Gone Glaciers

Colorado’s glaciers are all but gone

Colorado’s recent glacial past may come as a surprise. Our state is currently home to 14 named glaciers and for skiers they offer opportunities for year-round skiing. But as our climate changes, the mountain landscapes we know today will likely look very different for those following our tracks. 

The continental landmass was once heavily glaciated and many of the glaciers we know today are tiny remnants of large ice flows. The first scientific record of glaciers in Colorado was made in the journal Science in 1887 at the Rowe Glacier in what is now Rocky Mountain National Park. Accounts were based on observations in prior summers by hunters and explorers who described crevasses in the Rowe Glacier that plunged 75 feet into the ice. 

Record-setting high temperatures across the globe and a decade long drought in the west are threatening what is left of the glaciers. 

The change is relative on a scale longer than just one season to the next. Some of my most memorable ski days have been during the summer. Two years ago while others sat alongside the Arkansas River during the Fourth of July celebration I hiked up to ski a long couloir of snow that was still visible from downtown Salida. 

Snowfields that linger into the summer and glaciers that remain year-round are critical sources of fresh water. With the headwaters in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado River Basin has seen a loss of 15.6 cubic miles of fresh water in the last 10 years. Conditions along the only major river in the Southwest continue to worsen. 

Closer to home still are changes evident in our forests. Engleman spruce forests along Monarch Pass are not healthy. A favorite backcountry ski zone called Perfect Trees is facing an 80 to 90 percent mortality rate of its “perfect trees” as a result of beetle infestation. 

The U.S. Forest Service and stakeholders near the pass have taken a proactive (or perhaps reactive) approach to remove standing dead trees. The work of the native spruce beetle has already run its course. Propelled by mild dry winters, the beetle was handed a perfect combination of conditions that allowed it to overrun large swathes of forest. The same hot, dry conditions hindered the trees’ ability to defend against the insects. 

Areas of dense trees are dead, dying and toppling over right in front of my eyes. Perfect Trees will always be known as one of the best backcountry powder runs on Monarch Pass and will probably be called Perfect Trees regardless of whether or not there are trees left standing.

I am encouraged to see ski areas, businesses and municipalities in Colorado taking honest steps to reduce carbon emissions and waste. The town of Breckenridge has committed to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 and I encourage other towns to do the same. 

Sourcing local energy through solar technology and charging ports for electric vehicles are becoming more common around Colorado where we boast about our abundance of sunny weather. 

Home composting, improving home efficiency, minimizing car trips as well as rainwater harvesting for outdoor use are inexpensive was to actively contribute to a healthier climate that we all share. 

Even if I have to explain to my kids the meaning behind the name Perfect Trees, I hope to tell them that we did our best to make sure the world we hand over to them is wild, healthy and free.