Intermountain GIS Conference

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is a stark, challenging landscape that defends its beauty and wonder with rattlesnakes, razor-sharp rock, weather, and isolation. There are no roads. Horses cannot be used. Exploration and mapping of the vertical caves in the lavas requires long (sometimes multi-day) hikes over treacherous ground while carrying ridiculously heavy packs full of vertical gear, water, and camping equipment. Suffering is often a prerequisite for the desert to yield its secrets, and Edward Abbey may have said it best: "In the first place, you can't see anything from a car; you've got to get out of the goddamned contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbush and cactus. When traces of blood begin to mark your trail you'll begin to see something, maybe. Probably not."This presentation will focus on the exploration, mapping of caves, and efforts to expand Craters of the Moon National Monument during the 1990s. Cave-mapping techniques in the 90s were challenging, as conditions were dark, wet, cold, and frequently dangerous.  Mapping instruments consisted of a compass, clinometer, and tape measure. Drawing ability was necessary to sketch the cave on waterproof Mylar sheets. Data collection used the “LRUD” (Left, Right, Up, Down) method for measuring cross-sections, and maps were generated using early CAD software. In the late 1990s, laser technology and began to replace the tape measure.