By Kelly McCarthy
Contributing Writer
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HOWES CAVE _ A few miles off state Route 7 near Cobleskill is a colorful establishment that tours an underground cave. No _ not Howe Caverns. Just 1.4 miles away is another cavern that offers a completely different experience.
Secret Caverns is not a hard place to find once you turn up Caverns Road, county Route 9. It is impossible to miss the multiple billboards, hand-made and creatively designed, directing drivers to the Secret Caverns entrance. The intricate and witty road signs should be the first clue that the experience at Secret Caverns is like no other.
The history of Secret Caverns fits right into the whole charm. Long ago, a farmer owned the land and a few of his cows kept disappearing. The farmer soon learned that his cows were falling into the natural entrance of the cave. The discovery triggered the expedition that led to finding a 100-foot waterfall. The cave has been open to tourists ever since.
The tour guides work hard to make the caverns a humorous and educational trip. Tour guide Todd DelMarter said his team at the caverns tries to make the experience "edutaining" _ educational and entertaining. With that he is correct. Along with each interesting fact one learns of the cavern, there is also a funny or sly comment that goes along with it. My memories of taking the cave tour aren't filled with the scientific terminology of stalagtites and stalagmites. What sticks out in my memory is that one stalagtite formation creates a shadow that is uncanny to George Washington's profile. Of course that's not something I could just pick up on my own, DelMarter made sure a story went along with the unveiling.
The cave is an active cave. There is flowing water along the concrete walkway and running off the walls. This means that the shape and size of the cave could change. However it may change at a slow pace, for every 100 years the stalagmites only grow one inch.
There are 103 steep concrete steps that begin the tour. The tour of the cave is half a mile and lasts about an hour. On the trip to see the waterfall, one hears stories of the named formations. Along with the George Washington profile there is an alligator, a narrow squeeze and Bob Marley's dreads.
The tour descends to about 136 feet underground. It isn't hard to tell when the waterfall is near. The stagnant temperature of 50 degrees begins to rise with a warm breeze. The drips of water around the cave slowly form streams next to one's feet. There is the noise of rushing water in the distance, and even I couldn't help but get excited.
After a few twists and turns the waterfall can be seen. The waterfall marks the end of the tour in one direction; after a few pictures and questions the tour is guided back the way it came.
Even though we backtracked our steps, there were new formations and angles to look at.
The cave at Secret Caverns is, for the most part, natural. The "narrow squeeze" is part of the tour because the cave tries to stay as natural as possible. The concrete walkway stays with the established bends of the cave. Even though the cave is almost all natural, the tour guides still push for a "hands-on tour." People are encouraged to feel any or all of the textures during the tour; some are quite surprising. Along the walls there are minerals such as pyrite (or "fool's gold") and crystal formations such as quartz. There are even a few fossilized seashells along the descent. A few things that aren't natural during the tour are the hanging lights, concrete walkway, and signs pointing out formations. One of the signs brings light to a "wishing well." During my tour, DelMarter started to explain how the money raised here goes to all the "fallen tour guides" who didn't make it out of the cavern. He later confessed that it allows the team at Secret Caverns to all go out for dinner once a year.
The adventure doesn't end underground. Coming up from the cave there is a truly unique gift shop. It is not only a place where you can buy Secret Caverns pens and knick-knacks, but it is also infused with the cave history and time-line. Ironically one of my favorite parts of the building is the bathrooms. They are decorated similarly to the popular billboards with colorful wall paintings of the caves, bats, and tourists. The surrounding grounds at Secret Caverns also have a lot to offer. There are nature trails encircling a pond with picnic tables provided.
A trip to Cobleskill's Secret Caverns is a memorable one. Whether it is the tour of the cave, the tour guide's humor, or the eye-catching art the experience is unique. So next time you're in the Cobleskill area, remember Howe Caverns isn't the only attraction that delves underground.
If interested in taking a trip to Secret Caverns, the website for this attraction is secretcaverns.com. A single adult admission ticket for the tour costs $16, but there is a $2 coupon at the website. A child admission ticket costs $8. Cave tours are seasonal, and are open from June through September. Tours begin at 9 a.m. and the last tour leaves at 6 p.m. The caverns can be found off of Exit 22 on Interstate 88. The Secret Caverns website has a complete tour schedule along with directions and pictures of the cave.
