Alan Cressler, Tom Miller
On the way to the cave, we passed some very pretty pinnacle karst. The hills were a mesh of lush green spotted by grey and white, sculpted limestone blocks. Soon we found ourselves parked next to a spring spraying water out onto the road through 3 pipes. After talking to the landowner, we hiked up a short trail to the cave entrance which was about 6' T x 4' wide.
I got my stuff ready and entered the cave. I soon ducked to the left and entered a large 60' diameter room with a bright skylight entrance above. I contoured around a small breakdown mountain around the perimeter of the room. I first photographed some interesting graffiti in a small alcove. Then, down the right passage at the back of the room (2 passages Y'd off of the back of the room). I climbed up into a small room which I quickly made my dark room. I set up my strobes, took a couple test shots, and ran up a short slope and saddled a limestone pedestal for the picture. After that shot I went back out into the main room and Tom and I went down the other passage which began as a 20' wide stoop walk but quickly filtered down to a 6' wide crawl. We passed a 90 degree bend, crawled another 50 feet, and stood up in a 40' tall canyon passage. The walls were speckled in signatures, pictographs, and historic dates.
Tom climbed 15 feet up to a ledge for a picture and then I photographed some signatures and pictographs before heading back towards the main room where I set up a shot looking back out towards the sky lit room. I then took many more pictures of petroglyphs and interesting features around the main room.
Tom came back from the crawlway and reported that Alan had discovered a snake pictograph. I crawled back to see it, climbed up to the ledge, took another pictograph picture, and spotted Alan while he climbed down from the ledge. I then went back to the main room and took more pictures while I waited. Eventually, we left the cave and walked back down toward the cars.
As we entered the owners backyard Alan was attacked by a chicken. It flew up into the air towards his face. He had to push it back several times to avoid getting his eyes pecked out. As I passed the chicken, it flew up against my butt. I quickly high tailed across the yard.
Many locals had gather around our cars to play in the spring. We changed and drove back down to the limestone pinnacles. I hopped from rock to rock snapping photos while Alan got directions to the exit cave from Tom. I came back to the car with a few good pictures and stinging legs. Then, Alan and I drove to the next cave.
Spring
A neat spring in front of the owners house.
Later that day all the locals were having a big party in front of this spring.
Lucero
Historic graffiti within a pretty alcove inside the big sunlit room.
Viewed:
Viewed:
Lucero
A picture of me in my dark room.
A ledge 20 feet above the floor in the back of the cave.
Lucero
Some cool pictographs.
Viewed:
Viewed:
Lucero
Pictographs + wall texture = interesting shot.
I really like this pictograph.
Lucero
Looking up a bell hole, possibly formed by bats hanging and crapping over 1000s of years.
Viewed:
Viewed:
Lucero
An historic 1822 signature with some cool wall texture.
Me within a passage profile.
Lucero
Me within a passage profile.
Viewed:
Viewed:
Lucero
Boy did I make this guy look scary :)
That's a very stern look. I love how the shadow makes his left eye seem wider and raised.
Lucero
A strange pictograph near the back of Cueva Lucero.
Viewed:
Viewed:
Lucero
Me standing in front of E3 within the skylight room near E1.
Looking into the sunlit room from E2.
Lucero
A little further outside E2 looking at Tom inside the sunlit room.
Viewed:
Viewed:
Lucero
Looking in at Tom sitting inside the sunlit room from E3.
A really neat wall texture in the large sunlit room.
Near Lucero
I knew on the drive to the cave that I had to photograph this area.
Viewed:
Viewed:
Near Lucero
I happily hopped from rock to rock taking pictures. .
Near Lucero
Wish this was in my backyard. .
Near Lucero
Look how sharp and jagged that limestone is.
Viewed:
Viewed:
Near Lucero
A close-up of a jagged limestone block.
Near Lucero
Another jagged limestone block close-up.
Lucero
Ooh-Ohh Ahh-Ahh. It's a monkey :)
Viewed:
Viewed: