Stikine Icecap, Ice field in Coast Mountains, British Columbia.
Stikine Icecap is a vast ice field spread across the Coast Mountains, featuring dozens of peaks and numerous glaciers flowing across its surface. The landscape consists of frozen terrain with deep crevasses and steep slopes that make travel across it extremely difficult and dangerous.
The region was formally established as part of Canada through the Hay-Herbert Treaty in 1903, which settled a long territorial dispute between the United States and Canada. This agreement secured the area for British Columbia and ended decades of uncertainty about its political status.
Indigenous peoples including the Tlingit lived in the surrounding valleys and used this landscape for hunting and travel. You can still see traces of their presence in rock carvings and old camp sites scattered throughout the region.
Visiting this ice field requires mountaineering gear, professional guides, and serious alpine experience to navigate safely. Weather changes rapidly and unpredictably in this region, so only visit during summer months and always with qualified support.
This ice field is the water source for major river systems including the Taku and Stikine Rivers, which supply ecosystems far downstream. The Great Glacier flowing across it creates dramatic formations that shift and change from season to season.
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