Wind CaveJul 12, 2010
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Natural entrance to Wind Cave. Wind was blowing out at 15 miles...
Cave pop-corn formation
Box Work
| Wind Cave National Park was one of the highlights of our vacation. You must visit Wind Cave if you are out in the Black Hills. Wind Cave was named by the two cowboys that found it. They were out riding the range one hot and still day in the summer. They heard wind down in the ravine even though there was no wind up on the plain. So they rode down for a look. They found about a 15 inch diameter hole in the rocks and when the cowboys stuck their head in it, their hats blew off. They thought this was pretty neat so the next day they brought their friends to the hole. Once again they stuck their heads down at the hole but this time their hats got sucked down into the hole. Needless to say this wasn't as neat as the day before but it was still an important find. Wind cave is the 4th longest cave in the world with only a very small opening. So if the air pressure is greater in the cave than outside the cave, the wind blows air out this small opening. If the air pressure is greater outside then the cave sucks in air. It has been recorded to blow wind out at over 60 miles per hour. That is the same wind speed as a hurricane. The day I was there, the wind was blowing out at 15 miles per hour at 51 degrees fahrenheit. The natural entrance made for a nice place to sit down and relax in the 90 degree heat up on the plain. Wind cave is known for its box work formations. Only a few caves in the world have box work formations in a very small amount. Wind Cave ceilings and walls are covered with the box work. They are thin fins of calcite which forms a honey comb pattern. They were formed when the calcite filled the fracture lines caused by stresses in the limestone bedrock. The limestone, being easily dissolved, was eroded leaving the calcite exposed. Wind Cave National Park, located in the eastern foothills of the Black Hills, is a transition zone from the great plains to forested mountains. It is a picture perfect location for western movies; grass covered fields and valleys running up to the ponderosa tree covered rolling hills and ridges. An interesting fact about grasslands: one cubic yard of grass land topsoil holds over 5 miles of grass roots. Plan a day for Wind Cave National Park. Half a day taking one or two cave tours and half a day exploring the foot hills above the cave. |
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