ARAPAHOE GLACIER IN 1903.^ 



A VISIT to Arapahoe Glacier, in the cirque on the east side of 

 Arapahoe Peak, west of Boulder, Col., in 1903, for the purpose 

 of comparing its present condition wilh that existing at the time 

 of the preceding examination, brought to light some interesting 

 and important facts. In 1902 we were on the ice on three 

 different days during the last week of August. In 1903 the 

 visit was made on September 2, only one day being spent on the 

 ice by the writer, in company with Professor A. H. Felger, of 

 Denver. The summer of 1902 was particularly favorable for our 

 first visit because the high temperature and preceding shortage 

 of precipitation had caused the snow to melt from the surface of 

 the entire glacier up to the Bergschrund, which was exposed as 

 a great, gaping break clear across the face of the glacier; but in 

 1903, even at a great distance, it could be seen that snow still 

 remained on the ice down to the main system of crevasses, while 

 the Bergschrund was exposed for only a very short distance, 

 which was perhaps due as much to the unusually cool spring and 

 summer as to the greater fall of snow last winter. The greater 

 part of the Bergschrund and many of the visible crevasses were 

 partly or wholly filled with last year's snow, though in some 

 cases the snow merely formed a bridge instead of filling the 

 crevasse, which made it dangerous traveling above the line of 

 uncovered ice. 



On the whole, there was a slight increase in the height of the 

 snow and ice along the north side and in the height of the ice 

 along the terminal moraine, but at two points along the terminal 

 moraine there has been a decided shrinkage during the year, 

 which is of some importance. One such point is at the lake 

 retained by the moraine, or rather where the central surface 

 drainage system pours its waters into the lake, which is shown 

 on the map (Fig. 2) and the photograph (Fig. 8) accompanying 



' For a general account of this glacier see this Journal, Vol. VIII, p. 647. For 

 a more detailed account see Vol. X, p. 839. 



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