The Stikine Icecap (sometimes referred to as the Stikine Icefield) is a large

icefield An ice field (also spelled icefield) is a mass of interconnected valley glaciers (also called mountain glaciers or alpine glaciers) on a mountain mass with protruding rock ridges or summits. They are often found in the colder climates and highe ...

straddled on the

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

–

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

boundary in the Alaska Panhandle region. It lies in the Boundary Ranges of the

Coast Mountains The Coast Mountains (french: La chaîne Côtière) are a major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Colum ...

. Within the United States, most of it is under the administration of the

Tongass National Forest The Tongass National Forest () in Southeast Alaska is the largest U.S. National Forest at . Most of its area is temperate rain forest and is remote enough to be home to many species of endangered and rare flora and fauna. The Tongass, which is ...

and is part of MENthe

Stikine-LeConte Wilderness The Stikine-LeConte Wilderness is on the mainland of southeast Alaska, southeast of Petersburg and north of Wrangell, Alaska. The boundary extends from Frederick Sound on the west to the Alaska–Canada boundary on the east. The wilderness is in ...

within the national forest. A good size icefield, the icecap is a primary source for both the Taku River, which forms its northern boundary, and the Taku's southern tributaries, and also the

Stikine River The Stikine River is a major river in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States. It drains a large, remote upland area known as the Stikine Country east of the Coast Mountains. Flowing west and south ...

and its lower western tributaries, notably the Chutine, which form its southern and southwestern boundary, respectively. The Stikine Icecap is the parent icefield of the LeConte and Sawyer Glaciers on its US side, and the Great Glacier on its Canadian side. Also on the Canadian side and entering the lower Stikine, like the Great Glacier, are the Mud and

Flood Glacier A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...

s, which form the boundaries of the small

Boundary Range The Boundary Range, formerly known as the Boundary Mountains, is a subrange of the similarly named but much larger Boundary Ranges which run most of the length of the border between British Columbia, Canada, and Alaska, United States. The range ...

, which is an eastern abutment of the range comprising the Stikine Icecap and marks the approximate boundary claimed by the United States prior to the Alaska Boundary Settlement of 1903. The Stikine Icecap area is also renowned for its technically demanding and dangerous peaks and spires of granite that have garnered comparisons as North America's version of

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and ...

. Peaks of particular renown include

Devils Thumb Devils Thumb, or Taalkhunaxhkʼu Shaa in Tlingit, is a mountain in the Stikine Icecap region of the Alaska–British Columbia border, near Petersburg. It is named for its projected thumb-like appearance. Its name in the Tlingit language means "t ...

Witches Tits Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have use ...

, Cat's Ears, and the

Burkett Needle Burkett may refer to: Places * Burkett, Texas, unincorporated community in Coleman County, Texas, United States * Burkett Islands, group of small islands lying just west of Mount Gleadell in the eastern part of Amundsen Bay, in Enderby Land *B ...

Cited references

External links

Bivouac.com writeup
Ice fields of Alaska Boundary Ranges Stikine Country Glaciers of Hoonah–Angoon Census Area, Alaska Bodies of ice of Petersburg Borough, Alaska Ice fields of British Columbia Canada–United States border Bodies of ice of Unorganized Borough, Alaska {{canada-glacier-stub

Cited references

See also

External links