We’re all familiar with the four glaciers the proponent of the Jumbo Resort and development proposal wants to include in the Controlled Recreation Area: the Commander Glacier, the Farnham Glacier, the Glacier Dome and the Jumbo Glacier.
And we’re all familiar with the shape of the Jumbo Valley as a dog leg, with the east/west portion becoming the locale of the Jumbo Pass trailhead, up and over to the Glacier Creek drainage to the west. Going north from the dog leg bend we’re in the upper Jumbo Valley where the proposed resort would be located.
At the very north end of the upper Jumbo Valley is the Glacier Dome, a unique and amazing slightly domed glacial phenomenon. The dome drops severely off to the north into the Lake of the Hanging Glacier far below — an emerald coloured, good sized body of water with icebergs.
To access the Lake of the Hanging Glacier is an easy day hike at the end of the Horsethief Creek drainage. The trail mostly follows the Lake of the Hanging Glacier Creek up.
Arriving at the creek’s downfall point the view is an absolutely awesome rock cradle that holds the big, beautiful lake. And there at the far end one sees the creeping down terminus of the Jumbo Glacier. The folks who hang out for a while will, from time to time, hear a thunderous explosive sound as another iceberg drops into the lake from Jumbo Glacier’s toe.
When we advocate that Jumbo stay wild forever, we need to be sure we’re including this marvel, the Lake of the Hanging Glacier, just to the north and constantly connected to the upper Jumbo Valley by way of the glorious Glacier Dome and the Jumbo Glacier.
Now like no time before, we the public are being called to contact our Member of Parliament with suggestions to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development which wants more protected areas to safeguard biodiversity and natural heritage.
Our MP is Wayne Stetski, 250-354-2610 Wayne.Stetski@parl.gc.ca. I know Wayne to be very supportive of preserving habitat and wildlands.
Rowena Eloise
Coalition for Jumbo Wild