Exploring a Pristine Jewel of Canada: Century Sam Lake and Comox Glacier’s Ice Caves

We are delighted to have you with us as we travel to Vancouver Island in the western Canadian province of British Columbia. Although relatively close to civilization, Century Sam Lake and the Comox Glacier’s amazing ice caves are not easily accessible, requiring a challenging trek to get there.

As we near Century Sam, large slabs of basalt dominate the scenery. The surge of the melting glacial waters from above has gathered considerable traction at this point, mounting into an incessant roar of descending rapids before finally giving way to the absolute stillness and tranquility of the prized lake itself. Currently under the authority of the Strathcona Provincial Park, this spectacular emerald-blue natural pond lies at an elevation of 510 meters.

Moving on, we trace the source of Century Sam Lake upstream, where another natural phenomenon awaits. The constant feed from the Comox Glacier has carved a series of caves that appear as tunnels that penetrate well under the ice pack for several hundred meters, toward the heart of the basalt mountain. Inside, the convex/concave patterns of the icy white ceiling are punctuated by an almost surreal bluish glow in places where the glacier above is thin enough to allow sunlight to shine into the cavernous world. It’s not recommended to follow the tunnels too far in.

On the walk in through the pleasantly wooded valley, we negotiate streams and fallen trunks to the rapid ascent up the gigantic folds of basalt. You may wonder, where did Century Sam Lake get its name? The answer lies at the edge of the tranquil blue pond, on a plaque dedicated to the memory of a local man Sid Williams.

Sadly, many glaciers on Earth, including the Comox Glacier, are also disappearing at an unnatural and alarming rate. This is the result of climate change brought on by raising animal-people for consumption. In order to reverse the adverse effects of global warming, we must stop eating the meat of the innocent, defenseless animal-people and treasure nature’s bounty as we would our own lives. We are surely fortunate that such precious pieces of pristine nature as Century Sam Lake remain – let us cherish them and be good guests of Planet Earth.