Boxes labeled ‘blasting caps’ found in remote cave of New Mexico national park
Snow was falling as park rangers rappelled into a cave to retrieve potential explosives.
Park rangers at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico were sent on a “potentially dangerous operation” after six boxes that could’ve been explosives were found in a remote part of the park, rangers said in a March 22 news release.
The boxes were labeled “blasting caps,” an explosive used in the early 20th century to create a tunnel from the cave to the surface, according to park officials.
“The goal was to bypass hauling the guano back up the 180-foot entrance pit,” park officials said in the release. “The guano miners never completed the tunnel.”
On March 11, officials from several agencies set out to retrieve the boxes from Ogle Cave.
“In most situations, when potential explosive materials are identified, access is relatively straightforward for an explosives team to assess and address the situation,” Acting Chief Ranger and Incident Commander Laura Steele said in the release. “The difficulty of the terrain, weather, and obstacles leading to the potential explosives created a unique challenge.”
The cave is one of the largest in the park and is “very delicate,” according to the National Park Service. Historic mining equipment can still be found in the cave.
Tourists aren’t allowed inside without a ranger escort, and a fee is required to enter. Only two groups can enter the cave each month.
Teams had to hike 1.25 miles into the park’s backcountry and rappel 180 feet in the snow into the cave’s mouth, park officials said. Once inside the cave, crews walked for 45 minutes to reach the boxes.
“After reaching the boxes, the bomb squads used a portable X-ray device and discovered the best outcome — all blasting cap boxes were empty,” rangers said.
Carlsbad Caverns has more than 119 caves that were formed by sulfuric acid. The park is about 145 miles northeast of El Paso.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Boxes labeled ‘blasting caps’ found in remote cave of New Mexico national park."