Where No One Had Been Before

Last February during my trip to Arizona, I visited Kartchner Caverns located in the Whetstone Mountains in Southern Arizona (near Benson). I did not expect to be so fascinated by these vast caverns. These caves are located in the mountain above, so the;y are warmer than most caves—about 68 degrees F. The caverns were first formed around 200,000 BCE but were not discovered until 1974. They are considered a living cave, that is, a wet cave still growing formations.

I bought the book below in the gift shop and it is hard to write about. It is too full of fascinating information. I can't choose what to include. Basically it is the story of how Gary Tenen and Randy Tuffs discovered the cave. They only shared the information with a few trusted friends who were sworn to secrecy. They were afraid it would be vandalized if others discovered it. They continued to explore the caverns. Finally, after three years, they told the Kartchner family who owned the property. It took years to complete a plan that would protect the caves and allow the public to visit them. Kartchner Caverns finally opened to the public in 1999, A brief history is at the Kartchner Caverns site.