National Park Service Monument News U.S. Department of the Interior Oiregon CGW®§ THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF OREGON CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT Volume 20 The 2007 Edition ^^^^^^^. Oregon Caves—yours to Discover Welcome from the Superintendent Ticket Sales Cave Tours Tour Schedule The season to enjoy Oregon Caves National Monument's Tour tickets are sold on a first- The tour lasts approximately 90 Spring many natural and cultural come first-served basis and may minutes. Average temperature March 24 to May 25 resources is here again. As be purchased for any available in the cave is 44°F (7°C) year 10:00AM to 4:00PM our Centennial Celebration tour scheduled for that day. round. Trail surfaces inside the Tours on the hour approaches in 2009 we have Tickets have assigned tour times cave are uneven and wet. Be some very exciting things in so please be sure to arrive on sure to wear warm clothing and May 26 to June 22 store. This summer marks time for your scheduled tour. good walking shoes. 9:00AM to 5:00PM the return of our Introduc­ tion to Caving tours for those Arriving early in the day during Due to the low ceilings and nar­ Tours on the hour inspired by challenging all July and August will help you row passageways in the cave, Summer the senses, including your carrying children or backpacks avoid long waits for a cave tour. June 23 to Sept. 3 sense of adventure. Our park is not permitted. Cameras with rangers have designed their Tour tickets can only be pur­ flash units are welcome, but 9:00AM to 6:00PM tours and ranger programs chased at the Visitor Center. The tripods or the use of personal Tours every 30 mins. to provide educational and Visitor Center opens 30 minutes flashlights are not allowed. Candlelight Tours enjoyable experiences for before the first cave tour of the Fri. & Sat. at 6:30PM visitors, keeping in mind the day and closes when the last The Tour Route National Park Service mis­ regular cave tour of the day de­ Fall sion to preserve our natural The cave tour is considered Sept. 4 to Oct. 8 parts. Lockers are available for moderately strenuous. It is and cultural resources for storing personal items. this and future generations. not recommended for people 9:00AM to 5:00PM I hope that your experience with heart, breathing, walking, Tours on the hour here at Oregon Caves in­ $8.50 for Adults or bending problems. The 0.6 Oct. 9 to Oct. 21 spires you to get involved, by $6.00 for Youth (16 and under) mile (1 km) route includes more participating in conservation than 500 stairs, most of which 10:00AM to 4:00PM issues and sharing your ideas We honor your America the are steep, uneven, and wet. Low Tours on the hour about how best to protect Beautiful, National Park, Senior, passageways require bending Oct. 22 to Nov. 25 our public lands. We look Access, and Volunteer Passes. and twisting. These passes can be purchased 10:00AM to 4:00PM forward to your input. in our Visitor Center. In order to participate in the Tours every 2 hours, cave tour, children must be at 10 - Noon - 2 - 4 Special Tour least 42 inches tall and able Closed on Thanksgiving to demonstrate their ability to A complimentary wheelchair climb a set of test stairs. Child Winter tour is available into the cave's care services are not available. Cave Closed for Tours first room. Thank you for coming to visit, Hiking Trails Ranger Programs The Chateau Craig Ackerman INSIDE... The View Master..... pg 3 Explore Beyond Oregon Caves pg 4 Introduction to Caving Tour. pg 8 Page 6 Page 6 Page 7 Illinois Valley Drive., pg 8 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Parting (Gas) Is Such Sweet Sorrow or How Marble got its Black Lines John Roth, Chief of Resource Management Oregon Caves National Monument For 15 million years, bacte­ oceans This event probably to survive it, but it became so Elijah Davidson is credited by rial reefs covered all shallow killed three times more species widespread that there were few many for discovering the cave. He oceans. This last happened than the meteor that would kill refuges for life to survive it. came upon it in November of 1874 over a billion years ago, so the dinosaurs 188 million years The "sweet" side to this vent­ while hunting with his dog Bruno. long ago that animals hadn't later. As word spread about its beauty, ing of toxic gas event was the even begun to eat microbes. damage to the cave and its delicate Although not yet so extreme, reduced competition for the Even before the Caves' bed­ formations caused great concern. such rapid and extensive ex­ species that did survive it. This rock began to form, rising lava In July of 1909, President Taft tinction then, as now, came eventually gave rise to an even cooked