Lake Christine / Mt Beljica,  Glacier View Wilderness Area,  June 29, 2008     page 1 / 9

We had a heavy snowfall last winter causing a delay in the spring melt. Between that and my schedule over the last couple months, I was unable to hit the trails until late June. Tom, Kevin and I headed into Lake Christine knowing we would likely encounter moderate snow.

We hit the first snow at roughly 4000 feet, while still on the road. We parked the car along a wide stretch in the road and grabbed the packs. Shortly beyond the snow was a downed tree. So despite the snow, we would have had to hike part of the road. This add an easy mile to the trailhead.

The initial half mile of the trail was mostly clear of snow. As the trail began its northeasterly course below peak 5350, though, more snow was discovered. The forested hillside faces northwest, so it was no surprise to find snow here. We did not carry ice axes on this trip. Instead, Tom carried trekking poles and kicked nice steps into the crusted snow for Kevin and me.