The Grandma Adventures: Indian Caves

Today I was going to blog about our visit to Melk, but I got rather distracted.

Hailey and Makayla decided a trip to the Indian Caves sounded funner than watching Grandma blog.

We put on our hiking shoes

and gathered up our hiking supplies: a flower, doll, fruit roll-up,

 and of course, our hiking apple. You never know when you might run into a hungry apple-loving moose.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how the area has been developed. When I used to bring my little kids here, there were just a series of dusty, narrow, unpaved trails.

I was foolish enough to read this sign to Hailey and Makayla. They spend the rest of the hike nervously insisting they had heard a rattlesnake.

It was a perfect day for a hike- 100 degrees in the shade. If there had been shade. 

Okay, it was a ridiculously hot day for a hike. The girls wondered aloud numerous times why they didn't make more shade.

Aha! A better vantage point for viewing.

Almost there. Ignore Hailey's flushed face.
 She is not going to burst into flames, no matter what she claims.

Sadly, the pictograph caves have faded almost into history. You can see, nearly dead center in this picture, some of the red paint that's still visible.

When I used to bring my own kids here 30 years ago, you could still see all of the figures, all of the colors, and tell what they were, and even walk right up and touch them it you wanted to (Yep, we did. We didn't know better). The cave dates back to the 9000's BC, with paintings from numerous generations of Indians painted on top of each other-think the Lennon Wall of Prague. It was discovered around 1938, nearly buried in fallen rocks and sand. I'm not sure why it has faded so much in the last thirty years (sun? the Joneses touching it? increased exposure?), but I'm shocked to see how faint it has become. You can no longer see any colors but red, and even they are difficult to spot.

The most exciting discovery of the trip was this baby bunny. Makayla is telling me to be quiet so we can sneak up on it. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised it hasn't been devoured by the rattlesnakes the girls keep insisting they hear.

 Hey Amy, want a cute little bunny to take home with you tonight?

Oops, bunnies can still hop faster than little girls can run.

The girls were crushed when I told them Indians no longer live in teepees.

Hiking 101: If you see a rock, don't go around it, go over it.

Makayla encouraging me to HURRY!! It's too HOT!!!!

Because I'm a slow learner, I also read this sign to the girls. Makayla refused to go one more step unless I carried her. She's afraid of ghosts.

Yep, pretty scary.

Good news! We've tuned up our tans, we've gotten some exercise, we've heard 3.7 million imaginary rattlesnakes, and we've earned the right to go get chocolate/vanilla twist cones.

Next up: Melk, really!