On a vanishing Alberta glacier, visitors learn the ice’s receding history in hopes of solidifying its future

// custom header art window.tgam.meta.photo_desktop = "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-1-h2.jpg"; window.tgam.meta.photo_mobile = "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-1-v2.jpg"; // editable custom header parameters window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_vertical_position_desktop = "top"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_horizontal_position_desktop = "centre"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_vertical_position_mobile = "top"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_gradient = true; window.tgam.meta.centre_headline = true; window.tgam.meta.large_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.label_text_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.label_box_colour = "#a00f19"; window.tgam.meta.banner_overlay_gradient = false; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_gradient_opacity = ""; // editable custom header display overrides window.tgam.meta.display_head = "Glacial pursuit"; window.tgam.meta.display_deck = "A vanishing Alberta glacier attracts a new kind of last-chance tourism"; window.tgam.meta.label = "Underexposed"; window.tgam.meta.byline = "Photography and story by Sarah Palmer"; window.tgam.meta.byline2 = ""; window.tgam.meta.creditline = "The Globe and Mail"; // non-editable custom header parameters - PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay = true; window.tgam.meta.two_column = false; window.tgam.meta.swap_column = false; window.tgam.meta.full_width = true; window.tgam.meta.narrow_width = false; window.tgam.meta.dark_background = true; window.tgam.meta.dark_background_colour = "#0a0a0a"; window.tgam.meta.sans_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.label_text_colour_overlay = "" ; window.tgam.meta.label_box_colour_overlay = "#a00f19"; window.tgam.meta.audio_bar = false; window.tgam.meta.banner = true; window.tgam.meta.banner_border = false; window.tgam.meta.banner_overlay_dark = false; window.tgam.meta.caption_background_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.caption_text_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.full_height = true; // gi lazy images window.lazySizesConfig = window.lazySizesConfig || {}; Object.assign(window.lazySizesConfig, { lazyClass: "gi-lazyimage", loadedClass: "gi-lazyimage--loaded", loadingClass: "gi-lazyimage--loading", preloadClass: "gi-lazyimage--preload", errorClass: "gi-lazyimage--error", autosizesClass: "gi-lazyimage--autosizes", expand: 1000 }); const gi_content = ` [content] :skip ****** series box ****** :endskip [.slide] type: series [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-22.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-22.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-22.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] The first steps onto a glacier can feel like you’re on another planet. [] [.+paragraphs] Some people compare it to being on the moon or Mars, likely because of the look of the surrounding rocks and glacial silt. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-4.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-4.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-4.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] The air is as fresh as you might expect from a mountain range, but on Alberta’s Athabasca Glacier, you can still catch a whiff of diesel fuel from the giant tour buses that escort tourists up and down each day. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych aspect-ratio: 3-2 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-6.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-6.jpg photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-5.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-5.jpg [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] As features of our planet disappear – think coral reefs, rain forests or glaciers – tourists have begun to get curious about experiencing these last-chance wonders. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-3.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-3.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-3.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: true mobile-aspect-ratio: 2-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 3-2 caption: Against a backdrop of craggy mountains, hoodoos dwarf a red tour bus crawling up the glacier. The hoodoos’ distinctive shape — in this case, narrow, vertical peaks with deep fissures — is the result of erosion. “Most places that have hoodoos have stories attached to them,” says Nlaka’pamux guide Tim Patterson. In his worldview, a confluence of spiritual and meteorological influences that started “in the time of mystery” formed these hoodoos. credit: [.text] [.+paragraphs] Located in the Rocky Mountains, the Athabasca glacier recedes approximately 5 metres every year and is expected to disappear entirely by 2100. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-7.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-7.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-7.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] Traditionally, tours shuttled guests onto the ice on diesel buses. But recently, smaller outfitters have begun to take a new approach, one that considers the climate crisis. [] [] [] :skip ****** standalone text ****** :endskip [.slide] type: text [.text] [.+paragraphs] Max Darrah, owner of Rockaboo Mountain Adventures, created the Tread Lightly Glacier Hike, which he describes as “the world’s first net-zero daily glacial monitoring program involving park visitors.” Through his tours he encourages visitors to deepen their connection to the land. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-8.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-8.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-8.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 2-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 3-2 caption: Rockaboo Mountain Adventure’s guide, Eric Dahlberg shows the guests how to help take daily measurements of the incoming and reflected solar radiation at various locations on the ice. Dust, smoke, and grit darken the surface of the ice, particularly near the toe of the glacier, resulting in less reflected energy and more rapid ice loss. credit: [.text] [.+paragraphs] One of the ways he does this is asking them to help out with collecting research data. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych aspect-ratio: 3-2 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-102.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-9.jpg photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-9.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-102.jpg [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] When guests hike to the ice mass, they also take daily measurements of the incoming and reflected solar radiation on the glacier, as well as surface ice loss. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-10.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-10.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-10.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] “There’s something powerful about being able to hold this fieldbook and to see all these entries and know every one of those entries was done because somebody chose to join our hike,” says Mr. Darrah. [] [.+paragraphs] The data they gather is then shared with scientists around the country. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-11.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-11.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-11.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] An Decorte, from Belgium, took part in a Rockaboo hike and described the experience of learning about the glacier’s history and future as “both humbling and awe-inspiring.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-122.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-12.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-12.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] Nlaka’pamux guide Tim Patterson, owner of Zuc’min Guiding, also runs an eco-friendly operation. [] [.+paragraphs] Mr. Patterson’s mission is to be respectful to the glacier, while introducing visitors to an Indigenous perspective. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych aspect-ratio: 3-2 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-13.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-13.jpg photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-20.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-20.jpg [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] He wants to remind people that Indigenous culture and knowledge is alive, present and thriving in everyday life. [] [.+paragraphs] “What I do and what my guides do is no different than what our people did historically in how we observe and navigate the terrain. Our mountain knowledge and our Indigenous culture continues here.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-15.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-15.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-15.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 2-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 3-2 caption: Tamara Dykshoorn, guide with Columbia Ice Walks tells visitors about a by a marker in the ground that states where the Athabasca glacier once stood. These markers are found all along the walk from the main visitor centre to the base of the glacier where it is now. As early as 1890, they indicate that the toe of the Athabasca Glacier has receded nearly 2 kilometers, creating a moon like landscape of gravel and rock. credit: [.text] [.+paragraphs] While on the tour, Mr. Patterson offers observations on how much the ice has receded, the different moraines of the glaciated landscape and the process of how glaciers are made. [] [.+paragraphs] “Every time I come onto the glacier, I’m shocked at how much it’s changed,” he says. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-19.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-19.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-19.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] His aim isn’t to reverse climate change directly, but to open people’s eyes to the power and beauty of the land. [] [.+paragraphs] “As long as one person on my trip understands and is able to learn and influence from their own power, then I’ve done something meaningful.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-sm-16.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-lg-16.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/glacier-xl-16.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [] [] :skip ****** photographer bio ****** :endskip [.slide] type: bio label: About the photographer photo: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-glaciers/sarahpalmer-bio.jpg photo-credit: bio: Sarah Palmer is a photographer based in Toronto. She explores pop culture and current events with a focus on the subcultures that these gatherings draw in. She is deeply interested in how we navigate ourselves in the world, with recent work exploring the climate crisis and the impact we have on each other and the environment. [] :skip ****** credits ****** :endskip [.slide] type: credits [.+credits] Photography and story by Sarah Palmer Editing by Lisan Jutras Photo editing by Theresa Suzuki Digital presentation by Mackenzie Lad Interactive design and development by Christopher Manza Visuals editing by Liz Sullivan [] [] [] `; !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r