1859 March | April 2018

mind + body
Twist and Shout
Park ranger George Herring
just keeps moving
written by Mackenzie Wilson
photography by Robin Loznak
George Herring walks on a snowy trail
at the Oregon Caves National Monument
near Cave Junction in southwestern Oregon.
A CAVE TOUR doesn’t conjure images of highintensity
adventure, but if you sign up for a tour
of the Oregon Caves National Monument in
Cave Junction, prepare for a workout. Exactly
522 stairs snake their way through the caves, and
sections with low ceilings create squat challenges
for park rangers and the visitors they guide.
For nearly half his life, 53-year-old George
Herring, a park ranger with the National Park
Service (NPS), has been using nature as his gym.
“What really gets you is all the bending and
twisting to fit through all the narrow, winding
passages with low ceilings. At one point, the
ceilings come down to 45 inches above the floor.
It’s a real workout for your torso, quads and
lower back,” Herring said.
Spending most of his professional time
outdoors since taking a job with the NPS twentyfive
years ago has been a dream for Herring. He
wanted to be a ranger as a little boy growing up
in northern California. In college, he took natural
resources classes and worked as a seasonal
park ranger for years until he found a full-time
opening. “It’s not easy finding a permanent job
with the NPS,” Herring said. “I just got lucky, I
guess.” Many of his coworkers who come to
the park as seasonal rangers are half his age,
and Herring soaks up their energy. Seeing their
love for nature and how they bond and become
lifelong friends with other rangers reminds him
of just how fortunate he is to work in his field.
Not all of us crave the darkness caves
provide, but Herring says the contrast of
being underground for more than an hour and
returning to the outside world provides an
inspiring experience. “Caves are mysterious,
fascinating places—utterly black without
artificial light. … It’s alien to our imagination.
What little life there is goes mostly unnoticed by
the naked eye,” he said. “But when you exit the
cave, the world above is so saturated with light,
color and living things. Sometimes we forget
how beautiful our world is, but coming out of a
cave, you can’t help but notice.”
MARCH | APRIL 2018 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE 55