Slaughter Canyon Cave

I had a day of training today and it was awesome.  There is a cave inside park boundaries called Slaughter Canyon Cave.  Don't worry, the name doesn't come from anything bloody happening there, but the ranch owner's rather unfortunate surname.  I toured this cave during training and have been wanting to get back in it for a long time.  It's a fabulous space with some magnificent formations.  I have to go on three training trips to get signed off to lead groups myself.  This was training trip #2 for me.

 

Below are The Guardians.

One of my personal favorites is the Christmas Tree.  It really sparkles!  I wish I could have some way of showing perspective on this thing.  It's huge! 

The Great Wall of China.  This is an amazing rimstone dam that stretches for quite a ways in the cave.  It's hard to tell how much it sticks up out of the ground, but it's pretty amazing.  Water, calcite, and a lot of time.  What a strange, wonderful, different, and awe inspiring place caves can be.

A wall of decoration.  I'm going again in a week and a half for training trip #3 and I can't wait.

There is a fairly significant hike to Slaughter.  It's only a half mile, but it is almost straight up and the Chihuahuan Desert has been showing lately just how hot it can get (100s).  However, the cave is a cool 63 degrees.  Any and all visitors are welcome!

Aphonopelma chalcodes

I had a visitor trying to join me for breakfast yesterday morning.  I was sitting at the kitchen table when this guy started climbing the screen door.  He (or she) was huge!

I snapped a couple photos.  I've seen a few of these desert tarantulas around lately.  They're fun to watch because they are rather slow and their movements are very precise.