Monday, August 20, 2012

Malheur Cave

A few weeks ago we took an interesting field trip. We had been hearing about Mulheur Cave from several of the locals and decided to check it out. One Monday, which is our prep days, we drove out to the area where it was and stopped in to see a family in the Crane Branch to find out exactly, as it is located on their property. Even following their directions we almost missed the path that led to it. But at last we arrived.
Here I am at the entrance. You may notice the unusual symbol on the left side. I will explain that in a minute.
Inside... I have only been inside a cave one other time in my life. That was Lehman Cave in Northern Nevada which is all lit up except for a point where the guide turns the lights off. I tried not to notice the noises overhead which could have been these:

Bravely we went in further. We had flashlights, but they weren't as bright as we would have needed to be able to explore as much as Elder Terry would have liked.

Bleachers. Remember the symbol outside the cave that I mentioned? It turns out that this cave belongs to the Masons. They used to have their meetings inside the cave and had bleachers set up for people to sit on. And way before then, Indians would hide out inside. And way in the back behind the bleachers is a lake. We didn't make it that far because of our lack of good lighting. Probably one of the most unusual road trips we have taken so far!

6 comments:

  1. Isnt this cave closed to the public? Not physically barred off, but dont you need special permission to access it (legally)? I heard that is the case since it is on private property. Could you reply with any information you may have heard on this? Thanks.

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  2. There were no signs saying No Tresspassing of any kind. It is on private property, but we know the people who own the property and they told us where to find it. That's about all I can tell you.

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    1. Could you email me the owner's contact info? I am interested in taking a group of students there. Thanks! alish@cocc.edu

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  3. Sorry to take so long to respond, but according to an article in the Burns Times Herald, the cave is no longer accessible without permission from the Masons who own it and the Tree Top Ranch where it is located. I don't have any further information. See the article online for more details.

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  4. We the Freemasons of Burns Lodge #97 have been forced to close The Cave. A gate and No Trespassing signs have been installed. If you would like a tour please contact The Burns Lodge.

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