On this third Saturday of the 2025 version of August my email brought me a Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day, that I do remember, both what I am seeing in the photo, that, and the fact that this photo could not possibly have been taken in August.
On the left, in the red pants, is my nephew Jeremy, following his big brother, Christopher, to the Washington geological oddity known as the Ice Caves.
The Ice Caves are accessed by a short hiking trail off the Mountain Loop Highway, which runs from Granite Falls to Darrington, through a mountain wonderland that always sort of reminded me of Yosemite.
That I used to live such a short distance from such scenery seems like ancient history now. There were multiple locations I used to go to on the Mountain Loop Highway. Mountain biking on old logging roads. Cross country skiing on those same old logging roads, but in winter.
Here is a short blurb description of the Mountain Loop Highway one gets when on Googles...
The Mountain Loop Highway is a scenic 54-mile loop road in Washington State, primarily located in Snohomish County within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It connects Granite Falls to Darrington, passing through the Stillaguamish and Sauk River valleys. The route offers views of mountains, rivers, and waterfalls.
Biking and hiking to the old ghost town of Monte Christo.
I think the last time I mountain biked to Monte Christo was with nephew Joey.
Here is a short blurb description of Monte Christo one gets when one Googles...
Monte Cristo is a ghost town located northwest of Monte Cristo Peak in eastern Snohomish County, Washington. It was once a thriving mining town, active from 1889 to 1907, and later became a resort town until 1983. Today, it's a popular hiking destination known for its historical significance and scenic beauty.
The aforementioned Ice Caves form every spring when the snow of winter starts melting. By the time the heat of summer arrives the Ice Caves become dangerous. When Chris and Jeremy took me to the Ice Caves it seemed safe for us to explore inside. Now that I am older and less adventurous, I don't think I would be up to exploring the Ice Caves.
I think I remember reading that a total prohibition of Ice Cave exploration had been enacted.
The last time I saw the Ice Caves was when I was being the guide of a group of kids my sister Michele was somehow in some sort of mentoring situation with. It was early summer. You had to stay several hundred feet from the Ice Caves.
The attraction at that point in time, which drew a large crowd, was sitting and watching big chunks of ice crash down from the mountain cliffs, making loud booms and big plumes of ice dust.
A popular hike on the Mountain Loop Highway I remember hiking only once, it one which takes you to the route of the train which ran along the Stillaguamish River to Monte Christo. Some of the railroad tracks remain. There are tunnels and scary bridges.
The river you are hiking next to is a wild one, leading to Granite Falls, the actual waterfall, not the town. The trail does not go that far. Eventually one reaches a point where one can go no further.
At times I sort of miss living a short distance from a natural wonderland. Where I lived in Washington, no matter which direction you went, you were soon at a natural wonderland....
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