Event: Kartchner Caverns 20th Anniversary Celebration, April 26, 2008

Location: Kartchner Caverns State Park
Guest: Kartchner Caverns co-discoverer Gary Tenen
Summary: Hear a summary of how Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts discovered Kartchner Caverns in 1974. Learn about the Kubla Khan column and how Arizona State Parks took over stewardship of the caverns. Additionally, hear about the events scheduled to occur at the 20th Anniversary Celebration at the park on April 26.
Time: 8:34

Intro Music:

HOST:
Welcome to the Arizona State Parks Audio Update. Today we're talking about the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Kartchner Caverns State Park. This celebration event will be taking place Saturday, April 26 from 9 am to 4 pm. Twenty years ago Arizona State Parks acquired this unique property. That paved the way to protect the cave and to develop it for public enjoyment. After research, planning, construction, mining concerns, and legal issues, the upper caverns opened to public tours on November 12, 1999. Joining us today is Gary Tenen, one of the co-discoverers of Kartchner Caverns. Thank you so much for joining us Gary.

GARY TENEN:
Happy to be here.

HOST
Now let's start off by learning more about how you discovered the caverns. It's November. 1974. Your friend Randy Tufts persuades you to drive out to the Whetstone Mountains to explore a sinkhole that he had stumbled upon 7 years earlier. What happened next?

TENEN
You know our hobby was to look for caves and he wanted to go out and recheck a lead that he had found, as you said, seven years before and recheck the hill. At that time we went to the bottom of the sinkhole. It seemed to be exhaling sort of a warm, subtle breeze from the bottom of the sinkhole. So we worked pretty hard to maneuver through the breakdown and the boulders at the bottom of the sinkhole and found ourselves in a small entry room, pretty dry and dusty. To make a long story short that led to a very tight passage which is called the Blowhole that we enlarged and scraped our bodies through and squirming and crawling for a few hundred more feet we came into what we call the main corridor. That was the first trip. At that point we decided we needed to come back the next weekend when we would be a little better equipped. The cave was obviously much bigger than anything we had ever found. And we went back the next weekend and that’s when we found the Big Room. That was a pretty exciting and breathtaking day. It left us pretty speechless to be standing on a large formation in the wall area of the Big Room looking out at the blackness and barely being able to make out things in the distance.

HOST
Now you kept exploring the cave for about a year and a half and tried to minimize the number of people who knew about it to protect it and then you came across a different room and the Kubla Khan formation, tell us about that and explain what it is.

TENEN
Navigating one end of the Big Room we came across what we called a river passage; it runs with the water in very big wet seasons and during the course of exploring that passage we came to the Throne Room which has a massive, massive column, it’s over 55 feet tall and stunningly gorgeous and it’s surrounded by stalagmites that are 25 – 35 feet tall in this giant cave room. There’s a great high balcony in the room you can look sort of down into the whole room and see this beautiful column. I think the tallest column in Arizona in a cave, it’s over five stories tall. That was sort of a neat culmination of the exploration.

HOST
I understand from the beginning both you and Randy had strong environmental stewardship concerns about protecting the caverns, especially since you were aware of cave vandalism in other southwestern caves. After researching potential options, you both agreed that trying to develop the cave commercially, similar to Carlsbad Caverns, would have the best chance to protect and preserve the caverns from looters and vandals, but it wasn't until almost 10 years after discovering the cave that you contacted state parks in 1984. What lead you to Arizona State Parks?

TENEN:
You know you’re absolutely correct. Vandalism in wild, unsupervised caves is rampant. It’s just astounding what people will bring into caves: trash, litter and wrappers, cans and bottles, and spray paint. Of course, they’ll take out pretty formations and leave just an ugly muddy wall. We had seen it happen in so many other caves and this cave was so outstanding, and so pristine we knew we had to protect it. The initial plan was to keep it a secret, but we also knew that if we had discovered it someone else would be able to find it someday. We wanted to protect this beyond our lifetimes. We knew that secrecy wouldn’t last forever. Given the location of the cave which is so close to a main highway, and close to Tuscon, and close to Sierra Vista, it came on us—and it’s a little counter-intuitive—but if you develop it and turn it into an economic resource you can protect it, you can control access, you can fund research and development. So we realized that developing it as a tour cave, given its location and its beauty was a valid way to protect it.

We had to then find the mechanism, good stewards. We started in 1978 by approaching the Kartchner family. After we had researched them and felt that they would be good partners. Even though they owned the land they didn’t know about the cave. And together with them we furthered explored and mapped the cave. We brought in cave consultants from around the country and then looked for a way to develop it. At the time Arizona State Parks was under some pressure to improve the park system. They were actually the perfect party, not too small and not so unapproachable as the federal park system might be. We were able to drive right up to Phoenix and talk to people. They got interested in the project with a little bit of nudging from the governor at the time, Governor Bruce Babbitt. They decided to make it their highest priority. 

HOST
Now there's lots more to the story of Kartchner Caverns then we can cover here today, but a new book by Neil Miller called Kartchner Caverns: How Two Cavers Discovered and Saved One of the Wonders of the Natural World is a great new resource for learning more about how Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts discovered the cave. The book's author, Neil Miller, will be at the park for a book signing. Have you had a chance to look at the book?

TENEN
I’ve looked at it, read it, and looked at the pretty pictures. I actually worked pretty closely with Neil over the several years he was working on the book. And a number of other cavers who were involved, state parks people, all contributed their stories. Amassed in that book is really what has been an untold story.

HOST
In honor of the celebration the park will also be holding a number of family friendly activities. In addition to Neil Miller being there book signing, we will also have Benjamin Ilka, author and illustrator of the Caves! Coloring Book who will answer questions. Also, the park's Cave Unit and Park Rangers will be leading demonstrations and activities throughout the day. There will be interpretive talks about geology, bats, cave critters, and the Junior Ranger program. Finally, Gary how does it feel, 34 years after you and Randy Tufts co-discovered the caverns that nearly a million and half visitors have experienced what you discovered and set out to protect.

TENEN
Well Randy and I were always focused on moving forward and protecting the cave. And it really wasn’t until the Grand Opening that we looked back on what we had done and realized it was sort of a neat project with a very satisfactory outcome. And when I go out there today it’s a very gratifying feeling, especially when I run into kids or school groups. They are becoming enthused about the cave and about science and the whole discovery process. It is always a great, great honor to work with kids and see them get so excited.

HOST
Thank you so much for joining us today.

TENEN
You’re welcome.

HOST
The 20th Anniversary Celebration of Kartchner Caverns State Park will take place Saturday April 26. The park will hold a variety of family-friendly activities in addition to book signings by Neil Miller and Benjamin Ilka.  Kartchner Caverns is located south east of Tuscon, 9 miles south of Interstate 10, off exit 302. Park entrance fees are $5 for up to 2 adults, and 2 additional dollars for those aged 14 and older. To make Cave Tour reservations please call 520-586-2283. You can learn more about Kartchner Caverns State Park and purchase tour tickets online, at our website AZStateParks.com.

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Commentator:
Arizona State Parks: Managing and serving Arizona’s natural, cultural and recreational resources for the benefit of the people both in our parks and through our partnerships. Visit us on the web as azstateparks.com.

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