Re: yosemite glaciers

i want to see a glacier while i still can, but am having trouble finding good info on glaciers in the park other than Lyell. would someone point me in the right direction (www-wise) or let me know where the more accessible glaciers are in the park?

many thanks.

casey

I don't think any in Yosemite are terribly accessible. They're all way off trail in high peaks.

Now I'm heading to the Pacific NW in a few days. Now Mount Rainier has glaciers you can see right next to trails in the summer.

ashepabst wrote:

> i want to see a glacier while i still can, but am having
> trouble finding good info on glaciers in the park other than
> Lyell. would someone point me in the right direction (www-wise)
> or let me know where the more accessible glaciers are in the
> park?
>
> many thanks.
>
> casey

Casey,

Yosemite glaciers can be best called patches of snow. Beside Lyell, the other accessible glaciers would be in Vogelsang area.

Glacier Canyon is just outside the park on the side of TIoga Lake opposite the road. Just follow the use trail up through the trees to a mostly level canyon and hike to its end. The Dana Glacier will be on the right. You can also see this glacier by hiking to the top of Mount Dana and looking over the edge.

Might want to check out the Conness Glacier from Saddlebag Lake.
2 1/2 Miles-ish 1 way. Or if you are lazy you can take the boat to the
other side of the lake. If the Glacier bores you you can check out
the many lakes in the area. Here is the view from the Yosemite border
above Steelhead and Cascade Lakes.
If you do go check out the glaciers be careful. I inevitably get lectured
about the dangers everytime I go running around on one.
Have fun!

---

Everything I know I learned from

Speaking of Yosemite-area glaciers. Here is an article on them:

http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=27389

Just as an aside, I got back last week from a trip to the Pacific NW. I saw many glaciers that were below the 10,000 ft level. It's rather amazing how glaciers seem to exist at lower elevations in that part of the country.

Olympic NP has high precipitation and moisture levels. Even though the Olympic Mountains are all below 8K feet, the wet winters replenish them after they melt during the summer.

Mt Rainier is absolutely covered with glaciers that go down to as little as 6K ft elevation. You can get a good look at the Nisqually Glacier just a half mile flat hike from the parking lot.

The most intriguing glacier was the one on Mt St Helens. They lost most of their glaciers after the eruption, but apparently a new one formed on a glass-like insulating layer in the crater that protected the new glacier from the heat coming from the volcano.