I have visited the Columbia Icefields a number of times in my life and the change during the years is visible and shocking.
The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains. Currently, the icefield is about 325 square kilometers (125 square miles) in area and up to 100 metres (330 feet) deep. It was formed during the Great Glaciation period, 238,000 BC to 126,000 BC and has advanced and faded since then repeatedly. The last advance ended in 1840.
The Icefield includes 8 major glaciers and visitors can walk right upon the accessible areas of the Athabasca Glacier. Major North American rivers originate in the Columbia Icefields. It's location atop the Continental Divide means that the waters flow to the Arctic, the Atlantic and the Pacific.
It was the discovery of the Columbia Icefields that contributed a major role to the worldwide interest in the Canadian Rockies. It is a beautiful place to see nature up close and personal.