organic-rich muds signed a proclamation establishing from increased acids, drought, higher biodiversity than before into methane, producing a Oregon Caves National Monu­ hurricanes, deforestation, ero­ the catastrophe. Genetic isola­ ment in order to protect this special greenhouse gas a twenty fold sion, "dead zones," toxic metals, tion accumulated and acceler­ place for future generations. First stronger than carbon dioxide. biotic invasions, and climate ated mutations into new species. managed by the Forest Service, it During this time the Earth's warming from burning fossil fu­ However, it has taken at least 15 was transfered to the National Park atmosphere was filled with els. The only major differences million years to recover, biodi­ Service in 1934. greenhouse gases due to the between then and now is the versity-wise. And the black-lined many volcanic eruptions on Superintendent extent and duration. Not only marble in the Caves are likely a the Earth's surface. These Craig Ackerman was the holocaust so fast that record of a dramatic change in gases combined and warmed life couldn't evolve adaptations the Earth's enviroment. Chief of Administration the Earth enough to melt the Jean Corrigan methane "ice" that was found in oceans and polar soils. Chief of Interpretation Roger Brandt The resulting hothouse event stopped the oxygen flow in Chief of Maintenence seawater. Hydrogen sulfide John Cavin then bubbled in the seawa­ ter producing a strong acid Chief of Resource Management that dissolved tree leaves and John Roth animal lungs, killing over 95% of all life bigger than bacteria. In an Emergency This event also decreased Dial 9 1 1 oxygen, ozone, ice, oceanic currents, and habitats for CONTACT INFORMATION nearly all species. When the Mailing Address bacterial mats began to die Oregon Caves National Monument they would sink forming 19000 Caves Highway layers on the bottom of the Graphite lines in the marble are likely remnants of bacterial mats Cave Junction, OR 97523 that were deposited within ancient tropical reefs. Park Website www.nps.gov/orca Map of Oregon Caves' Information Tour Routes Park Headquarters 541-592-2100 Fax Number 541-592-3981 Publication of this paper was made possible by a grant from the Oregon Caves Natural History Association. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the Amercian people so that all may experience our heritage. Park Regulations * DO NOT feed wildlife. * Stay on marked trails. * Pets are not permitted on trails. Pets must be attended and kept on a leash at all times. * Camping or campfires are not permitted in the monument. * Due to high fire danger, smoking is not permitted on any of the trails. * Hunting, trapping, and/or possessing of a firearm are prohibited. 2 Oregon Caves Monument News The View Master: A Toy with Roots at Oregon Caves Roger Brandt, Chief of Interpretation The small toy called the View The View Master story started in Master is familiar to many people. 1938 when the inventor, William Some may even still have the Gruber, of Portland, met Harold round, cardboard photo reels that Grimes, the president of Sawyers, were given to them in their early Inc., an Oregon postcard manu­ childhood. The toy had an astound­ facturing company. They had just ing impact nationally as well as finished a tour of Oregon Caves globally, and it is estimated that and began talking about the pair over 65 percent of the world's of identical cameras that Gruber population recognize the name had mounted on his tripod. Gruber View Master. It is surprising that a explained that the two cameras Oregon Caves Chateau dr. 1938 toy destined to rise to global sig­ simultaneously took photos of the ter reels went on sale in December years after Gruber and Grimes met nificance began its journey here in same object from two different of 1939 and enjoyed instant popu­ at Oregon Caves, the Chalet was the Illinois Valley of Oregon. angles and these could be viewed larity. However, it is ironic that the torn down and a three-story struc­ through a special device to see reels for Oregon Caves National ture, the building present today, was three-dimensional pictures. Monument, the place where the constructed. View Master story began, were not Grimes was interested in hearing produced until 1956. The Oregon Caves reels produced more, so they decided to meet for in 1956 have photos of the Chalet dinner in the Oregon Caves lodge Nevertheless, this delay is what when it was a two-story building. to talk about the idea. That eve­ makes the Oregon Caves reels These photos had to be taken before ning they drew up the preliminary perhaps the most unique set ever 1940, and it is likely that the ones plans and agreements for putting produced for the View Master.