gulkana glacier usgs hut

The main trunk of the glacier has a southerly aspect, and is fed by four cirques with west, south, and east aspects. The incredible numbers of Moose and Caribou here is staggering. Passing through Delta, we stop for gas and a cup of coffee before continuing south and into the spectacular scenery the next 70 miles has to offer; to me, it is one of the best places in all road accessible Alaska. GULKANA GLACIER. In total, these glaciers are losing 75 billion tons of ice annually, the equivalent of filling 150,000 Yankee Stadiums with water each year. The sights along the way are spectacular, but my exhaustion is taking it’s toll. Meteorological observations began in 1967 with installation of temperature and precipitation instruments near the moraine weather station. “The more I see as I sit here among the rocks, the more I wonder about what I am not seeing.” ― Richard Proenneke. Gulkana Glacier. I can see that the ramp leads squarely to the headwall and the summit, which looks to be only 200 feet away. Hodge et al. We are moving by 4 am and cramponing the perfect ice and neve towards the Moore Icefall, where it becomes clear some tricky route finding will be a necessity in order to bypass the many clusters of seracs and crevasses which block our way to the upper NW Face of Icefall Peak. Datasetsandpre-processing The glacier outlines used here are a subset of the Digital It is about finding solitude and beauty in remote places. After this is behind us, we are once again back on the lower angle part of the glacier just above the firn line where earlier, perfect crampon conditions made travel easy. The weather is glorious and the seracs of Peak 7680 are shining brightly; the blue ice radiating the entire upper cirque – it is a lovely sight. We continue to meander and zigzag around the maze of crevasses and looking up suddenly, I spot the USGS hut. Gulkana Glacier is a branched valley glacier in interior Alaska on the south-facing flank of the eastern Alaska Range. News and opinions on the environment in the Haines area and greater North. Our aim was to hike into an exceptionally easy area to access know as the Gulkana Group that is situated a few flat miles from the highway. Again I lead off to the right, this time from our lower position below the serac. Time wasted, energy spent. It is sometimes radical, sometimes funny. Location: Latitude: 63°16'3.91"N, Longitude: 145°25'15.97"W Measurements at the three remaining sites were expanded to include ice-motion and surface-altitude observations (for determining glacier-volume change) in addition to the balance, runoff, and meteorological observations already in progress. My feet are underneath a slight overhang and I can’t see my front points. The bearing from the hut to the pass is 192 degrees. The Deep blues of the seracs of the Moore Icefall with the crisp lavender skyline, the nearly full moon rising over Peak 7680, and the creaking of the glacier as it too slowly wakes, is an experience I will not soon forget. The Gulkana weather station (latitude 63°16'N, longitude 145°25'W) is located at an altitude of 1480 m on the crest of a wind-swept, ice-cored moraine along the eastern boundary of the glacier. Typical winter under-ice discharge is about 0.1 m3/s; typical summer discharge is about 4-20 m3/s; the period-of-record peak discharge is 65 m3/s (Linn and others, 1994). We scrambled up a small boulder field and decided to leave our packs at the hut and continue the short distance further up the glacier. I lead upwards toward the upper wall which is steepening significantly. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Driving south from Fairbanks, we spot the central Alaska Range rising gloriously behind the Delta River and since this is Dennis’ first trip to Alaska, we pull of to gawk at these Himalayan sized (bulk, not height) peaks far to the south. Dennis does not wish for this and we decide that he will stay the night at the hut and I will walk out alone. Every available space has been written upon. In 1966 scientists with the USGS began collecting mass balance data on Gulkana Glacier, one of two "benchmark glaciers" in Alaska. After leaving Haines and driving my thirty year old decrepit Toyota pickup across the Yukon to the Northwest Territories border, followed by penetrating the Alaskan Interior and riding my bicycle into the Wrangell Mountains by way of the splendid Nabesna Road, it was time to get down to some mountaineering. 