I Tried This INCREDIBLE Underground Hike!!

This was an incredible experience, and a little scary - not gonna lie! I hiked through the longest lava tube in the continental United States! This underground hike through an amazing cave just might be the most unique day hike in America. Ape Cave in Washington State was formed by an underground lava flow 2000 years ago! I have to admit, hiking through this dark and fascinating environment deep beneath the surface of the earth can be at times a bit claustrophobic due to the darkness. I am no spelunker, and Ape Cave is not the kind of cave where you have to squeeze yourself through tight gaps, or crawl on your stomach into narrow passage ways. Even so, I still found myself missing daylight and fresh air as I hiked for miles and miles through this cave over hours and hours. But what an amazing experience to get to be immersed in this alien, underground world! Ape Cave is a constant 40-degrees fahrenheit (~4 celsius), and it features all sorts of fascinating life such as cave slime oozing from the walls (don't touch it!), plus stunning lava rock formations to climb over and through. Follow my journey underground as I hike for 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) through this dark but fascinating cave!

*This video was originally published on November 20, 2022 on REI’s Miranda in the Wild YouTube channel, which is now an independent channel you can find at    / @mirandagoesoutside  

This video is not sponsored by Black Diamond at all, but I did take the cool opportunity to show you the features of my favorite head lamp, the Black Diamond Spot 400, while in the pitch dark of the cave!

IMPORTANT NOTE: No cave can ever be considered totally safe. Do your research, take a buddy, and be prepared with an extra light source, full batteries, and an emergency plan before you enter any cave no matter how safe it may seem! It is also very important that you respect the delicate ecosystem of all caves! Do not touch snot-ite, the cave slime that covers the walls, and do not eat any food in the cave. And DEFINITELY do not pee or poo in a cave. It is very easy to disturb the fragile ecosystem of caves. As always be good stewards of the outdoors, including when the outdoors is underground!

Intro: 00:00
Lower cave - down we go: 0:35
Upper Cave - where the hard part begins: 4:38
Black Diamond Spot 400 Headlamp Demo: 6:10
Upper Cave Continued - plunged into darkness, searching for daylight: 6:51
Outro: 15:12

Gear in this video -

Headlamp: https://www.rei.com/product/202774/bl...
Backpack: https://www.rei.com/product/165342/gr...
Rain Jacket: https://www.rei.com/product/127502/bl...
Hiking Shoes: https://www.rei.com/product/209166/ad... (updated version!)
Hiking Pants: https://www.sheflyapparel.com/
Down Vest: https://www.rei.com/product/153699/co...
Down Jacket: https://www.rei.com/product/194628/mo...
Gloves: https://www.rei.com/product/174602/bl...

Become an REI Member: https://www.rei.com/membership

Miranda in the Wild is an REI Co-op Studios production!
Sr. Producer/Director: Rainer Golden
Producer: Miranda Webster
Videographer: Kyle Roof
Editor: Kyle Roof
Executive Producers: Alissa Hudson, Joe Crosby

#hiking #cave #explore #adventure #naturelovers #rei #mirandainthewild