Once again, Blogger has decided to play games on whether I am allowed to upload photos for a hiking post on a trail in Glacier National Park in British Columbia.

However, this photo of Spirit Island at Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta will suffice for the time being.

Photo Credit: alpeck99 CC=nc-nd-flickr CLICK TO ENLARGE

This photo was taken along the Athabasca River south of Jasper. Once the end of April arrives thoughts of summer trips come to mind. Scenes like the above stir memories of past journeys to the Rockies with family and friends. For me now, it's making the time as I've become quite busy with rewrites, some SF/F short fiction and a new venture of writing a historical article for a magazine. It's a time to keep focused with deadlines approaching. Regular posts will resume shortly as I've found that keeping the mind working creatively assists in keeping my readers interested.


 Photo Credit: Karen Hall CC=nc-nd-flickr.

My computer problems will be soon rectified. Thus, book reviews and other assorted posts will resume in due course.

To pass the time until then please enjoy this photo of Spirit Island in Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park in Alberta.

Photo Credit: alpeck99 CC=nc-nd-flickr.

Hiking Trails - Wilcox Pass

The hiking trail over Wilcox Pass was used frequently before the Icefields Parkway opened in 1940. It is best in late June through to mid-August, although snow can remain in Wilcox Pass until late July. Wilcox Pass is in Jasper National Park, Alberta and accessed just off the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93).




[1- Indian Paintbrush near the Icefields Parkway - click to enlarge]







The trailhead begins at the Wilcox Creek Campground with the distance to Wilcox pass is 4.0 km (2.5mi) one way. To take the full hike one-way from the Wilcox Creek Campground to Tangle Falls is 11.2km (7.0mi).



Half day to day trip
Allow 1.5 to 2 hours to Wilcox Pass
Elevation gain: 335m (1,100ft)
Maximum elevation: 2375m (7800ft)

To reach the trailhead take the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93 to the Wilcox Creek Campground on the east side of the highway 2.8km (1.7mi) south of the Icefields Centre or 1.9km (1.2mi) north of the Banff-Jasper boundary at Sunwapta Pass.

This hike is considered one of the best day hikes in Jasper National Park.



[2- Golden Mantle Ground squirrel aka Chipmunks - click to enlarge]

These little guys seem to populate the wood piles near campgrounds wherever one travels in the mountains.



The Wilcox Campground road is at an elevation of 2040m with a steep climb through alpine forest.



At approximately the 1.7km mark the trail emerges above the treeline gaining 120m in less than a kilometre.

In another 2.5km there is a steep climb to flat alpine meadows and the viewpoint for the Athabasca Glacier.



[3- Viewpoint of Columbia Icefield, Mt. Athabasca to left with Mt. Andromeda behind, the Athabasca Glacier in the middle and Mt. Kitchener and the Snow Dome on the right - from the Wilcox Pass Trail - click to enlarge]


Only a small portion of the Columbia Icefield is visible from the Icefield Parkway. The Athabasca Glacier is the most accessible and visible of the glaciers which flow from the Icefield, but there are numerous others. Over three hundred square kilometres in area, the depth of the icefield varies from 100 to 365 metres. The average annual snowfall on the upper reaches is seven metres.

From the viewpoint the trail moderates, opening out onto a ridge overlooking the Icefields Parkway and the Athabasca Glacier. The hiker can feast his/her eyes upon the massive ice-covered Mount Athabasca (3491m) (11454ft), Mount Andromeda (3450m) (11,319ft), the Snow Dome (3460m) (11,399ft) and Mount Kitchener (3511m) (11,500ft).

Mt Kitchener was named in 1916 after Horatio Herbert Kitchener (Viscount Kitchener), a British Field Marshall who organized the British armies at the beginning of WWI. He was lost when HMS Hampshire struck a mine in 1916.



[4 - Snow Dome and Mt. Kitchener from the Wilcox Pass trail - click to enlarge]



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.




[5 - Snow Dome Glacier above Mt. Kitchener - click to enlarge]



The Snow Dome was named in 1898 by J. Norman Collie . This dome-shaped mountain is covered by the Columbia Icefield. The water produced from this mountain flows into three oceans through the Saskatchewan and Nelson rivers to the Atlantic, though the Columbia to the Pacific, and through the Athabasca and Mackenzie Rivers to the Arctic.



[6 - View from Wilcox Pass trail toward Mt. Andromeda, the Athabasca Glacier and Mt. Kitchener on right - click to enlarge]




Past the viewpoint the trail climbs along the edge of a creek, then levels out across alpine tundra and heads northwest into the long U-shaped pass between Wilcox and Nigel peaks.




[7 - Looking back to Mt. Athabasca and Mt. Andromeda from the Wilcox Pass Trail - click to enlarge]


Here the wildflowers grow close to the ground.





[8 - Wilcox Pass trail - click to enlarge - Mt. Wilcox is above horizon of hill on left side]





At 4.0km is the summit of Wilcox Pass (2374m). Wilcox Pass and peak are named after Walter Wilcox, whose party first crossed the pass in 1896 on horseback. The pass became the usual route north as it avoided the Sunwapta Gorge and the Athabasca Glacier, which nearly blocked the valley below.





[9 - on Wilcox Pass trail - click to enlarge]


It is here and at the other end of the pass that the hiker will find Bighorn Sheep.




[10 - Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep at Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]







[11 - Wilcox Pass trail with Rocky Mountain Sheep - click to enlarge]




Here the hiker can often find small herds of Rocky Mountain Sheep grazing.



