Way Down Under
The caverns he made famous almost cost Jack Mitchell his life, or at least his sanity. Lowered hundreds of feet below ground in a boatswain’s chair, the spelunking Mitchell became trapped in darkness when the three ropes that supported him twisted into one, jamming the pulley his friends were using to hoist him into the daylight.
Mitchell was eventually pulled back above ground. Undaunted, he gathered enough funds to build a resort near the caverns’ mouth and led his visitors on tours through them. Today, 69 years later, Mitchell Cavern is still worth visiting. Two hours east of Barstow, California, 4,300 feet high in the eastern Mojave Desert’s Providence Mountains, it may be remote, but it provides an experience of unparalleled beauty.
Mitchell Cavern is actually two caves: El Pakiva and Tecopa, joined by a manmade tunnel and seen on ranger-led tours. At first, as you walk into El Pakiva’s main cavern, you may find yourself staring into the dark, thinking, “No big deal.” Just wait until the lights come on. Here is every cave formation you could hope to see: stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and curtains, all created from mineralized water that drips off the cavern’s limestone ceiling and puddles on the limestone floor.