1 Location of USGS Benchmark Glaciers. Radar system to measure snow thickness, April 2014, Driving the radar system across the upper glacier, April 2014, Thickness and density snow-pit, April 2015, Lunar eclipse over Icefall Peak, April 2014, Northern Lights over the camp, April 2015, GPS to survey ablation stakes, April 2014, GPS survey of an ablation stake, April 2014, Gulkana Gaging Station Data (USGS 15478040), Incoming and Outgoing Short-wave Radiation. Gage height datum conversion to the NAVD88 datum for this streamgage was completed in 2017. USGS 15200280 GULKANA R AT SOURDOUGH AK. This ramp is the key to the route. The next day, Dennis ambles in about 2 pm and we decide to head back to Delta Junction and re -group. Maps Sourced from CalTopo. Sundog Frames The Pointed Peak Of A Usgs Gulkana Glacier Research Hut, Interior Alaska, USA. Before October 1968, published as Gulkana Creek near Paxson. My old buddy Dennis from California was to meet me in Fairbanks on July 7th and after a day or two of re-grouping, planning, and getting the truck in order, we were off, heading south on the beautiful Richardson Highway bound for the Delta Mountains in the Eastern Alaska Range. Photos by F. Moffit and T. Péwé. Getting to the same spot, I feel the risk is not worth the potential disaster of falling off this face and I retreat. tracking inner and outer landscapes along the road to creating community, Adventures starting in the heart of Alaska, ...A Life Simplified Is A Life Fully Lived, Conscious Thought: Driven by Intelligent Awareness, Indulge- Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences. These data constitute the longest continuous set of mass-balance data in North America (Josberger and others, 2007) which are used to understand glacier dynamics and hydrology, and understand the glacier's response to climate change. Not a chance… That sound goes right through earplugs. The slow moving train provided a lovely way to get from Talkeetna to Fairbanks, where I would begin Girls on Ice Alaska. My boots are mostly soaked but not caring, I stagger the last couple of flat miles to the truck where I collapse and take off my sopping boots. Data collection and analysis are conducted by standard techniques developed by the USGS. I can practically spit to the summit. Repeated point measurements at established index sites, in conjunction with local meteorology and runoff data, are used to estimate glacier-wide mass balances. GULKANA GLACIER. The average ELA is near 1,735m which is consistent with a continental mountain climate. Find the perfect gulkana stock photo. A good landmark is the Gulkana Glacier pass as the hut is slightly down glacier from a point directly across from the pass. Gulkana Gaging Station Data (USGS 15478040): Location: Latitude: 63°14'27"N, Longitude: 145°28'03"W., 1,125 m altitude, in SW 1/4 sec.28, T.19 S., R.12 E., Hydrologic Unit 19020102, on left bank about 1 km downstream from terminus of Gulkana Glacier and 23 km north of Paxson, Alaska. I belay Dennis down to the base of the serac and after joining him, we begin the long and arduous decent through the jumbled maze of seracs and crevasses. Access all the data here. The ceiling is a deep blue color and scalloped smooth. The slightly lower peak to it’s south, an un-named peak called Peak 7,680’ on the map, is by far the most striking peak in the cirque, with a long and jagged hanging glacial tongue descending from it’s upper flanks down to it’s base in the bowels of the Moore Icefall, and beckons to be climbed. After crossing this monster it it’s terminus with the upper face, we climb a steeper section of snow and neve to the base of the final face. To increase the spatial distribution, two additional weather stations were placed higher in the basin in 2012 allowing researchers to directly measure lapse rates in each basin. BooWiki. And so it is… raining. These five glaciers are collectively known as the USGS Benchmark Glaciers; measurements began at Lemon Creek Glacier (AK) in 1953, South Cascade Glacier (WA) in 1958, Gulkana and Wolverine glaciers (AK) in 1966, and Sperry Glacier (MT) in 2005. Gulkana Glacier was visited in late September 1965, when preliminary ice-balance measurements were made at two sites (table 5). Stream Site. I am happy that it is not something we need to deal with and can simply enjoy witnessing it from our far away position. We are back at the hut by 2 pm and I am feeling like packing up and walking out to the truck. For now, all I wish for is to leave this cirque. (a) Land‐terminating glaciers. glacier), Wolverine Glacier in coastal Alaska (a maritime glacier), and Gulkana Glacier in inland Alaska (a continental glacier). The Gabriel Icefall on the Gulkana Glacier Directions Soon we are above the firn line and after sticking my leg through a snow bridge covering a