﻿SHERZER] GLACIAL STUDIES IN CANADIAN ROCKIES 4^' 



Special attention was not given to the question of the dual character 

 of this deposit but the writer's general impression is that the outer 

 and lower portions are distinctly older, maintaining a heavy growth 

 of lichens, some shrubs and larches. That portion of the moraine 

 lying between Wenkchemna Lake and the present ice front has only 

 a scanty growth of lichens and no herbs, shrubs or trees. Tt is pos- 

 sible that this morainic deposit is to he correlated with the two block 

 moraines found in the Victoria valley, but of greater amount be- 

 cause of die 1 tetter facilities for acquiring such a load and the greater 

 friability of the bulk of the rock. The Wenkchemna at the present 

 time is incapable of making such a moraine. 



111. Wapta Glacier 



i. General Data. — This great glacier, the largest of the series 

 studied and known only since 181)7, lies at the head of the Yoho 

 valley and is easily reached from Field, via Emerald Lake. A day's 

 trip, over a fairlv g'ood trail, up a most picturesque valley which is 

 in the same class as the Lauterbrunnen and Yosemite, brings one to 

 the summer camp maintained by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The 

 glacier lies 3 to 4 miles beyond and with its great size and freedom 

 from debris better meets the popular idea of what a glacier should 

 look like (pi. lxviii, b). Its neve is collected in the depression sur- 

 rounded by Alts. Hahel, Collie, Baker and Gordon, and is a part of 

 the great Waputehk Snow Field, lying just to the west of the con- 

 tinental divide. The ice cascades into the valley and. according to 

 Habel. reaches an altitude of 5,680 ft., some 300 to 400 ft. lower 

 than the Victoria and Wenkchemna, because of the greater volume. 

 This increased volume of the Wapta results from the somewhat 

 greater precipitation, probably equivalent to 30 ft. of snow, hut 

 mainly from the greatly increased size of the catchment basin. The 

 main body of the glacier is much crevassed and impracticable for 

 crossing, but the lower tongue has a fairly regular slope of 20 to 25 ° 

 and, by cutting a few steps upon the western side, may be safely 

 traversed. Upon the eastern side of the glacier there arises an 

 embossment of rock, partially forested with spruce and fir, about 

 which the glacier has built a sharply crested moraine. At a former 

 stage of glaciation this embossment was completely overridden by 

 the ice; later it was simply surrounded — a rock island in an ice 

 stream — to which the term " nunatak " is applicable. 



2. Ice Distributary. — Between 200 and 300 years ago the relatively 

 narrow arm of ice which passed around this nunatak to the east 

 separated from the main stream at its lower end and formed a minor 



