The Comox Glacier

Getting There

Vancouver Island can be reached directly by air from Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton and recently from San Francisco to either Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox or Campbell River and by ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria on The Coho and on BC Ferries from Vancouver to Victoria or Nanaimo. Public transport on the Island is notoriously poor and anyone arriving by air would be advised to rent a car.

Most visitors will reach the area from the Inland Island Highway 19. Approaching on Highway 19 from north or south take the Comox Valley Parkway/Cumberland exit (#117) and turn west towards the latter. After ~ 1.5 km turn right at the Save-on-Gas station onto Bevan Road. Drive 5.5 km on gravel to the junction of Bevan and Comox Lake Main (CLM) and turn left. Note the location of this junction for your return journey. It isn’t signed at the Comox Lake end. CLM is paved for the first km or so but soon reverts to gravel.

Comox Lake Main is the main arterial feeder for active logging in the area by Timberwest Ltd and is closed to the public 7 days a week during the hours 6 am to 6 pm UNLESS you are carrying a licensed VHF radio to communicate with the logging traffic. In fact, in recent years and as a result of vandalism, the road is often closed period. If it's open a gatekeeper stationed on the road shortly after it becomes gravel will check your credentials in this respect. In the window 6 pm-6 am there are no restrictions. Travel towards the Glacier therefore requires an evening approach and, likely, a camp at the trailhead or knowledge of the use of VHF radios.
   Assuming one or the other and that the road is open, drive along Comox Lake for ~ 18 km from the Bevan/CLM junction. Immediately after crossing the Cruikshank River on an easily recognised long bridge, turn right onto Cruikshank Road. Drive Cruikshank ~ 3 km to a T-junction with South Main Road and turn left. For the “Frog Pond” route (see below) proceed south on South Main for ~6.5 km and turn right onto an unmarked road – although local enthusiasts have installed small “Glacier Trail” direction signs at the junction. A normal 2WD low clearance vehicle is OK up to this point. However, almost immediately thereafter you will encounter a sign saying “decommissioned road; proceed at your own risk”. Lock in 4WD here and prepare to cross 36 water bars, some of them quite deep, as you proceed another ~ 5 km to arrive at the well-signed trailhead situated approximately 200 metres before the road comes to an end at a pile of logging slash. Starting altitude is 560 metres.

For the Kookjai Mountain route, continue on South Main past the junction noted above for ~ 2 km, past Cougar Lake and into Comox Gap where the route begins.

Frog Ponds Approach and Route

For many years this was – and perhaps still is – the standard route to the Comox Glacier. It was built in the early 1960’s by the Comox and District Mountaineering Club (CDMC) and is still well maintained by that august body.

From the trailhead the well-marked trail descends briefly to Comox Creek and crosses it on a log. Almost immediately thereafter a signed route to Century Sam Lake heads off to the right.

After a few minutes of relatively gentle uphill, the route begins to head up a series of switchbacks in a generally southwesterly direction until the hiker is above a small unnamed lake (just visible below through the trees). After traversing east above the pond, the route then resumes its SW course and steepens considerably. With a full pack, it’s a steady 2-3 hours up through the forest before one breaks out abruptly into the open alpine on the ridge top. The switchbacks cease about halfway up about where you pass the Strathcona Park boundary sign. A couple of fixed hand-lines are in place where the route goes up some greasy, eroded ground. 

Once on the ridge it’s easy going westwards on a well travelled path with great views in all directions, especially towards the SE aspect of the lower Glacier above.