Place Description:
The Columbia Icefield is an icefield located in the Canadian Rockies, astride the Continental Divide of North America. The icefield lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff and the southern end of Jasper National Park. It is about 325 km² in area, 100 to 365 metres (328' to 1,197') in depth and receives up to seven metres (23 feet) of snowfall per year.
During the summer months visitors to the area can travel onto the glacier in the comfort of large "snowcoaches".
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 the triple Continental Divide these waters flow ultimately north to the Arctic Ocean east to Hudson's Bay (and thence to the North Atlantic Ocean), and south and West to the Pacific Ocean respectively. Hudson's 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.
The only other triple Continental Divide is in Siberia.
Individual View Descriptions:GlacierWalk1, facing East:
- At the drop of this view is the Tongue of the Glacier.
GlacierWalk2, facing SE:
- Snowcoaches. The ride up in this snow coach is 35$/person. Rides only operate in Summer. Carry a jacket, it is cold even in peak summer.
GlacierWalk2, facing NW:
- Triple Continental Divide. Thats the spot. Only 2 such places in world. Anyone Visiting Siberia can you take some images of the other Divide.
GlacierWalk3, facing West:
- The image is taken from top of a Glacier. What you see in this image is the Icefield which feeds the glacier.
Other Places to Visit:Click to Visit:
freddie/ColumbiaShoresClick to Visit:
freddie/CrazyCreekClick to Visit:
freddie/ElliottBayParkClick to Visit:
freddie/HellsGateAirTram
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