VERLOT, Wash. — The Big Four Ice Caves in Verlot will likely reopen this spring for the first time since a fatal collapse.
The popular hiking spot has been closed since a Lynnwood man and his sister were killed and three others were hurt in July.
Hot summer temperatures had weakened the caves.
Though warning signs are posted, people continue to venture inside and close to the caves. Some wonder if the signs are enough and have called for the caves to be off-limits altogether.
After the last accident, officials have talked of possibly re-routing the trail farther from the ice caves in the future.
The Forest Service also proposed installing a new land line closer the caves, but so far, there is not one in place.
Another issue is the lack of cellphone reception. In the July accident, a man said it took him about 40 minutes to call for help before he found a phone at the Verlot Ranger Station, 15 miles from the cave.
A ranger told the Herald he expects the caves to open when the Mountain Loop Highway reopens, which is typically mid-May.
When the caves reopen, hikers will notice new warning signs on the trail.
Four people have been killed at the caves since 1998, including 11-year-old Grace Tam of Marysville, who was killed in 2010 when she was struck by a car-sized chunk of falling ice while standing outside a cave.
Cox Media Group
