The coastal mountains of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve—topped by the 4,671-meter Mt. Fairweather—provide a glorious backdrop to cruises up the West Arm. They were created by an ongoing geologic traffic jam: The North American tectonic plate is plowing into the Pacific one at several centimeters per year (the speed fingernails grow!). It can snow at any time of the year at higher elevations, keeping these dramatic crags looking fresh and bright.
