Long-awaited repair: Bridge to the Big Four Ice Caves reopens
GRANITE FALLS — After three years, the bridge leading to one of Snohomish County’s most popular nature destinations has been restored.
The Big Four Ice Caves are located off Mountain Loop Highway, about 20 miles east of Granite Falls. An easy walk on a path and over the bridge leads to the caverns carved out by an avalanche chute, shaped by millions of years of shifting tectonic plates. The ice caves are typically visible and accessible between spring and fall.
Thousands of visitors flocked to the caves until 2019, when the aluminum footbridge gave out along the 1.1-mile path that leads to the icy mountainside. Years of erosion on the bank of the South Fork Stillaguamish River damaged one of the structure’s footings.
Late last month, lengthy repairs on the footbridge were finished, reopening the completed path to the public. U.S. Forest Service rangers spearheaded the restoration, using funds from the Great American Outdoors Act. The restored bridge has been extended to reduce the risk of erosion. Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest ranger Colton Whitworth said the updated bridge is estimated to weigh a total of 6,600 pounds.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/long-awaited-repair-bridge-to-the-big-four-ice-caves-reopens/
