Whitney Glacier
| Whitney | |
|---|---|
| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Mount Shasta, Siskiyou County, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°24′50″N 122°12′41″W / 41.41389°N 122.21139°W |
| Area | .5 sq mi (1.3 km2) |
| Length | 2 mi (3.2 km) |
| Thickness | 126 ft (38 m) in 1986 |
| Terminus | Moraine |
| Status | Expanding |
The Whitney Glacier is a glacier situated on Mount Shasta, in the U.S. state of California. The Whitney Glacier is the longest glacier and the only valley glacier in California. In area and volume, it ranks second in the state behind the nearby Hotlum Glacier. In 1986, the glacier was measured to be 126 ft (38 m) deep and over three km in length. The glacier starts on Mount Shasta's Misery Hill at 13,700 ft (4,200 m) and flows northwestward down to the saddle between Mount Shasta and Shastina, where uneven ground causes a major icefall at 11,800 ft (3,600 m). It then flows down the valley between the two peaks, reaching its terminus at 9,500 to 9,800 ft (2,900 to 3,000 m).