Drill prepares first responders for disaster at Big Four Ice Caves

EVERETT — First responders swarmed one of Snohomish County’s most popular nature destinations on Thursday, not because something went wrong, but in case it does in the future.

More than 100 emergency rescuers participated in a safety drill led by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office at the Big Four Ice Caves, about 20 miles east of Granite Falls off the Mountain Loop Highway.

Helicopters flew overhead while mountain rescue volunteers, firefighters and law enforcement scaled the trail on foot, practicing their response to a major avalanche at the ice caves.

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Two people died in a collapse at the ice caves in July 2015, according to previous reporting from The Daily Herald.

https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/05/29/drill-prepares-first-responders-for-disaster-at-big-four-ice-caves/

Scaled the trail? That's a fairly flat rout that I've done before. The ice caves are at the foot of Big Four.