Adams Glacier (Mount Adams)

Adams Glacier is situated on the northwest flank of Mount Adams, a 12281 ft stratovolcano in the U.S. state of Washington. Much of it becomes the source of Adams Creek, a tributary of the Cispus River. It is the largest glacier on Mount Adams. It flows down from the summit ice cap at over 12000 ft for over 2.5 mi to a terminus near 7000 ft.

Between 11800 and 9200 ft, the glacier flows through a steep icefall that provides challenging climbing through a maze of seracs. The first ascent of the glacier was by Fred Beckey, Dave Lind, and Robert Mulhall in July 1945.

Below 8400 ft, the glacier spreads into a broad sheet with five separate tongues of ice extending out to termini between large moraines. On its easternmost tongue, it ends at a glacial tarn, or small ice-choked lake above High Camp.

In 1904, the area was approximately 6.93 km2 and in 2021 the area was 2.2 km2 representing an area loss of 68%.

In 1901, when Mount Adams was being mapped and its glaciers named by Harry Fielding Reid, Reid's companion and guide, Claude Ewing Rusk, wanted to name the glacier Reid Glacier in honor of Reid; however, Reid insisted that it should be named something else because he thought it improper to place his own name on the map that he was making and the Mazamas were trying to name a glacier on Mount Hood after him. This eventually persuaded Rusk and he conceded to name the glacier Adams Glacier.