In Carlsbad Caverns, a dropped bag of Cheetos revealed the delicate balance of the park’s ecosystem. What seemed like a minor incident had a major impact, demonstrating how even small actions can disrupt the fragile cave environment.
Every step you take leaves a trail of lint
Park staff related the incident on a social media post on Sept. 6. “Here at Carlsbad Caverns, we love that we can host thousands of people in the cave each day. Incidental impacts can be difficult or impossible to prevent. Like the simple fact that every step a person takes into the cave leaves a fine trail of lint,” park staff said.
“Other impacts are completely avoidable. Like a full snack bag dropped off-trail in the Big Room. To the owner of the snack bag, the impact is likely incidental. But to the ecosystem of the cave, it had a huge impact.”
Cheetos could have irreparably changed the cave ecosystem
The chips in question were in an open bag of Cheetos. A bag of chips, some ask, is that such a big deal? “The processed corn, softened by the humidity of the cave, formed the perfect environment to host microbial life and fungi,” staff observed. “Cave crickets, mites, spiders, and flies soon organize into a temporary food web, dispersing the nutrients to the surrounding cave and formations. Molds spread higher up the nearby surfaces, fruit, die and stink. And the cycle continues.”
In the case of the dropped chip incident, quick intervention may have saved the day—and a lot more days down the road. First, rangers had to check with the park’s cave specialist. You can’t just jump over the rail with a shop vac and suck up the spilled chips.
Seemingly finicky response required
“The ranger spent about 20 minutes carefully removing the crumbs and the top layer of cave soil,” said Park Superintendent Carmen Chapin in an email to National Parks Traveler.
Why the seemingly finicky response? “Some members of this fleeting ecosystem are cave-dwellers, but many of the microbial life and molds are not,” says a park social media post. “At the scale of human perspective, a spilled snack bag may seem trivial, but to the life of the cave it can be world-changing.”
The old adage needs an addition: “Take only pictures. Leave only footprints—not corn chips.”
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Why were any items from outside allowed past a check-point and everyone should be issued a tyvek or such suit with booties before entering the caves.
only water bottles are allowed in the caverns. fortunately, strip searches are not done. some people just do not follow the rules
The honor system many used to be raised to practice and respect for others and one’s surroundings. Humans, us included, are a scourge. For all that practice respect it’s just one that doesn’t as we know is what that ruins it for all. In all things. A million attaboys is wiped out by one oh sheet, if you know what’s wrong.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 Interesting. I cannot believe that anyone would be so careless with something so delicious as a bag of Cheetos!?! Regular Cheetos, or the crispy version? I really prefer the latter, but both leave a huge residue on ones fingers especially when eating a single bag at one sitting. 😉 Thanks again, have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
You have won the Internet Today Sir!
Thank you, Steve! I am gratified that you enjoyed my attempt to interject humor into an otherwise disappointing circumstance. 🙂 Have a great weekend, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
I hope they weren’t the Flamin’ Hot – those are way too good to drop!
Too spicy for me, David. 🤔😯😉 I will leave those to you and others. 🙂 Enjoy! Have a great weekend, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
It’s really a pretty sad situation and not just in the Caverns.
We’ve traveled through 3 or 4 national parks in the last month plus, and the amount of trash and food & drink containers laying about is getting to be pretty disgusting.
T.P. and other products left lying about by trail hikers is starting to get out of hand too. IMHO.
We see it along the roads over here, Bill. My suspicion is that we live just far enough for whatever that gets bought at a convenience store 2 1/2 miles away gets consumed just before they pass our farm. At that point the packaging gets discarded out the passenger window. 🙁
Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm these days. I am disgusted with the lack of any standards as demonstrated daily by a large portion of the population when it comes to finish and throw behaviors. Rich or poor, doesn’t seem to matter, the attitude of I’m done, don’t want it in the car seems to rule. Was on the work shuttle leaving the hospital and witnessed a young woman with several small children in her car open the window at a stoplight right next to full shuttle bus and dump out a whole handful (large handful) of fastfood garbage on the road. Several of us knocked on the windows of the shuttle and she gave us the finger. Great examples for the children on several fronts.
Hi, Scott. That reminds me of driving to downtown Seattle on I-5 one morning, many years ago. A gal in the car next to me threw her burning cigarette butt out the window. Well, it got sucked into the open back window and she had to pull over to get it out of the back of her car. Karma!👍 (Carma?) Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
This is disappointing. I have thought about this one for 24 hours and that’s all I have. “Disappointing”!!!
Sounds just like a mother whose child just spilled milk on the kitchen floor and going ballistic, cause the child did instead of quietly cleaning it up. If they don’t want food there restrict it and fine those who are caught bringing food into the cave. That’s what fines are for. Making it painful enough to not do it, kinda like listening to that mother go ballistic for having spilt milk on the floor.
I am surprised food was allowed. Every cavern we have been in restrict food and drink and a couple caverns had cubbies available for such items or you were asked to take them back to your vehicle. Only one allowed bottled water. Shame on the person eating in the cavern and shame on the park service allowing the item inside
Ignorant and disrespectful people of today are the cause. We don’t need metal detectors and pat downs. It’s shameful that someone not only did this but didn’t say a word. See above for why. I remember going in 90’s while stationed in New Mexico and thought it odd they had a food court. If you can’t do without a snack while visiting natural wonders, stay home.
Thank goodness my parents afforded me the ability to travel, vacation and explore the World in the 50’s and 60’s before the throngs of people and rules became excessive.