Mountain Loop Road & Big Four Ice Caves

June 25 , 2011
So much was happening in Seattle this weekend that we decided to get out of town for a bit, despite the cloudy, cool weather. Our beloved Mountain Loop Road is at last open so we drove south along that from Darrington, ending with lunch at Big Four and a hike to the Ice Caves and back.

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Many little waterfalls thundered down beside Mountain Loop Road.
   
     
   
     
Clumps of small Bunchberries peeped out of the undergrowth.
 
     
   
     
Brightly colored Salmonberries waved at us from roadside bushes.
   
     
   
     
The Sauk River raced along beside the road, crashing over huge boulders and logs.
  
     
   
     
There were a bazillion shades of green at Monte Cristo Lake. How beautiful it was.
 
     
   
     
Many ferns sprouted along the side of the road too.
 
     
   
     
We stopped at our usual lookout, the trailhead for Sunrise Mine near Morningstar Peak. The mountains were shrouded with low-lying clouds.
   
     
   
     
So were the mountains at Big Four. This was our lunch scenery today..
 
     
   
     
After lunch we decided to hike the new trail to the Ice Caves.
     
   
     
The first part of the trail is bordered by swamps, ponds and lush vegetation.
 
     
   
     
Soon it begins to wind among thick, tall trees.
     
   
     
I saw some very tiny mushrooms growing in the moss. They were smaller than a dime.
   
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