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What’s happening in Canada this summer?

Caving

by Kathy Eccles 12 May 2009
Spelunking is a funny word. It reminds me of Trixie Belden. Boomers, remember her? She was the curly-headed teen detective, a tomboy Nancy Drew, who went spelunking in The Mystery at Bob-White Cave (1963) looking for ghost cavefish.
 
Most caving enthusiasts now like to be known as “cavers” (use “spelunkers” and risk being labelled a non-caver). For them, the longest, deepest wild cave thrills in the country are in Western Canada.
 
In Alberta’s Rocky Mountains near Canmore, water melting from ancient glaciers has whittled the limestone rock to create the 4-km (2.5-mi) long Rat’s Nest Cave. Canmore Caverns leads natural history wild cave tours suitable for anyone with a moderate fitness level, good shoes and warm clothes.
 
British Columbia’s Vancouver Island has well over 1,000 caves; the best for recreational cavers can be found at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park. Near the entrance of the 387-m (1,270-ft) Riverbend Cave, give the “brain rock” a little rub for good luck. It can’t hurt, plus it’s the only crystal formation you’re free to touch. Descend to the cave floor and prepare to be blown away by the light of your miner’s hat when you discover the cave’s seven-storey Rainbarrel “waterfall.” Sculptures in calcite crystal are revealed with tasty names like popcorn rock, ice cream flows, moon milk and bacon strips. You’ll see Jabba the Hutt, too, and a smiling Buddha. Just resist the temptation to touch—these glistening guys are strictly protected.

Take it inside at Toronto, ON’s Royal Ontario Museum: the Bat Cave is a walk through a diorama reconstructing the St. Clair cave in Jamaica, known for its huge population of bats. Check out other creepy cave dwellers, like the tailless scorpions, snakes and cave crickets. No ghost cave fish, though.

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Usage guidelines

We welcome you to use these story ideas as inspiration for your own stories about Canada. The CTC owns all rights worldwide. (Our images are also royalty-free and available for editorial print, broadcast and electronic use.) If you choose to reproduce these texts for editorial use only, please include the author's byline and "courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission." If you cut, edit or modify the text in any way, please include this note: "The text has been modified from the original." Thank you.

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Photo credit : Victoria Island, Northwest Territories © NWTT/Terry Parker - Background Image