generiCtrenD.com - photoS


			CAVE FORMATION It takes thousands upon thousands of years for mineral rich water to form these formations. Water caries minerals through the roof of the cave and leave a tiny piece of rock behind. Another drop water leaves another piece behind. And 8 gazillion years later you get this.
			CAVE FORMATIONS A few years back someone busted into a part of the cave and cut down some of these formations and sold them to a local rock shop. Of course they were caught, but probably served little to no jail time and didn't pay whatever fine they were given.
			GYPSUM Today it's used to make drywall (and probably other stuff as well). Indians in the area two to four thousand years ago used to mine it from the caves. It isn't really known what they used the mineral for. The cave guides say that this is still in the cave because it was not discovered by the Indians.
			MORE CAVE FORMATIONS This stuff takes hundreds and thousands of years to develop. That's pretty amazing. Just mineral rich water running over the rock slowly.
			CAVE COLUMNS This is all real stuff. Crazy as it looks, it's real.
			MAMMOTH CAVE SQUIRREL In the rest of the country they're called deer. I'm sure I'm one of 8 million people on vacation to places like this to think of this clever nickname.
			TRAIN Mammoth Cave used to be about a 10 mile train ride from the nearest railroad line. This train (and 3 others) made the run for many a year.
			CACTUS You wouldn't think there would be cactus up on some hill in Kentucky, but there it was.
			LITTLE CAVES There's not much for scale here, but these holes are pretty small. Every so often you'll see these little caves that you can fit your arm, and little else, into. In respect of the delicate cave environment, I have never place my arm in one of them.
			SALT PETER MINE Salt peter (potassium nitrate) at one time was mined in the cave. It's heyday was during the War of 1812, which some claimed saved the war for the Americans. Water was piped in through hollowed out logs. It was poured over dirt and bat guano from the cave to remove the salt peter. The nitrate rich slurry was then pumped out of the cave and cooked in vats to obtain the pure salt peter, which was shipped off to make gunpowder.
			MAMMOTH CAVE HISTORIC ENTRANCE Exiting the cave through the historic entrance, you get this view. If you bothered to take a picture going into the cave you would get another view. I'm sure you can check the website to see it.