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Mount Hood summit and Palmer Glacier
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Mountain glacier
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Oregon , US
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2 mi or 3 km (est)
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Talus
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Retreating
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See Also: Mount Hood
The is a
Glacier located on the upper slopes of
Mount Hood in the
U.S. State of
Oregon .
1 It is on the south side of the mountain ranging in elevation from about 6,200 to 9,300 ft (1,900 to 2,830 m), and was named for
Joel Palmer , an Oregon pioneer. Palmer Glacier is the most well-known of the twelve glaciers on the mountain, and is a popular destination for snow sport enthusiasts. Some of the lower part is within the
Timberline Ski Area , and can be accessed by
Sno-Cat or by
Chairlift , conditions permitting. The rest is in
Mount Hood Wilderness .
The glacier is a remnant of the massive glaciers that formed during the last
Ice Age , and is the only location in
North America that provides skiing and snowboarding all twelve months of the year.
Silcox Hut , a warming hut for climbers and skiers, is located near the base of the glacier, about 1,000 vertical feet (305 m) up from
Timberline Lodge near the upper terminal of the
Magic Mile ski lift.
The glacier is bounded on the east by a ridge shared with
White River Canyon (which contains White River Glacier) and on the west by Zigzag Glacier and Zigzag Canyon, the source of the
Zigzag River . The upper glacier narrows to a vertex near the base of ''Steel Cliff'', an area known as ''Triangle Moraine''. The lower extent of the glacier varies significantly seasonally, varying in length by almost two miles (3.2 km), where it might better be referred to as a ''snow field''.
During the summer ski season (approximately May through September), the upper half of the ''Palmer Chairlift'' terrain is divided into lanes (visible in photo) for the same reason as a lap swimming pool. The lanes beside the lift are open to the public; the others are allocated to ski and snowboard camps, coaches and other organizations.
