The Sun Was So Hot Nothing Could Freeze

1998 Annual Report of the North Cascade Glacier

Mauri Pelto: Director NCGCP, Nichols College, Dudley, MA 01571.

Cliff Hedlund, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR 97331

Barb Prater viewing Lynch Glacier in 1978

By mid winter the snow lay 17 feet deep at our measurement site on the Lyman Glacier, average accumulation. The warm winter was taking its toll below 4000 feet where snowfall was 50-75 % of normal; however above 4500 feet accumulation was consistently close to average in the North Cascades. This snowfall information from the US Department of Agriculture Snotel sites emphasized the diminished cross country skiing opportunities below the alpine zone. Spring melting began on the glaciers on May 3, typical for the last 20 years is May 10, and continued uninterrupted by significant spring snow events, into early July. The Lyman Lake Snotel site, which typically loses its last snow on July 10, ran out on July 3. On July 16 the temperature in Seattle inched above 80, for the next 30 days the temperature exceeded 80 on 22 days and was above average on all but three days. This period of warmth resulted in the highest amount of summer melting on North Cascade glaciers in the 15 years we have been making measurements, and likely for 40 years since the scorching summer of 1958. The glacier gods were not smiling as the 1998 snowfall disappeared by mid-August from all but the highest sections of the glaciers. In 1996 and 1997 snowfall had exceeded snowmelt and had added nearly 1 m of thickness to the average North Cascade Glacier. By mid-September the excess 1996 and 1997 snowfall had also been lost from all but the highest areas of the glaciers.

North Cascade glaciers lost 1.5 m of snow-ice thickness in 1998, a 3% loss in total volume in one year, given the average glacier thickness of 50 m. The impact of the unusual melt conditions was everywhere. Boulder Glacier, Mt. Baker retreated 47 m this summer (Table 1). The Easton Glacier, Mt. Baker retreated 41 m. Lake levels in snow fed lakes such as Peggy’s Pond below Cathedral Rock and Virgin Lake below Kyes Peak were lower than previously seen. The Cle Elum River above the reservoir and Skykomish River was at its lowest August flow since 1977.

Table 1 The retreat of Mt. Baker glaciers since 1980 distances in meters.

The loss of glacier area results in a smaller ice cube yielding less summer runoff. Rapid early snowmelt continues to increase spring flood flow and reduce summer drought flows. This continuing trend of reduced summer streamflow increases the stress on aquatic stream life in the North Cascade region and also stresses our water resources.

Record glacier melting was also noted: By Canada’s NHRC on Athabasca Glacier, Alberta; By the Juneau Icefield Research Program, where we measured record ablation in July on Lemon Creek Glacier near Juneau: And is causing the partial disintegration of the White River Glacier on Mt. Hood.

We had the opportunity to observe the thickness of the Columbia Glacier at 5400”, near the mid-point of the glacier. This glacier has a low slope and fills the bottom of a bathtub like basin. The depth at the center of the glacier is 280 feet. This glacier continues to retreat slowly, 8 feet per year. With a length of nearly a mile, this retreat truly is small. However, the thinning of this glacier in the lower section has been important. The glacier has lost 35 feet of ice thickness since 1985, 100 feet above the current terminus. This thinning will poise the glacier for a more rapid retreat in the future.

We have noted one good increasing trend in the North Cascades. Despite spending three weeks each summer since 1984 in the North Cascades backcountry we saw no bears until 1996. We saw two in 1996, three in 1997 and one in 1998. This summer's bear was first seen in the evening 300 feet above our camp on Mt. Daniels eating blueberries and paying no heed to us. In ten minutes the bear had wandered out of view, slowly without a look or apparent sniff toward our camp. Maybe an indicator that Noodle-Roni dishes have little odor. The next morning the bear was back in the same area eating again. The most exhilarating experience was the summer snowstorm on Mt. Daniels on August 16th.. We had the mountain to ourselves in blowing and drifting snow conditions, which sure beats rain. The most disconcerting experience was seeing two serious accidents on the Cascade River Autobahn as we drove in on a Sunday evening, both single car reckless driving incidents. A most intriguing spot I wanted to call to your attention is the thick accumulation of sand and gravel exposed on the Burpee Hill Road (shortcut from Baker River Road to Concrete) left by the Puget Lobe as it retreated from the Skagit River Valley. Imagine the glacier at work depositing the fine grained material in shallow lakes or low discharge streams, and the gravels from large braided streams draining the glacier during the summer.

The best campsite we had this year was near the teminus of the very crevassed Easton Glacieer, Mt. Baker. Here we had views of the mountain at sunset bathed in alpine glow and an occasional puff of steam from the crater. Our favorite route was From Peggy,s Pond up the ridge on the north side of the basin to the northwest summit of Daniels. This seldom used mixed ice-snow-rock route offered all that the North Cascades are famous for.

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