One of the most magical things about the Wind River Canyon in Wyoming is also one of the least understood.  There are many caves in the canyon, most of which have never been fully explored and mapped.  Some of the caves in Wind River Canyon can easily be seen just driving through, but some have never been seen by human eyes.  Exploration of the canyon has always been frowned upon, but this has never stopped the explorer in some of us from visiting these places; caves are exciting to explore.  

     A cave is described as a hollow opening in a hill, cliff or mountain large enough for a human to enter.  The study of caves is called Speleology, which is where the popularized word spelunking comes from.  The formation and development of caves is called speleogenesis; the largest cave complex is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, which runs more than 400 miles!  The largest cave west of the Mississippi River is the Jewel Cave in South Dakota, and it's length is over 166 miles!  I've personally been in Jewel, and it's definitely worth going out of the way for.

     The first cave in the Wind River Canyon we will be looking at in this week's Wind River Canyon Blog will be the famous "Indian Maiden" cave.  The nickname of this cave was told to me by several old American Indian friends of mine.  It's funny and a bit off-color, but I didn't make the name up, I just pass on the name that the local American Indians have called it for generations.  I have been in this small cave, but so have many others.  The upper opening is actually a "rose window" of sorts.  This cave is easy to spot as you drive south through the canyon (it's on the east-side), and a fairly easy hike.  When you see it you will understand just how this cave got it's nickname......... Wind River Canyon - Cave, The Indian Maiden, WyomingThe Indian Maiden Cave of the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.

     This next cave is one that cannot be seen from the road through the canyon, and has never been entered, and has an icefall next to it....weather permitting.  The cave and icefall can be viewed from an eastern, canyon hillside.  The photograph was taken from my cabin with a telephoto lens eight days ago, but recent warm weather has destroyed most of the icefall.  Few people have seen the weird aquamarine color the ice takes on, early in the morning, as our Sun breaks the eastern rim of the Wind River Canyon. Wyoming, Wind River Canyon - Icefall and The CaveCave and Icefall in the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.      The last photograph of a cave here in the Wind River Canyon, in this week's blog, is probably the largest, and most likely part of something much larger in nature.  It's located on the other side of the Wind River, high up near the rim and just south of "Chimney Rock."  I met the old man that was the last person to visit this huge opening in the mountainside.  

     He and his friends were just boys out for an adventure when things went horribly awry.  They were young with no real equipment and no knowledge of what they were getting themselves into; one of the boys got badly hurt and had to be rescued....with a railroad handcart! (like in the old movies)  This was at least 60 years ago, maybe closer to over 70 years; time has a way of compressing memories.  If you look closely, or can zoom in on the photograph, you will see more than one cave.  The largest takes a nose-dive down to inky darkness....I've shot this cave several times under differing light, but the inky-dark shaft tells us nothing of what lies deep within this cave; or is it part of a complex, or is there a McDonald's down there?  

     There really is no information about this largest of all the caves in the Wind River Canyon, which is unfortunate.  Calcite crystals are common in the canyon, and can be found by the discerning eye.  What is to be found in these caves?  Wyoming, Wind River Canyon - CavesCaves in the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.      These caves, and the Wind River Canyon, are part of the Wind River Indian Reservation, and it's supposed to be illegal to climb and explore.  This is just a fair warning, and a way of covering my butt; but Christopher Columbus broke a few rules, too.

     The writing of the Wind River Canyon Blog and all photographs are by Michael John Balog - Hogbats Photography, Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.  

     For more landscape images of the Wind River Canyon, and award-winning Hummingbird photographs, visit HogbatsPhotography.com