That Time When We Forgot Our Ice Picks a Yaktrax

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A few weeks ago, a friend from my Crossfit gym told me about these ice caves in Spearfish Canyon. 
She said we would need a local to show us the trail the first time because it’s difficult to find.

So of course Husband googled and we set out to find them…sans local tour guide.

According to the site we found, the hike up to the ice caves is not that difficult and kids could make it.

We’re not sure what crack pots wrote that little note.

The trail was a solid sheet of ice.

I remembered at one point, as I had a death grip on a small tree to keep from sliding down the mountain bank, that my friend had recommended yaktrax.

Stupid move on our parts for not heeding her warning. 

Poor Jeannie was sliding backwards down the ice luge, while Husband and I attempted to hike to the side of the trail hoping to get traction in the deeper snow and rocks. 
We found the caves.

But there was no way without some better equipment than our cotton gloves and rubber shoes that we were actually getting up to them.

We will be back.

A rock climber showed up at the top of the caves and warned us he would be propelling down and things might fall down.

I stuck around hoping to catch a cool picture.

About that time, a massive ice boulder came crashing down. I stood there watching it, thinking how cool it looked, until I realized that it was heading straight for me, and worse, straight for Jeannie, at lightening speed. 
It just barely missed us. 

At that point I decided it was time to head back down.
We found another small cave on the way down and stopped to refuel with some Clif bars.

And snap a family photo.

Not yet ready to quit, we spent a little while checking out the pristine snow covered creek bed.

Jim was hot on the trail of some deer tracks.

Afterwards, we headed into town to walk around a bit before heading to Crow Peak Brewing’s chili cookoff and birthday party.

And then we came home, cooked dinner, watched a movie, and headed to bed early.

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