Darby Wind Caves

Directions

From Rexburg, head north on Hwy 20 until you arrive at the Driggs, Jackson exit. Take the exit and follow Hwy 33. You will pass through several small towns and eventually you will come to Driggs, Idaho. If you need a rest stop, this is a good place to do it. Driggs has many small shops, gas stations and a large grocery store.

After leaving Driggs, be on the watch out for East 3000 South. It will sneak up on your left. Turn here. The pavement ends shortly after and you will be on a smooth dirt road all the way to the trail head. This road will span maybe a mile or a little more and come to a "T". Take a right at the "T" onto South 275 East. Follow it around a bend to the left where it becomes Darby Canyon Road, leading to the trailhead. There is a steep road that peels to the right a little way down, but stay left on the main road. Although there are no more turns to make, be cautious as the road is narrow with an abrupt shoulder and drop off. Also, be aware that livestock have open access to the road. They don't always move quickly, but with a little urging, they may move a little faster.
For directions with map, click here.
For terrain map, click here.


Darby Wind Cave Trail
(Note: if you plan to enter the cave at the end of the trail remember to take proper gear: mainly flashlights and additional layers. Some caves require ropes, harnesses and technical knowledge of cave climbing. Do your research before entering any cave.)This hike starts out fairly smooth, flat and just a couple streams to hop over at the beginning. Between the narrow distance between banks, logs link the sides allowing hikers to cross over them quite easily. Some are dried riverbeds during parts of the year so there is no need to fear treacherous crossings...yet!As you continue hiking, the trail touches occasionally along the river bank from a height that offers beautiful scenery. Large boulders and entire cliff-sides that have fallen off the mountain line the river, offering an awe inspiring view that helps hikers remember just how little we are! The hike progresses slowly. There is some elevation gain here and there, with some subtle switchbacks few and far between, but don't let that fool you. As you enter the main canyon, the trail steepens, climbing up the left side of the canyon. This follows some high cliffs that line the canyon offering amazing views of the entire canyon, mountain meadows, wildflowers and the river. Have your camera with you because you will have an opportunity to take some excellent pictures.

Near the half-way point, you can finally see the cave high in the cliff wall. It's hard to believe you'll be that far away eventually, but it's well worth the climb! Conveniently enough, there are a few smaller checkpoints that make great refreshing rest points. One of which is a small trickle of a water fall. A mountain spring just up the canyon produces a small creek that falls over a large undercut rock. The resulting scenery is awe inspiring. The cool water is extremely satisfying on a hot day. Depending on how many hikers there are, you may need to fight for some time near the fall for a picture or two. Fortunately, the others around will not only let you get close without jumping in your shot, many will offer to take the picture for you!Moving on, the trail gets steeper. It begins to climb with short and choppy switchbacks. A little beyond the last small trickle of a fall is a larger waterfall. This one, however, is not quite as gentle. You'll want to keep your distance, but then again, those of you who want adventure won't be held back. Be careful. The water falls hard and fast. It even stings a little, but it can be worth the rush if that's what you're after.The next major point is the cave opening itself. Just upstream a small, steep distance lies the raging glacier river, violently spewing from the cave's mouth. You may want to take a few empty bottles with you. The water coming from the cave is cold, pure and the best tasting mountain water you will ever drink. We bottled as much as we could carry and stashed it in the fridge for later when we got home. Hang on tight to the bottles, though. The raging water can rip it right from your hand. Water at that speed and force is quite stunning. In fact, the next stage is the part that separates the men from the boys. Depending on the time of year, the river can be quite violent. Other times it can be much more tranquil. Either way, crossing the river without a bridge is the only way to enter the cave. When crossing, the water is fairly shallow; there is a bed of rocks that have been arranged to be relatively flat, but footing can slip quickly on the slick rocks. To further illustrate the danger, downstream is a very fast, raging river just shy of being a waterfall. About a hundred yards away it becomes the waterfall mentioned in the last paragraph. One slip and it will be near impossible to regain balance and footing. To make matters worse, there is no way to cross without getting soaked. This isn't just regular soaking wet, mind you. We're talking near freezing glacier water rushing into your shoes, numbing your feet and arms as it splashes against you. The wind from the water, the noise, sense of danger and the cold can quickly overwhelm all your senses, take your breath away, and distract you while trying to step in just the right spots that you can't see under the white water.While the situation is not exaggerated, the rush is worth the risk. If you stay calm and focused, you should be able to cross without too much trouble. Just exercise extreme caution (you may want to keep small children from crossing. Their weight may be too light to stay balanced in the rushing water). Once on the other side, you must follow the river up into the cave. There is no real trail here, as this territory is not staked out for average hikers. Those who venture into the cave are those who leave the beaten path and make their own adventure. With that in mind, you will need to scramble a little bit up stream, soaking wet, wading through more water (not nearly as dangerous), while hugging the side of the cave opening. Eventually, fallen rocks cover the entire river and all of the water flow comes from beneath the bed of rocks. Dry ground covers the cave at this point. You will want a head lamp if you intend to enter the cave further. Once inside, the pathway widens and narrows drastically until you come to a small hole just a few feet in diameter. The cave has another opening elsewhere, creating a wind tunnel. All the air pressure differences create the wind and channel it through this tiny hole. This means a lot of frigid air on wet clothes. My party and I weren't prepared to continue, so that was the end of our adventure. But others have traveled further into the cave. Be prepared; take lights and do some research. Caves aren't playgrounds, especially ones with which you are not familiar.For the more daring and adventurous, just one mile up the trial lies the Darby Ice Caves. Upon arrival at the entrance, there is a warning sign cautioning of the dangers that lie within and the equipment required. The ice cave is over three miles long with multiple climbs, rappels down ice-covered cliffs, hiking, wading through freezing glacier water and scissoring between crevasses over 30 feet high. This cave is not to be taken lightly. Climbing gear is a must! As you near the end, the cave begins to narrow until only a small crawlspace is all that remains. As you squeeze through, you enter a pit that sits at the very back end of the wind cave. This is your exit!



Photos
Top: View of the cave opening from across the canyon
Second from top: Wildflowers cover the open mountain meadows
Third from the top: A light, trickling waterfall. A great resting point.
Third from the bottom: A large waterfall that makes for a refreshing shower
Above: The opening to the cave with its rushing water. Near the base of the photo, you can see the flat arrangement of rocks on which hikers may cross.
Right: An ice climber in the upper ice cave. Again, special equipment is needed!

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