Glacier

On August of 2008 we had the opportunity to hike to the New Denver Glacier which is opposite the village of New Denver on the Slocan Lake in the southern interior of British Columbia. We went with a 1906 photograph which we borrowed from the Silvery Slocan Museum. It was part of the John Sanderson collection.

The original photo was taken by C.F. Nelson while on a trip to the glacier with J.C. Harris and Billy Thomlinson.

It was our intention to find the exact spot where this photo was taken from and then take a current photo so that we could compare the past with the present.

We spent a full day trying to find the land marks that are visible in the 1906 photo but were unsuccessful. However, we think that we have managed to come within 200 feet of the original site.

As you can see the amount of ice that remains today is considerably less than it was in 1906. It is our conservative estimate that it is 25% of what it was then.

Some will say that it is a result of normal cycles of climate while others will say that science has proven that the planet is warming as a result of industrialization.

There are a lot of things about glaciers that are a mystery. It is true that for the last century most mountain glaciers of the world have receded but not all. There are many explainations for the changes that happen to glaciers. Global warming is only one of them. Have a look at the “Three Congruent Glaciers” which are situated in the St. Elias Mountains. Here you will see glaciers in parallel valleys which originate from the same basin yet one is advancing and the other is receding. Figure that one out.

The original 2003 photo that is shown in the comparison was a colour photograph. The colour was removed to give us the black and white image shown above.

The image you will see here is the original colour photograph.


	This photograph gives you a full view of the glacier as it was this summer. The change in the glacier that you see here might persuade you to think that the glacier is small. It’s not. It is still a big piece of ice. It must have appeared immense


	Here is another view of the west end of the glacier. This photo and the previous one were taken further up the valley. You can see that the alpine vegetation is not as mature as lower down in the valley. There are a lot more grasses and the trees are smaller and further apart.


	This is as close to the glacier as you will get with these photos. This one is zoomed in as much as we could go. Mount Denver is in the center of the photo. The area in front of the glacier is solid bed rock which has been ground smooth by the action of the ice. Ice and water have carved grooves in the rock. There are no sharp edges here.


	Not far past the usual camping spot are the meadows that you see here. Water, ice and rock have produced the soil that has settled into the basin below the glacier. The short growing season along with the harsh alpine climate creates a very special place.

On this visit to the New Denver Glacier we approached from the south. The trip began at Nemo Creek three days before. The second night we spent at the Hoben Lakes and then climbed to the ridge before descending the glacier. This photo was taken on the ridge looking to the west with Mount Denver in the distance. It was not a problem to get onto the glacier. There was about 6 inches of new snow from the recent rainy weather. Turning to the left we were looking back to the Hoben Lakes.


	Hoben Lakes. The lower most lake is where we camped. It lies at an elevation of 7,000 feet. To the left of the lake you can see the top of the Embattlements. On the other side of them and about 4,000 feet down is Nemo Creek.


	The first night of the hike was spent 2/3 the way up the Embattlements on the ledge that you see in this photograph. It was another one of those magical places that was surrounded by tall faces of rock. At night the winds were swirling all around us but it was almost totally calm where we were.


	This photo is taken from across the lake and shows the Embattlements from a distance. In the corner is a thumbnail of the previous photo showing the ledge where we camped the first night.


	This is my favourite photo of this trip. Mark had gone to fetch some water and on his return he posed for this photo. This pillar of stone depicts the grandeur of the Embattlements that is such a prominent feature of the Valhalla Range.

Mark Adams and Bob Varaleau have been hiking around together for a number of years. We both are very passionate about our travels in the back country, especially the Valhalla’s. We hope that the pictures you see here will help you to appreciate the very special nature of the beauty that surrounds us here in the Slocan Valley.

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