Basin Adventures: Caving at the Lava Beds

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Cave entrances can take many forms; from walk-in entrances like Valentine Cave, to entrances that are only accessible by ladders or ropes. Kenneth Ingham (NPS)

Fall is a great time to visit the Lava Beds National Monument. The cool crisp nights and warm days make for a comfortable adventure.

Basin Adventures is sponsored by the Klamath Falls KOA Journey, the adventure base camp of the Klamath Basin.

Many of the caves are developed and contain trails, stairways and ladders. Cave Loop, a 2-mile road just south of the visitor center offers most of the developed caves in the park. A short walk from the visitor center is Mushpot Cave. A perfect first cave to visit, as this cave has lighting and exhibits explaining the features of the cave. Mushpot is the only lit cave in the park.

Before heading underground, a stop at the visitor center is required. Where you get a flashlight (if you did not bring one) and a hard hat. Yes you will bonk your head more than you think it is a must have accessory.

Caves are divided into three groups based on varying levels of difficulty in the hardest section of the cave – Least, Moderate and Most Challenging.

Some caves to check out on your first visit are – Mushpot, Sentinel, Valentine, and Skull. A complete list of least challenging caves can be obtained on the Lava Beds Website at http://bit.ly/2fzlqmg

Before you go caving there are a few things you need to know.

1) Before entering any cave you must be screened for “White-nose Syndrome” a deadly fungal bat disease. This can be done at the visitor center. [http://bit.ly/2fyzEUo]

2) Most information you need to know is contained in the caving brochure. [http://bit.ly/2fzDltc]

3) Cave safely and softly. Conditions are dramatically different underground than they are up top. So please wear proper clothing, and leave no trace of your visit. [http://bit.ly/2fzpG5h]

Travel through the Monument is by private vehicle or commercial tour as there are no public transportation options in the park. All roads in the park, accommodate standard passenger vehicles.

Please note - Pets are not allowed on trails or in caves at the Lava Beds National Monument

For more information and to plan your trip to the Monument visit https://www.nps.gov/labe 
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Basin Adventures is brought to you by the Klamath Falls KOA. Centrally located in Klamath Falls, the Klamath Falls KOA is the perfect jump-off point to visit all the spectacular recreation sites of the Klamath Basin – Crater Lake National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, wildlife refuges, hiking, biking, fishing and so much more. Visit http://koa.com/campgrounds/klamath/ for more details and to book your next adventure base camp.

Forests Bridge Gap to Reach Wildfire

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As a wildfire rages across a forest, fire engines and heavy equipment travel swiftly along forest roads to get to the fire line. They arrive at the main bridge they need to cross, only to find it has burned and is impassible. This is not part of a storyline in a movie, it was reality for firefighters assigned to the Parker 2 Fire on the Modoc National Forest in August 2017.

The first firefighters to cross the newly placed bridge. (USDA photo by Chris Bielecki)

The first firefighters to cross the newly placed bridge. (USDA photo by Chris Bielecki)

When firefighters discovered the burned bridge in the Warner Mountains, they reported it to the Incident Management Team (IMT). An IMT is called upon to help a forest manage a fire or other emergency incident that grows too large for them to manage by themselves. Heather McRae, working as the Operations Section Chief Trainee on the IMT, remembered that there was an unused bridge being stored at the Ashe Creek Guard Station on the nearby Shasta-Trinity National Forest. When she isn’t working on fires, Heather works as the Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist on the STNF. Heather quickly relayed to the MNF about the possible replacement bridge.

Upon hearing about the unused bridge, MNF Roads Engineer, Alvin Sarmiento, coordinated with STNF Engineer, Virginia Jones, to investigate if the bridge would fit the span needed. Shortly thereafter, MNF was sending their construction and maintenance crew over to load the bridge and transport it to the Warner Mountains.

Understanding the urgent need for the bridge to be in place to help firefighters battle the Parker 2 Fire, the IMT prioritized the resources needed to move it into place. From the time construction actually began, to the time the bridge was crossed by the first firefighters, only five days had passed.

“This was an incredible team effort. We tapped into the power of the IMT ordering and buying team, supply specialists and ground support for picking up and delivering parts, the operations section for providing invaluable contract equipment and operators, and our local road crew,” said Chris Bielecki, Forest Engineer on the MNF. “And it still amazes me that the bridge was available in the first place, and that it was the right size. This experience was definitely a career highlight for me.”

While sharing resources among national forests isn’t something new to the Forest Service, the sharing and placement of physical structures like this bridge in the middle of an emergency is unique.

“When it comes to fighting fire or responding to other emergencies, if we can help another forest in their time of need, we will do it every time,” said Dave Myers, Forest Supervisor for the STNF.

The Parker 2 Fire was last reported at 7,697 acres and thanks to the nearly installed bridge has been fully contained.

USFS Article By Josef A. Orosz III, Public Affairs Specialist, Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Chris Bielecki, Forest Engineer, Modoc National Forest