My "summer" day in the Rockies

I had a great day today! I did no work for the first time in one month. The entire day was devoted to exploring the beautiful Rockies Mountains. Jenny, my old lecturer, her lovely family, Robert and Diane, and myself took a trip through the Rockies heading through Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and finally, the Athabasca Glacier. This is my first time into the Rockies in the summer. It is truly exquisite with rich greens surrounding crystal blue waters, and overshadowed by dramatic rocky mountains. There is still snow and ice, a great deal of it! And the weather dropped from 17 C leaving Calgary to the coldest of 2 C at the glacier. It rained, and even snowed slightly. And they call this summer!

It is fascinating that the Athabasca Glacier has receded 1.5 km in the last 100 years and is receding more and more rapidly. Within a few years one can see how much it has shrunk. It is however connected to a huge ice cap that spans the range of several mountains. It seems to me that the glaciers in the Rockies may be melting due to natural causes since it ebbs and flows, but it is assuredly being accelerated by climate change.

What is even more fascinating is the stupidity of human beings. Due to the rapid melting of the glacier, deep crevices have formed in the glacier and much of it is very unstable. Tourists are no longer allowed to walk on the glacier at the toe since three people have died after falling into crevices, including a 9 year old boy in 2001. The glacier is therefore "roped off" and numerous dramatic warning signs stress the importance staying off the treacherous ice. Despite this, it doesn't take long for a group of youths to go clambering all over the glacier, posing, leaping over crevices, great fun! It made my stomach turn.