124 



(95 km.) ; the distance from the mouth to the head of Muir 

 inlet is about 38 miles (60 km.). 



Except at the very mouth, the entire fiord and its 

 branches are mountain-walled though there are small areas 

 of low-lying land along portions of the shore line. At the 

 mouth of the bay, especially on the eastern side, there is 

 an extensive flat extending eastward for several miles from 

 Pt. Gustavus, and stretching northward to Beardslee islands 

 and the neighboring coast. This low area, including the 

 islands and associated shoals, undoubtedly has been formed 

 by glacial deposition during a former expanded stage of the 

 glaciers of the region. Farther up the bay the mountains 

 rise from 2,000 to 5,000 feet (600 to 1,500 m.) within a mile 

 or two of the fiord, and near the branching head, to eleva- 

 tions of 6,000 to 7,000 feet (1,800 to 2,100 m.). Complete 

 soundings have not yet been made in this fiord, but at the 

 narrowest part of Muir inlet there is a known depth of 618 

 feet (187 m.), and in the narrowest part of the northwestern 

 arm of Glacier bay, of 720 feet (218 m.). Depths of 300 

 to 600 feet (90 to 180 m.) have been found in most of the 

 soundings, and there is every reason to believe that the 

 waters of the bay are prevailingly deep. Yet there are 

 numerous rock islands, especially in the broader part of 

 the bay below Muir inlet and the northwestern arm. 



This fiord and its branches have a noble setting; not 

 only are the fiord walls steep and lofty, but the background 

 rises still higher into the perpetual snows. In a great semi- 

 circular area are lofty, snow-covered peaks and broad 

 expanses of snowfields, from which innumerable glaciers 

 descend toward the inlet and its several branches. The 

 most extensive continuous snowfield is around the head of 

 Muir inlet; but the loftiest and grandest mountains lie to 

 the west and northwest where Fairweather, Grillon, and 

 other peaks of the Fairweather range rear their summits 

 to elevations of 12,000 to 15,330 feet (3,600 to 4,660 m.). 



Present-Day Glaciers. 



From these vast, encircling snowfields come scores of 

 valley glaciers which unite finally into a few main ice 

 tongues. There are now twelve tidal glaciers in this inlet, 

 and there are a number of other ice tongues ending on the 

 land, which have recently become independent by recession 



