Palmer Glacier
Encyclopedia
The Palmer Glacier is a glacier
located on the upper slopes of Mount Hood
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. 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 chairlift
, conditions permitting.
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.
The glacier was considered a snow field
until a Mazama
committeeThe Mazamas committee consisted of Rodney L. Glisan, L. A. Nelson, Earl A. Marshall, Raymond Smith, Fred McNeil, Everett Philpoe, T. Raymond Conway, and Fred W. Stadter. investigated on October 19, 1924 and determined it was, in fact, a glacier and should be named on maps. For some time after that it was known as Salmon River Glacier as it is the headwaters of the Salmon River
.
Silcox Hut
is a small lodge originally built as a warming hut for skiers and climbers, but is now available for group rental for events and rustic overnight accommodation. It 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. Below the glacier, its snowfield varies significantly seasonally, varying in length by almost two miles (3.2 km.)
During the summer ski season (approximately May through September), the upper half of the Palmer Chairlift terrain is divided into lanes. Lanes nearest the lift are open to the public, while the others are allocated to ski and snowboard camps, ski coaches and other organizations.
Between late summer and the first snowfalls of autumn, the glacier is generally unusable for skiiing.
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
located on the upper slopes of Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. 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
Joel Palmer
General Joel Palmer was an American pioneer of the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. He was born in Canada, and spent his early years in New York and Pennsylvania before serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.Palmer traveled to the Oregon...
, 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
Timberline Lodge ski area
Timberline Lodge ski area is the ski and snowboarding area of Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark in the U.S state of Oregon. It is one of a few ski lodges in the United States with most of the skiable terrain below the main lodge...
, and can be accessed by Sno-Cat
Sno-Cat
The Tucker Sno-Cat is a tracked vehicle or a family of tracked vehicles for snow conditions.Different models have been used for expeditions in the Arctic and the Antarctic during the second half of the 20th century...
or chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
, conditions permitting.
The glacier is a remnant of the massive glaciers that formed during the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, and is the only location in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
that provides skiing and snowboarding all twelve months of the year.
The glacier was considered a snow field
Snow field
A snow field, snowfield or neve is a permanent accumulation of snow and ice, typically found below the snow line. Normally the term is applied to mountainous and glacial terrain. In glaciology, the term refers to areas of permanent snow cover....
until a Mazama
The Mazamas
The Mazamas is a mountaineering club based in Portland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1894.-Name:The name Mazamas means mountain goat, from Nahuatl mazatl, deer. for etymology...
committeeThe Mazamas committee consisted of Rodney L. Glisan, L. A. Nelson, Earl A. Marshall, Raymond Smith, Fred McNeil, Everett Philpoe, T. Raymond Conway, and Fred W. Stadter. investigated on October 19, 1924 and determined it was, in fact, a glacier and should be named on maps. For some time after that it was known as Salmon River Glacier as it is the headwaters of the Salmon River
Salmon River (Clackamas County, Oregon)
The Salmon River is a 33.9 mile river in Oregon's Cascade Range and drains a portion of southwestern Mount Hood.The entire length of the river is protected National Wild and Scenic River, the only such river in the contiguous 48 states....
.
Silcox Hut
Silcox Hut
The Silcox Hut is a small rustic mid-mountain lodge located at elevation on Mount Hood, Oregon, United States. It is approximately vertical above Timberline Lodge and roughly one mile distance directly up the mountain....
is a small lodge originally built as a warming hut for skiers and climbers, but is now available for group rental for events and rustic overnight accommodation. It 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
Magic Mile
The Magic Mile is an aerial chairlift at Timberline Lodge ski area, Mount Hood, Oregon, U.S. It was named for its unique location above the tree line and for its original length...
ski lift.
The glacier is bounded on the east by a ridge shared with White River
White River (Oregon)
The White River is a tributary of the Deschutes River, approximately 50 mi long, in north central Oregon in the United States. It drains a scenic mountainous area of the Columbia Plateau on the east side of the Cascade Range southeast of Mount Hood. In the 1840s, a section of the Oregon...
Canyon (which contains White River Glacier) and on the west by Zigzag Glacier and Zigzag Canyon, the source of the Zigzag River
Zigzag River
The Zigzag River is a tributary, about long, of the Sandy River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The Zigzag and one of its major tributaries, the Little Zigzag River, drain the Zigzag Glacier on Mount Hood, a high volcanic peak in the Cascade Range. Their waters flow westward to meet the Sandy River...
. The upper glacier narrows to a vertex near the base of Steel Cliff, an area known as Triangle Moraine. Below the glacier, its snowfield varies significantly seasonally, varying in length by almost two miles (3.2 km.)
During the summer ski season (approximately May through September), the upper half of the Palmer Chairlift terrain is divided into lanes. Lanes nearest the lift are open to the public, while the others are allocated to ski and snowboard camps, ski coaches and other organizations.
Between late summer and the first snowfalls of autumn, the glacier is generally unusable for skiiing.