Skier Shares Stunning Before And After Photos Of Canadian Glacier

Ian Greenwood
·1 min read

Today, September 5th, professional skier Mike Douglas shared before and after photos of Blackcomb, British Columbia's Horstman Glacier on X (formerly Twitter).

The first photo was taken in July 2006, and the second was taken in August 2023.

In the 2023 photo, there is significantly less snow, which prompted Douglas to write in the caption of his post, "Tell me the climate is changing without telling me the climate is changing."

A group of X users expressed sadness at the apparent loss of snow:

"I can remember the most beautiful ice cave that opened up on Horstman back in 2005. I'd regularly take folks into it to have their photos taken. Devastating to see what little is left of the glacier now."

"That is shocking and sad." 

"It's awful. Glaciers on the Tantalus range are almost gone as well."

One commenter debated the photo's relevance to the broader discussion of climate change and warmer global temperatures:

"July and August can have wildly different snowpacks so not a fair comparison. Also, the picture on the left have active ski patrol roping, which would be rare in July in the Northern hemisphere. Not arguing against the narrative just calling out items that are not apples to apples comparisons."

Regardless, research shows that globally, glaciers are receding. A 2022 report from the World Meteorological Organization states that of the 40 glaciers monitored by the World Glacier Monitoring Service, all have "been losing mass nearly every year since records began."

Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing.

We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional skier or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos.