Standing on a glacier

 In September 2006, I had a wonderful opportunity while on vacation in the Canadian Rockies and that was to stand on a glacier. This was something I had heard about but figured I wouldn't get an opportunity to do. Our trip took us by the Columbia Icefields and we grabbed the chance to take the tour.

The size of the tires on the bus - Columbia Icefields

Now while standing at the Visitor's Centre we saw buses take visitors out to the Icefields and back. I didn't realize the feeling I would experience once I was standing on the glacier after taking that bus ride. The trip out to the Icefields actually took two different buses which was also interesting we took a school bus over to the base of the glacier where we transferred to much stronger and larger buses which had tires that were almost 5 feet in height.

DH and I standing on the glacier - Columbia Icefields

view from visitors centre - Columbia Icefields

The trip out onto the glacier really showed how thick the ice was but also a couple of other things and that is what meant so much to me. While at the visitor's centre we had watched all the buses come and go and saw people on the glacier for a little while. What I didn't realize was once I was standing on the glacier how small I would really feel. I stood on that glacier and looked around me and realized how small we really on in the whole world. We are basically little specks of dust when you look at us from a distance. While standing on that glacier I looked back at the Visitor's Centre and laughed because I realized how small we were going to be looking to the people back at the Visitors Centre. The other thing I realized how how beautiful parts of our own country are and we need to make sure we see them when they are still available.

The experience was something that I will never forget because it gave me the chance to fulfil a wish I had and also get to think about how small we are when you think of everything. The glacier has slowly been receding and that isn't great because it shows how much warmer the world is getting. 

I hope that one day I can go back out to the Rockies and stand on that glacier again.