Columbia Icefield

File:Mt. Alberta from the Columbia Icefield.jpg from a high shoulder of the Columbia Icefield; on the way to The Twins (N & S). The ramp to the right leads to the Stutfields (E & W)]]

The Columbia Icefield was formed during the Great Glaciation, or Illinoisan period (238,000 to 126,000 BCE).Sandford 1993, p. 23. The initial advancement of the ice field ended during the latter millennia of the Early Wisconsinan period (73,000 to 62,000 BCE), around the time Homo sapiens began to appear on the earth. The next major advance of the ice field occurred during the Late Wisconsinan period (18,000 to 9,000 BCE), which marked the end of the major intercontinental land mass bridges. During the Crowfoot Glacier advance (9,000 to 7,000 BCE), humans were beginning to learn farming along the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile rivers. The last major period of advance occurred during the Little Ice Age, which lasted from about 1200 AD to 1900 AD. Around 1800, the Athabasca Glacier peaked, then went through a period of recession, and then advanced again until 1840, when it began receding until the present day.

The Columbia Icefield was one of the last major geological features in western Canada to be visited and recorded by Europeans, due to its isolation and harsh weather conditions.Sandford 1993, p. 56. In April 1827, Scottish botanist David Douglas was crossing Athabasca Pass—a major trading route located north of the Icefield—when he climbed one of the adjacent mountain peaks. He reported his first ascent in his journal, describing it to be {{convert|6000|m|ft}} in height. In the summer of 1884, geology professor Arthur Philemon Coleman explored the Great Divide from Banff to Jasper in search of Douglas' giant peak. While unsuccessful, he did discover the route that would become the Icefield Parkway. In July 1898, British explorer J. Norman Collie and his friends Hugh Stutfield and Herman Wooley set off in search of Douglas' giants, equipped by the famous Banff outfitter Bill Peyto. On the morning of August 18, Collie and Wooley climbed the east side of Mount Athabasca, moved up the glacier when the ridge gave way to crumbling rock, and made their way to the summit, where they discovered an ice field that extended to almost every horizon. Collie later wrote:

{{Blockquote|The view that lay before us in the evening light was one that does not often fall to the lot of modern mountaineers. A new world was spread at our feet: to the westward stretched a vast ice-field probably never before seen by the human eye, and surrounded by entirely unknown, unnamed and unclimbed peaks.Sandford 1993, pp. 56–58.}}

In 1900, former British clergyman James Outram came to the Canadian Rockies to recover his health after a nervous breakdown.Sandford 1993, p. 58. The following year he made the first ascent of Mount Assiniboine ({{convert|3618|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}), then considered the "Matterhorn of the Rockies". In 1902, Outram made ten first ascents of peaks over {{convert|3050|m|ft}} and discovered four new mountain passes in the Columbia Icefield area. Two of his first ascents in 1902 were Mount Columbia ({{convert|3747|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) and Mount Bryce ({{convert|3507|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}), one of the most dangerous and difficult summits in the Rocky Mountains.

Following World War I, other mountaineering firsts occurred. In 1923, American climbers James Munroe Thorington and W. S. Ladd joined Austrian guide Conrad Kain to summit the daunting North Twin Peak ({{convert|3731|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}), Mount Columbia, and Mount Saskatchewan ({{convert|3342|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) in five days. The following year, another American expedition led by William O. Field and guide Edward Feuz climbed both the North Twin Peak and the South Twin Peak ({{convert|3566|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) in twenty-four hours—a combined distance of about {{convert|60|km|mi}}. In 1927, A. J. Ostheimer discovered a new route to the North Peak Summit, made first ascents of Stutfield Peak ({{convert|3450|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) and Mount Kitchener ({{convert|3505|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}), and became the first climber to traverse the Snow Dome ({{convert|3456|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) in 36 hours.Sandford 1993, pp. 58–59. During his 63-day visit to the Columbia Icefield, Ostheimer and his two companions walked over a {{convert|1000|km|mi}} and climbed thirty peaks—twenty-five of which were first ascents.Sandford 1993, p. 59.

In March 1932, three men undertook a remarkable skiing journey from Jasper to Banff that covered about {{convert|500|km|mi}}. When Cliff White, Joe Weiss, and Russell Bennet reached the Columbia Icefield, they climbed to the summit of Snow Dome, and then made a downhill run descent of almost {{convert|3000|m|ft}} which lasted for {{convert|50|km|mi}}—the longest continuous ski run in Canadian history up to that point.Sandford 1993, p. 60. Their accomplishment played a major role in generating worldwide interest in the Canadian Rockies. Today, mountaineers and skiers from around the world come to the Columbia Icefield to explore some of the classic routes discovered by these early pioneers of mountaineering.

The icefield feeds six major glaciers:

• Athabasca Glacier
• Castleguard Glacier
• Columbia Glacier
• Dome Glacier
• Stutfield Glacier
• Saskatchewan Glacier

Parts of the Columbia Icefield and part of other icefields and glaciers are visible from the Icefields Parkway.

