Ski or Ride These Glaciers During the Summer

While the ski season in North America starts winding down in the spring, the attention turns to glacier skiing in some mountain destinations. A number of glaciers are located throughout North America, where adventurous, experienced skiers and riders can enjoy fun summer conditions.

So what exactly is a glacier, and what does it mean for skiers? The University of Copenhagen’s Centre for Ice and Climate scientists define glaciers as ice that moves. Alpine glaciers – the ones we like so much in the summer – form high in the mountains and travel through the valleys below. The pow we seek in the winter is long gone, but the ice remains. That means that skiers will want to sharpen those edges. Note that sometimes you’ll see the term snowfield, which is the case at Mt. Hood in Oregon. There’s a difference between the two. Glaciers move; snowfields don’t.

Conditions on glaciers during the summer months are conditions and weather-dependent. The skiing can be icy and hard pack in the mornings, but get wet and slushy in the afternoons. You’ll want to pay attention and be careful; while many obstacles are marked at popular destinations, there can be some ice falls and other hazards to keep an eye out for.

Below we share a few glacier skiing spots in America. As you may notice in the photos and videos, many of these lines are steep, technical and high-consequence with tricky conditions. Researching each of these routes is recommended since they vary by skill level, and change from season to season. We strongly advise going with a guide or somebody who knows the route and conditions. Additionally, you’ll want to have some avalanche training and ski mountaineering skills. Expect to pay a climbing fee and obtain a climbing permit (if required) before attempting some of these climbs.

Grand Teton National Park: Glacier Route, Middle Teton

Iconic, daunting and beautiful, the Glacier Route (east face) of Wyoming’s Middle Teton is no cupcake. The lengthy trek tops out at 12,350 feet and delivers some 7,000 plus feet of vertical (trailhead to summit). Be prepared to leave in the wee hours of the morning and do some serious boot packing near the summit.

Mount Shasta: Hotlum-Wintun Glacier

It’s not every day you can ski a volcano. Mount Shasta, a stratovolcano located in the Cascade Range of northern California, boasts a 14,162-foot summit with a permanent snowfield, often referred to as Hotoon Snowfield, for skiers and riders. To access the Hotoon Snowfield, located between Hotlum and Wintun glaciers, take the Brewer Creek Trail to the north side of the Hotlum-Wintum Ridge for direct lines and crevasse-free descents.

Sierra Nevada: Palisade Glacier

Located in the John Muir Wilderness area of California’s Sierra Nevada, Palisade Glacier descends from North Palisade Peak (the third highest peak in the Sierra Nevada range at 14,242 feet). Hike or skin up the North Fork of Big Pine Canyon to access and ski the Palisade glacier. Ascend the glacier beneath the vertical walls of Temple Crag and descend nearly 2,000 feet back down to Third Lake or, if the legs and lungs are up for the challenge, keep heading upward toward your choice of couloirs.

Skiers who have a few days and want the expertise and knowledge of a guide can go on a multi-day ski mountaineering tour with Sierra Mountain Guides during the spring months. Sierra Mountain Guides offers private guided trips, typically in April or May, with an AMGA certified guide. Glacier skiing can be unpredictable, so a trip like this takes the guesswork out of it.

Mount Rainier: Paradise Glacier

Mount Rainier claims the highest point in Washington State, scraping the sky at 14,411 feet. This stratovolcano is a training ground for mountaineers across the Northwest, providing a variety of ascents and descents. Paradise Glacier is home to a number of crevasses, so it’s best to ski earlier in the summer and pay close attention to route selection. To mitigate the danger, hike up the relatively busy Muir Snowfield to access the Paradise descent.

Mt. Hood: Palmer Snowfield

Look to the south side of Mt. Hood to ski down Palmer, the official training site of the U.S. Ski, Snowboarding and Freeskiing teams during the summer. High up the slopes of Timberline, Palmer typically isn’t open during the winter and early spring months because of the abundance of snow. However, once spring skiing wraps up on the mountain, summer skiing takes place here on Palmer. The summer season on Palmer typically begins in early June and continues into August, offering a unique experience of lift-accessed skiing and riding on a snowfield.

Idaho Springs (Colorado): St. Mary’s Glacier

St. Mary’s, in Colorado’s Arapaho National Forest, isn’t so much a glacier as it’s a semi-permanent snowfield. Here, you’ll need to work to ski or ride this one. It’s about a 3/4 mile hike to the lake, which is beautifully nestled in the hills and mountains. It’s a short hike to the bottom of the glacier, but longer and steeper if you want to get to the top to ski or ride down when the ice is thick enough.

Header image ©Timberline Lodge