Home-School Fieldtip #1

Going to Timpanogos Cave
My mom and I went to Timpanogos Cave. We went there because I am learning about rocks. In class I have learned that stalactites and stalagmites are Chemical Sedimentary Rock, so we went on a home school fieldtrip to the cave to see these special rocks.
We went on Friday, September 16, 2011, after my classes at South Hills Middle School finished. On our way I ate four doughnuts and a banana. When we finally arrived at the cave we were lucky because there was a parking spot right in the front of the visitor center. We got out of the truck and went to buy our tickets to the cave.
After buying the tickets we headed to the trail head. At the trail head we listened to the safety rules of hiking on the mountain. Then my mom remembered the park sponsored a Junior Ranger program so we went back inside the visitor center and got the booklet.
Finally, we started our 1 ½ mile hike to the cave. Before we reached the top of the mountain a ranger, who was walking the trail, said that someone had died on the mountain a month ago.
When we finally reached the top of the mountain we had to wait for a few minutes for the next tour. When the tour ranger came we gave him our tickets and entered the cave.
The Ranger began the tour by talking about the history of the cave. A man named Marvin Hanson was cutting down trees and he saw mountain lion tracks. So he went exploring to try to find the mountain lion. He found an opening of a cave so he went inside the cave still following the mountain lion tracks. He never saw the mountain but he did keep a secret for a while and then began giving tours in the cave.
I also learned that there are actually three cave’s in one. There is the Hanson’s Cave, the Middle Cave and then the Timpanogos Cave. My favorite cave is Hanson’s cave because I love the story of the mountain lion and next year my dad, my brothers and sister are going to take the special tour to explore that cave more. I also liked one of the caves largest stalactites which they call the "heart" because it is shaped like a heart.
At the end of the tour the ranger talked me about what he does at his job. He said he has to keep the resources safe, keep the people safe and give tours. I also asked him how long he has been a ranger, he told me that he has only been a ranger for four years.
We had to hurry down the mountain because Jacob left a text saying the his cross country race was earlier than he thought.
On Saturday we went back up the mountain so that I could pass off the Junior Ranger. I got a patch with a mountain lion on it.
We wanted to collect some rocks, but you can't do this at a National Monument so we got back into the truck and out of the park and pulled along the river where we collected some rocks.
I had a lot of fun on this fieldtrip. If hope we take another home-school fieldtrip soon.