Roger Brandt – The Oregon Caves

The Oregon Caves, located about 70 miles northeast of Crescent City, California in the Oregon Caves National Monument, are a place full of interest, mystery, and history. The caves were located in 1874 when Elijah Davidson chased his dog into the what appeared to be a hole in the earth. The Oregon Caves are unique, possibly due to the fact that it is one of the few cave systems located on tectonically active ground, known as a subduction zone.  This uniqueness may also be due to the fact an old growth Douglas Fir forest grows directly above the caves, or the fact that they were created from what used to be a tropical reef that was pushed about 12 miles below the surface of the earth and then brought back up to its current location, and is still rising.  I visited the Oregon Caves in 2006 and spoke with Roger Brandt, the manager of visitor services and education of the Oregon Caves in the summer of 2006.  We began when I asked him about the Oregon Caves and what they represent.

Roger Brandt recommends “Golden Days and Pioneer Ways,” by Ruth Phefferle.

This program was originally broadcast on February 21, 2007.

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