The Jasper Local July 15, 2019

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monday, july 15, 2019 // ISSUE 149

SOOTHING VIEWS // BABY NELA TAKES IN A DRAMATIC VISTA ON THE SULPHUR SKYLINE TRAIL. // LADA D PHOTOGRAPHY

Town wants feedback to plan for culture and rec Council wants to hear from residents on Jasper’s culture and recreation services.

To procure feedback, the town is asking Jasperites to fill out a questionnaire.

“Municipal recreation infrastructure is in great need of upgrades, with approximately $13 million required in the next few years just to sustain existing facilities,” legislative services manager Christine Nadon said.

That funding will have to come from somewhere.

“This may result in debt financing and tax increases,” Nadon said.

To inform council’s decision making, the town has hired a consulting firm specializing in community services planning.

“Council wants to know which services and facilities Jasperites value most, which should continue, which should discontinue and whether any new offerings should be added.”

Residents and business owners are being asked to complete the community questionnaire. If you did not receive a survey postcard in the mail, you can complete the survey on the Municipality of Jasper’s website, www.jasper-alberta.ca or provide comments on the Facility Panels at the Activity Centre, Aquatic Centre or Library. Responses are anonymous.

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page A2 // the jasper local // issue 149 // July 15, 2019

editorial //

Local Vocal Whenever classic editorial fodder such as the changing of municipal speed zones are up for community debate, the old timey newspaperman in me can’t wait to wade in.

Usually, after uncrossing my arms and loudly cracking my knuckles, I’ll begin my column by writing/yelling something along the lines of: Is it just me, or are we overthinking this?

By the end of my rant, I’ll have churned out tired tropes such as Keep It Simple, Stupid! and Don’t fix what ain’t broke, before neatly concluding with the wholly rhetorical Will we ever learn?

Unfortunately (for this column, anyway), I have learned a bit about opining on such matters. What I’ve learned is that solutions to such problems are rarely simple; something is almost always broken; and suggesting we’re overthinking an issue is most often an excuse for not thinking about it at all.

So let’s think about speed limits. Better yet, let’s turn to the people who were hired by the Municipality of Jasper to think about them.

In 2017 the town commissioned a transportation master plan, basically a big picture study on the movement of Jasper’s people and goods around the community with the objective of providing a foundation for future transportation policy and planning. Peak traffic conditions were assessed, wonky intersections were evaluated, parking lots were monitored and “active mode” infrastructure (for cyclists and pedestrians) was analyzed.

There was also a fair bit of ink devoted to vehicle operating speed zones.

What did it tell us? Quite a lot. Too much to include in this space, but suffice to say the improvements we’ve seen to Jasper’s transportation infrastructure in the last year (the new four-way stop at Miette and Turret, for example) have been a direct result of the study.

With regards to the speed zones, however, the document doesn’t really tell us anything we didn’t know before. Most Jasperites feel that 50 km/hr is too fast for most local streets and 30 km/hr is too slow for Connaught Drive north and south of downtown. Moreover, most locals also know that people generally drive based on the characteristics of a road and that a set speed limit seen as inappropriate by motorists will often result in poor compliance.

What stood out for me wasn’t the discussion about the reduction of posted speed limits, however. Rather, I was interested in the idea of the provision of an on-street bicycle network.

According to the experts, not obey, patrol and sign, and at an only would the implementation of estimated $15,000 for the required painted and/or buffer-separated signage, it’s a relatively cheap fix bike lines help construct a network (while we’re here, can we put in a of cycling routes, but by reducing four-way at Geikie and Balsam? the width of vehicle travel and Somebody’s going to get T-boned!). parking lanes (many of which But would reduced speed limits are excessively wide by today’s reduce speeds? That’s the question standards), bike lanes would council can’t really know until it encourage slower travel speeds. tries. I know as a concerned parent, Makes sense to me.

I’m all for the experiment. Drop the For better or for worse, however, posted speed limit by 10 km/hr on it’s got to make political sense. local roads and see how it works for It’s apparent council is after some a year or two. kind of blanket speed reduction If it doesn’t take, and we have to and the Transportation Master look at a more creative solution, Plan would seem to support such that’s when I’ll bust out the an idea. An all-encompassing rhetorical newspaperman tropes: speed limit (again, excepting Will we ever learn? school/playground zones and the bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com Connaught corridors) is easier to The Jasper Local // Jasper’s independent alternative newspaper 780.852.9474 • thejasperlocal.com • po box 2046, jasper ab, t0e 1e0

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// local sports

monday, july 15, 2019 // issue 149 // the jasper local// page A3

Freeriders flipping for snowy summer While it’s summer in Jasper (is it though?), for members of the Jasper Freeride Club, July has been more about sliding on snow than soaking up sun.

The freestyle skiing team has been in Whistler, B.C., skiing moguls on the Blackcomb glacier, getting inverted on the water ramps, taking part in dry land training and overall improving their strength, skills and self-confidence when it comes to skiing bumps and hitting jumps.

“We’re trying to develop a good healthy culture around athleticism,” reported Coach Nic Bazin.

