Candlelight

Candlelight is an amazing cave with 5,469 ft. of passage, and is 342 ft. deep. It's name comes from the many candles placed throughout the cave by the original miners who found it. Entrance to the cave is gained by an 80' rappel down a 200' vertical mine shaft into a drift where miners broke into the cave. You can read more about it here. http://www.caves.org/grotto/timpgrotto/

Map Courtesy of Brandon Kowallis - Copyright 2004.

The gate.

Brandon Kowallis - First one in.

Spencer - On rope.

Writing by miners in early 1930's.

An old thermometer. Currently reading 58 degrees, but the cave gets much warmer the further you go down.

This cave is very confusing, and can be dangerous if you do not follow the markers.

One of the candles that the cave is named for that was left behind by the miners.

The entrance to Ooh Aah Canyon. The walls are covered with beautiful, delicate and incredibly white gypsum crystals.

Chris and Daniel in Ooh Aah Canyon

Image copyright Brandon Kowallis 2009.

The walls are covered in this beatiful gypsum growth.

Image copyright Brandon Kowallis 2009.

Brandon and Zeke in Ooh Aah Canyon.

Zeke up-climbing "Post Nasal Drop" (Image copyright Brandon Kowallis 2009).

There are a few climbs in the cave that are a little intimidating.

Shane climbing out of "Post Nasal Drop" (Image copyright Brandon Kowallis 2009).

Spencer up-climbing "Post Nasal Drop" (Image copyright Brandon Kowallis 2009).

One of the many candles found in Candlelight cave.

This was the only room with stalactites, stalagmites, columns and flowstone that we found.



Brandon on rope.

Spencer about to start the ascent out of the adit into the vertical shaft.

Spencer ascending out.

Can you say "Vertigo"? This photo is looking down to the bottom of the vertical mine shaft about 120' below the entrance to Candlelight.

The view from the adit up the vertical shaft.