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Of all the region's natural wonders, the massive Hubbard Glacier has perhaps drawn the most attention during recent
years. Accurately described only in superlatives, North America's longest tidewater glacier was spawned on the
slopes of lofty Mount Logan, Canada's tallest peak. The frozen arm is a branch of a massive ice field that sprawls
across the highland valleys between Logan and the surrounding mountain range. The active natural formation seems almost
alive. Nicknamed the "Galloping Glacier," Hubbard moves faster than almost any other glacier on the continent. In 1986,
the frozen river surged forward nearly 50 feet, sealing shut the entrance to Russell Fjord, trapping the marine life
from the sea. As the ice-choked channel filled with fresh water, Yakutat residents began to fear their community
might be lost in the rising flood, but just as suddenly as it had formed, the natural dam broke, and the water level
subsided to safe level. More than 75 miles long, the glacier face is an impressive sight for passing ships. It is more
than six miles wide at its widest point, and its tallest face towers 500 feet above Disenchantment Bay, a small section
of Yakutat Bay.
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