big four hike TR

[genepires]

No photos but just a heads up for any fathers wanting to get their kids out for a little winter "adventure"

 

You can drive to the big four trailhead. there is a boot pack all the way to the ice caves. Maybe 10 people have gone up all the way so it is not super fat but doable. Just after the last bridge (new this summer?) near treeline, the trail kinda gets lost and you gotta go over downfall to get back into the summer trail. Find it on the way back or the swack back to the trail is kid epic.

 

for a frame of reference, My boy is 3.5 years old and did ok.

 

Should be good for sunday but who knows after the coming week.

[max]

Gene:

 

Is it worth mentioning for the more novice hike-seekers that the Big Four Ice Caves area poses potentially serious avalanche hazard? Away from the wall base is completely fine, but up near the base of the wall... I seem to remember seeing lots of signs that mentioned this (potentially buried?), but it seems worth repeating for "amateurs" that may stumble upon this TR looking for a hike.

 

Dang. You have a three year old son. Time flies.

[genepires]

yes, we stayed a bit aways from the true ice caves due to the possibility of a large slough or full on avalanche coming down the n face. There is nothing "potentially" hazardous about it. It is damn ass dangerous.

 

there was very little debris at the base which is good sign AND a bad sign. There was some big debris inside the ice cave though. Much larger than I would expect for a collapse inside without showing any surface disturbance.

 

thanks for the safety reminder. keep safe y'all.

[genepires]

for anyone interested in taking your young-uns out to the mtns this weekend, the big 4 trail is still in good shape. lots of down trees but nothing that can't be crawled under.

 

a few photos

[img:left]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/thumbs/DSCN1855.JPG.pagespeed.ce.ti3UCnvekW.jpg[/img]

[img:left]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/thumbs/DSCN1849.JPG.pagespeed.ce.nIPqIBJ7qi.jpg[/img]

 

we don't need no stinkin crash pad for some winter bouldering. With sneakers and mittens no less.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2010 by genepires