Stikine Icecap, Ice field in Coast Mountains, British Columbia.
Stikine Icecap is a large icefield on the Alaska–British Columbia boundary in the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains, within Tongass National Forest and the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness on the US side. It is the parent icefield of the LeConte and Sawyer Glaciers in Alaska and the Great Glacier in Canada, and it feeds the Taku River to the north and the Stikine River to the south and west.
The icecap lies on the Alaska–British Columbia boundary, and the approximate line claimed by the United States before the Alaska Boundary Settlement of 1903 runs along the small Boundary Range, an eastern abutment of the icecap's mountains. The Mud and Flood Glaciers, entering the lower Stikine like the Great Glacier, form that range's edges.
The name Stikine comes from the Tahltan language and refers to the great river that flows from this frozen plateau toward the Pacific. The Tahltan people, who still live in the region today, consider this landscape part of their ancestral territory.
Reaching this ice field requires serious alpine experience, proper mountaineering gear, and a professional guide, as the terrain is remote and demanding. The summer months offer the most stable weather window, though conditions can change quickly, so preparation is essential before any attempt.
The icecap's granite peaks and spires have been compared to a North American Patagonia; Devils Thumb, Witches Tits, Cat's Ears and Burkett Needle are the best known. Jon Krakauer climbed Devils Thumb solo and camped on the icecap, a feat he recounts in Into the Wild. The highest summit is Mount Ratz at 3,136 m in British Columbia.
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