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I'll be taking some mountaineering classes soon as I kick around in the Adirondacks, Whites and such. But in a few years I want to travel west, and I want to see glaciers for the first time in my life. Where is a favorite spot to see glaciers? A good climb, hike or backpack trip is a requirement of course. Traversing the glaciers isn't entirely necessary, but it might be because I want to be up-close. I would prefer it to be in the lower 48, but maybe the Canadian Rockies as a stretch.

Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier are obvious choices and are the most heavily glaciated peaks in the Cascades (and the lower 48). There are trails on both which allow you to hike in and view glaciers from a safe distance but if you're there you might as well take a glacier skills class, or go with a guide or knowledgeable friend and learn safe glacier travel and crevasse rescue, and climb the peak. Baker is a great place to learn (I took an AAI alpine ice class there) and is a very beautiful mountain with a wilderness feel. Rainier is better known and higher, and also beautiful, but may be more crowded on the easier routes. They are within a day's drive from each other (and from Seattle) so you could see both in one trip to that area.

Mt. Baker's Coleman Glacier Icefall (alpine ice classroom ):

Gannett and Dinwoody glaciers in the Wind River Range in WY are a great backpacking trip. As with any glacier, there are crevasse issues, but compared to glaciers in WA the cravasse issues are minimal. That trip from Elkhart trailhead will get you on the largest glacier in the American Rockies. If you decide you want to test your mountaineering skills/classes, you'll have a shot at one of the tougher state highpoints and many other scrambling, snow, rock climbing routes on numerous 13ers.

You should consider Alaska, for incomparable scenery.

Also, from New York, Iceland is nearby and not too expensive.

If you're in Oregon, Mt Hood has glaciers and relatively easy access from two sides. It's also a good warm-up if you're considering something bigger like Rainier. The Tetons have glaciers but they are small compared to what you'll find in the Cascades. We used to have one in Idaho but it melted out years ago.

Bob

I second the recommendation for Mt. Baker (or Rainier). BIG glaciers, easy access, wonderful wilderness feeling. Many guide services offer glacier courses and would be a worthwhile venture.

I took my AAI glacier mountaineering class on El Dorado Peak crossing both the El Dorado and Inspiration Glaciers. As for remote feel, over the week we saw 3 ski mountaineers and 1 backcountry ranger. Both on the first day.

Eldorado Peak/Inspiration Glacier is a good suggestion. A little bit of hump to get back in there, but not terribly so.

The North Cascades are awesome. Had I known more about them 20 years ago, when I decided to leave New England for a while, I might have taken a job in Seattle vs. Silicon Valley

JHH60 wrote:The North Cascades are awesome. Had I known more about them 20 years ago, when I decided to leave New England for a while, I might have taken a job in Seattle vs. Silicon Valley

I've run into east coast climbers all over North America and they all ask the same question: "Oh, you're from Seattle. Are there any mountains near there?" I tell them no, and it rains a lot.

The Nisqually on Rainier is the easiest glacier to reach that I've been to in the lower 48. It's only a little over a mile, most of it on a paved hiking path. We crossed it several times on our way to and from the Kautz. Here's a photo I posted here on SP. Athabasca in the Canadian Rockies has receded to the point that they drive to get tours to the ice now.

http://www.summitpost.org/kautz-route-photo/850889

Thanks for all the responses! I like Inspiration Glacier on Eldorado Peak (love that knife edge too!) and Ingraham Glacier on Rainier. Lots to think about. As far as gear goes I'm about halfway there so will start collecting some more. I will also have to see about Iceland too!

My profile pic is the summit ridge of Eldorado Peak in 2007. It wasn't the knife edge it has been in some years.

Mt Shasta is also an option. The glaciers are on the north side, and most require navigating logging roads (ugh!), but you can also access one of them from the east side roadway (that goes to the small-ish ski 'resort'). Shasta's south side has plenty of snow in the early season and its possilbe to get quite high with just crampons and an ice axe (maybe even summit!). Downsides are its in a remote part of California (about 4-5 hours from the San Fracisco Bay area), and its lack of easily accessible glaciers.

There's a thread running in the California subforum that has ongoing conditions reports with pictures. IF this link doesn't work just go to the 'California' subforum and scroll down to the "Beautiful SHASTA current conditions" thread :

beautiful-shasta-current-conditions-t65450.html

Thanks for all the replies! I have something to train and prepare for over the next few years.