Hikers in Metro Vancouver find 8-foot-tall icicle on Squamish trail

Two hikers in Metro Vancouver have found what they estimate to be an eight-foot-tall icicle while hiking on the Stawamus Chief Trail in Squamish last week.

Benjamin Munnalall and Mitchell Vander Ploeg said they spotted a large icicle dangling from a rock face while hiking the trail on Feb. 27.

It was situated low enough for them to grab, they couldn't help but try to carefully detach it, the hikers told CBC.  

"We tapped it and it just fell, then we caught it as it slid down," said Munnalall.

"Then we thought, 'This is the biggest icicle I've ever seen in my life.'"

"It was a miracle that it didn't fall on the ground and shatter into a million pieces. I don't know how we managed to salvage the entire thing," said Vander Ploeg.

The two found the icicle a day after heavy snowfall in the area. Squamish hit below-zero temperatures last Monday. 

One scientist says it's not uncommon for icicles to grow to that size during cold weather.

"They can easily grow that large," said Roland Stull, director of the Weather Forecast Research Team at the University of British Columbia's department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences.

"[That icicle] looks like it might have been from a waterfall that froze."

'You need to be extra careful'

Stephen Hui, author of the hiking guide 105 Hikes, said there could be a degree of risk associated with pulling an icicle, depending on how far the icicle could fall and if there are other people around.

"Falling ice is definitely something to watch out for so you need to be extra careful about purposefully making the ice fall," said Hui.

"But if it's away from the trail, there's nobody below, and they're being cautious about it, I can't see too much harm."

Munnalall says they ensured the surrounding icicles weren't loose before they began to snap off the icicle.

'Quite the spectacle'

The hikers, both over six feet tall, took multiple photos of the icicle, including one with it standing upright. They say the icicle towered over them by at least two feet.

"It's quite the spectacle. You were able to hold it straight up but trying to carry it with your arms spread out is hard," said Munnalall.

He added the icicle was too heavy to carry down the slope and they had to leave it nearby.

They said they considered destroying it, but instead they leaned it on a trail sign post for other hikers to see.

"We told some hikers on the way down to look out for this massive icicle up against the signpost and make sure to take a picture with it," said Munnalall.