Field Notes · November 7, 2026
At 6 AM, it was coffee and the newspaper; by 8, I was on the motorcycle. Firdaus Bhat had suggested Volcano, near Pine Grove, about an hour from home. Looking into it led me to Black Chasm Cavern. The weather was good, the mountains offered reasons to take photographs, and autumn was making a strong case for spending Saturday outside. That's the joy of a ride like this: a nearby destination can still feel like a proper escape. The motorcycle gets you there; nature supplies the reasons not to hurry.
Volcano's peaceful historic downtown suited the mood. At Baked cafe, another Firdaus recommendation, I had coffee and butter toast and read a Punjabi novel by Nanak Singh for about half an hour. A helmet beside an open book is a fine arrangement: one suggests going somewhere, the other suggests staying another page. Later morning photographs caught an autumn bend in the road and the Volcano Amphitheatre's green doors. There was plenty to enjoy above ground before my 11 AM tour appointment.
A Punjabi novel, coffee, and a helmet at Baked.
An autumn bend in the road, later that morning.
Green doors and stonework at the Volcano Amphitheatre.
Into Mother Earth
This weekend I did not hike to the top of a mountain; I went into the earth. We usually go to the top, but this time I explored the depths of Mother Earth. After signing in, I descended into Black Chasm, where long mineral shapes replaced the trees overhead.
Long mineral shapes above a shadowed recess.
Detail: warm-lit mineral curtains beneath the cave ceiling.
The tour had its playful side: a dragon called Mushu and a formation called Butterscotch Falls, with a small gap described as slowly closing. Such patient growth makes waiting for coffee seem rather efficient. The warm-lit mineral curtains in my photograph brought that patient handiwork closer.
Wider view: the same hanging formation with its surrounding cave walls.
The wider frame shows that same hanging formation within its surrounding rock—not another sight, but another way of looking. I like how a little more space changes the picture, giving the delicate-looking points a substantial stone backdrop.
The Ride Home
After the tour, I rode the motorcycle home. It was a beautiful day, and the ride back was awesome—enjoyable in its own right, not merely the part after the destination. Autumn above ground, an underground detour, and the simple pleasure of being on the bike: that was enough. Hike for Heal doesn't always mean going higher. Sometimes a little depth belongs in the day, too.