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Ohio Caverns
by Stormy on July 30, 2007

Businesses, they say, are only as good as their managers. If you want a quality operation, you go to people who know what they are doing and who love doing it. Such was the cave at Ohio Caverns.

As I was getting tickets to go into Ohio Caverns, I discovered that the cave manager, working the front desk, was an NSS member. He was very excited about his cave and made an assurance that it was a world different from my tour at Olentangy Indian Caverns. "Take the tour," he said, "and if you don't think it's better than Olentangy, come back and I'll refund your money." You have to be pretty sure of yourself to make a claim like that. So off I went with a group of fourteen tourists and two guides. Needless to say, the first room put Olentangy Indian Caverns to shame and the formations only got better and better. We traveled through the Crystal Sea, the Catacombs and the Big Room. The Ohio Caverns Big Room doesn't even being to compare to Carlsbad's Big Room – all of Ohio Caverns would probably fit in there – but it had rather amazing formations such as the Old Town Pump and the Crystal King. One stalactite and stalagmite set was perfectly aligned and just 1/16 of an inch apart. Aaron, the tour guide, claimed that in about 40 years the two formations would merge to create a column. That's a claim I'm willing to believe! I found the tour entertaining and informative and best of all, I did not feel the urge to shout "bullshit!" at the top of my lungs. The tour was indeed good cave science. On the way out I checked in with the manager again and told him that I really did appreciate having a professional tour. It was time and money well spent.

Ohio Caverns historical marker.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
Water still forms sections of the Ohio Caverns.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
A lot of young formations can be found all over the cave...
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
...older formations abound as well.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
Many passages are crested with shiny white stalactites...
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
...and many of those are too beautiful for words.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
The multitude of formations at Ohio Caverns is amazing.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
Bring a lot of film.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
The Old Town Pump (lower right).
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
The Crystal King.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
The stalactite and stalagmite on the left are only 1/16 of an inch apart. If the conditions in the cave don't change, in the next 40 years these two speleothems will join to form a column.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
In flash-free ambient light the colors stand out in sharp contrast.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
It's a virtual forest of formations...
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
...and more formations...
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
...and even more!
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)
Stormy is ready to head home.
(taken by Max on July 30, 2007)


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