September 26, 2000
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Site Highlights:
Trading post
On way to El Morro
Few visitors
Moderate entry fee
Hike to crater
Some ruins
Short walk to ice cave
Unspectacular site
Lava flows
| Go to first part of trip - Acoma Pueblo Go to second part of trip - El Morro National Monument Go to fourth part of trip - El Malpais National Monument |
| Bandera Crater | ||
 Bandera Crater |
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| Bandera Crater is the largest volcanic cinder cone in the region. It erupted around 10,000 years ago. There were two stages of the eruption: first the cinder cone developed, then a massive lava flow broke out this side. The molten lava reached temperatures above 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The elevation at the look out point is 8122. The elevation at the rim is 8372. Over time, erosion and gravity take their toll on the crater and it is slowly filling up as cinders and rocks fall down into it. This makes for a very fragile environment. |
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| Site Gallery 1 - The Bandera Crater |
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| The Ice Cave | ||
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The temperature in this cave never gets above 31 degrees Fahrenheit. As rainwater and snow melt seep into the cave, the ice floor thickens. The floor of the ice is approximately 20 feet thick. The deepest ice is the oldest and dates back to 1100 BC. |
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| The green tint in the ice (gallery below) is caused by an Arctic algae. The back wall was formed in the early days when ancient Indians and early settlers mined the ice. In 1946, ice removal was stopped at which time the ice wall was nearly 12 feet high. Since then, the ice floor has risen relative to the back wall. The rate of ice accumulation varies with annual precipitation. The cause of original formation of ice back in 170 AD is uncertain. However, its perpetuation is due to a combination of existing conditions that make a natural ice box: 20 feet of ice in a well insulated cave shaped to trap frigid air. The Ice Cave was known to the Pueblo Indians as the Winter Lake.
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| Site Gallery 2 - The Ice Cave |
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| For More Information |
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Discover Grants, NM The Land of Fire and Ice, Ice Cave, Bandera Volcano |