[palmer]

A second summit glacier, the southern ice field, thinned 24% between 2000 and 2007

This is recycled information, due entirely to weather patterns. In 2007-8 the snow came back. In 2009 it is dry again. Here's the article from earlier this year with the misleading comparison (2000-2006):

http://www.physorg.com/news10862.html

and the picture from the article:

And a current picture of the mountain (early 2009):

[dfwgator]

The only thing constant on this planet is change.