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| Climber on the trail to Glacier Basin |
The approach to Glacier Basin is beginning to melt out. There are lingering patches of snow starting at the 5,000' elevation, just past the Emmons Moraine Trail. The snow becomes continuous starting at 5,500' just before reaching Glacier Basin. Hiker traffic up and down has compacted the snow and made it easy to identify where the trail goes.
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| View of the Inter Glacier looking down from the Prow |
The Inter Glacier has good snow coverage, and crevasses are not yet visible on the surface. The last storm cycle brought wind drifted snow depositions of 3" - 6" deep. The forecast is calling for a big warm-up, so expect to see soft wet conditions over the next few days. As the freezing levels rise to near 14,000' this week, be aware of changing conditions and the possibility of loose wet avalanches.
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| The Lower Emmons Glacier below Camp Schurman |
The bivy sites at Camp Curtis are melting out, with minimal fresh snow from the most recent storm on the ridge. The lower Emmons saw a similar amount of snow accumulation as the Inter Glacier, making for relatively easy travel conditions from Camp Curtis to Camp Schurman.
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| Climbers descending from Camp Schurman |
Crevasses on the Emmons Glacier are beginning to open up. We have witnessed several climbers punch through close to Camp Schurman. This is the first portion of real glacier travel and parties should rope-up prior to making their final climb up to Camp Schurman on the Emmons. As these crevasses grow with the warm weather, the current boot track may not be the best route. Investigate crevasse crossings and be open to the option of walking around the end of the crevasse rather than over a thin bridge. See you on the eastside! Where the sunrise is early, and the sunset rolls down Curtis Ridge!
