Exploring the Ice Caves

After waking up on a couch and regretting the previous night's decisions, I attempted to sike myself up for the day's events. I had planned a trip out to the infamous Ice Caves on the Mountain Loop Highway (Granite Falls, WA). My head pounded, and my stomach was a little uneasy, but time was of the essence, and the sooner I got home, the sooner I could recover in time for my departure. One hot shower, a few glasses of water, some leftovers from the day before, and I was ready.

10:00 am is a late start for me usually, but the early morning sunrise light of summer doesn't translate that well in late November. The good lighting (or at least decent lighting) lasts all day when the clouds are out and rain is threatening. I picked up another photographer, and we were on our way.

It's been quite a few years since I've been up the Mountain Loop Highway, and the trees are little mossier than I remember. It doesn't quite having the towering cedars and douglas firs of Mt. Baker Highway or Hwy 2, but the understory is reminiscent of the Olympics. There was an obvious snow line on the surrounding mountains. So flat and uniform it looked like it had been drawn on. As we approached the head of the river valley, our destination became obvious, the massive north face of Big Four Mountain can be seen far from the actual Ice Caves. We were not alone on this hike (more of a walk), Subarus lined the trailhead, with people of all ages walking around, preparing themselves for the trail.

The boardwalk begins through a wetland, with obvious signs of beavers. Flooded grasses surround perfectly still ponds, great for getting those reflection shots, and some nice textures enhance this open area. It's not long until you reach the aluminum bridge over the South Fork Stillaguamish River, and get a view of the gravelly river banks and meandering river channel. Evergreen trees line the banks, and accompany the (usually crystal clear) murky brown water, recent warm rains have melted all the snow at the low and mid elevations, flooding rivers downstream, and leaving plenty of mud on the mountain trails.

On the other side of the river, the forest canopy thickens, and the understory opens up a bit. Ferns seem to thrive here, and the vertical lines of the (presumably) second-growth forest trees provide a nice backdrop. The forest is littered with fallen logs, providing some great habitat for lush green moss, and other plants you would imagine in a woodland fairytale.

The trail eventually opens up, and you get your first views of the massive rocky basin that collects all the avalanche debris off Big Four Mountain. This is a rugged place, where plants or animals struggle to survive. The rocks are unstable and the footing is unforgiving. We chose not the approach the main ice caves, there were hoards of people at the front, and the caves are too unstable to safely enter anyways. Instead, we opted to explore a side basin with some impressive caves of it own.

There was a huge slab that acted as the last final slide off the mountain for debris, and water had cut little rivulets into the rock, creating some unique terrain that felt more like Iceland than the Pacific Northwest. We explored the falls, and tried to get as close as we could to the powerful streams of water tumbling down the jumbled boulders. There's something about the intense parts of the landscape that have always attracted me. You get your blood flowing, start to feel a little more alive, and don't care as much about the past or the future. The current moment envelopes your senses and leaves you in a meditative state.

A little more wandering around, and it was time to head back. Another successful trip to an area that I had remembered from my childhood, but hadn't seen through my current lens. The hike and drive back were relatively uneventful, and a nice cozy bed and cup of hot tea kept me motivated to get home in a reasonable time.

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