The end of an era has arrived. The old trail that looped around through the Talus Room has been made "cave friendly" by the removal of the old wooden stairs and handrails. As the wooden stairs and metal components of the lighting system and handrails decay, they release organic compounds and oxides into the cave that disrupt the natural cave ecosystem. In April of 1961 the wooden stairs and approximately 900 feet of trail surface were completed through cave passage and were included in the tour route. This addition made a large loop in the furthest reaches of the cave and included the West Room and the Talus Room, a large room over 300 feet long. The guided tours continued to use this portion of trail until 1981 when the Talus Room was closed due to movement of rocks above the trail.

The process of removing the old equipment began with inspecting the structures for microorganisms that might have been living on or in the wood and metal. Photos were taken from different angles to show the overall layout of the system and close up photos to show structural deterioration and decay. Finally, the materials were cut into manageable pieces and carried out of the cave. Current plans include removing wires, unusable light fixtures and other wood structures in the cave. Future structural additions to the cave will be constructed from inert substances that will not decompose as easily, such as stainless steel and fiberglass.

Daryl Hanks is a longtime employee of the park who has worked on numerous cave improvement projects. He is currently working for maintenance.