Exploring Caves in PA
My two friends and I walked down the stairs, past ivy covered stone walls to the cave opening. The boats were lined up and ready for our tour. A couple fish came up to eat food thrown in by children.
We launched into the small cave and the temperature dropped immediately. It always stays at 52 degrees in the caves which helps bats hibernate in the winter because they stay inside to keep warm. The teal water was only about three to four feet deep and the cave walls stayed close to our boat.
We floated through different chambers where the walls would squeeze in and then sweep back out into these large alcoves above. Our guide pointed out stalagmites, stalactites, columns, mud pours, minerals and more. There was even a beaver napping on a ledge. Stories covered the walls.
The cave opened up into a serene lagoon where elk were grazing along the left bank and geese floated on the water to the right. We circled the lagoon once before heading back into the cave.
He asked if we wanted to see how dark the cave would be if he turned off that last light, and the light flicked off leaving us in pitch darkness. It was so dark you couldn't tell the difference between having your eyes open or closed. It's always unnerving to open your eyes and not see anything because it almost feels like you never opened your eyes to begin with.
As the tour wrapped up, we floated past the last few rock features and into the docking area.
For a place that went from sink hole to picturesque cave, it was an adventure worth taking. I would love to float around in there for hours.
