Looking for more multicache hike suggestions near Seattle...?

[+Angry Marmot]

The boys are headin back into town next weekend for our annual get together and cache hike. Thanks to great suggestions from y'all we had a blast doing the APE hike and then Rattlesnake Ridge the last two times they hit town. So here I am back again bugging y'all for some hike suggestions/info.

 

Ideally we'd like something 0-2 hours drive from Seattle, multiple caches along the hike and/or near the trailhead, something 0-15 miles in length or that can be done in a day, and of course beautiful sites/interesting landscape is a bonus. This is really the only time my buddies cache so I want to get the most bang for our buck.

 

One possibility is to do the snoqualmie tunnel (APE) hike again but drop a car this time so that we can go further and pick up more caches. Last time we did a round trip hike from west of the tunnel (avalanche shed) up to the lake and back. I'm not sure the caches beyond these points in either direction are worth a return visit so maybe someone could advise us on that.

 

As always any information/suggestions appreciated. Thanks gang! -JB

[MarcusArelius]

 

One possibility is to do the snoqualmie tunnel (APE) hike again but drop a car this time so that we can go further and pick up more caches. Last time we did a round trip hike from west of the tunnel (avalanche shed) up to the lake and back. I'm not sure the caches beyond these points in either direction are worth a return visit so maybe someone could advise us on that.

 

 

Iron horse trail east from Hyak

 

Iron Horse west from Hyak

[+AndrewRJ]

There is also MTM on Tiger Mountain. It is 12 miles round trip with 11 other caches if you take the other but equal route back. It is about a 45 minute drive from seattle to the trailhead at the first WP.

[+Prying Pandora]

Plaidguy and I did a great hike a few weeks ago that we really enjoyed. It will get you 4 caches, one of which is very old and placed by the head frog himself. There is a ghost town and the scenery will take your breath away! The trailhead is at Barlow Pass, and you will need a NW Forest Pass to park there. Caches on the trail include PB&J: Peanut Butter & John, Monte Cristo, Monte Cristo Concentrator Cache, and Glacier Falls. There are a bunch of quickie but nice caches you can grab along the Mountain Loop Highway on the way up there too.

[+GeoBlank]

I recommend Tiger. A good bush whacking one with a yellow jeep in it also!

 

The Feast is a series that anyone in this area should enjoy.

[+The Jester]

You can link several caches on Squak Mtn (Tie Mill, Crazy Monkey Tripod, Squak Visit and several more) - if you have NG Topo! you can download a trail map for the area.

[+Angry Marmot]

Great suggestions, thanks. Do you folks think its possible to do both the ice caves and monte cristo in one day? It looks like those are both along that hwy loop. If so how would you suggest doing it? If not which is the better hike? Thanks much gang!

[+Angry Marmot]

Great suggestions, thanks. Do you folks think its possible to do both the ice caves and monte cristo in one day? It looks like those are both along that hwy loop. If so how would you suggest doing it? If not which is the better hike? Thanks much gang!

 

Monte Cristo is the longer hike (8 miles roundtrip plus exploring), and to me, anyway, the much more interesting hike (albeit it's been years since I did the full hike although hope to rememdy that soon). Here's a good website on the history of the area:

http://www.whidbey.com/mcpa/

 

Big Four Ice Caves is about two-miles roundtrip on a very good and very popular trail with boardwalk to start with and then a nice bridge across the river. I saw my only cougar in the wild there--it crossed the trail only about 25 feet in front of us. Certainly got our attention but never even looked our way. The cache there was a winter placement, which makes it a very difficult bushwack in the summer so I've never bothered to try for it. You will want to read the recent logs before deciding on that, and note that the geocoin is not in the cache. The 8/16 NFS online report says "Trail is snow free and caves are forming. Far right cave is best, really large. Stay back from snow field. Bridge construction at Ice Caves trail end. STAY OUT AND AWAY FROM CAVES! Avalanche dangers." They always warn about the going into the caves or climbing up the snowfield, but people ignore the warning and every year or two someone is badly hurt or killed there when a cave either collapses over them or under them.

 

Personally, I'd start with Monte Cristo so you have as much time there as you want to explore, and then do the Ice Caves if there is still time. Neither hike will have that much verticle. After that, there are a number of driveyby geocaches you could grab on the way back, e.g. the Sprerry-Iverson Mine, Youth on Age, etc.

 

Great advice, I think we'll go with it. Thanks much!