Climbing Conditions on the Emmons/Winthrop and The Inter Glacier (6/19)
Glacier Basin, looking towards St. Elmo's Pass
Starting out from the White River Campground, expect to be walking on dirt for about two miles or so, but still a fair amount of snow in Glacier Basin. With all the warm weather, be super cautious about traveling on snow over rivers and streams. If you can hear water running below, assume its a fairly thin bridge that may or may not support your weight, and think about an alternate route. This is especially true right out of Glacier Basin crossing the Inter Fork of the White River.
Crevasses on the Inter Glacier are beginning to open up so keep an eye out for them on your way up and down. The traverse/descent from Camp Curtis to the Emmons still has a fair amount of snow, just keep an eye out crevasses once on the Emmons Glacier and make sure to rope up.
Wet Slab release on the Winthrop Glacier
We spotted quite a few point releases in steeper terrain above Camp Schurman. Mainly new storm snow that was just beginning to see the sun. Keep an eye out for these wet/loose avalanches. Though they are small, they pack a lot of energy, and have the potential to carry you through consequential terrain. We did spot a small wet slab avalanche on the Winthrop Glacier around the elevation of Camp Schurman, so the potential for wet slab activity exists, especially with the warm temps and recent new snow. Remember, the best indication that there is potential for avalanches in the area is if you see recent signs of natural activity.
View of the route from Steamboat Prow
Track of current route
Currently, the route heads up from Camp Schurman and past the Emmons Flats and climbs the Football Field for a couple hundred feet. Be sure not to cut over to the Corridor too early, otherwise you will be forced to navigate through an area where very thin bridges are present. Once on the Corridor, ascend up to the Alpine Meadows and begin a mellow ascending traverse towards the Winthrop shoulder. You can then keep a fairly direct line up to Columbia Crest. Traversing the shrund to Liberty Saddle is unnecessary at this point in time and adds time to your ascent as well as puts you in a zone with more objective hazard
than you would be in otherwise.
Looking up the Inter Glacier towards
Steamboat Prow
