Ice Cave Tour Conclusion and Additional Info

Cindy Tebo
Nov 17, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Nov 19, 2024

Departing the ice cave, the heat was oppressive. After climbing 80 stairs, I needed a drink but had forgotten to bring my water bottle. The first thing to go was my jacket.

We strolled past rocks, sagebrush, and a natural bridge. Suddenly, our group came to a halt. Someone had spotted a lizard. By the time I reached the same spot, it was gone.

The Landscape

Natural Bridge

Lizard ahead!

After completing the tour, I bought a geode inside the gift shop; and it was time to get crackin'. Evidently, I picked a geode made of steel. It would not crack. I did manage to pound all the dust out of the cloth. The tour guide observed my struggles and suggested I pick out a smaller one. I made the exchange at no charge.

I fared better with this one. It only took me 100 or so tries. By that time, I had an audience. I gave half of my geode to a young girl who patiently waited for me to finish.

The giftshop also sells mining bags where you can pan for fossils, gems, etc. I bought the fossil bag. It had a lots of shark teeth.

Panning was tricky because of flies and wasps. They liked to land in the sluice area to drink the water and cool off. Unfortunately, the wasps had stingers. This added to the adrenaline rush of the entire operation.

By now, the temps had soared to over 90 degrees. The wind had changed directions and the smoky haze that had been there in the morning was gone. It was crystal blue sailing the rest of the day.