Saskatchewan Crossing

During the 1800s, the Saskatchewan Crossing was used by fur traders making their way into British Columbia. Located at the junction of the Icefields Parkway #93 and the David Thompson Highway in Banff National Park it offers a jumping off place for hikers and backpackers.

The Glacier Lake Trailhead can be located at the parking lot on the west side of the Icefields Parkway 1 km north of the Saskatchewan River Crossing Service Centre. The distance is 8.9km one way with an elevation gain of 210 m, and an elevation loss of 220m. The hiker is looking at 6 hours for a round trip.


Parks Canada provides information on activities available on its website.



Photo Credit: eurotrash CC=nc-sa-flickr.

Parker Ridge - Hiking Trails

[1-At parking lot just off the Icefield Parkway]


The hike to Parker Ridge is located in Banff National Park, Alberta and is one of the easier trails in the area.

Distance: 2.7 km one way
Elevation gain: 250 m
Maximum elevation: 2250m (7,380 ft)
Difficulty: moderate
Time: 3 hours round trip
Trailhead: Parking area on the west side of the Icefields Parkway,
4 km south of the Banff-Jasper boundary.


Check for snow conditions with ParksCanada before ascending as the trail may be snowbound in places making the destination inaccessible until early July.





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This trail ends in a spectacular view of the Saskatchewan Glacier and surrounding mountains. It is a good idea to take a coat with you as the wind over the top of the ridge can be quite brisk.



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It is a relatively easy trail through a forested area with swtichbacks that open up into alpine meadows with a variety of wildflowers during their brief flowering season in July.



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Care should be taken to refrain from shortcuts on the switchbacks as this damages the fragile plantlife.




[5 - Trail and Icefield Parkway can be seen below]



Take your time on the switchbacks before becoming winded from the ascent.



[6 - Ribbon of Icefield Parkway seen below]







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[10 - Cresting the top of the ridge]







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[12 - Rocky Mountain Gaot]

These goats are often seen in the higher rocky terrain above the treeline. They tend to be shy of most humans.







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The trail rises quickly above the treeline and crosses a high open ridge to an awesome view of the 9km long Saskatchewan Glacier. This glacier is an eastern branch off the Columbia Icefield.




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This is another view of the Saskatchewan Glacier.



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Source: ParksCanada

Photo Credits: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][13][14][15][16]-mala_x1 CC=nc-nd-flickr, [12]-Dallas1200am CC=nc-nd-flickr, [17]-KB CC=nc-flickr.

Bow Lake

This photo is of Bow Lake just off the Icefields Parkway.


Photo Credit: karenwithak CC=nc-nd-flickr.

Sunwapta Gorge

[1- Totem poles near Sunwapta Falls turnoff]


The Sunwapta Falls are located halfway between the Columbia Icefield and the Town of Jasper in Jasper National Park (55 miles from Jasper). The Upper Falls may be viewed just off highway 93.


The water in the Sunwapta River comes from the Athabasca Glacier and rushes through the gorge. Sun Wapta is the Stoney Indian words for Whirlpool River.

[2 - Full shot of the Sunwapta Falls]


There are three water falls spread over 450m of the Sunwapta River in the gorge.

[3 - Gorge in detail]

[4 - Sunwapta Gorge and bridge]

[5-Gorge]



The lower Sunwapta Falls are 1.5 km downstream, and can be reached from the Sunwapta Falls parking lot. Follow the main viewing trail above the falls to the right. Continue past the falls viewpoint to where the paved road ends and begin a gradual descent into a lodgepole pine forest to the lower falls. In half a kilometre the trail emerges from the forest to open views of the Athabasca Valley. The lower Sunwapta Falls have created a staircase waterfall instead of a single one.




[6-Lower Sunwapta Falls]


Also at Sunwapta Falls is a goat lick where Rocky Mountain Goats congregate to consume their needed minerals.


[7-Rocky Mountain Goat with kid]



The trail over Wilcox Pass allowed travellers and guides to bypass the toe of the Athabasca Glacier and the Sunwapta Gorge.


The 25-km hike to Fortress Lake begins at the Sunwapta Falls trailhead. I previously posted about this hike here.

