Grasshopper Glacier (Montana) 1994403 218042804 2008-06-08T22:12:55Z D6 75561 coor [[Wikipedia:GEO#type:T|+type:]] {{Infobox_Glacier | glacier_name = Grasshopper Glacier (Montana) | image_name = | caption = | type = Mountain glacier | location = [[Montana]], [[United States|U.S.]] | coordinates = {{coor dms|45|8|2|N|109|52|53|W|type:glacier}} | area = 320 acres (129 ha) | length = .20 (.32 km) | thickness = | terminus = Talus/proglacial lake | status = Retreating }} '''Grasshopper Glacier (Montana)''' is a [[glacier]] located in the [[Beartooth Mountains]], [[Custer National Forest]], [[Montana]], [[U.S.]]. The glacier is within the [[Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness]], a part of the [[Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem]]. The glacier is approximately .20 mile (.32 km) long and a quarter mile (400 m) wide. Starting at a point more than 11,300 feet (3,440 m) above sea level, the glacier originally was more than 5 miles (8 km) long but has receded significantly since first researched in the early [[20th Century]]. As of 2007, the glacier consists of several smaller glaciets, each occupying a different north facing cirque. Grasshopper Glacier was named for the tens of millions of grasshoppers ([[locusts]]) that have been found entombed in the ice, some for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. Many of the grasshoppers are now [[extinct]] and their high level of preservation allowed early researchers to send some specimens to [[entomologist]]s for identification. It was during this research that it was discovered that some of the grasshoppers were from the now extinct species ''[[Melanoplus spretus]]''–(the [[Rocky Mountain locust]]), known to have existed at least up to the beginning of the 20th century. Known to travel in [[Swarm|swarms]] numbering in the trillions in some years, it is believed that the grasshoppers found in the glacier may have been caught in severe [[storm]]s and perished. Until late 20th century, the grasshopper remains were quite common; however lower [[snowfall]] rates since the late 1980s and higher [[temperature]]s have contributed to a higher melting rate of the glacier and many specimens [[decompose]] before they can be retrieved. The glacier is very small and some consider it to be more of a snowfield than an actual glacier. Access to the glacier is difficult due to poor weather conditions and the requirement to travel via off road vehicle and then hike on foot several miles to the base of the glacier. The road is impassable for up to 10 months of the year. The [[Beartooth Highway]] (U.S. 212) is one of the closest access roads. Two smaller glaciers in the immediate region also have the same species of grasshoppers entombed in their ice, one is also named Grasshopper Glacier and the other simply Hopper Glacier. ==See also== * [[List of glaciers]] ==External links== *{{cite web | last = U.S. Forest Service | first = Rod | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/custer/recreation/grasshopper.shtml | title = A natural wonder | format = | work = Custer National Forest | publisher = | accessdate = 2006-07-11 | accessyear =}} *{{cite web | last = Benson | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://formontana.net/grasshopper.html | title = Grasshopper Glacier North of Yellowstone Park | format = | work = Montana Earth Science Picture of the Week | publisher = | accessdate = 2006-08-11 | accessyear =}} *{{cite news | last = Lockwood | first = Jeffrey | coauthors = | title = The death of the Super Hopper | work = | pages = | language = | publisher = High Country News.org | date = February 3, 2003 | url = http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=13695 | accessdate = 2006-08-11}} {{Glaciers of Montana}} [[Category:Glaciers of Montana]] [[Category:Natural history of Montana]] [[Category:Natural history of North America]]