The award winning television series “Planet Earth” described Lechuguilla Cave as follows: “Beneath this arid landscape lies a subterranean wonderland. Without water to carve them, caves seem unlikely here. But under the New Mexico desert sprawls one of the longest, deepest, and most stunning caves in the world. Its secrets remained unknown until 1986, when cavers dug through several yards of loose rock at the bottom of this pit. They named the cave Lechuguilla. Since its discovery, more than a hundred and twenty miles of passageways have been mapped. Lechuguilla is the world’s most protected cave. The reason? Some of the most exquisite formations ever seen underground.” As one of the most important and exciting exploration stories of the last century, Lechuguilla Cave’s story deserves to told – and brilliantly illustrated photographically – in full. This is the book to do it. I am most pleased to present "The Mother Lode", the final installment of The Lechuguilla Cave Trilogy, for your consideration