Wednesday we started out for a look at Mt. St. Helen's. On the way we were going to check out the "Ape Caves". I have heard of them and often wondered just what they are.
We....Angie, Jake, Autumn and I... packed up a cooler of drinks and snacks for lunch, loaded them along with Bentley into Ted (my little SUV) and headed out for the mountain via the ape caves.
Lunch along a lovely mountain river.....
After a 90 minute scenic drive we arrived at Apes Headquarters....
donned our headlamps and Jake, Autumn and I scurried toward adventure.....(Angie stayed back with Bentley since dogs were not welcome in the cave. Arff....)
Cave entrance.....
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A Bit of Ape Cave History......
Late in 1951, while logging, Lawrence Johnson noticed a tree that looked wrong. Upon investigating he found it tilted into a cavernous sinkhole. He tossed pebbles ahead as he groped into darkness and discovered a huge pitch-black passage. Later steps were built and exploration began. (Info from Ape Cave booklet) 
The ape caves are lava tubes formed about 1,900 years ago. A lava tube is a roofed over hot lava flow that solidifies over time. Mud flows from flash floods about 450 years ago deposited sand along the 3/4 of a mile lower tunnel. The upper 1/2 mile channel is much more rugged with uneven floor and various obstacles. There is an upper exist....for the lower portion cave explorers must turn back to the mid entrance.Oh yah.......about the "ape" part.....
Is it named that because.....
1. Apes once made a home there?
2. People "go ape" when they see the cave?
3. A 1952 Boy Scout troop who walked the cave deemed themselves "apes" in honor of an earlier incident in which ape-like creatures threw rocks at 2 miners?
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We explored the lower channel......
The physical appearance reminded me of a long, dark chilly railroad tunnel with a high arched ceiling and unlevel flooring. It is completely dark since nothing "man made" is in it. The temperature hovers around the low 40's year round. Our breath was foggy. Most of our pictures...when we were able to get them.... are coated with a foggy film.
End? of the tunnel.....(Ignore the blue end....don't know who he is) Towards the end of the cave it is crawl space only.
Jake and Autumn crawled aways back....Time to trek back......total hike about 105 minutes....
Back to daylight and sudden 40 degree warmer shift in temperature
We left the Ape caves happy to have experienced the lower channel. Well, I was happy and satisfied, but the younger folks were itching to try the upper channel. Fortunately, there was not time that afternoon. As we settled into Ted I heard comments coming from the back. "I'm going to ask my dad to bring me back here to do the upper cave." "Yah, I really want to do the upper cave, too.".......
For today, though, it is on to Mt. St. Helen's. Oh yah? After travelling several miles we seemed to have lost the mountain. At one point we decided to turn into an information station to inquire what happen to the mountain? We would have to drive another 90 minutes to the viewpoint. Another 90 minutes further from home.
It was late enough in the day that we decided to head home and discover Mt. St. Helen's another day. Why go completely ape??
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Sunday morning found Deb, Keys, Jake and Autumn RETURNING to the Ape Caves to transverse the UPPER CAVE.
They donned the headgear and flashlights and away they went for the next 6 hours.
Their report is that yes, no, Grandma G could NOT have successfully made her way through. At one point one needed to hoist oneself up by rope to the next passage..There were several boulders to climb over. At one point Keys hit his head quite hard on a protruding rock. He said the headgear actually kept him from getting injured more.
At this time I think all have had their fill of the Ape Caves.
One problem remains.....Mt. St. Helen's has not yet been explored.....
This has been a good "going ape" day in the life of Grandma G.
"If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."
(Psalm 139:11&12)
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