Melting mountains and ice caves: What it means for Super El Niño

Collapsed ice caves and holes in mountain snow fields. Signs of melting that have hikers doing a double take. FOX 13's Lauren Donovan turns to the state climatologist to see if a super El Nino in the forecast will take things from bad to worse. This trail report caught our attention. The Big Four ice caves have completely collapsed. Someone writing it's going to take several winters and colder temperatures to bring that back. Another commenting, I don't think the super El Nino is going to help. So we set out to see for ourselves. One mile in, and this is what we found. Nothing that remotely resembles a cave, just a pile of collapsed snow still dripping. And above these peaks, high up over at Mount Rainier, this week a climber spotted this. My gosh, I've never seen it like this. Darren Cromey regularly hikes the Muir snow field in the fall. The way that the snow has melted this year is unbelievable, especially in September and October. It was just a shock. There were holes in the snow, there were holes in the ice. On his way back down to paradise? You can hear the water roaring underneath your feet. There are long term consequences that can add up in some places. Washington State climatologist Guillaume Mauger says several dry summers can take a toll. So having several years in a row like this can sort of add up to where you really see a big difference. And now with a super El Nino forecasted. We know that the odds. Are in favor of warmer than normal conditions. The outlook offers little relief with climate models pointing to a drier November and December. Reporting on the Mountain Loop Highway, Lauren Donovan, Fox 13 News. The dangers of the ice collapsing has certainly been on the radar of first responders. Back in May, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office held a large scale emergency drill at the Big Four ice caves, simulating a collapse with people trapped and hurt.