An easy winter hike with a lot of bang for the buck

1/9/2024 Big Four Ice Caves

The Mountain Loop Highway closes for the winter two miles before the popular Big Four Ice Caves picnic area. During the summer, families frequent the area and make the short hike to see the caves. In the winter, the road is often covered in snow and ice, but the extra walking is very welcomed to add a few miles to a normally short hike. On this day, the road was more ice than snow, so the microspikes were helpful.

The picnic area had a few inches of snow, and the sun peaked through the light fog and trees. The view from the picnic area is well worth the drive. I frequently stop her after hikes east of here on the way back to take in the views if Big Four Mountain. This is the location of the old hotel, where only the fireplace remains. This area has a rich history of mining and tourist, but harsh winters, depleted mineral deposits, and fires brought these activities to an end.

The first few hundred yards out of the picnic area are flat and boggy, so a series of boardwalks and bridges elevate you above the wet ground.

The path to the caves takes you over a very stout bridge, which was built a few years ago when the old one washed out.

The stretch of trail through the woods is gradual and short. There is some evidence of downed trees and a sign warning of the risk of entering the ice caves.

In the winter, the snow accumulates in the area where the caves will form eventually once the weather warms up and the running water melts the snow in a dramatic fashion.

A short walk beyond the viewpoint takes you where the third ice cave would be. Currently, it's just a waterfall, with remnants of last year's ice cave that melted and collapsed.

The walk back was especially peaceful as the sun cast long shadows and the trees formed silhouettes against the blue sky.