This weekend some friends and I went to the Big Four Ice Caves [wta], which we selected by attempting to minimize trail difficult and maximize scenic enjoyment. The hike itself turned out to be very easy with little elevation gain and a very developed path. The end of the trail opens into a big rocky clearing surrounded by mountains and ice caves. Walking from the hot summer air into the flow of icy wind coming out of the caves was an excellent contrast and a choice place to have a picnic lunch. We didn’t venture very deeply into the caves since they are apparently deadly. Still, seeing snow and ice during the middle of summer is a welcome change from the in-city heat. We agreed that it was possible for almost anyone to do with a great payoff.
Deciding to be slightly more adventurous, we climbed on a big rock and walked around looking at waterfalls and more ice. Eventually we found a big boulder-filled waterfall and climbed into it. From the above, we scoped out a flat meadow of wildflowers to explore once we reached the ground. When we got there, it turned out to be more of an expedition than we anticipated as the flowers were probably seven feet tall and the path was through an abandoned creek bed. It turned out that our warm-up hike ended up being a fun day in various outdoor playgrounds.
All in all, it was a great expedition out of the city. It’s fairly close (~1.5 hours?) and would make a good afternoon retreat for guests of all ages. There are plenty of other trails in the area if you’d rather make a day of it.