for caverns
⢠Entered negotiations with CA ⢠Died before negotiations complete
Oliver Stone and Mitchell Caverns?
⢠Scene from 1991 film âThe Doorsâ shot in the caverns⢠Controversy over pictographs added to walls
â Couldnât be removed at firstâ Hired special team to flush paint out of walls
⢠Initiated more interest in the caverns
⢠Other recent events:â Earthquake in October 1999 temporarily destabilized
roof/trailâ Reopened 2000