High drainage of Gardiner Mount

11/16/2007 11:40

posted by brad

The high drains that one encounters in the vicinity of Gardiner Pass and Glacier National Monument are considerably more complex than indicated by the quadrangle map shown above. This section of the USGS map shows the highest lakes on the southwest side of Gardiner Mount draining into the big northwest lake making a circuitous turn around the shape of the mountain.

These contours cannot be reconciled with the following photograph taken from high upon Gardiner Pass. This photograph clearly shows one of the highest drains heading northwest into the basin north of Glacier National Monument. According to the National Elevation data represented by the USGS quadrangle, this drainage does not exist.

High western drainage viewed from Gardiner Pass

11/17/2007 16:52

posted by brad

Following the upper drainage down from Gardiner Pass leads to a series of lakes and meadows that are not represented on the above map. This particular drainage is clearly visible in the above photograph. Whereas the pictured lakes are shown on the map, the lakes below Glacier National Monument are not.

It is possible that the huge green meadows surrounding the lowest lakes caused the image processing to hide the presence of the relatively large bodies of water. One lake thus transformed can be seen on the aerial photograph composite map.

Trekking the actual terrain reveals the presence of a large lake. Clearly neither the aerial composite nor the USGS quadrangle is consistent with such experience.