Zermatt
Zermatt is a town in Switzerland near the border with Italy. I backpacked there in June 2008. It is famous around the world because their is an amazing example of a horn found there. It is known as the Matterhorn. A horn is a mountaintop that has been modified by the action of ice during glaciation and frost weathering. It is sometimes called a pyramid peak.
This is one of the accessible glaciers near Zermatt. It has been receding quickly over the past couple decades. The pile of dirt on the left side of the following two photos represent a lateral moraine.
Below is a view looking down the glacier. I am now standing on top of the lateral moraine. There was a trail along the ride of the moraine, and notice that on the left their is a huge drop down to where the glacier used to be. If the glacier was still there you would have just been able to step onto the glacier.
As the glacier retreats, a new forest takes over. Notice the mixture of sediment in the picture. There are large boulders, rocks, and pebbles. Trees and grass grow in material that allows their roots to grow into. Eventually, this will become an alpine forest. Unless the glacier advances again soon.
The word erratic means not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable. With respect to glaciers it means a rock or boulder that differs from the surrounding rock and is believed to have been brought from a distance by glacial action. Even sheep find erratics interesting!
A tarn is a lake formed by the actions of glaciers. These lakes are usally high in the mountains, and sometimes be crystal clear. Some people believe these waters can spiritually cleanse them. I found the water to just be VERY VERY COLD!
Here is another glacier. Notice how difficult it is to actually see the glacier because it has retreated so much.
Evidence of the glacier retreat. Notice the shapes made in the sediment below. Those are from glacial streams that transport sediments out of the glacier. This is known as outwash. The photo was taken in mid-June. The streams will flow at their highest rate in August and September when the warmest temperatures occur.
Below is a neat video of the changes in the Matterhorn over a year.
Mr Boyd loved the Matterhorn so much. You can see this by the smile on his face in the photo. Since the Matterhorn is so high up, clouds tend to form near the peak in the late morning and last for most of the day. Why?