While Alison, Zoe, and the team have been busy documenting glacier melt in the Tibetan Plateau, here in Oregon the effects of climate change are becoming all too easy to see.

Last November a rainstorm caused a lake that had formed from glacier melt to burst, resulting in an "outburst flood" of rocks and water that blocked the main road to the Mt. Hood Meadows ski area. While that road has since been repaired, a popular hiking trail on another part of the mountain is now thought to be closed forever because of a slide caused by glacier melt.

Today the Oregonian reports that the Timberline hiking trail suffered a massive slide that is likely beyond repair, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Mt. Hood's Timberline Hotel and ski area (featured in the movie "The Shining") is one of the most visited destinations in Oregon, and now the central hiking trail may be gone for good.

Glacier melt affects the water supply for hundreds of millions of communities as well as our ability to travel and participate in leisure activities. Sadly, the images and stories from Chasing Glaciers expedition are just one example of how climate change and glacier melt are impacting people all over the world.