Witches’ Pantry is a cave recently discovered in the boundaries of Rocky Mountain Resources’ proposed expansion of the Mid-Continent Quarry in Glenwood Springs.
If the mining company’s proposal is approved, the cave and all the potential science within it could be destroyed, according to the cavers who discovered it.
“Witches’ Pantry would certainly be completely gone," Richard Rhinehart said. "All we’ll have left is the photographs that we’ve taken and our memories.”
He said he is waiting on approval from the Bureau of Land Management to continue studying the area.
“Just given where it’s at, the likelihood of finding wonderful science in it -- it could certainly have thousands of feet of passage, it could have maybe a mile of passage. We don’t know yet," Rhinehart said.
He submitted a report to the Bureau of Land Management of the initial findings. The federal agency said it will take it into account in its decision on Rocky Mountain Resources’ expansion proposal.
