Kaskawulsh Glacier
{{Short description|Glacier in Yukon, Canada}}
{{Infobox glacier
| name = Kaskawulsh Glacier
| photo = Kaska junction.png
| photo_caption = Kaskawulsh Glacier junction from the air, August 2004
| type = Valley glacier
| location = Canada
| coords = {{coord|60|48||N|138|36||W|type:glacier_scale:250000|display=inline,title}}
| map =Canada Yukon
| map_width = 240
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Yukon
| area =
| length ={{Convert|78|km|mi|sp=us}}
| thickness =
| terminus = sealevel
| status = retreating
}}
The Kaskawulsh Glacier is a vast, temperate valley glacier nestled in the Saint Elias Mountains, within Kluane National Park in the Canadian territory of Yukon.{{cite journal|url=https://www.igsoc.org:8000/journal/57/201/j10J097.pdf|date=7 July 2011|title=Recent volume and area changes of Kaskawulsh Glacier, Yukon, Canada|author1=Norah Foy|author2=Luke Copland|author3=Christian Zdanowicz|author4=Mike Demuth|author5=Chris Hopkinson|journal=Journal of Glaciology|volume=57|issue=203|pages=515–525|accessdate=2016-01-17|bibcode=2011JGlac..57..515F|doi=10.3189/002214311796905596|doi-access=free|archive-date=2020-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709234648/https://www.igsoc.org:8000/journal/57/201/j10J097.pdf|url-status=dead}}
Geography
Located approximately {{convert|6000|–|9000|ft|m|abbr=on}} above sea level, the glacier covers more than {{convert|15,000|mi2|km2|abbr=on}} of the surrounding landscape.{{cite web|url=http://cgip.wikifoundry.com/page/Kaskawulsh+Glacier|title=Kaskawulsh Glacier - Canadian Glacier Inventory Project|publisher=cgip.wikifoundry.com|accessdate=2016-01-17|archive-date=2020-01-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110205338/http://cgip.wikifoundry.com/page/Kaskawulsh+Glacier|url-status=dead}} It terminates at the head of two river valleys, the Slims and the Kaskawulsh River, which feed the Yukon River (via Kluane Lake) and Alsek River systems respectively.{{cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1386j/stelias/stelias-lores.pdf|date=27 November 2002|title= Glaciers of North America — Glaciers of Canada: Glaciers of the St. Elias Mountains|author1=Garry K. C. Clarke |author2=Gerald Holdsworth |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386–J–1|accessdate=2016-01-17}} The Kaskawulsh is the result of two converging outlet glaciers, the Central and North Arms, and is an impressive {{convert|3|-|4|mi|km|abbr=on}} wide at its broadest point.
Waterflow
Until 2016, abundant melt water from the Kaskawulsh was channeled by ice dam to drain through the Slims River, north to Kluane Lake, and ultimately to the Bering Sea. In 2016, as the glacier receded, the predominant flow abruptly switched to the Kaskawulsh River, flowing east and then south to Alsek River and to the Gulf of Alaska.{{cite news|last1=Devlin|first1=Hannah|title=Receding glacier causes immense Canadian river to vanish in four days|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/apr/17/receding-glacier-causes-immense-canadian-river-to-vanish-in-four-days-climate-change|accessdate=24 April 2017|work=The Guardian|date=17 April 2017}}{{Cite journal|last=Shugar|first=Daniel H.|last2=Clague|first2=John J.|last3=Best|first3=James L.|last4=Schoof|first4=Christian|last5=Willis|first5=Michael J.|last6=Copland|first6=Luke|last7=Roe|first7=Gerard H.|date=2017-04-17|title=River piracy and drainage basin reorganization led by climate-driven glacier retreat|journal=Nature Geoscience|language=en|volume=advance online publication|issue=5|pages=370–375|doi=10.1038/ngeo2932|issn=1752-0908}} As the water level at Kluane Lake continues to drop, researchers expect this will become an isolated lake cut off from any outflow.{{Cite news|url=https://phys.org/news/2017-04-retreating-yukon-glacier-river.html|title=Retreating Yukon glacier caused a river to disappear|access-date=2017-04-17}}
Tourism
Backpackers can visit the Kaskawulsh along the popular Slims River West Trail, which follows the Slims River south for {{convert|19.9|mi|km|abbr=on}} before ending at the summit of Observation Mountain near the toe of the glacier.{{cite web|url=http://www.philarmitage.net/slims_west_trail_kluane.php|title=Slims River West trail to Observation Mountain, Kluane National Park|publisher=philarmitage.net|accessdate=2016-01-17}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thehikinglife.com/2010/10/slims-river-west-yukon-canada-1998/|title=Slims River West | Yukon, Canada, 1998 | The Hiking Life|publisher=thehikinglife.com|accessdate=2016-01-17}}{{cite web|url=http://www.yukonhiking.ca/slims_west.html|title=Slim's River West | Hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing trails in the Yukon | yukonhiking.ca|publisher=yukonhiking.ca|accessdate=2016-01-17}} Backpackers can also follow the Slims River East Route to reach the toe of the glacier, also known as the glacier terminus.
File:Kaskawulsh Glacier 1992.jpeg|Terminus of the Kaskawulsh Glacier
File:Kaskawulsh Glacier Moraines.jpg|Kaskawulsh Glacier medial moraine. August 2013
File:Kaskawulsh Glacier Seen from the NW.jpg|Kaskawulsh Glacier seen from Mount Weyprecht. August 2013