Research: ParksCanada - Jasper

Photo Credits: [1]-Alaskan Dude CC=flickr, [2]-Kris Taeleman CC=nc-sa-flickr, [3]-Anile P CC=nc-nd-flickr, [4][5]-DavidQuick CC=nc-nd-flickr, [6]-wonkanerd CC=nc-sa-flickr, [7]-ConanTheLibrarian CC=nc-nd-flickr.

Tangle Falls

[1-click to enlarge]












Tangle Falls are located in Jasper National Park, 200m from the Icefields Parkway. They are 10km north of the Wilcox Creek trailhead.

There is a trail that leads from Tangle Falls which is not well marked, but leads up to Wilcox Pass. The hike to Wilcox Pass from the Wilcox Creek campground will be covered in a future post.




[2-click to enlarge]











When Mary Schaffer and her group were coming down from Wilcox Pass to navigate their way past the Sunwapta Gorge, they took the right side of the stream urging their pack horses to find their way down the dense underbrush to the bottom. When they did manage to reach the bottom and crossed the stream they noted other horse tracks had descended at the same location. Later they learned that Bill Peyto, an early outfitter, had found the easiest way was to take the left side of the stream. They named the crooked stream “Tangle Creek” after their descent.


[3-lower section of Tangle Falls - click to enlarge]











Research: Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies by Mary Schaffer (1911), p.56

Photo Credits: [1]-listentoreason CC=nc-sa-flickr, [2][3]-Alaskan Dude CC=flickr.

Icefields Parkway in May

The long Victoria weekend in May used to be the time I would make a quick trip to the mountains to see Banff, and if the weather was clear and sunny, to take a drive up slightly past the Athabasca Glacier. The amount of snow is variable from year to year, and it is wise to keep snow tires on the vehicle. I used to take chains with my truck for just in case.

The reason for this post today after the long weekend has passed? In Toronto the temperature sits at 30C (87F) with a humidex of 35C (96F). Unusual weather for the season, as it should be much cooler. Looking at glaciers and snow provides a mental chill if nothing else. It has a beauty of its own complete with potential danger of avalanches should some unwary driver honk their vehicle horn.

This photo is taken from a vehicle on the Icefields Parkway heading south toward Bow Lake.

For those sweltering: enjoy.

Phoyo Credit: karenwithak CC=nc-nd-flickr, taken May 22, 2009. Click to enlarge.

Panther Falls

During a trip to the Canadian Rockies, in 1907, Mary Schaffer wrote of hearing a distant roar while on the trail up to Wilcox Pass. Across the valley through the trees she discovered: “a lovely little fall may be seen apparently bursting through the solid rock.” Later that day Mary’s group found that a panther had followed their trail for some distance, and so the falls were named after this wild cat.*

The Panther Falls are located just below the Bridal Veil Falls on the Icefields Parkway. The Bridal Veil Falls viewpoint is located on the east side of highway 93, 9.0km (5.5mi) south of the Banff-Jasper Park boundary at Sunwapta Pass. At the lower end of the viewpoint walk downhill to the trail sign atop an earthen barrier. The trail drops down through a number of switchbacks in forest to a muddy slope where the falls can be viewed. Take care as the ground can be quite slippery and hazardous to the unwary.

Photo Credit: Anile P CC=nc-nd-flickr. Please click to enlarge.

Research: * Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies by Mary T. S. Schaffer, 1911, p.50.

Icefields Parkway

This photo is looking southeast near the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park near the Columbia Icefield. The snow covered mountain to the left is Mount Athabasca (3491m) (11,454ft) and the mountain to the right of it is Mount Andromeda (3450m) (11,319ft). Almost all of Mount Athabasca is above treeline.

Norman Collie and Hermann Woolley completed the first ascent of Mount Athabasca on August 18, 1898. Collie described a vast icefield that stretched westward and surrounded by unknown peaks.

A nearby trail to Wilcox Pass will be covered in an upcoming Hiking Trails post.

Photo Credit: Feffel CC=nc-sa-flickr.
Research: Peakfinder.com

Reflecting on summer days

Although I have posted this photo before, I have been thinking of summer this past week after enduring some nasty frigid weather via a drafty window. This looks a perfect place to sit a spell and contemplate nature at temperatures a bit more to my liking.

Photo Credit: Herbert Lake on the Icefields Parkway by appaloosa CC=nc-nd-flickr. Click to enlarge.