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JUNE 24, 2012: RETURN TO EL TORO CAVES

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About a week earlier, John Fraser, (along with Eileen Escudero Wisor and me) found these interesting caves down at the El Toro area. If you are interested in that "trip of discovery," see <a href="http://www.optimimagery.com/CNMI-ON-LAND/SAIPAN-2012/JUNE-17-2012-EL-TORO-VALLEY-OF/23610169_RJHj79">http://www.optimimagery.com/CNMI-ON-LAND/SAIPAN-2012/JUNE-17-2012-EL-TORO-VALLEY-OF/23610169_RJHj79</a>
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About a week earlier, John Fraser, (along with Eileen Escudero Wisor and me) found these interesting caves down at the El Toro area. If you are interested in that "trip of discovery," see http://www.optimimagery.com/CNMI-ON-LAND/SAIPAN-2012/JUNE-17-2012-EL-TORO-VALLEY-OF/23610169_RJHj79

aadentrywaycave

  • About a week earlier, John Fraser, (along with Eileen Escudero Wisor and me) found these interesting caves down at the El Toro area. If you are interested in that "trip of discovery," see <a href="http://www.optimimagery.com/CNMI-ON-LAND/SAIPAN-2012/JUNE-17-2012-EL-TORO-VALLEY-OF/23610169_RJHj79">http://www.optimimagery.com/CNMI-ON-LAND/SAIPAN-2012/JUNE-17-2012-EL-TORO-VALLEY-OF/23610169_RJHj79</a>
  • I decided to return a bit more prepared for looking around and photographing in the cave. Here, I have just stepped into the opening of the main cave. It wasn't until I got home and looked at these photos on my computer that it dawned on me how much like a turtle that formation looks. Even has an open eye and gaping mouth!<br /> <br /> Now, notice that opening in the upper right? Well, when I was here before, Eileen stepped up to that hole and stopped.......
  • .....the next step would have been a doozie! This is a flash picture from the opening you saw in the previous photo. Keep in mind, the previous photo also was taken with a flash (bounced off the high ceiling of the cave), along with a shutter speed of 4 seconds. So when you are there in person it's considerably darker than what these photos would suggest (on this return trip I had several flashlights and extra batteries). Dimensions are also difficult to portray in photos like this, since there is nothing here for you to compare for size. I would estimate that it is 20 feet or so across to the far wall. When I was there I thought it was probably 50 feet down, but in retrospect I'll bet that's an exaggeration. It is deep enough, however, that stepping over this precipice would have likely resulted in some pretty serious bodily injury, and I would be very surprised if one could climb out after such a fall. Thanks for not taking that step, Eileen!
  • Ambient light shot (no flash) looking out toward the entrance. Notice the bottle and the shoe soles to your right of center. I moved nothing. The "turtle" from the first photo (and Eileen's Chamber) is out of view to your right.
  • From the other side of the cave, looking toward the entrance and back toward where the previous photo was taken. I'm standing on the "turtle's" back here (that's his head just in front of us, left of center). Can you find the bottle and soles? I think the old coral shapes in the wall to your left make this seem like an old Mayan or Aztec ruin. The green, I assume, is from minerals (but it could be from microorganisms). Eileen's Pit is just to your left. Photo totally by ambient light (compilation of several shutter speeds, some as long as 30 seconds).
  • This is a 9-panel panorama from the same location as the previous photo. The large "doorway" to your left with the little volcano-shaped stalagmite is the entryway to Eileen's Chamber. If you are interested in seeing detail here, hover your cursor over the photo and click on "Original" in the resulting pop-out menu. That will open a full size photo, which will not fit on your screen. Navigate with the scroll bars which will be at the right margin and bottom of your screen. If you then click on the full-size photo, that will return you to this SmugMug album view.<br /> <br /> All of this is also from ambient light, with shots varying from 3.5 seconds to 30 seconds. This photo probably took about an hour to shoot (several shots are taken for each panel at each shutter speed to allow combination in such a manner as to reduce digital noise {a pesky problem with long shutter speeds} -- then after each panel is prepared in Photoshop, the panels are combined to form the panorama).
  • Back in days of the first inhabitants here, I think this would have made a terrific cave dwelling. This video shows the view from the veranda!
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