Jackson Glacier – Aug Ski
Trevor near Gunsight Lake.
I’m checking off the month of August on my "skied that month" in Montana list. Last week a good friend of mine Trevor and I set out to ski Jackson Glacier in Glacier National Park on his birthday and the following morning. The trip GPS logged 10.5 miles in with a 3,400 vertical feet gain. Total trip 21 miles traveled in 36 hours.
Swimming in Gunsight Lake.
The hike up was on the nice Gunsight Lake trail till near tree line. We turned lots of heads of other backpackers with skis on our packs. We cooled off with a swim in Gunsight Lake. From tree line it was flat smooth rock covered with all sizes of rocks and boulders. When we hit snow Trevor was more than happy to put his ski boots on and skin up via the snow fields hopping rock fields from time to time. I opted for snow travel with ax to explore for sleeping areas. We were greeted to the Jackson Glacier with the sound of massive ice chunks falling from over hanging ice walls smashing around echoing through the basin. It was a record heat day with valley temps 100+ so I’m sure the ice was breaking up.
Skinning up.
Traversing around.
We perched camp on a rock out shoot at 7,400 feet surrounded by the Jackson Glacier and snow fields. The crack in the rock provided just enough wind break for us to cook and sleep. No tent just bivy and tarp, I had the tarp, Trevor was at the "Hilton" in his bivy.
Dinning room.
Trevor walking around.
After finding camp we dropped food and sleeping gear for a skin tour and ski on the glacier at sunset. We made it to the saddle were we could see back towards Harrison Glacier and Mt. Walton. From there Trevor took his birthday turns in the shadows of Mount Jackson.
Mt. Walton and Harrison Glacier.
Trevor making some turns.
My backpack, skis, rope, ax and permit.
After skiing back to camp we eat dinner and watched the daylight turn into full moon delight. With an amazing two minute warm pink alpine glow. I did a few star shots of the Big Dipper over a glacier chunk on Mt. Jackson.
Sunset with terminal end of Jackson Glacier.
Big Dipper over Mt. Jackson.
The next morning we woke and skinned up one more time before hiking out going just a little higher for a steeper ride. My GPS clocked me at 29 mph top speed which for that snow was about 19 mph to fast. Na, it was fun to rip some turns. I fell twice and had nice glacier rash on my bare arm, just like a gravel road.
Sunrise at camp.
We took snowfields out to just above tree line and found the trail back to the car. It was the first time Trevor had skied on his birthday and my first August ski trip.
