Heiden Glacier

Heiden Glacier in Detail.

Heiden Glacier can be accessed by heliski operators in March and April, or by Tok Air Service during that same time. Just tell them you want to go to The Books.

The most common way to access Heiden Glacier is by snowmachine (snowmobile) from parking at the DOT gravel shed at 19 mile just east of the Welcome to Valdez sign.

From the parking area follow the trail back to Sheep Creek. It then follows Sheep Creek down to Lowe River. Just before it enters the Lowe the trail crosses Sheep Creek, then shortly goes up along the Lowe River before crossing it. The trail then follows Wortmanns Creek until just before it enters the canyon. At that point the trail will make a break to the left (east) and into the woods. The trail then does some weaving and bobbing through the trees with gradual climbing until it hits tree line. Then depending on snow cover it maybe and open run up to the bench or still traveling the trail through the alders.

Soon after you will be on top of the bench and the trail runs east along the bench until rounding the peak on the west of Heiden Glaicer. From there it’s a short steep run up on to a shelf, a few hundred yards along the base of the peak and then drops down on to Heiden Glacier.

Trends N-S, in the Chugach Mountains,draining into Heiden Creek, between Bench Glacier, to the W, and Deserted Glacier, to the E, 20 mi ESE of Valdez. 3.5 miles long.

Heiden Glacier is a small glacier on the north side of a horseshoe shaped ridge. The eastern ridge is known as The Books. It’s a striking ridge so it often gets more attention than Heiden Glacier itself.

The head of the glacier can be seen from the road coming down the backside of Thompson Pass.

Since the glacier has little vertical descent there is little risk for crevasses. Its run off flows north to join the Lowe River.

Named about 1962 by Austin S. Post, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); derived from Heiden Canyon.