Glaciers 101

One of the most amazing aspects about Tordrillo Mountain Lodge is its proximity to glaciers. During our different seasons, there are several glaciers that we ski above, fat bike across, fly over and admire any time of year.

About 75% of all fresh water in Alaska is stored in glacial ice. The states’ glaciers empty more than 50 billion tons of water into waterways every summer. Incredibly, that amount is HALF of all the water that flows into the oceans in the world!

As glaciers move, they push debris and dirt out of its way, collecting some into the glacier itself. In our photo gallery below, you can see examples of these deposits called marines.

Glaciers can descend off of mountains or be in the valleys, which then move outward from the center.  There are two categories of glaciation: alpine glaciation and continental glaciation. Alpine glaciers are rivers of ice confined to valleys while continental glaciers are restricted by valley walls. Both can be found around the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge vicinity.

Also, according to the National Snow & Ice Data Center, if all of the land glaciers in the world were to melt, the oceans would rise 230 feet!