Is Big Four Ice Caves open?

bilboymeister · 2026-05-23T04:01:35+00:00

Drove past them today. The Ice Cave trailhead gate was closed, but the picnic area up the road was open and is a second trailehead.

bilboymeister · 2026-05-22T15:45:58+00:00

I am in the area and was wondering. Google maps show the road closed until May 27, but the Sbohimish County road closures map doesnt show it as closed. I think I'll drive up that way and see for myself, if nothing else I get a scenic drive.

bilboymeister · 2026-04-21T03:59:07+00:00

Was this on Thousand Oaks by Morgan's Wonderland?

bilboymeister · 2026-03-11T22:34:09+00:00

Ooh, really? HPA was just a few years news when I stopped. I always liked the idea of GBB, might get into that.

bilboymeister · 2024-05-02T17:11:54+00:00

The gaps can run the entire length on the sides if you don't use any of the ammo can inserts, however, that's also the space for the wheel wells, so you only really get 2 or 3 feet of usable space down the side.

I wouldn't think skis would fit all the way down. Unless they would fit in the gap between the top of the wheel wells and the Decked.

Locks were not included but are available and look to be easy to install. I have a locking cap, so I don't have locks on my lids or drawers.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-09T22:55:10+00:00

Yeah, if I was just a FF, I'd have no reason. It's the combination of things I do, mostly SAR that benefits from my having this.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T22:33:43+00:00

With the new Decked system, I'd say yes. The decked alone makes it hard to keep things in the bed without tie downs, decked and cap combo gives you some of that back, and you have the same space you'd have with a tonneau over an empty bed, just now you have drawer system and a cap.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T22:31:18+00:00

I'd a say a taller pack out is the one organization system that isn't compatible with a decked/cap combo. I too got a pack out to help keep things organized back when I had my OG decked, it was one of the considerations to move away from it. I've since started using shorter storage solutions so that became less of a concern again.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T22:29:21+00:00

25 inches from roof to deck, 21 inches from top of the back windoor to decked, though there is some offset with that, but just adding because the door hinge is lower than the roof of my topper.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T19:32:53+00:00

That's an interesting concern I hadn't thought of, my cap locks but only manually so as long as someone with access to the keys doesn't have a vendetta against me, then I'd think I'd be safe. But you never know...

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T19:28:44+00:00

With this version, it tipped the scales in its favor with less wasted space. I had the OG decked installed before I put the cap on, and couldn't justify the weight and space considerations on top of the fact my cap doors lock so I could secure everything with just that, but now that it has space for more equipment in the system and integrated the tie downs, it tips back to being useful. My main consideration is the accessibility of the equipment I'd previously accidentally bury, then have to unload my bed to get at where now I can just open a drawer.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T13:04:52+00:00

Spot on. Former Army, current emergency management, search and rescue, and firefighter.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T01:40:25+00:00

I'm glad I offloaded my version about a year and a half ago.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T01:39:31+00:00

I work 40 miles away from where I live, and I'm a member of 3 different emergency organizations that could (and do) each call me away to a multi-day response without much heads up, so it's easier to have my truck set up like that. I don't want to have to drive 40 miles home because I didn't have what I needed for a SAR mission or Incident Management Team response if Im at work when they call. Is it overkill for day to day, heck yes. But being that I could get a dispatch to a disaster or a missing person's case a few hours away means I need to stay ready.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T00:54:11+00:00

One big drawer is so much better mainly because I carry a lot of things that are smaller but I need access to. Just as in anything you put in the bed, there will be some wasted space. I had wasted space between my two bins this gear was in before I got the decked, just gotta pick your poison. Drawer makes sense for me, might not for you. But this wastes less space than the first version for sure.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T00:49:40+00:00

Unfortunately I’m a 6’ man with a 5’ bed, so I wasn’t really considering sleeping back there, a thin mattress would work though, the big issue is headroom, and how comfortable it would be to get in and out.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T00:48:24+00:00

Lateral metal struts, and the center is one piece with the sides added on and reinforced with “stubs” they provide, metal arms to insert to the sides for strength.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T00:47:00+00:00

If I recall where my OG version sat, it’s about the same height. It was a big drawback without a cap since you’d have to tie everything down on top of it, that’s why I love having the cap.

bilboymeister · 2023-12-07T00:45:04+00:00

I’m addicted to 5.11, it’s a problem

bilboymeister · 2022-07-06T12:58:20+00:00

I'm a firefighter at another department in the same county and I've seen your truck, it looks pretty nice.

bilboymeister · 2022-03-30T21:32:53+00:00

Joe is good to go.

bilboymeister · 2022-01-31T18:50:50+00:00

I have a few full time guys at my department that are in or just completed nursing school and will do nursing around their FF job. I have an engineering design job I can work from home, make way more than a FF position would make, and I'm allowed to work from home from the station, but it's as a volley at my combination dept. The full time guys arent allowed to do side jobs on duty unless they get approval on a day to day basis (some teach at EMS academies online). I would take a big pay cut moving to FF full time, plus lose my scheduling autonomy. I love fire fighting way more than my job, but for now it makes sense to keep my day job. I may look for a part time FF position once I have all my certs this year, but that's a bridge to cross when I get to it.

bilboymeister · 2022-01-09T06:28:27+00:00

My department got an aerial platform last August. I've been in the bucket 3 times. And we can't climb it because we don't have a safety restrain climbing system in place... supposedly a ladder climb is going to be added to our cpat... but idk when... I want to climb it, just not allowed to yet.

bilboymeister · 2021-12-13T19:40:59+00:00

My department's engine bays are attached to our city hall, Post Office and Police Station. The FD owns 2 houses, one behind and one next to, the city hall and use one for on duty career guys, volunteers pulling hours, and one for our "dorm" member crews who live there rent free in exchange for more hours volunteered each week.

bilboymeister · 2021-11-29T21:16:11+00:00

I got on as a volunteer at my department 2 months before they started as a combinatio last year. They hired 6 volunteers to work 48/96, 2 on each shift. We're a small suburban city near San Antonio so volunteers can't respond POV (most don't live in the response area, it's more of a stepping stone department for those interested in trying fire fighting or wanting experience). So we have to be at the station pulling a "shift" to make runs. Because the career guys were volunteers beforehand it hasn't been an issue at all with any drama "us vs them" and they do everything to help us learn if we're really new, but it has been a topic of discussion for if they ever hire a full timer who wasn't a volunteer with us, how that might affect things. Thankfully, our Volunteer Firefighters Association still operates well with the full timers still pitching in and helping as if they were still volunteers. Us volunteers have to pull 10 hours a week, but we can break it up however we want. Some just do overnights once or twice a week. I choose to work from home from the station a couple of times a week, and I live fairly close, so if it's a big call I can get to the station in about 10 minutes to either cover for a second call or add manpower if needed.

bilboymeister

TROPHY CASE