Mountain Snow and Ice Declining

Observation by Wilson Justin:

Mt. Sanford at 16,237 feet has been losing its ice cover for decades around its base. This week, a large chunk of its ice and snow broke off in an avalanche. Visible through 10 power binoculars from the Tok cutoff near Chistochina on the Glenn Highway. One wonders how so much ice and snow from the Wrangell Mountains could be triggered so early in the year. It would not be a surprise in June or July, but mid-March, basically while it's still winter? Late evening image of Mount Sanford viewed from the north.

Mt Sanford is a part of the Wrangell Range. The Nutzotin's are a separate range of mountains to the east of the Wrangell divided by the Nabesna River and Nabesna Glacier. To the headwaters people, it was all one trail, but that's the way we were.