November Geography Block: Ice Caves and the Bandera Volcano

Also in the Malpais National Park is the privately owned Bandera Volcano and Ice Caves.




Here is the trek down to see the Ice Cave, which the self-guided tour pamphlet tells us was a year-round source of water for Native Americans in the area.


Here are Papa Bee and the Worker Bees gazing upon the green ice in the Ice Cave. And why is the ice green you ask? Well, our handy self-guided tour pamphlet informs us that there is some sort of Artic Algea that grows in it. Pretty Cool huh?



A rather steep and uncomfortably cold (we're Southern Bees Darlin') hike up the Bandera Volcano rewarded us with this view.

Then, we all buckled in tight for the long trip home! I would have liked to stop at one of the many hot springs in the area...just for educational purposes Darlin'...not because of my achy knees at all! ;P