Walking in the footprints of cougars...

The highlight today was a snow shoe hike to a lava tube (more like a tunnel) called the "Cheese Caves." OK...

(1) The lava tube formed as volcanic activity caused lava to flow and as it flowed the outer layers of the lava flow cooled and solidified first as the hotter, interior lava continued to flow through leaving a rippled core, that gives the appearance of a tunnel.

(2) It is called the "Cheese Caves" because in the early 1900's a family began curing and storing cheese in the tunnel. There is still a 100 foot metal staircase leading up to a wooden door that leads into an A-frame house we passed on our initial snow shoe hike. Additionally, the wood and metal remnants of long shelves where the cheese was stored lie discarded and moldy along both walls of the tunnel before the staircase.

(3) Now, to the explanation of the title of this entry. We saw a lot of interesting animal footprints on the snow shoe hike before reaching the cave. One set of prints looked like those of a large dog with five pads and claws. Another set were the prints of a cloved hoof animal like a deer. Of course my imagination immediately assumed the most exciting possibilities: a mountain lion and a moose (I've never seen a moose, and really want to so can you blame me). But it turns out they were most likely the prints of a cougar and an elk.

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In the evening, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest archaeologist gave a presentation. The best part were her descriptions of local legends surrounding the natural events of this geologically active region. One tribe has a legend called "The Sleeping Beauty." During the "Myth Age" animals and mountains also had human attributes. As the story goes, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood fell in love with the same woman and began fighting over her like mountains would; with rock, fire and trees. In the end, Mt. Adams won but the woman was actually in love with Mt. Hood so she lay down next to Mt. Hood and turned to stone. Mt. Adams was so sad that he hung his head low and that is why Mt. Adams is a squat, rounded mountain and Mt. Hood is a sharp peak.