Caving in Quintana Roo March 2017

Earlier in March I had the opportunity to go to Quintana Roo on a caving expedition. Quintana Roo is a Mexican state in the Yucatan peninsula. I found a cheap flight on Southwest to Cancun with Carol, a caver from California. We arrived to the warm, balmy weather, and our host and expedition organizer Peter picked us up and took us to his palapa in Paamul. Paamul is an RV park that has gotten fancy, with many RV owners putting thatched roofs over their RVs and sometimes enclosing the entire living space. Some are rather simple, others are deluxe, all are close to the beach.

The Paamul beach has a mixture of tidepools and white sand.

After a night to adjust, we headed into the jungle the next day to go survey caves.

For part of the two-hour hike, we hiked through caves, as it was easier than hiking through the jungle!


Here's a photo of me taken by Frank Bogle, one of the participants. The Melgarita cave pants did well on this trip (I took out the kneepads to make them cooler for the jungle hikes).


After surveying all day, it was time to eat and enter cave data. We returned several times to Mr. Trompo, an outdoor cafe on the pueblo side of Puerto Aventuras. Trompo is apparently a way to cook pork on a skewer. They put strong seasonings on it and it looks sort of like a carrot, including the color. You can imagine the fun we had with their logo. (Photo by Frank Bogle)


Each day was different. The second day of caving involved a lot of passage like this:

It felt like the room that never ended! Fortunately the water was warm. I was sketching each day, and seven days in a row really helped my sketching ability! The sketches, along with the measurements we take (distance, azimuth, inclination) help make the cave map.

A couple mornings I had energy to go for a run. North from Paamul was a lovely trail along the beach.


South of Paamul was a very rocky shoreline littered with ocean garbage, but the reward was a Mayan pyramid between two freshwater flows into the ocean. Here's the view from the top of the pyramid:

Each day we had different people helping with the cave survey, although for the week we had a core group of seven. We would get the lineplots, if they existed, the night before on our phone. Then we would tie into those the next day and continue surveying. Here's part of the group getting briefed on their mission.

For two days, Frank and I got to survey a wet cave, which involved inner tubes. They run snorkel tours through the cave. It was amazingly beautiful.

Another day we were again far out in the jungle, sketching in a line plot that some cave divers had surveyed. Then we found a little crawl that kept going and going, and eventually got to a huge magnificent room full of formations. And it kept going!

Sac Actun is a mostly underwater cave in the area that cave divers have been exploring for decades. It is the second longest cave in the world, after Mammoth Cave. We surveyed some cenote (sinkhole) entrances and added about 800 meters to the length one day. Here's a view of one of the sinkhole entrances. There's a diveline that goes back in the dark spot.

I'm not a cave diver, but I did go snorkeling! I went several times, amazed at the ocean life all around me. It was fun being in the waves.

I also snorkeled one of the cenotes, and saw these catfish. They were hanging out under some bats.

Pausing for a quick photo through some tree roots.

Here's an example of the data and sketch.

All too soon, the week came to an end. It was organized so well and I was able to totally put myself into the caving mentality so that's nearly all I thought about each day. It was a relaxing vacation because my mind wasn't whirring in a thousand directions like it usually does, instead I was very focused.

On my last day, I had a late afternoon flight, so in the morning I took the colectivo (bus) down to Tulum to see the ruins. Tulum is on the coast and very scenic.

I went early in the morning, as it's also very crowded.

High waves meant that you weren't allowed to go in the water past your knees, but that was okay, I was there for the view.

This iguana and I hung out in the shade for awhile.

Then it was time to fly home. There are lots of commercial caves and cenotes in Quintana Roo, so even if you're not on a survey trip, it's easy to experience the underground marvels of the Yucatan. I hope to go back, it's an amazing place! Thanks so much to Peter for organizing the trip and being such a great host, to Carol for being a wonderful traveling companion and roommate, Frank for letting me borrow some photos, my husband for agreeing that it was a good idea for me to go, and all those who took care of the kids while I went on a nourishing retreat!

Gretchen sketching in Cueva Olchun, Photo by Frank Bogle.

Fall Colors in Great Basin National Park

 The colors are changing up high in the mountains, and we really wanted to go see them before they fell off. So after school one day, we loaded up and headed up the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive in Great Basin National Park.

