Big Four Ice Caves, 8/6/11

DO NOT WALK INTO THE ICE CAVES
DO NOT WALK ONTO THE SNOW FIELDS


This is an easy, well-traveled trail on Washington's Mountain Loop Highway, but people have died by falling ice after going into these caves. Do not do what the people in this video are doing -- enjoy looking at the caves from the outside, from the safety of stone footing.

A cool spring and an abundance of snow has slowed formation of the ice caves this year -- I saw a full grown man try to enter the small cave in the first snow field, but he had to crouch to fit. The current warm weather will surely accelerate the process. Two small caves have formed in the far field, one small one has formed in the near field, and a lot of wildflowers are in bloom among the rocky talus amassed in the middle of the cirque.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• mountain
• loop
• highway
• ice
• caves
• trail
• hiking
• washington