The icefield was first reported in 1898 by J. Norman Collie and Hermann Woolley after they had completed the first ascent of Mount Athabasca.

The Athabasca River and the North Saskatchewan River originate in the Columbia Icefield, as do tributary headwaters of the Columbia River. As the icefield is atop a triple Continental Divide these waters flow ultimately north to the Arctic Ocean, east to Hudson Bay (and thence to the North Atlantic Ocean), and south and west to the Pacific Ocean. Hudson Bay, in some watershed divisions, is considered to be in the Arctic watershed, in which case this would arguably not be a triple continental divide point.

File:Mts._Athabasca_and_Andromeda_from_Wilcox_Pass2.jpg & Andromeda, Athabasca Glacier and a sliver of the Columbia Icefield from Wilcox Pass]]

File:Mts. Columbia & King Edward.jpg & King Edward from Colum. Icefield]]

Some of the highest mountains in the Canadian Rockies are located around the edges:

• Mount Alberta ({{convert|3619|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Mount Andromeda ({{convert|3450|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Mount Athabasca ({{convert|3491|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Mount Bryce ({{convert|3507|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Mount Castleguard ({{convert|3090|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Mount Columbia ({{convert|3747|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Mount King Edward ({{convert|3490|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Mount Kitchener ({{convert|3505|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• North Twin Peak ({{convert|3684|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• South Twin Peak ({{convert|3566|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Snow Dome ({{convert|3456|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
• Stutfield Peak ({{convert|3450|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})

Columbia Icefield has an alpine climate (Köppen: ETf), because the weather station is located at an altitude of {{cvt|1981.20|m|0}}. The average annual temperature is {{convert|-2.1|C|F|1}}. The month of July is the warmest with an average temperature of {{convert|9.1|C|F|2}}.

{{Weather box

|location = Columbia Icefield (1951–1980)

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan record high C = 4.4

|Feb record high C = 9.4

|Mar record high C = 6.7

|Apr record high C = 18.9

|May record high C = 22.2

|Jun record high C = 23.3

|Jul record high C = 26.1

|Aug record high C = 25.6

|Sep record high C = 21.7

|Oct record high C = 17.2

|Nov record high C = 8.9

|Dec record high C = 3.9

|year record high C = 26.1

|Jan high C = -9.4

|Feb high C = -5.4

|Mar high C = -2.6

|Apr high C = 3.1

|May high C = 9.1

|Jun high C = 12.1

|Jul high C = 15.2

|Aug high C = 14.3

|Sep high C = 10.3

|Oct high C = 3.5

|Nov high C = -4.3

|Dec high C = -6.6

|year high C = 3.3

|Jan mean C = −14.2

|Feb mean C = −10.5

|Mar mean C = -8.6

|Apr mean C = -3.3

|May mean C = 2.8

|Jun mean C = 6.2

|Jul mean C = 9.1

|Aug mean C = 8.6

|Sep mean C = 5.0

|Oct mean C = -1.2

|Nov mean C = -8.2

|Dec mean C = −10.7

|year mean C = -2.1

|Jan low C = -19.0

|Feb low C = -15.5

|Mar low C = -14.6

|Apr low C = -9.7

|May low C = -3.5

|Jun low C = 0.2

|Jul low C = 2.9

|Aug low C = 2.7

|Sep low C = -0.5

|Oct low C = -5.9

|Nov low C = -12.1

|Dec low C = -14.8

|year low C = -7.5

|Jan record low C = -41.1

|Feb record low C = -30.0

|Mar record low C = -35.0

|Apr record low C = -22.8

|May record low C = -17.8

|Jun record low C = -12.2

|Jul record low C = -9.4

|Aug record low C = -6.1

|Sep record low C = -15.0

|Oct record low C = -26.1

|Nov record low C = -32.0

|Dec record low C = -36.0

|year record low C = -41.1

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 112.6

|Feb precipitation mm = 83.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 72.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 70.1

|May precipitation mm = 37.9

|Jun precipitation mm = 74.8

|Jul precipitation mm = 69.1

|Aug precipitation mm = 50.5

|Sep precipitation mm = 53.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 113.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 112.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 80.7

