Surge on the Coleman Glacier

I hiked a couple of weeks ago near the Coleman Glacier on Baker. There was a thick and very active surge of ice down to the 5500' level (the elevation of the small rock hump along the gleacier's western edge). At about 5600-5700' the coleman was actually overtopping it's western moraine. The surge is also evident in the sharpness of the seracs from this elevation and up onto the prominent flats near 7000'.

History: In 1977 I recall walking nearly directly onto the glacier to practice ice climbing with Lowell. The glacier was moving and overtopping fresh moraine in places. The descent to the glacier was not over 30' or so. By the 1990's it was no longer possible to descend onto the ice at this point (5500') because there was a morainal cliff and the ice looked to be 100-150' below the western moraine. In about 2005, on a ski trip I noted that the seracs near 6000' looked to be exceptionally sharply broken. Now those seracs, which represented the surge, have moved down to below 5500'.

In the meantime, the Roosevelt glacier - at least at it's snout - has continued to recede, losing in that time the twin icefalls that descended the cliff at the current terminus. The Roosevelt is a very low angled glacier and not nearly as favorably situated as the Coleman. It may also be that the snout of the Coleman is still receding - likely. But as the surge moves downslope it is possible the snout of the Coleman will eventually advance for at least a few years.

I would also note that the Price Glacier (which is quite steep) looks very thick and active at it's snout.

Most likely the surge of the Coleman (and maybe of the Price?) began with the heavy snow year of 98-99. The Coleman appears to be more heavily crevassed to at least 7500' than it has been in it's recent past, so heavy deoposition rather than a melting base is the likely reason for the surge as far as I can tell.

I think that you are correct.  I cannot remember the source of the satellite photos that I have seen, but the information that I saw on the photo and correlation to the position of the snout of both the Roosevelt and the Coleman that I double checked from photos I have from this summer lead me to believe that there was an obvious advance.

Sorry I cannot be more specific, but all I can say is that your post caused me to remember what I had concluded just a few weeks ago.

If I remember correctly the ice on the Roosevelt this summer was right up to the edge of the rock precipice with a couple of waterfalls dropping off.  The satellite photo that I saw had the ice well back from that spot.  Also, for some reason I could tell that the satellite photo was not that old.  Don't ask me why!

Those glaciers change a huge amount.  I remember some years back that there was a huge glacial ice block that fell off of Colfax peak.  It is long gone.  Also the ice "pillow" on Colfax appears smaller at this time.

The other feature I remember that was low down on the area between the Coleman and Roosevelt was a huge ice cave or bridge.  This feature looked to be the result of the glacier flying off of a rock outcropping or ledge without settling down in the area below, nor breaking up into an icefall.  Seemingly held up like a keystone arch.  Quite spectacular.  I think that I remember that feature existing for more than one year, though it was less dramatic the second year.

Alan