Kasaan Peninsula

The southern and western shore line is abrupt and almost unbroken, and has practically no shelter from southeasterly storms which sweep up Kasaan Bay.

From Clarence Strait, it appears to be an island whose summits are highest near its central part and diminish in height toward the north and south.

This low pass appears to represent the continuation of a valley, from 8–10 miles (13–16 km) wide, which is a tributary to the north branch of Thorne Bay and extends northwestward through the center of Prince of Wales Island.

[2] On Kasaan Peninsula, there are many flat areas, some of them containing small lakes, and the mountain slopes themselves are interrupted by benches or terraces, which occur at different elevations and at rather regular intervals above sea level.

The entire peninsula was at one time overridden by ice streams is evident from the glacial erratics which lie on the highest summits, the moraine deposits which occur on the lower levels, and the many basins which stand at various elevations on the mountain slopes and are now occupied by lakes.

During the period in which this area lay beneath the ice many of the minor topographic features, such as the earlier erosion level, were partly destroyed.

This valley probably represents a preglacial river floor, and only the lake basins and minor physiographic features can be attributed to ice erosion.

The mountain summits and ridges above timber line are fairly open and bear relatively little vegetation as compared with that of the densely forested lower levels, groups of scrubby pine and juniper and a low berry bush being the principal plants found.