Logan Pass, Montana

Provided by: Ashley Cooper, Georgia College and State University
Summary authors & editors: Ashley Cooper, Stu Witmer

The photo above shows Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, Montana. Many of the glaciers in this beautiful park have been noticeably receding, but the effects of the glacial ice that nearly covered this corner of northwestern Montana are quite obvious. For example, on this photo, a characteristic U-shaped valley (mid-ground), arêtes (along ridge crest) and a rock-basin lake (lower center) are all visible. Of the 150 glaciers that formed during the last ice age in what is now Glacier Park only 25 remain. A recent USGS survey shows that the remaining park glaciers are thinning by an average of more than 5.5 ft (1.7 m) each year. Photo taken in July of 2006.