sdwccave

Pictures From Within Wind Cave
right: They cal it wind cave because wind blows in or out ot the complex depending on atmospheric conditions. During our visit the wind was blowing out. I've circled the entrance hole and the ribbon the ranger is holding to demonstrate the winds strength.				center: Doug pretends he is a ranger too and drop his hat over the hole. Unfortunately the wind had changed directions and his hat was sucked in. No, not really. right: reflective tape shows up well in a cave when your flash is on.

	I am mystified by this strange and mysterious cement crystal deep inside the cave complex.		There is something in here we were supposed to look at. I'm not sure what it was. Maybe you can tell?

Below you can see examples of the formations Wind Cave is most famous for: boxwork. Boxwork is made by sediment filling cracks in rock. The rock is worn away over millions of years and leaving behind the harder, stronger "mortar" that filled in between the cracks. Initial visitors to the cave thought the "mortar" left behind resembled post office boxes, thus "boxwork". Sometimes the formations resemble familiar objects, like the dinosaur looking below. Other times, if you turn the flash on and stick your camera down a dark, dark hole and snap a pictures you get surprisingly beautiful results like the shot on the right.


		left: Another unique type of formation within the Wind Cave complex is called popcorn.

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