Spelunking. Have you ever played the super low-tech "Spelunker" game for the original NES? It's brilliant in its simplicity - a man with the grace of someone made out of Legos shimmies up and down a rope to explore different sections of cave in hopes of pocketing treasure while avoiding steam vents, mutant bats and unidentifiable supernatural creatures. Clearly, the jewel of 1980's video game production. Well, I walked into the bowels of central Oregon the other day to soak up the atmosphere of North America's longest lava river cave and, let me tell you, my experience was nothing like the one painted by the geeks at Nintendo. There were no active geysers, red-eyed, rabies-ridden creatures, or treasure tucked away by One-Eyed Willie and his gang. It was cold and damp, and rocks were haphazardly strewn about making the entire ordeal quite dangerous for a klutz like me. I soldiered on, though, staring in awe at the crossroads laying 100 feet under the highway overhead, fondling the bumpy lava rock walls, and snapping pictures of the cave's black maw. Luckily for me (and my two companions), I am neither claustrophobic nor scared of the dark, so trekking to the center of the earth was, in my opinion, a lovely way to spend the afternoon (despite the lack of diamonds and such). If you ever get a wild hair, Jason, and want to go spelunking, just let me know. I will show up at your door with a couple of headlamps, a coil of rope, and a giant bag of beef jerky (in case we get lost for a few days). Of course, if you simply want a simulated caving experience I'm also content to stay home and play "Spelunker" for hours on end. Yep, I still own a copy. I'll even spring for that bag of jerky in case we get carried away.Side note - does anyone else think the animal in the picture looks like a manatee? Apparently, it's a mole, which isn't nearly as funny.
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