|year precipitation mm = 930.1

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 0.9

|Feb rain mm = 0.9

|Mar rain mm = 0.8

|Apr rain mm = 3.1

|May rain mm = 7.1

|Jun rain mm = 58.5

|Jul rain mm = 49.9

|Aug rain mm = 55.4

|Sep rain mm = 39.5

|Oct rain mm = 17.8

|Nov rain mm = 1.9

|Dec rain mm = 2.8

|year rain mm = 238.6

|Jan snow cm = 106.9

|Feb snow cm = 94.8

|Mar snow cm = 58.9

|Apr snow cm = 83.1

|May snow cm = 35.0

|Jun snow cm = 10.0

|Jul snow cm = 1.4

|Aug snow cm = 2.1

|Sep snow cm = 13.8

|Oct snow cm = 64.7

|Nov snow cm = 79.7

|Dec snow cm = 92.5

|year snow cm = 642.9

|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 15

|Feb precipitation days = 13

|Mar precipitation days = 14

|Apr precipitation days = 10

|May precipitation days = 11

|Jun precipitation days = 15

|Jul precipitation days = 13

|Aug precipitation days = 14

|Sep precipitation days = 14

|Oct precipitation days = 12

|Nov precipitation days = 13

|Dec precipitation days = 13

|year precipitation days = 157

|unit rain days = 0.2 mm

|Jan rain days = 0

|Feb rain days = 0

|Mar rain days = 0

|Apr rain days = 1

|May rain days = 2

|Jun rain days = 14

|Jul rain days = 13

|Aug rain days = 12

|Sep rain days = 11

|Oct rain days = 4

|Nov rain days = 0

|Dec rain days = 0

|year rain days = 57

|unit snow days = 0.2 cm

|Jan snow days = 17

|Feb snow days = 15

|Mar snow days = 15

|Apr snow days = 13

|May snow days = 5

|Jun snow days = 1

|Jul snow days = 1

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 2

|Oct snow days = 10

|Nov snow days = 11

|Dec snow days = 12

|year snow days = 102

|source 1 = Environment Canada

{{cite web

|publisher = Environment Canada

|url = https://climate.weather.gc.ca/doc/En56-60-2-1982.pdf

|title = Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 2: Temperature

|access-date = October 24, 2020

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230809040355/https://climate.weather.gc.ca/doc/En56-60-2-1982.pdf

|archive-date = 2023-08-09}}

{{cite web

|publisher = Environment Canada

|url = https://climate.weather.gc.ca/doc/En56-60-3-1982.pdf

|title = Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 3: Precipitation

|access-date = October 24, 2020

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230809040402/https://climate.weather.gc.ca/doc/En56-60-3-1982.pdf

|archive-date = 2023-08-09}}

}}

• Columbia Wetlands
• List of glaciers in Canada

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web|title=Drainage Basins |publisher=The Atlas of Canada |year=2009

| url=http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/hydrology/drainagebasins/1 |access-date=January 10, 2015 |url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711211418/http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/hydrology/drainagebasins/1

|archive-date=July 11, 2012 }}

{{cite web|title=Columbia Icefield |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica

|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/126966/Columbia-Icefield |access-date=January 10, 2015}}

{{cite web|last1=Huck |first1=Barbara |last2=Whiteways |first2=Doug |title=The Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier

|work=In Search of Ancient Alberta |publisher=Heartland Associates

|url=http://collections.ic.gc.ca/alberta/archaeology/site_profiles_columbia_icefield.html |access-date=January 10, 2015 |url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050208040304/http://collections.ic.gc.ca/alberta/archaeology/site_profiles_columbia_icefield.html

|archive-date=February 8, 2005 }}

{{cite web|title=Columbia Icefield Area and the Athabasca Glacier |work=Jasper National Park |publisher=Parks Canada

|url=https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/jasper/activ/itineraires-itineraries/glacier-athabasca |access-date=March 15, 2021}}

{{cite peakfinder |id=60|name=Mount Athabasca |access-date=2021-03-15}}

}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book|last=Fraser |first=Esther |title=The Canadian Rockies: Early Travels and Explorations |url=https://archive.org/details/canadianrockiese00fras |url-access=registration |publisher=M. G. Hurtig Ltd. |location=Edmonton |year=1969 |isbn=978-0-888-30115-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Sandford |first=Robert W. |title=The Columbia Icefield |publisher=Altitude Publishing |location=Banff |year=1993 |isbn=978-1-551-53619-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/columbiaicefield0000sand }}

{{Refend}}

File:Snow Dome and skiing the Columbia Icefield.jpg|Snow Dome and the Columbia Icefield

File:Columbia Icefield; Mt. Bryce right, our tent left.jpg|Columbia Icefield; Mt. Bryce right, our tent left

File:Skiing the Columbia Icefield, Doug.jpg|Skiing the Columbia Icefield

File:Skiing the Columbia Icefield, Linda.jpg|Peaks to the West of the Icefield

{{Wikivoyage}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• [http://www.brewster.ca/rocky-mountains/destinations/columbia-icefield/activities/columbia-icefield-glacier-adventure/ Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure] (Brewster)
• [http://bivouac.com/ArxPg.asp?ArxId=1012 Columbia Icefield] (Bivouac)
• [https://www.flickr.com/photos/7129939@N02/albums/72157690303370004 Columbia Icefield] Flickr

{{Canadian Rockies|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Park Ranges

Category:Ice fields of Alberta

Category:Ice fields of British Columbia

Category:Tourist attractions in Alberta

Category:Tourist attractions in British Columbia

Category:Great Divide of North America