Grinnell Glacier, Alpine glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana
Grinnell Glacier is an alpine glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana, located on the north flank of Mount Gould at an elevation of roughly 7000 feet (2100 meters). The ice sits beneath steep rock walls of deep red sedimentary stone, and below it lies a turquoise lake fed by meltwater from the glacier above.
George Bird Grinnell, a naturalist and co-founder of the Audubon Society, explored this region in the 1880s and later helped secure protection for the area as a national park in 1910. The glacier carries his name in recognition of his efforts to preserve the landscape.
The Blackfeet people have known these mountains for generations and still maintain ties to the land through oral tradition and seasonal ceremonies. Their stories about the ice and its retreat offer a perspective that complements modern observation and adds depth to any visit.
The trail to reach the glacier covers roughly 7.6 miles (12.2 kilometers) round trip with an elevation gain of about 1840 feet (560 meters), and boat shuttles across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine shorten the first section. The route is generally open from July through September when snow has melted and the boats operate.
Between 1966 and 2005, the glacier lost roughly forty percent of its surface area, making it one of the most closely monitored examples of ice retreat in the Rocky Mountains. Researchers visit regularly to take measurements that show how quickly the ice cover is changing.
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