Once the snocoach arrives in the area designated for exploring for that day, you are allowed to disembark and walk around for a while. The view of the glacier is actually worse from on it than from the Visitors' Centre, but the experience of walking on the ice is worthwhile. It's not nearly as slippery as some would imagine, because it is not smooth like ice on a lake -- there's a lot of eroded grit from when the ice passed over rock, so it's more like an icy road after it's been sanded.
While we were there we noticed clouds constantly blowing down from above even though it was mostly clear in the valley. The sheer mass of the Columbia Icefield actually "creates its own weather" due to the contrast of the ice and the relatively warm summer air. Also note the surface "river" of meltwater running down to the lower left.
While we were there we noticed clouds constantly blowing down from above even though it was mostly clear in the valley. The sheer mass of the Columbia Icefield actually "creates its own weather" due to the contrast of the ice and the relatively warm summer air. Also note the surface "river" of meltwater running down to the lower left.