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Sydney Fuhrig Freshman Monroe Project Summer 2018

Repeat Photography and Glacial Shrinkage in Glacier National Park

Grinnell Glacier Photographs

Recreating Kiser and Hileman’s photos of Grinnell Glacier was relatively

straightforward. The only issue that arose was that the photos taken by both photographers were

at a different angle than the vantage point provided by the current trail. This was most noticeable

when examining the alignment of Angel Wing (front left) and Mount Gould (back left).

Moreover, the angles of the topography on the right side of the photos also differ slightly.

My repeat photography of Kiser’s photograph follows. This example of repeat

photography, while not an exact match of the point of view, still provides a profound illustration

of climate change via glacial shrinkage. It can be inferred that Kiser’s photograph was taken in a

similar point in summer, for both photos have comparable amounts of snow cover. Roughly one

hundred years separates the photos, and in that time, Grinnell Glacier (the lower of the two in the

photo) has retreated significantly, so that it is barely visible from this place on the trail.

Salamander Glacier (higher than Grinnell) has also retreated, but it still retains its general shape.

Kiser’s photo showcases more snow or ice on Mount Gould, which either reflects climate change

or indicates different weather conditions (such as later snowfall and precipitation amounts).

Differences in weather could also be indicated by the snow remaining on the moraines below

Angel Wing in my photo, but not in Kiser’s. The vegetation in my photograph is more

pronounced, reflecting changes in the landscape. While the photos have important contrasts, the

section of ice near Mount Gould is the same size in both photographs, and the waterfall from

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Grinnell Glacier retains a similar shape. Hence, the most important contrast between the photos

is in the size of Grinnell and Salamander Glaciers, so they provide a good representation of

glacial shrinkage.

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Sydney Fuhrig, August 12, 2018.

Fred H. Kiser, Grinnell Glacier and Lake, c. 1910.

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My repeat photography of Hileman’s photograph is on the following page. Again, the

angle is not exact, but these photos still illustrate climate change, particularly through the

shrinkage of Grinnell Glacier. It is likely that Hileman’s photograph was taken earlier in the

summer, as there is more snow cover in his photo than in mine. The shrinkage of Grinnell

Glacier is noticeable, as it covered significant area in Hileman’s photo, while almost none of it is

visible in mine. While Salamander Glacier is smaller in my photograph, its shape is similar in

both photos. In Hileman’s photograph there is more snow below Angel Wing, yet this is likely

because of differing weather conditions and not climate change. Finally, my photograph has

significantly more vegetation, which could be due to the vantage point being slightly different, in

addition to changes within the landscape.

Because Kiser and Hileman’s photographs were taken from similar vantage points, I

analyzed the photographs for signs of glacial shrinkage. Taken roughly twenty years apart, these

photographs illustrate the shrinkage of Grinnell Glacier in the early twentieth century. In Kiser’s

photograph, Grinnell and Salamander Glaciers are still attached—as the original Grinnell Glacier

—but in Hileman’s photo, they are split into the two glaciers you see today. Comparing these

photographs emphasizes that glacial shrinkage, and the retreat of Grinnell Glacier, has been on

ongoing process.

In sum, my repeat photography of Kiser and Hileman’s work provides a striking

visualization of climate change through the shrinkage of Grinnell and Salamander Glaciers. In

just over a decade, both glaciers will likely be gone, and this trail will lose its namesake. 1

White, Melting World, 37.1

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Tomar J. Hileman, Horesback party on switchback to Grinnell Glacier, c. 1931.

Sydney Fuhrig, August 12, 2018.

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Replicating Adams’s Photographs

When replicating Adams’s photographs, I focused on the angle and location of my

photographs most. After that, I adjusted the exposure as necessary in order to maximize the detail

I was able to capture. I did not focus on matching lighting conditions because of my time and

weather constraints.

I began with an attempt at recreating Adams’s photograph at Lake McDonald. I did not

know where Adams took the photo, so I started at Apgar Village, then moved to the Fish Creek

Picnic Area. I saw that the features in the photo were the mountains surrounding Apgar Village,

but realized the photo was taken from another point along the lake. Conditions were hazy when I

was at Lake McDonald, so I decided that I would try to capture the photograph at the Lake

McDonald Lodge on a clearer day. However, that night, three forest fires began in the park,

causing the evacuation of the Lake McDonald Lodge. As a result, I was not able to fully 2

replicate the photograph. My closest replication is included. As they were not taken from the

same point, few comparisons can be made. Adams captured a dramatically clouded sky, while

my photograph emphasizes haze, as the mountain behind the village is barely visible. More

individual trees are visible in my photograph, indicating that it was taken from a closer area.

Hence, these photographs illustrate the difficulties of repeat photography.

Justin Franz, “Wildfire Destroys Homes in Glacier National Park: Howe Ridge Fire one of nearly a dozen fires 2

burning in Northwest Montana as of Aug. 13,” Flathead Beacon (Montana), August 15, 2018.

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Ansel Adams, Evening, McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park, 1941-1942.

Sydney Fuhrig, August 11, 2018.

