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05-11-2012, 11:37 AM
20362602
AMERICAN FORK — Timpanogos Cave opens for the season on Saturday after undergoing major improvements in the off-season. Also, the National Park Service is turning to social media to help manage tours of the popular attraction.
The staff anticipates the opening with excitement.
"What everyone here lives for is being able to share the cave with the public. It's exciting," said Superintendent Jim Ireland.
Timpanogos Cave is known for its helictites, its color formations, and its three passages. Each year thousands of people hike the 1.5 mile trail to see it. That's one of the reasons the cave now will use social media.
"Here in Utah, we're one of the most wired communities in the nation," Ireland said. "Right here on the Wasatch Front everybody uses social media. It's very popular and it's only natural that we use it to communicate."
Last year Timpanogos Cave had an influx of visitors on the weekends and holiday, causing congestion in American Fork Canyon. This year, staff will use Twitter (https://twitter.com/#%21/TimpCaveNPS) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/timpanogoscavenps) to let visitors know when cave tours are sold out.
Summer hours
May 12-Sept. 3
7:15 am - 5:30 pm
First hike time to the caves is 7:20 a.m., last hike time to the caves is 4 p.m.
Tours may be reserved up to 30 days in advance. Visitors are encouraged to call and purchase tickets in advance. For more information: www.nps.gov (http://www.nps.gov/tica/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm)
(Check website for Fall hours)
"We're going to try real hard to get real-time information out, and social media is the way to do that," Ireland said.
Off-season improvements
During the off-season, the National Park Service installed a new shelter at the entrance and exit of the cave, complete with new roof to protect visitors from falling rocks. There is also a new staircase and hand-rails.
The National Park Service also installed new LED lights along the trail and inside the cave.
Mike Gosse, chief ranger at the cave, said, "With a cooler LED bulb we won't have as much algae buildup, so that's good for the cave. We won't have to treat that algae. Otherwise, we're going in and we're scrubbing the algae off the cave formations, slightly damaging the cave formation in the process."
Gosse says the new LED blubs will last up to 30,000 hour. The old lights lasted only 2,000 hours. He says staff has been running a test on the efficiency of the new bulbs since October.
"The cave certainly won't be any darker. That was one of the staff concerns -- is the public going to be able to see in the cave as well with the LED bulbs, because we want the public to be steady on their feet," Gosse said.
Fees
American Fork Canyon
$ 6 - 3 Days
$12 - 7 Days
$45 - Annual
Cave Tour
Adults (16 and older) - $7
Junior (6-15) - $5
Child (3-5) - $3
Infant (0-2) - Free
Senior/Access (Golden Age/Access) pass holders - 1/2 price
Staff and volunteers have been training all week for the cave's opening Saturday, freshening up on first aide and CPR just in case of an emergency. Others have been hiking the trail, making sure it's ready for visitors.
"The maintenance staff is busy preparing the trail to make it safe for our visitors to hike up," Gosse said. "The research management staff is busy scrubbing the cave and getting the cave in good shape for visitors to enjoy."
The cave is celebrating 90 years this year. People who take the tour will be given information cards that include interesting facts, like how the cave was discovered.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=1105&sid=20362602&title=timp-cave-opens-saturday-with-improvements-social-media-plan&s_cid=queue-8
AMERICAN FORK — Timpanogos Cave opens for the season on Saturday after undergoing major improvements in the off-season. Also, the National Park Service is turning to social media to help manage tours of the popular attraction.
The staff anticipates the opening with excitement.
"What everyone here lives for is being able to share the cave with the public. It's exciting," said Superintendent Jim Ireland.
Timpanogos Cave is known for its helictites, its color formations, and its three passages. Each year thousands of people hike the 1.5 mile trail to see it. That's one of the reasons the cave now will use social media.
"Here in Utah, we're one of the most wired communities in the nation," Ireland said. "Right here on the Wasatch Front everybody uses social media. It's very popular and it's only natural that we use it to communicate."
Last year Timpanogos Cave had an influx of visitors on the weekends and holiday, causing congestion in American Fork Canyon. This year, staff will use Twitter (https://twitter.com/#%21/TimpCaveNPS) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/timpanogoscavenps) to let visitors know when cave tours are sold out.
Summer hours
May 12-Sept. 3
7:15 am - 5:30 pm
First hike time to the caves is 7:20 a.m., last hike time to the caves is 4 p.m.
Tours may be reserved up to 30 days in advance. Visitors are encouraged to call and purchase tickets in advance. For more information: www.nps.gov (http://www.nps.gov/tica/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm)
(Check website for Fall hours)
"We're going to try real hard to get real-time information out, and social media is the way to do that," Ireland said.
Off-season improvements
During the off-season, the National Park Service installed a new shelter at the entrance and exit of the cave, complete with new roof to protect visitors from falling rocks. There is also a new staircase and hand-rails.
The National Park Service also installed new LED lights along the trail and inside the cave.
Mike Gosse, chief ranger at the cave, said, "With a cooler LED bulb we won't have as much algae buildup, so that's good for the cave. We won't have to treat that algae. Otherwise, we're going in and we're scrubbing the algae off the cave formations, slightly damaging the cave formation in the process."
Gosse says the new LED blubs will last up to 30,000 hour. The old lights lasted only 2,000 hours. He says staff has been running a test on the efficiency of the new bulbs since October.
"The cave certainly won't be any darker. That was one of the staff concerns -- is the public going to be able to see in the cave as well with the LED bulbs, because we want the public to be steady on their feet," Gosse said.
Fees
American Fork Canyon
$ 6 - 3 Days
$12 - 7 Days
$45 - Annual
Cave Tour
Adults (16 and older) - $7
Junior (6-15) - $5
Child (3-5) - $3
Infant (0-2) - Free
Senior/Access (Golden Age/Access) pass holders - 1/2 price
Staff and volunteers have been training all week for the cave's opening Saturday, freshening up on first aide and CPR just in case of an emergency. Others have been hiking the trail, making sure it's ready for visitors.
"The maintenance staff is busy preparing the trail to make it safe for our visitors to hike up," Gosse said. "The research management staff is busy scrubbing the cave and getting the cave in good shape for visitors to enjoy."
The cave is celebrating 90 years this year. People who take the tour will be given information cards that include interesting facts, like how the cave was discovered.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=1105&sid=20362602&title=timp-cave-opens-saturday-with-improvements-social-media-plan&s_cid=queue-8