The Cascades Ice Caves

In Northern Washington, where the glaciers meet the woods, there are Four Big Ice Caves. Stéphane, Lacy and I drove out to meet them — before they collapsed. The hike is short — not more than an hour or so of new growth forests.

As you come around the bend near the foot of the mountain, the ground is clear for hundreds of feet until you reach the cave and the mountain. But of the four, only two caves existed in any sense, and only one was tall enough for a person. Still, it was a spectacular afternoon.

This is the last standing ice cave, and the one that collapsed later in the summer, killing a hiker. It was this receded in March, so imagine how tiny it was in July when that happened. The geographic expanse was breathtaking.