Outside the cave, the Monument is a place where flowers are enjoyed in their natural state and not picked, where birds and wild animals are unmolested by hunters or trappers. The forest is undisturbed. On the trails away from the cave area, the hiker may see animals and plants fulfilling their existence as they did centuries ago. It is to this philosophy that the national parks and monuments are dedicated.
GLOSSARY OF CAVE TERMS
Bacon
A thin sheet of calcite drapery having alternating dark and light bands which give it the appearance of a strip of bacon. The dark, reddish bands are usually caused by an iron oxide stain.
Bedding plane
The stratification or meeting place of two different layers of sedimentary rock.
Blade
A calcite sheet originally deposited in a crack, then later exposed.
Breakdown
Heaps of rubble on a cavern floor caused by the collapse of walls or ceiling.