menacing crevasse, we rope up and get to some proper glacier travel. The “mass balance” of the Gulkana has been calculated at different times in an ongoing study about the effects of our dependence on fossil fuels and the related global warming crisis. Elevation Range: Approximately 1160-2470 meters DESCRIPTION: Latitude 63°15'34", Longitude 145°24'19" NAD27 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area County, Alaska, Hydrologic Unit 19080304 Datum of gage: 4,854.4 feet above NGVD29. The study monitors climate, glacial movement, glacial runoff, glacier mass-balance, and stream runoff. Daily values of discharge are available online and published annually in the USGS Water-Data report series. After breakfast, Dennis and I go out to guy out my tenet even better. Northern lights over the researchers’ cabin in 2014 (Source: USGS). The tiny A-frame structure sits atop a large moraine, perhaps 400 feet above the ice, and after another hour of crossing through the crevasse fields and climbing the talus we reach the hut and enter. Repeated measurements at three long-term "index" sites, in conjunction with local meteorology and runoff data, are used to estimate glacier-wide mass balances. The USGS has been conducting research here since the 1960s and there is a USGS Hut at the high reaches of the glacier built in 1968. I peer from the tent and the delicate purple alpenglow splashes down upon this amazing cirque. A clouded mist forms above and just as the vast and colorful seracs of the Gabriel Icefall show themselves, the mist descends upon us to create a condition of somewhat eerie circumstance; the glacier is silent, the rocky moraines hidden, and visibility becomes low. These data constitute the longest continuous set of mass-balance data in North America (Josberger and others, 2007) which are used to understand glacier … To convert from gage datum to NAVD88 Feet add … These measurements allow scientists to resolve changes in glacier size through time, and demonstrate sustained and continuous mass losses since about 1990. Three of us set out on a 6 (ish) mile hike over rivers and through moraines and up the icy slope of the glacier to several hundred feet above the firn line and camped out for a couple nights. However, I tire of sitting in the hut and ask Dennis if he is interested in taking a trek across the upper glacier to inspect the ridge above us during a lull in the storm. Wolverine Glacier is also located in Alaska, but is found in the Kenai Mountains on the coast. It spans 1300 m of elevation, from 1160 to 2470 m. The glacier is in a 31.5 km2 basin and in 2016 it had an area of 16.0 km2 (O'Neel et al, 2019). Dennis seems to like the confines of the hut, so I go out onto the moraine and pitch the tent. It is a glimpse into my heart and mind... Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The old Toyota rattles up the dirt road perhaps 3 or 4 miles before petering out within a few hundred yards of a suspension foot bridge crossing Phelan Creek, allowing scientists, students, geologists, and climbers access across the small but raging glacial river and into the wide gravel valley beyond which accesses the tongue of the Gulkana Glacier itself. The creek bed is composed of typical ground-moraine material: poorly-sorted gravel and small boulders. 1967 hydrologic and balance years ... station-shelter hut, air temperature and precipitation instrumentation, and the commencement of mass balance measurements. At one point, just below the final steep bit before the final face, a crevasse appears so large I can hardly believe my eyes. Details. Beyond this headwall is the summit; I can see it. The hut is clearly visible from up glacier appearing silver as it is clad in aluminum. It is a blue bird sky today and as we approach Castner Creek near the toe of the Castner Glacier, the White Princess, a striking triangular ice clad peak pierces the deep blue and we stop for a gander through the binoculars, as it is one of our goals over the coming weeks. It is maybe 25 feet across and 80 feet deep; the walls below me severely overhanging and rotten. Weaving in and out of the crevasses brings us to the first of several steeper seracs that must be negotiated and sometimes climbed directly. During climate changes, coastal glaciers are more sensitive to changes in precipitation (or the storm tracks that bring precipitation), whereas interior glaciers are more sensitive to changes in temperature. The addition and upgrading of sensors over the years have included measurement of precipitation (Sutron gauge) and new stations to directly measure lapse rates in each basin. Index-site glacier-surface