Arctomys Cave facts for kids

Arctomys Cave is an amazing cave located in Trio Mountain. It sits high above the Moose River Valley. You can find this cave in Mount Robson Provincial Park in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada.

Arctomys Cave is very long. Explorers have mapped over 3,496 meters (about 2.17 miles) of its passages. It also goes very deep, reaching 536 meters (about 1,758 feet) down!

Exploring Arctomys Cave

When Was Arctomys Cave Discovered?

Arctomys Cave was first found in 1911. The first report about it appeared in the Canadian Alpine Journal in 1912. A mountaineer named A.O. Wheeler shared his findings.

Early Explorers of the Cave

A.O. Wheeler explored the cave with his team. This team included Conrad Kain, Byron Harmon, George Kinney, and 'Curly' Phillips. They went down to a waterfall about 80 meters (262 feet) deep. Wheeler noted that it was too wet to go further.

Later Expeditions and Deep Discoveries

After 1911, no one recorded visiting the cave again until the early 1970s. From 1971 to 1973, groups of cave explorers, also known as cavers, returned. These groups came from McMaster University, Guelph University, and the Alberta Speleological Society. Some British cavers also joined them.

They explored and mapped the cave to a depth of 522 meters (1,713 feet). In 1983, British and Canadian cavers explored passages above the entrance. This exploration helped them figure out the cave's total vertical range. It was then set at 536 meters (1,758 feet).

Canada's Deepest Cave Record

For many years, Arctomys Cave was known as the deepest cave in Canada. However, in 2017, another cave called Bisaro Anima Cave was found to be deeper. Bisaro Anima Cave reaches a depth of 670 meters (2,198 feet).

What Makes Arctomys Cave Special?

How the Cave Was Formed

Arctomys Cave was formed in a type of rock called limestone. This limestone is part of the Mural Formation. This rock layer is very old, dating back to the Early Cambrian period. The rock layers are steeply tilted, which means they are slanted at a sharp angle.

Inside the Cave's Passages

The upper part of the cave is very steep. Explorers call this section "The Endless Climb." Once you go about 400 meters (1,312 feet) down, the cave becomes flatter. This lower part has several pools of water. The cave eventually ends at a sump, which is a passage filled with water.

Even though the cave is very deep, it only has five main drops, called pitches. The deepest of these drops is about 15 meters (49 feet).

Cave Decorations

Most of Arctomys Cave doesn't have many decorations. However, there is one special area called the "Straw Gallery." Here, you can see beautiful flowstone. You can also find long, thin formations called soda straws. These are delicate hollow tubes that hang from the cave ceiling.