As a a potentially active stratovolcano and the second tallest mountain in Washington State, Mount Adams is encircled by numerous inactive lava tubes and caves, most of which were formed less than 20,000 years ago. The Guler Ice Caves, which were created by a pahoehoe basaltic lava flow, are unique in the fact that they harbor ice formations nearly year round. This frigid anomaly is the product of cold and heavy winter air being trapped toward the lower eastern end of the cave, preserving beautiful ice sculptures throughout the year. The cave has been well known for over a century, and at one point it functioned as a local source of ice and refrigeration for pioneers in Hood River and The Dalles.