and summer-surface altitudes, measured winter balance, and net firn and ice balance from 1975 to 1983 are reported by Mayo and Trabant (1986). From the snow-kissed mountains to the icy rumblings of melting glaciers, Marines from 2nd Platoon Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif., along with instructors from U.S. Army Alaska’s Northern Warfare Training Center conducted military alpine operations at Black Rapids Training Site and Gulkana Glacier July 18, 2015. Gulkana Glacier is located along the south flank of the eastern Alaska Range. It is about riding bicycles and traveling by foot and about climbing mountains. A damn good read. That night, during the endless daylight, I hear crashing rock and icefall every so often, reminding me we are now in the real mountains and caution must be afforded. Our original plan was much cooler. Le glacier Gulkana est un glacier en Alaska centre-sud qui est originaire de la chaîne est de l'Alaska et se développe vers le sud. The USGS Benchmark Glacier mass balance program strives to quantify glacier mass changes, climate parameters and streamflow at three glacierized basins in North America. Dennis is feeling exhausted and expresses his wish for me to make all the decisions from this point forward. It’s a story of family and community, of hard work and strength, of hardship and survival, and of playfulness and joy. But today, we continue on to the Gulkana and our goal of climbing Icefall Peak, which at 7,772 feet would be considered minor at lesser latitudes, but at 62 degrees north latitude, it is of the heavily glaciated variety and carries beneath it a magnificent, if troubling set of broken and daunting seracs known as the Moore Icefall. I had attempted to hike to the glacier the previous spring but was quickly turned around by deep snow well short of the ice. We truck onward and soon crevasses begin to appear; all are easily zig zagged around, and as the firn line gets nearer, we begin to see the remains of snow bridges from winter, and soon the depths of the menacing cracks are skimmed over with dirty and forbidding snow.Luckily these obstacles are easily avoided, and once reaching the top of a steeper section of the glacier, the upper cirque opens up, yet visibility remains low. After a few hours bracing from the inside, I put on my parka and go outside to fix the problem by attaching more guy lines and stretching out to larger rocks nearby. Measured winter snow balances and annual balances from 1966-77 are reported by Meier and others (1980). In the morning, the wind had died, but the storm was far from over, essentially eliminating possibility of climbing anything that day or advancing our camp any higher. It is entertaining to read these as we prepare our dinner. 5A). Two Glaciers are studied in Alaska – Gulkana Glacier in the continental climate of the Alaska Range and Wolverine Glacier … I ask Dennis to join me, but he declines, so in I go alone. The climate is continental, characterized by a large range in temperatures, and irregular, lighter precipitation as compared to more coastal areas. From here we can see that there are more seracs and gaping holes to weave. Dennis, as I found out on a climb on Silverado Peak in the North Cascades a few years ago, snores terribly. For this reason, I cannot sleep within 150 feet of him. I mentioned trying to hike to Gulkana Glacier in the Delta Range, some 3-4 hour drive from camp. Gulkana Glacier is one of USGS’s two “benchmark” glaciers in Alaska, for which it has been patiently gathering data on an annual basis for the last fifty years. Daily precipitation records are complicated by thermal expansion of the antifreeze water solution. I pack up the tent, and load my pack and am back on the ice by 3 o’clock. Daily average temperatures range from a low of -35°C to a high of 16°C. Basin areas ( Ab) and 2011 Additional measurements have been made on Lemon Creek Glacier, AK to compliment data collected by the … Dennis looks exhausted and expresses relief that we are not continuing. The 50-year mass balance records for these three USGS . Gulkana Glacier is located in the Alaska Range (continental climate) and Wolverine Glacier is located in the Kenai Mountains (maritime climate). A dramatic example of glacier retreat: top photograph shows lower Gulkana Glacier on July 1910; bottom photograph shows view from same location on July 1952. Gulkana Glacier across Summit Lake from Denali Highway in Fall. This circumnavigation leads to not only the toe of the Gulkana, but to another ice cave; this one is not blocking our way, but begs for exploration. Nunatak is on bedrock between the main trunk and