The Biggest Room in North America
After some intense hikes throughout Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park, we were looking forward to a laid-back adventure through Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The air was still with only light whispers carried by the winds, perfect for these two tired travelers.
Just a couple of days prior, we had to drive through the badlands to access the secluded campground, Dog Canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains. Our course directed us to bypass the park and through the badlands, caverns beneath our path unbeknownst to us. Once we made it to the official entrance, I of course had to commemorate the moment. I didn’t want to struggle with connecting the Canon app to my Canon 90D, so I discreetly set a ten-second timer that gave me plenty of time to make it in the shot. I temporarily put away my 10-22mm lens to take advantage of my nifty-fifty prime 50mm lens.
Our third of four National Parks on our adventure. Taking photos in front of the entrance sign has easily become a new tradition worth commemorating.
The entrance sign is nestled between the paved access road and a slight drop-off to a rough terrain. For this shot, I switched out my prime 50mm lens for my ultra-wide 10-22mm lens. Naturally, a wide-angle lens distorts the edges of an image—not always what we want. However, I appreciate how the image stretches the Earth’s atmosphere to create movement within the whispy clouds. Additionally, the wide-angle furnished the foreground with the desert brush.
While the landscape is full of rolling hills, this area is still acknowledged as part of the Guadalupe Mountain ridge.
We elected to take the elevator that transcended us below the Earth 750 feet. The walk down is a descending 1.25 mile trek with scores of switchbacks that average 60-90 minutes. With my twin blisters on each big toe and Katie’s aching knees, we were more interested in a short elevator ride. As we landed and the elevator doors parted, I felt like I had arrived in Batman’s cave. We followed a short tour before exploring the chamber on our own. While Texas is full of cave systems, nothing quite compares to the Big Room at Carlsbad.
This was my first attempt at capturing the inside of a cave as a landscape photographer. I only prepared my 50mm lens, and I was kicking myself for not packing my ultra wide 10-22mm lens.
The solo hike takes about an hour, enough time to read, gaze, and wander. The staff was kind enough to allow flash photography, but no tripods. This made for a tricky setup when trying to utilize the provided light with a long exposure, and the lack of stability made for a challenging assignment. Hindsight, I should have utilized my flash and adjusted my camera settings to optimize the space, but I didn’t want to disrupt others’ experience in this dark space. I’ll try it next time. I did what I could and managed to sliver two other-worldly images with the assistance of posts, rocks, and a major lack of breath.
The rest of our walk through North America’s largest, most readily accessible cave chamber (approximately 8.2 acres) wasn’t complete without dropped jaws and whispered oohs and ahhs. It was an experience I recommend to everyone. The elevator system and paved trail guarded by steel rails allow visitors with various impairments to easily access the entire chamber. There aren’t any steep inclines and declines which are perfect for all ages, even little ones in strollers.
Before making our way to the White Sands, we had a much needed lunch. Something about this image makes me excited to get back on the road.
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