BIRD HUNTER FINDS CAVE By Jim FosterEdward was out for morning of hunting when he flushed a grouse. He downed the bird and when he went to retrieve the bird that had fallen below him he felt a cold wind from under the ground.
Telling friends about his find they returned the next day with torches to explore the cave.
After nearly three decades of waning interest and vandalism the cave was taken over and improvements were added to improve the site in hopes it would attract tourist and visitors, which it did. Last year over 34,310 people took one of the guided tours. There have also been a few weddings within the depths of the cave.
Dellene Rigby, who has guided visitors through the cave for over nine years, is now the manager and knows the cave like the back of her hand.
The cave is cool and a bit damp and a light jacket is advised. At times the natural rock steps can be slippery however the footings are good and the walk is safe for all ages. Visitors walk from room to room where mineral formations resemble the Seven Dwarfs, a black bear and a small dove.
At the halfway point, the largest room in the cave is called the Ballroom. Attached to the majestic ceiling is a rare feature cave officials call Minnetonka Bacon. A 20-foot-long strip of reformed rock hangs 18 inches from the ceiling with a gentle wave.
More recent developments, Rigby explains, adorned the cave with its decorations of stalactites, stalagmites, delicate soda straws and drapery that hang from a ceiling teeming with life.
The site is closed nine months of the year to preserve the natural habitat of the five different species of bats that live in the cave. It's not uncommon to see a small-footed myotis or Townsend's big ear bat hugging the cave walls.
Promoted by Utah tourism the cave is actually located just across the border in neighboring Idaho on the west side of Bear Lake. As the story goes Edward may have been the first white man to enter the cave.
This was just one of the stops on my Utah trip that I would like to revisit. A big thank you to Dellene Rigby and her staff at the cave. This is a fee area and well worth the cost.
Directions: Take U.S. 89 north from Garden City, Utah, or south from Montpelier, Idaho, to St. Charles. Drive 11 miles west from St. Charles along Forest Road 412. The road is paved to its end at Minnetonka Cave.
For more information contact Montpelier Ranger District 208-847-0375, Email: info@sceniccanyons.com. On The Internet; http://www.bearlake.org/cavexplore.html or, Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, 69 N. Paradise Parkway Bld. P.O. Box 471
Garden City, UT 84028 Phone: 435-946-2197 or 1-800-448-BEAR (2327)
A NOTE FOR ANGLERS - St. Charles Creek flows down the canyon and offers good fishing for cutthroat trout. Bear Lake State Park Marina is in Garden City, Utah, and offers access to the boating and fishing opportunities on one of the Intermountain West's largest natural lakes.
If you have comments or news for Jim his Email is JimF06@gmail.com
