The Lewis Glacier is located on the south side of the South Sister, separated from the Clark Glacier by a scree ridge. It covers an area of approximately 0.3 square kilometers, and was named after Captain Meriwether Lewis from the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1804-1806). The glacier’s upper reaches are at an elevation of approximately 9600 feet, and it extends down the mountain to roughly 8600 feet, where a small lake forms at the terminal moraine during the summer months. The below photo, courtesy of John Scurlock, was taken on August 29th, 2007, and shows the glacier without it’s usual coat of winter snow.
Besides the south side glaciers on Mt Hood, the Lewis Glacier is probably one of the most frequently visited glaciers in Oregon due to it’s relatively easy access. Skiing and snowboarding is best during the Spring and early Summer, with the easiest access from the Devils Lake trailhead. The glacier does pose some crevasse hazard, and should be evaluated before riding. Riding the glacier is best combined with a trip from the Green Lakes region however, which eliminates the need to traverse back over to the standard climbing route.
