Guide to Map
MPG V2.8, January 2013

Advisories about Google map display and and about the Carbon River Road.

Trail Rating Guide

The hikes are catagorized as:

   Easy, a hike shorter than 3 miles or no significant elevation gain;

   Moderate, a hike of 3 to 6 miles or with some elevation gain, some hiking experience helpful;

   Hard, a hike of 6-10 miles or with significant elevation gain, some hiking experience necessary;

   Difficult, a hike longer than 10 miles or with major elevation gain, only for the experienced hiker.

Information

Note about .-- The "information window" for each lake has the following information:

    (1) Name of glacier,
    (2) Access - location and road(s),
    (3) Access - trailhead and trail(s),
    (4) Views of glacier,
    (5) Access rating with notes, and
    (6) Notes about glacier.

This should provide sufficient information to locate the lake and with the other Websites, linked in the list, and books should provide enough informaton to determine if you want to find it.

Advisories

When viewing glaciers up close, you should respect the glacier, which are in constant movement and change and creating dangerous situations for anyone close. This is especially true near the terminus (end) of the glacier, where ice is breaking off. An advisory about glaciers.

Do not go on a glacier without experienced hikers or climbers and the proper equipment.

Glaciers are inviting to hike and explore. But they are dangerous for the inexperienced and ill-prepared hikers. Glaciers are very dynamic and constantly changing environments, so it's best to view and photograph them, but don't go on them without guides and equipment.

Another constant problem is the flow below a glacier where the diurnal flow varys as water in the glacier freezes at night and thaws during the day. This causes a cyclical flow in the river below the glacier. This effect extends later in the day going downstream. This is important if you wade across a glacer or snowfed-stream.

Use caution crossing glacier-fed streams and creeks and follow proper crossing technique.

A potential serious problem glaciers are outburst floods. This usually occur in late summer after extended warm periods, but not restricted to these factors. Outburst floods happen when a rapid melting or breaking occurs within the lower end of the glacier causing an extreme amout of glacial ice and material to flow downstream in a wave, such as happened in recent years on Kautz and Tahoma Creeks.

In short, be careful around the terminus of glaciers and in the river channel below glaciers. Be alert to unusual sounds and other signs and move immediately (laterally) up the valley in event of unusual sounds or conditions coming downstream. And always follow the proper crossing technique.

Additional Resources

Below are resources for more information about the glaciers on Mount Rainier. The Carolyn Driedger book isn't currently available except at the Jackson Visitors Center at Paradise, Mt. Rainier NP.

• Books in Print
  • "A Visitor's Guide to Mount Rainer Glaciers", Carolyn Driedger, PNNPFA, 1986.
  • Books on Mt. Rainier
• Websites
  • NPS on Glaicers
  • USGS on Glaciers
  • Wikipedia on Mt. Rainier

Please use the contact link to send e-mail.