Comox Glacier Trip, September 6th, 2019

We went to Comox Glacier on this deactivated logging road that really bugs me when my dad’s driving on it because your head bouncing on the seat cushion feels like somebody is hammering your head. I got carsick and I started to vomit, and then we started hiking.

We saw a bunch of mushrooms that look like trumpets. Why are mushrooms called mushrooms? Did they think that mushrooms were rooms of mush? The trumpet mushrooms look like giant tornadoes for poor didinia, rotifers and tardigrades.

The mushrooms that look like trumpets.

The mushrooms that look like trumpets.

My regular camera face

My regular camera face

The trail starts on logging land, but when you get high enough you exit the logging area and enter Strathcona Park. When we got into Strathcona Park the handlines began. After we got on the ridge and started to cross the first valley, the handlines started to get trickier.

Glacier view from the ridge

Glacier view from the ridge

Lone Tree Pass scrambling section

Lone Tree Pass scrambling section

After a couple of handlines we started to see Century Sam Lake. At this time of year the top of the ice tunnels were melted through. I think going to Century Sam to see the ice tunnels would be really cool. The lake has the perfect amount of glacial flour, and it has the perfect shade of blue.

Century Sam Lake

Century Sam Lake

When we got to the glacier, we changed into our ski stuff and headed down the glacier. When we were trying to get off, there was a moat we couldn’t step off of. We got into crampons and started to head up until the moat stopped.

Mt. Arthur Evans behind Comox Glacier

Mt. Arthur Evans behind Comox Glacier

Wind lip that you might think is the glacier but when you start skiing you'll start to roll off a cliff

Wind lip that you might think is the glacier but when you start skiing you’ll start to roll off a cliff

Skiing towards the moat

Skiing towards the moat

(You can also see the wind lip I was talking about in this photo)

The steeper part of Comox Glacier

The steeper part of Comox Glacier

When we were heading back, my dad pointed out the lake that was on top of Rough and Tumble Mountain. It was definitely not even close to the roughest mountain I’ve ever seen.
We finished all the handlines before putting on headlamps, and we got back down to the car decently quick. The next day I had onion rings, ice cream and a Caesar salad.

The net elevation change was 1,320 m. It was a 14 km round trip.

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5 Responses to Comox Glacier Trip, September 6th, 2019

  1. Roland Burton says:

    Wow, you guys sure do neat trips. Get Gravol for car sickness, it makes you sleepy but it saves washing the upholstery.

  2. Alberto Contreras Sanz says:

    Nice report Devlin! But did I miss the glacier photo? I’d like to do this trip at some point. Well done on your almost round the year turns (again!)

  3. Vincent Hanlon says:

    Great trip! I’m keen to go sometime too

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