Anyone been up to St. Mary's Glacier lately?
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- Ramfan24
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Anyone been up to St. Mary's Glacier lately?
Wondering if flotation is needed for a hike to James Peak this weekend.
- GregMiller
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Re: Anyone been up to St. Mary's Glacier lately?
Also wondering about the conditions, wondering if there's enough snow to ski up and down.
Still Here
been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, Sun has baked me,
Looks like between 'em they done Tried to make me
Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin'-- But I don't care! I'm still here!
Langston Hughes
been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, Sun has baked me,
Looks like between 'em they done Tried to make me
Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin'-- But I don't care! I'm still here!
Langston Hughes
Re: Anyone been up to St. Mary's Glacier lately?
It's mostly hard wind packed snow and sastrugi above the glacier, and below the glacier the trail is packed. The east side doesn't have nearly as much snow as the west side, but I did it on skis and was able to stay on snow from the trailhead to the summit and back. This was in late December, but I would guess the conditions now are similar.Ramfan24 wrote:Wondering if flotation is needed for a hike to James Peak this weekend.
"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." -Henry Ford
"Slow and steady wins the race (unless you're racing someone who is fast and steady)."
"Slow and steady wins the race (unless you're racing someone who is fast and steady)."
- TeamDino5280
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Re: Anyone been up to St. Mary's Glacier lately?
I was up there a week ago and there is consistent hard wind packed snow going all the way to the snow field in the glacier proper you would need traction more than floatation. We skinned up about half way then crossed over PT 11,716 to the south side and came down the gully just south of the steeper lake face. It was about 28 degrees where we came down and the snow was a 3-4 inch reactive wind slab on top of softer snow. There is a large cross loaded slope to hikers right on the glacier that most people are walking right under, I would avoid that. Also, on the roll over at the bottom of the glacier hikers left there is a large wind load I would avoid that too. here are some pictures
Bottom
Crossloaded slope with everyone walking under it
Mid way up
South gully looks way better then it was
Shitty windslab in the trees near anchor gulch
Bottom
Crossloaded slope with everyone walking under it
Mid way up
South gully looks way better then it was
Shitty windslab in the trees near anchor gulch
- powhound
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Re: Anyone been up to St. Mary's Glacier lately?
It can't be any worse than this. My son and I were jonesing for some turns and went to St.Mary's last summer on July 31. The grungiest skiing I have ever done...it was a blast!farcedude wrote:Also wondering about the conditions, wondering if there's enough snow to ski up and down.