a western cirque at 1725 m. The sensors installed measure: Ridge-top weather station (Latitude 63°18'N, Longitude 145°24'W). The untold tales of paths trodden, fears conquered and battles won. It is the largest single crevasse I have ever seen. For those who follow me on Facebook, you’ll know I recently went on a trip to a glacier in south-central Alaska—the Gulkana Glacier. I bring Dennis up and we attempt to traverse to the right in hopes of going around the gaping crack, but we are then blocked by another vertical fracture, essentially splitting the lower crevasse block in two. https://www.pond5.com/artist/justrollingby. The typical minimum winter under-ice discharge is about 0.04 m3/s, which is about three to four times the average contribution from the combined geothermal melt of the bed of the glacier and melting caused by the loss of potential energy from ice motion. A weekend at the USGS Gulkana Glacier Hut. This station is operated in cooperation with: Federal Priority Streamgage Program. Daily average temperatures from that era have an accuracy of about ±1.0°C, and annual precipitation has an estimated accuracy of about ±0.005 m (Mayo and others, 1992; Kennedy, 1995). I tell Dennis that if he is not at the truck in 24 hours, I will come back to look for him. Snowfall is the dominant form of precipitation and usually accumulates on the glacier from September through mid-June. Field visits to measure and maintain stakes at the three index sites are made each spring, at the onset of the melt season, and again in early autumn, near its completion. Gulkana is monitored very closely by the USGS. A researcher measuring the thickness of the snow at Gulkana Glacier (Source: USGS). Repeated point measurements at established index sites, in conjunction with local meteorology and runoff data, are used to estimate glacier-wide mass balances. These mountains are generally high, having individual peaks up to 3,000 m in altitude, and are very rugged. I come down. Now, in the afternoon heat, the neve has turned to soft and vicious snow which must be post hole’d back down past the firn line to the bare ice, which is now flowing with water in the heat of the day. Exploring and Photographing the Alaska Range, The Adventures of a Man, His Heart, and His Bike. Starting in the late 1980's the station has been updated with progressively newer, more accurate, and more sensors. After supper, I step outside to see the weather worsening; it is beginning to rain. Direct field measurements are combined with weather data and imagery analyses to calculate the seasonal and annual mass balance of each glacier. Gulkana Glacier with the weather station in the foreground. He declines, so off I go alone, cramponing up the low angle ice of the upper lobe, in search of the ridge line and a view of the mighty Canwell Glacier below. At the top of the first serac obstacle, a short bit of steep unprotected ice is climbed and the upper crevasse field is gained. Due to it’s proximity to the road, the Gulkana Glacier area is a place of  much study from the University Of Alaska and it’s GeoPhysical Institution, the USGS, and scores of other scientists and geologists. It is an area just north of the Alaska Range, where tundra, Spruce and Aspen forest, creeks, rivers, and rising glacial peaks dominate the landscape. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Ridge-top is north of the main trunk at 1925 m. The sensors installed measure: The Phelan Creek near Paxson stream gaging station, USGS station 15478040, is part of the USGS network of nearly 100 stations in Alaska. Thank you for signing up for the newsletter! I move up reluctantly and plant the hammer as high as I can but just can’t make it stick to my liking. The average annual air temperature at the recorder site is about -4 degrees Celsius(°C), and the average annual precipitation-gage catch is about 1,000 millimeters (mm). Large fluctuations result from ice melt and alternate damming and storage release during melt season. The book is a pleasure to read and is full of vivid descriptions of a life and landscape that has mostly disappeared; one that during that period was indicative of the times. Gulkana River, Richardson Highway. Gulkana Glacier GIrls on Ice 2012 July 16 - 25, 2012. Then ponder… we are so gawdam close. A couple days in Talkeetna enjoying the lowlands, sorting gear and feasting and then it was time for me to move on to the next mountain journey. During the summer (May-September 1966) the snow balance was measured, an additional balance site established, a hut constructed, and a streamflow gaging station installed (pl. 6 miles long. Detailed results