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My replication of Adams’s photograph at Logan Pass is on the next page. This photo is of

Reynolds Mountain, and it was taken from the area surrounding the Logan Pass Visitor Center. I

was not able to completely recreate the photo’s angle because the National Park Service has put

up barriers to keep tourists on the paved trails surrounding the Visitor Center. I theorize that

Adams was able to walk closer to the mountain to take his photo. Yet, comparisons can still be

drawn between the two photos. Most noticeably, Adams’s photograph is full of snow, while mine

only shows some remaining snow on the mountain. His photo dates to either 1941 or 1942, and

in those years, Logan Pass opened on May 28 and June 14 respectively. Hence, it can be 3

inferred that his photograph was likely taken in June, or near the end of the summer. Because of

the difference in when these two photos were taken, this example of repeat photography does not

have climate change implications. Most importantly, these photos show how the landscape’s

appearance changes with snowfall.

National Park Service, “Logan Pass Opening and Closing Dates,” PDF file, Glacier National Park, Montana, 3

accessed August 20, 2018, https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/news/upload/Logan-Pass-Open-Close-Dates_Press-Kit-6-26-2017.pdf.

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Sydney Fuhrig, August 13, 2018.

Ansel Adams, From Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, 1941-1942.

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My final repeat photograph, on the next page, is of Adams’s photo at Two Medicine

Lake. I was able to easily recreate this photograph by walking along the beach in front of the

campground store and parking lot. Both photographs are very similar, with the only significant

differences being in detail and weather. More details of Sinopah Mountain are visible in my

photograph, likely due to my technological advantage in having a newer camera. Also, Adams’s

photograph has some snow cover, while mine does not, indicating that he took his photo at

another time of year, or weather conditions were different. In my photograph, the sky is hazy,

due to the forest fires, while there are misty clouds in Adams’s photo. Hence, like the photograph

at Logan Pass, this photo does not provide climate change implications, but it showcases the

effects of different weather and visibility conditions.

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Sydney Fuhrig, August 14, 2018.

Ansel Adams, Two Medicine Lake. Glacier National Park, 1941-1942.

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While I was able to recreate five of the seven photographs to varying degrees, I was not

able to recreate Adams’s second photograph of Reynolds Mountain and his photograph at St.

Mary Lake. I could not recreate the photograph of Reynolds Mountain because I could not 4

determine where it was taken with my limited access to Logan Pass. Adams described the

photograph at St. Mary Lake as being taken from the location of the former Going-to-the-Sun

Chalets, which were at Sun Point until their demolition after World War II. However, when I 5

went to Sun Point, I could not find Adams’s vantage point, and the wildfires had caused the sky

to be so hazy that it was difficult to make out the mountains across the lake. From what I could

see of the mountains, they did not match up with the ones in Adams’s photograph, leading me to

believe that he took his photo from a different area close to Sun Point. I stopped at multiple

overlooks in an attempt to see the subject of the photographs, but I was not able to find it.

Even though I was not able to recreate these two photographs, I still learned valuable

lessons. These photos illustrate how repeat photography can be a difficult process due to

changing weather conditions, varying degrees of access to a landscape, and reliance on the

original photographers’ descriptions of their photos. I now appreciate the work required to create

these important pieces of climate change evidence.

Ansel Adams, In Glacier National Park, 1941-1942, Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, 4

1941-1942, accessed August 20, 2018, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/519872; Ansel Adams, From Going-to-the-Sun Chalet, Glacier National Park, 1941-1942, Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, 1941-1942, accessed August 20, 2018, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/519862.

National Park Service, “Shuttle Stops,” Glacier National Park, Montana, accessed August 20, 2018, https://5

www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/shuttlestops.htm.

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Bibliography

Adams, Ansel. Evening, McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park. 1941-1942. Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, 1941-1942. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/519861.

Adams, Ansel. From Going-to-the-Sun Chalet, Glacier National Park. 1941-1942. Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, 1941-1942. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/519862.

Adams, Ansel. From Logan Pass, Glacier National Park. 1941-1942. Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, 1941-1942. Accessed August 20, 2018. https:// catalog.archives.gov/id/519864.

Adams, Ansel. In Glacier National Park. 1941-1942. Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, 1941-1942. Accessed August 20, 2018. https:// catalog.archives.gov/id/519872.

Adams, Ansel. Two Medicine Lake. Glacier National Park. 1941-1942. Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, 1941-1942. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/519865.

Franz, Justin. “Wildfire Destroys Homes in Glacier National Park: Howe Ridge Fire one of nearly a dozen fires burning in Northwest Montana as of Aug. 13.” Flathead Beacon (Montana), August 15, 2018.

Hileman, Tomar J. Horesback party on switchback to Grinnell Glacier. c. 1931. Glacier National Park Historical Photographs. Accessed August 20, 2018. http://mtmemory.org/digital/ collection/p16013coll83/id/82.

Kiser, Fred H. Grinnell Glacier and Lake. c. 1910. Glacier National Park Historical Photographs. Accessed August 20, 2018. http://mtmemory.org/digital/collection/p16013coll83/id/50.

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National Park Service. “Logan Pass Opening and Closing Dates.” PDF file. Glacier National Park, Montana. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/news/upload/ Logan-Pass-Open-Close-Dates_Press-Kit-6-26-2017.pdf.

National Park Service. “Shuttle Stops.” Glacier National Park, Montana. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/shuttlestops.htm.

White, Christopher. The Melting World: A Journey Across America’s Vanishing Glaciers. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2013.