Editor's note: The scrolling panorama was really slow to download, and Microsoft's Media Player was displaying garbage instead of the carefully crafted QuickTime VR 360-degree image of the Big Four Campground. So, it has been removed.
Don't expect to ski up to the gaping mouth of a cool blue ice cave. Each winter, the Big Four ice caves are crushed under tons of snow from avalanches off the face of Big Four Mountain. The caves usually form again in the summer, and they're dangerous. A fellow hiker, who is a doctor, watched a woman be killed instantly by a large chunk of falling ice. Don't go inside the caves.
This is a very pleasant ski, very level and easy. Great for families, because there's a big, open area (the Big Four campground, one-time location of a hotel that burned down) for picnics. And it's easy to get to the trailhead, too.
That's because the "trail" is actually the Mountain Loop Highway, barricaded and snowed in after Deer Creek (the barricade location moves based on weather). Ski the road, with views of Dickerman ahead and Three Fingers behind you. A side trail goes through the campground and across the river to the area where the ice caves grow. Beware of severe danger of violent avalanches in this area, and don't leave the protection of the trees.
Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. Any trail can become very dangerous in winter conditions. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions. Please read Terms of Use.
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