To the Ice Cave and Back

 

Big 4 Ice Cave
Mountain Loop Highway

Daughter Inga and boyfriend Sean arrived at the Stanwood Station via Amtrak (late) on Sunday evening. It's 7 miles back to our doorstep from there.

Let the fun begin! We started with some home cooking featuring a seafood risotto that included scallops, shrimp and octopus in garlic and olive oil (a gift from sister Sheri upon her return from the Portugese Azores). Sean has on his list for this 4-day visit, a Washington State ferry ride and a hike.

First, The Hike: We drove to Granite Falls and turned north on the Mountain Loop Highway out of town to the Big 4 Mountain trailhead and parking lot. It was a short hike across a flooded marsh on the elevated boardwalk, across the Stilliguamish River foot bridge and up through the evergreen forest to the base of a spectacular mountain cliff face with the ever-dangerous ice cave at the base of the cliff, beckoning like the song of the sirens, luring the adventurous to their doom. Multiple sign along the trail warn of the four ways to die at Big Four mountain; avalanche, rockfall, ice crevasse and fissures and ice cave collapse.

We looked the ice cave in the mouth and returned with our mortal souls in tact. 

Here are some of the views and color autumn foliage:

Sean, Inga and Sue hikng through the conifers

Inga and Sean risking their life for a photo in front of
the killer Big 4 Ice Cave

Autumn foliage

Spectaculat cliff-face at the end of the trail

Foot bridge crossing the Stilliguamish River

Elevated boardwalk across the beaver marsh

We returned via Costco, bought some salmon and served it with rice pilaf to end the day. 

It was a good day. 

It was an enjoyable journey.

Who could ask for more?