p: feature image curtesy of Surrey 604
Oh glaciers. Is there any arrangement of water molecules more majestic or awe-inspiring? And yet sadly glaciers are disappearing from landscapes all across the globe at a rapid rate.
In British Columbia alone, levels of glacier melt have been described as “shocking”, and in a recent CBC news article glacier researcher Matt Beedle said that the Castle Creek glacier is receding at a “rate of roughly 15 metres a year”. At that pace the much of Western Canada’s 25,000 square kilometres of ice fields won’t last the century.
On one hand it is sad that it’s taking their near-disappearance for people to start taking notice of not only of the beauty of glaciers, but also the important role they play in climate stability. However, on the other hand, it’s encouraging and exciting that we’ve seen an interest in glaciers, glacier science, and the preservation of glaciers by our guests in the last few years. This is why we created our Prehistoric Glacier Express sightseeing flight, one of the most popular scenic flights near Vancouver.
Length: 50 minutes
Top Altitude: 8500ft above sea level
Area Covered: 550ft square kms
How: in a 4-seater sightseeing plane with 360º windows
In the Squamish watershed – some 2,600 square kilometers in size – there are glaciers the size of small towns parked one after the other on sheer granite descents. From the birds-eye-view of our sightseeing planes, you’ll be able to witness the glaciers flowing slowly down 8,000ft knife-edged ridgelines carved by their preceding in the footsteps of their ancient ice flows.
Book your seats on our guided Prehistoric Glaciers & Peaks
Simply (and unfortunately) because glaciers won’t be around for much longer.
In the current climate, Canada’s glaciers have a shelf life and there will be a time – much sooner than many expect – when the only way to look at these magnificent glaciers will be in photographs or old video.
So, next time you’re driving up the Sea To Sky highway take a 5 minute detour to the Squamish Airport and let us get you up in the air to see some of the world’s most magnificent sights.
One of our guests said it best…she described the Prehistoric Glaciers & Peaks as “time travel” – and we certainly agree.
We want to transport you back to a time, over 10,000 years ago when every thing except the tallest peaks, as far as the eye could see, was engulfed in a layer of ancient glacial ice. To a time and place where nature has not yet been rearranged the by hand of man.
There are very few places in the world where you can hop off the highway and within 10 minuets be in places totally removed from any human activity. This is why we’ve seen a growth in the popularity of our glacier air tour the Prehistoric Glacier Express.
If B.C.’s glaciers are disappearing at a rate of roughly 15 meters per year, we simply cannot promise that what you see now will still be here next time you visit.
And it’s our sincere hope that once you see it, you’ll want to protect it too.
