1959 Map of Mt Saint Elias

About this map

The St Elias Mountains dominate this 1959 survey, revealing a massive glacial system where the Hubbard Glacier and Valerie Glacier converge at the international boundary. This sheet documents the high-altitude landscape of the Icefield Ranges, tracing the transition from the frozen peaks of Mt St Elias and Mt Vancouver toward the northeastern edge where the Alaska Highway skirts the Kluane River valley. To the north, the map details the Kluane Lake region, showing the drainage of the Slims River and the rugged Kluane Hills. The intricate network of ice fields, including the Lowell Glacier and Kaskawulsh Glacier, illustrates the immense scale of the Saint Elias wilderness during the mid-20th century. This document provides a record of the terrain before later decades of environmental change, capturing a moment when the Alsek River and its tributaries flowed through a landscape defined by towering summits like Mt Hubbard and Mt Kennedy.