June 1, 2014, - Steamboat Prow MRNP

Joined a cast of thousands (well hundreds anyway) for a stellar day for a June ski. Practical skinning started about 2.5 miles up the Glacier Basin trail at 5,600'. A couple of small snow bridges are in place across the Inter Fork, but won't last much longer. Great skinning conditions for the long haul up to the Prow at 9,700', with a slight breeze tempering the June sun. The climbing routes on both the Emmons and Winthrop looked to be in great shape, with multiple ski tracks down both glaciers. Our own ski featured perfect corn for the first 1,700', quickly transitioning to deeper slush and sticky porridge in Glacier basin. Plenty of wet slides in evidence, but safe routes are pretty apparent. The place was so busy with tracks that the Interglacier looked like Crystal mountain on a powder morning! A great start to the month, and June is shaping up to be a superb month for volcano cruising.