State leaders recognize spelunkers for exploring, mapping local caves

Group hopes its efforts will help preserve area being eyed for development

By Kate Ramsayer / The Bulletin
April 18, 2009

One lava tube southeast of Bend — once used as a garbage dump — has both a spacious cavern and a smaller, lavacicle-filled room in the back.

Another cave was “hard to see unless you really got down and poked your head in,” said Matt Skeels, the chairman of....

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