Easton Glacier is a glacier in Whatcom County, Washington at about 1,949 m (6,394 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Peaceful Valley, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Easton Glacier lies SE of town).
Easton Glacier is one of the more prominent alpine glaciers on Mount Baker in the North Cascades of Washington state, United States. Named for Charles F. Easton of Bellingham, who did much to preserve the history of Mount Baker, it is positioned on the south face of the mountain and flanked by Squak and Deming Glaciers. The glacier head is located near Sherman Crater at about 9,000 feet (2,700 m) and the terminus is at 5,500 feet (1,700 m). The glacier has created two very clear lateral moraines, the left being Metcaife Moraine and the right Railroad Grade. Evidence of the glacier's movement can clearly be seen on the valley floor. Many of the andesite outcrops and boulders have been polished, and glacial striations are easily visible. Between 1850 and 1950, Easton Glacier retreated 7,940 ft (2,420 m). During a cooler and wetter period from 1950 to 1979, the glacier advanced 1,995 ft...From the Wikipedia article “Easton Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Easton Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 52° NE | 9:15 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 126° SE | 4:14 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Ice shows its blue best under overcast skies or in shade; bright sun turns glaciers white and flat.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:15 PM | 8h 43m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 16m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:55 PM | 16h 08m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 46m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 18m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Easton Glacier, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:57 AM – 4:07 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:54 AM – 2:44 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 2:35 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:03 AM – 12:43 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:33 PM – 10:33 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.62 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this glacier
- Include a person or boat for scale — glaciers are much larger than they look.
- Boat tours to tidewater glaciers offer calving shots; use fast shutter speeds and a telephoto.
- Never walk on a glacier without training and gear; crevasses hide under snow bridges.
- Expose carefully: ice and snow fool meters into underexposure, so add +1 to +2 stops.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Summer offers access; late summer exposes the most bare ice before new snow.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Polarizer, Waterproof shell, Spare batteries (cold drains them). Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Easton Glacier, closest first.
Volcano
Fire LookoutVolcano
Glacier
Mountain Peak
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Glacier
GlacierWilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Boulder Creek Campground10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Panorama Point Campground12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Park Creek Campground12.3 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Swift Creek Campground13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Bayview Campground (Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Wa)13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Easton Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Easton Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Easton Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Easton Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Easton Glacier?
How far is Easton Glacier from Peaceful Valley?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.