Gardner Cave at Crawford State Park
It was the end of the tour, the last cavern of the cave tourists are allowed to visit. And it was the last tour of 2021 – the 100th anniversary of Crawford State Park, Gardner Cave’s home, a half mile from the Canadian border, a two-hour drive from Spokane.
Section:Gallery
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Tour guide Erica Thorson gives a short history of the Gardner Cave before leading a tour group down into the cave entrance, which is surrouned by a fence inside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson, right, gives a short talk before her guests step onto a series of stairways and platforms inside Gardner Cave, which is in Crawford State Park, several miles outside of Metaline, Washington, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson, right, gives a short talk before her guests step onto a series of stairways and platforms inside Gardner Cave, which is in Crawford State Park, several miles outside of Metaline, Washington, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson, right, gives a short talk before her guests step onto a series of stairways and platforms inside Gardner Cave, which is in Crawford State Park, several miles outside of Metaline, Washington, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. The trip takes you about 500 feet into the cave, descending about 100 feet below the surface.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson explains that rock formations get nicknamed by visitors and how the profile in the middle of the frame was called “Richard Nixon” inside Gardner Cave, which is in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson gives her well-rehearsed talk about how Gardner Cave was formed and continues to form new formations while giving a tour of the site inside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Gardner Cave attracted visitors for the past century, some of whom left graffiti in the cave, which is inside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Gardner Cave has attracted visitors because of the fascinating formations in the cave, which is in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson gives her well-rehearsed talk about how Gardner Cave was formed and the varieties of structures and formations side while giving a tour of the cave nside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson, left, explains how Gardner Cave was formed and the varieties of structures and formations side while giving a tour of the cave nside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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A tour group follows tour guide Erica Thorson, right, on a tour in Gardner Cave inside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson, right, explains the myriad formations inside Gardner Cave, which is nside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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A tour group climbs out of Gardner Cave on the extensive system of stairs and platforms that guide visitors through the cave in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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A tour group climbs out of Gardner Cave on the extensive system of stairs and platforms that guide visitors through the cave in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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A tour group looks up at a rock column, formed when a stalactite and a stalagmite grow together, inside Gardner Cave in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson explained that lumps on the floor inside Gardner Cave were the beginnings of stalagmites in the cave, which is in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson explained that droplets clinging to the ceiling inside Gardner Cave may eventually deposit enough mineral deposits which may eventually become stalactites. The cave is in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Visitors looks up at various mineral deposits found inside Gardner Cave in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Visitors walk under a bulbous stalactite, one of many interesting formations found inside Gardner Cave in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Tour guide Erica Thorson said a little girl said it looked like “a pickle and a booger”.
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Near the end of the Gardner Cave is a rock column, formed when a stalactite and a stalagmite grow together, inside Gardner Cave in Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson wave her flashlight at rock formations inside Gardner Cave, which is inside Crawford State Park, until the rock glows green because of phosphorescence in the rocks, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson explained that these popcorn-like formations on the walls inside Gardner Cave, are made by moisture coming out of the rocky walls and forming clumps of mineral deposits, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
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Tour guide Erica Thorson gives a short history of the Gardner Cave before leading a tour group down into the cave entrance, which is surrouned by a fence inside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
-
Tour guide Erica Thorson leads a tour group down into the cave entrance, which is surrouned by a fence inside Crawford State Park, shown Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.
Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
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