It was a partly cloudy day, and when the sun came out, it was magical. Even when the sun wasn't out, the colors were so vibrant.

Our first mini hike was to the amphitheater.

The trees were in full yellow.

Then we went for a quick jaunt on the nature trail, where we had a snack at every bench. The trail is only about 1/4 mile long and there are many benches, so I guess I shouldn't say there was anything quick about it. Nevertheless, it didn't take that much time.

Then it was time to head for a walk around Wheeler Peak Campground. Actually, the kids ran most of the time. They had a lot of energy.

When they found this tree stump, they wanted to pose.

A different tree stump.

Some of the leavers were really red. I love it when they turn that way.

When we got to the big meadow in the middle of the campground, we let the kids run. They slowed a little to climb up the boulder in the middle.

It and nearby rocks became "launching pads," and the kids jumped off them repeatedly.

All that running worked up a thirst, so we stopped at a water spigot.

Then it was time for the forest adventure, which involved balancing on logs while crossing the creek...

…and climbing trees...

…and choosing which way to go. This was Carmela's first visit up here, and she loved all the colors.

We repeatedly crossed the creek. I told the kids to stay dry, as I didn't have extra clothes with me, and amazingly they listened.

It was a very fun afternoon, and spending time with friends made it even more fun!

I almost forgot the sibling carry. They really had a lot of energy!

There's supposed to be a big storm coming in this weekend with the snow level at 8,500 ft, so a lot of the leaves will fall off soon. It's been a really nice September, though, so we can't complain!

Have you seen good fall colors this year?

Desert Destination: Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, about 90 miles north of Las Vegas on Highway 93, was established in 1963 to provide habitat for migratory birds, especially waterfowl. The 5,300-acre protected area contains lakes, marshes, and meadows, all of which are rare habitats in Nevada. It is part of the Pacific flyway, an important migratory route.

Pahranagat has two lakes, Upper and Lower, along with two marshes, North and Middle. The mix of vegetation and water depths provide food and shelter for more than 230 species of wildlife. The water component of Pahranagat is essential for most wildlife species, and comes from sources further up the valley, such as Ash Springs.

When we went by in early February, Lower Pahrangat Lake was covered with birds--thousands of them. 

This is the shallower of the two lakes, so it is often covered with dabbling ducks--those ducks that tip over with their tail feathers high in the sky as they reach down to eat aquatic vegetation and insects that are slightly below the surface. Easily identified dabbling ducks are mallards and green-winged teals.

It looked like the most common birds were American coots--small black birds with stubby white beaks. They were bobbing along on the waves in the windy afternoon.

A highway parallels the lakes and marshes of Pahranagat NWR. You can see that it's winter by the leafless cottonwoods. A couple old roads run between the highway and the lakes, allowing you to enjoy the view at a slower pace.

One of the first things to see at the turnoff to Upper Pahrangat Lake is this bird blind, built by a Youth Conservation Crew in 2008. There are a couple benches inside, where you can hide out and let the birds forget you and get closer.

Besides wildlife watching, hunting and fishing are popular activities at the national wildlife refuge.

Further down the road is the Visitor Information Center, a tiny building. An information kiosk is next to it to provide an orientation to the 32,000 visitors who get off the highway to visit the refuge. The full-time staff of Pahranagat NWR consists of two employees, so needless to say, they are always looking for good volunteers and interns.

There's a nice picnic area with a shelter over it near the visitor information center. 

One of the attractions of Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge is free camping. About a dozen campsites are located right next to the lake. They are simple, with just a picnic table and grill, so you have to bring all your amenities (including drinking water). The view is spectacular, especially considering the price!

If you don't want to camp, there's a three-mile long trail around Upper Pahranagat Lake. There's also a wheelchair accessible fishing pier at the south end. Winter is obviously not a good time to try fishing from the pier.

However, winter is an excellent time to visit the refuge, especially if you like birds. Thousands of water birds use the lakes as wintering areas, including hundreds of tundra swans. The upper lake is deeper and is used by many diving ducks like canvasbacks and lesser scaups. The diving ducks have their legs further back on their bodies and are heavier than dabbling ducks, so when they take off from the water, they have to run on it first to get up enough speed.

The day we visited, there was only one person camping and no one else visiting the refuge. Even though it's right next to a highway, it's a beautiful spot to take a break and feel like you're far from everyone. To find out more, visit the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge website.