[12 - Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]






[13 - NW on Wilcox Pass trail with Mt. Wilcox in background - click to enlarge]









[14 - Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]







[15 - Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]



To continue on to Tangle Falls the route continues north across the pass to trail makers or cairns at the 7.1km mark, where there is a steep descent into the forest. Stick to the left side below Mount Wilcox. At about 8.6km, the trail crosses to the left of the creek where it becomes more defined. Here the slope goes from moderate to steep on the descent south of Tangle Creek.

At 11.2km is the Tangle Creek trailhead (1860m) with the Icefields Parkway 200m south of Tangle Falls and 10km north of the Wilcox Creek trailhead.

Otherwise, at the rock cairn the hiker can begin to backtrack the way they came to return to the Wilcox Creek Campground.


[16 - Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]







[17 - Coming down from Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]







[18 - Mt. Athabasca with glacier - click to enlarge]








[19 - On Wilcox Pass Trail looking toward the Athabasca Glacier]






[20 -Mt. Kitchener beneath the Snow Dome]



Photo Credits: [1]-jdww CC=nc-nd-flickr, [2]-karenwithak CC=nc-nd-flickr, [3][16]-richd777 CC=nc-sa-flickr, [4][6][7]-A tea but no e CC=flickr, [5][9][13]-Alaskan Dude CC=flickr,[8][19]-BinoCanada CC=nc-sa-flickr, [10][11][12][14][17]-Feffef CC=nc-sa-flickr, [15]-canoe too CC=nc-nd-flickr, [18]-gordmckenna CC=nc-nd-flickr, [20]-DavidQuick 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.

Weekend Reflections (5)

This photo was previously posted (here) and it's one that speaks for itself. Morning mist and water birds keeping their feet dry.

It has a lovely effect of mist rising from the water revealing a reflection. This photo is of Patricia Lake in Jasper National Park.

Photo Credit: cblee CC=nc-sa-flickr. Click to enlarge.

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.

Mt. Andromeda and the Athabasca Glacier

This photo shows another angle of Mt. Andromeda (see previous post) in relation to the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefields. It was taken from the Icefields Parkway.

I find it distressing that the toe of the glacier is so far from the highway. During my childhood my family vacationed in Banff and Jasper National Parks every summer, and I recall using the old Highway 1A as a major route before the TransCanada was put in. In the early 1960s the toe of the glacier was much closer to the pavement than it is now. And the ice and snow on Mt. Andromeda is reduced as well. The Athabasca Glacier seems insignificant to me now, despite the mass of ice remaining below Mt. Columbia.

In 1896 the toe of the Athabasca Glacier was past the location of the Icefields Information Centre blocking the entire valley. Travellers and the early aboriginals used Wilcox Pass to bypass the glacier and the Sunwapta Gorge.

Photo Credit: Alaskan Dude CC=flickr. Please click to enlarge.

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

Hiking Trails - Fryatt Valley (Day 2)

[20 - From Headwall campground]


This is a continuation of Day 1 of the hike through lower Fryatt Valley. Fryatt Valley is in Jasper National Park, Alberta in the Canadian Rockies. This is considered a difficult hike and any hiker should consider making this a 4 to 5 day excursion.






[21 - Headwall Falls]


The headwall portion of the trail gains 200m in less than a kilometre.














[22- Looking down lower Fryatt Valley from the trail up the headwall]





[23 - climbing the headwall]





[24 - Part of the Headwall Falls - click to enlarge]














[25 - Nearing top of the Headwall]




[26 - Mossy waterfall in Fryatt Valley - click to enlarge]

Near the top of the headwall is a small waterfall with a pool – good place to stop and rest.





[27 - near the top of the headwall overlooking Fryatt Valley toward Athabasca Valley]





[28 - Upper Fryatt Creek above the headwall - click to enlarge]



100m farther along is the Sydney Vallance Hut run by the Alpine Club of Canada at approximately the 22km mark. The hut accommodates 12 hikers and is the only place to stay overnight in the upper valley.



[29 - Sydney Vallance Hut in upper Fryatt Valley]




[30 - Sydney Vallance Hut - click to enlarge]


From the ACC hut after a night's rest plan on exploring the upper Fryatt Valley with a light pack.



[31 - Upper Fryatt Valley - click to enlarge]


Above the headwall the upper Fryatt Valley opens up to reveal ice-clad peaks and subalpine meadows.

The trail here is often wet and covered in a carpet of wildflowers in July. The route climbs a rocky moraine then descends thru stands of alpine fir to the shore of a small lake fed by the meltwaters of the nearby Belanger Glacier. From here there is an unobstructed view of rugged peaks and glaciers.




[32 - Harlequin ducks on Fryatt Creek]







[33 - Harlequin ducks on Fryatt Creek - click to enlarge]





[34 - Upper Fryatt Valley]





[35 - White speck is Mountain Goat - click to enlarge]









[36 - Mountain goats shedding winter coats - click to enlarge]





[37 - Upper Fryatt valley toward the glaciers - click to enlarge]











[38 - Butterfly on wildflowers - click to enlarge]







[39 - Upper Fryatt Valley - click to enlarge]




Source: ParksCanada - Jasper
Photo Credits: [20][25][37][38][39]-HandsLive CC=flickr, [21][22][23][24][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]-brilang CC=nc-sa-flickr, [27]-wikipedia, [36]-filo1000 CC=nc-nd-flickr.