from 1966 and 1967 are reported by Meier and others (1971) and Tangborn and others (1977), respectively. and the observed trend of mean elevations implies a significant decrease of precipitation from the coast towards the interiorof Alaska (Le Bris and others,2011). After emerging from the cave, we are once again moving and soon on the tongue proper where a great moulin flows violently. Above us looks difficult indeed; a step across the narrowest part of the crevasse leads to vertical water ice and rotten neve and leads to a rotting honeycombed ramp. Then back to the dryness of the hut for reading some of my book “Shadows On The Koyukuk: An Alaskan Native’s Life Along The River”, the story of Sydney Huntington and his growing up on the Koyukuk River in the Brooks Range during the 1920’s and 30’s. In 1966 the USGS began direct measurements of surface mass balance, which, after a decade of dense spatial sampling, were reduced to three "index" sites distributed across the elevation range of Gulkana Glacier. In fact, from the Richardson, a 2 wheel drive dirt road leads to within a mile of the toe of the Gulkana Glacier. A jump into the icy Phelan Creek makes me feel alive and clean, and soon the tent is set up and I am happily cooking supper and thinking about the next move. Scenic view of Gulkana glacier as seen from the Richardson Highway, Southcentral Alaska, Summer. I get some great views of the bigger peaks in the area before the storm intensifies, sending me running back to the hut. It’s fairly common to see any of these working or training along the way or out on the ice. By collecting data near the balance maxima and minima direct measurements closely reflect maximum winter accumulation and the annual balances at each location. print PDF. Gulkana Glacier is one of three detailed long-term glacier monitoring sites run by the USGS in a study on climate change and glacier-related hydrologic processes. The Canwell Glacier, 4 miles wide and maybe 20 miles long sits 2500 feet below me, is crevassed significantly, and splits into three branches just up valley, where more un-named peaks push from it’s jagged dormancy. Wolverine Glacier and South Cascade Glacier are the other two monitoring sites. Since the late 1950s, the USGS has maintained a long-term glacier mass-balance program at three North American glaciers. Crossing the bridge provides access to a path that leads to Gulkana Glacier. Either way, we decide to make the decision in the morning and to make a bivi, but the last good flat spots are a half mile back, so reluctantly we head back down valley a bit to throw down our evening ghetto. This makes my mood even worse. On the other side, the trail climbs a short hill, then descends to the gravel basin beyond, where the trail meanders up valley for 1 or 2 miles, passing along the way a geologic gauging station, to the ice cave endowed snout of the Gulkana. Period of Record: October 1966 to September 1978, October 1989 to September 1993, October 1994 to current year, and annual maximums, water years 1984-85. The USGS even built a hut at the 5000’ level high in the cirque back in 1968, which has served as a haven for climbers and skiers ever since. The glaciers are distributed in different climate regimes to better define glacier response to changes in climate forcing. After a rope length, I come to the unexpected: unseen from below, there now sits before me a hidden crevasse barring passage to the headwall. Data for 1992 and 1993 were published by March and Trabant (1996 and 1997) and for 1994 by March (1998). I find the shallowest section and stomp across. (1998) and Josberger et al. Since 1966, part of the Gulkana data set (net balance, accumulation, ablation, accumulation area ratio (AAR), and equilibrium line altitude (ELA)) has been published by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (Kasser, 1967; Muller, 1977; Haeberli, 1985; Haeberli and Müller, 1988; Haeberli and Hoelzle, 1993). The following morning, rain drives us into a diner for breakfast and coffee, where we talked of our next climb: The White Princess. It is about an alternative perspective on a world gone mad. My attitude dissolves entirely and suddenly I am in a very bad mood. 24 hours, I step outside to see the weather station ( USGS 15478038 ) includes the. Color and scalloped smooth in 2014 ( Source: USGS ) analogue with! To frequent changes during high flows toward the upper wall which is consistent with a continental mountain climate typical material... In different climate regimes to better define Glacier response to changes in climate forcing Lake! 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