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This week we head to the Big Four Ice Caves located within the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest of Washington State. The Big Four Ice Cave Trail is an easy out and back trail that is about 3.5km long and 90m elevation gain.
We went there 6 years ago, way back in early September 2018. The trail was very well maintained and clearly marked with long sections of boardwalks along the way. Going into the forest, there were also very clear views of the mountains behind the forest. After crossing a bridge over the Stillaguamish River and a bit more hiking, we reached an open field where the ice caves were in sight.
According to Wikipedia:
At the bottom of its steep, 4,200 ft (1,300 m) high north face, debris piles form from avalanches and are able to remain there year round because of the continuous shade provided by the mountain. At an elevation between 2,450 ft (750 m) and 1,950 ft (590 m), this ice forms the lowest-elevation glacier in the lower 49 states.[1] During the summer, snow-melt streams flow beneath the debris piles and cause caves to be formed in the ice.
After spending some time to look at the ice caves, we headed back to the parking lot using the same trail.
Info signs at the trailhead.
Long sections of boardwalks along the trail.
Clear views of mountains behind the forest.
New growth on top of dead tree stump.
Ice caves in sight.
Closer look at the ice caves.
I entered the mouth of the cave, but was afraid to go deeper because of the possibility of cave-ins.
A final view of the caves.
We stopped by the Stillaguamish River on our way back and let our kids play in the water for a bit before heading back to the parking lot.
More views of the mountains.
Check out my previous hikes:
  1. The Panoramic Views of Panorama Ridge
  2. The Golden Larches of Frosty Mountain
  3. The Winter Snow of Pump Peak at Mount Seymour
  4. Sapphire Waters and Azure Skies of Battle Bluff
  5. It Isn't Always Sunshine and Blue Skies
  6. The Frozen River and Waterfalls of Maligne Canyon
  7. The Amazing Arches of Arches National Park
  8. The Bizarre Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park
  9. The Magnificent Stones of Zion National Park
  10. The Flowing Walls of Lower Antelope Canyon
  11. A Glimpse of Hope at the Hope Lookout Trail
  12. Turquoise Waters viewed from Sea to Summit Trail
  13. The Three Peaks of Mount Seymour
  14. The Serene Winter Scene at Dog Mountain
  15. Murrin Loop and Jurassic Ridge
  16. Yosemite National Park
  17. The Bear's Hump at Waterton National Park
  18. Views of Okanagan from Pincushion Mountain Trail
  19. The Half Frozen Waterfalls at Franklin Falls
  20. Hole in the Wall of Vancouver Island
  21. Sometimes You Just Get Lucky
  22. Winter Wonderland at Alexander Falls
  23. Eagle Bluffs
  24. Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park
  25. Admiralty Point
  26. Myra Canyon Trail
  27. Garabaldi Lake
  28. Botanical Beach Loop
  29. Wild Pacific Trail Lighthouse Loop
  30. Whistler Train Wreck Trail
  31. Grouse Grind
  32. Crown Mountain
  33. Chance Cove Coastal Trail
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Wow, great, It's fun watching your journey. thanks for sharing.
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Thanks!
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32 sats \ 2 replies \ @Golu 12 Aug
Amazing scenes!
I'm a hiker too. Come to Nepal. We can go on to hike in the LILI valley in the Himalayas near Tibet.
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Nepal isn't on my travel list in the near future, but I'll definitely keep your offer in mind. Thanks!
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32 sats \ 0 replies \ @Golu 13 Aug
Yes, please come. It will be honour to host a seasoned hiker!
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I confess that caves scare me a little... but there is no denying that it is an excellent view and my congratulations to the photographer!! I live in South America and I always wanted to travel to the United States🏃🏃
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The US is very big and fill with a lot of natural beauty. I have the luxury of living next to it and make it easy for mW to visit. Do allot some time for seeing some national parks if you ever visit, don't just go to the cities.
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You have to be very brave to engage in such an extreme form of leisure!
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Great as always! Thanks for sharing! Stunning pics from the caves, though a bit scary to go underneath.
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Thanks! I only went in a bit because the caves were made completely of snow and ice. Although the chance is low, there is still a possibility of cave-in that could kill people. And yes, I was a bit scared when I was in the cave.
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Super cool. We have some caves near us. It's always fun to explore them.
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These ice caves are a bit different from real caves though. They are made of snow and ice and cave-ins do happen. In fact, I believe 4 people have died over the years from cave-ins of these ice caves. So exploring or even entering them is not advised.
I did go cave exploring one time with my family. It was the Sasquatch Caves in Hope, BC. But we did not go too deep because my little one was only 4 at the time.
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Nice!
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Thanks!
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Great scenes!
Surprisingly, This track resonates so much with a track in Himachal in India. I've forgotten the name but remeber the trees being in the same formation as they do in your pics. I did that track years ago!
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Interesting. This one is further in land and not right by the coast, so maybe that's why it resembles the sub-alpine hikes over in India.
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