“We want to develop that family feeling around freestyle.”

The team is deep this year: 18 athletes from as far away as Saskatoon are training with the Jasper Freeride Club in Whistler. One of them, Jasper’s own Gage Leblanc, is finding his form as he gets comfortable in his growing body. The

COACH CHRIS PEEL AND THE JASPER FREERIDE TEAM ARE TURNING SUMMER UPSIDE-DOWN. // CHAD HURRY

14-year-old recently landed his first inverts on snow: first a front flip, then a back flip.

“He’s killing it right now,” Bazin said. “Acrobatics take a lot of time to learn, especially when you throw in growth spurts.”

Bazin expects the entire team to have a growth spurt this winter thanks to the routines being built into their training.

They recruited two-time Olympian and Whistler celeb, mogul skier Tami

SNOW MOTION // JASPER FREERIDER GAGE LEBLANC AND COACH NIC BAZIN DISCUSSING THE FINER POINTS OF FREESTYLE SKIING. // CHAD HURRY

Bradley, to help them with their conditioning.

“She’s been inspiring for the team,” Bazin said.

Early morning skiing conditions on a glacier in the summer are often less than inspiring, but the team is learning to control their lines in the iciest snow and, when the day heats up, the sloppiest slush. Deep moguls form throughout the day, making the skiing challenging.

“We’re working on going fast but in full control,” Bazin said. “When they hit the jump we want to make sure they have just the right speed, which gets even more important as they start to do inverts.”

The Jasper Freeride Club prides itself on building strong, foundational skiing skills, but also on building life skills. They want to be perceived as a welcoming, positive and fun group to have at the ski hill.

“It’s a mix of high performance athleticism and healthy social habits,” Bazin said. b covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page B1 // the jasper local // issue 149 // monday, July 15, 2019

local athletes //

Faith and family propel distance runner to new limits When she was a kid, Dawn Glover had a t-shirt that said Run For Your Life.

Today, the 46-year-old is personifying that mantra. Her life is her family, her faith and her community—all of which she was running for on July 7, helping her become the 2019 champion of the Sinister 7 ultra marathon in the Crowsnest Pass, one of the most punishing running races on the planet.

“I still can’t believe I did it,” she said.

Glover crossed the finish line 24 hours and 19 minutes after she set out, making her the fastest of 60 females to sign up as soloists. Only 10 other competitors crossed it before her. More than 200 soloists started the race; only 69 finished it.

Could she have imagined she’d be racing in, let alone finishing, let alone winning, a 100 mile (161 km) event just five years ago? In a word, no.

“It sounded overwhelming,” she said.

“It sounded impossible.”

But that was before she started training with her now good friend, Tracy Garneau. Since then, with Garneau’s guidance, running absurd distances didn’t seem so absurd anymore. It sounded fathomable. It sounded…fun?

“It sounds odd, but I really enjoyed myself out there,” she said. “I liked that this was a family adventure.”

Her family was definitely with her all the way. They were instrumental in her decision to register, they were cheering for her at the start line and they were making sure she had all the watermelon, potatoes and trail mix she needed whenever Glover came into an aid station. Glover said every time she neared a transition point, the excitement of seeing her three daughters,

Jasper’s Dawn Glover activating beast mode at the Sinister 7 // Todd Weselake // Raven Eye Photography

was potentially catching up.

“I couldn’t help wondering ‘where are they?’” she said.

At the 120 km mark, Glover’s biggest supporter, her husband Randy, reminded her to run her own race. But as the sky flickered with distant lightning and as Dawn set out on leg six, Randy “It sounds odd, but I really enjoyed was anxious. His wife had myself out there, I liked that this was already been running for a family adventure.”

16 hours. She was setting out on the longest, most gruelling leg of the entire course in the wettest, muddiest condi“Someone said they experienced post transition zone depression, I totally got tions the Sinister 7 had ever seen. And although Dawn didn’t know it, she was that,” she said.

As Glover went deeper into the race, in second place.

“We had planned to get some sleep, she was gradually moving up in the rankings. Her goal was to finish, not [but] I did not,” Randy said.

He did pray, however. And on the to win, but it was hard not to think course, his wife was also leaning on of who was ahead of her and who husband and parents—who flew in from Colorado—would propel her further and faster. After she fuelled up and set off again, she’d be briefly stricken with heartache as she ventured alone into the wilderness.

her faith to get her through the 32 km, 4,600 ft-elevation section. Glover said she often selects a Bible verse to ruminate on, to help keep her mind from wandering. 31:8 from the Book of Deuteronomy seemed apt for an ultra marathon, she said: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Glover wasn’t afraid, nor was she discouraged. She crossed the finish line more than a day after she began the race. Her friends were ecstatic. Members of her community were sending well wishes. And her family was beaming.

“It’s so exciting to share it with them,” she said.

Running for her life, indeed. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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monday, July 15, 2019 // issue 149 // the jasper local// page B2

Local history //

A long shot, a sympathetic ear and a lasting legacy When Angela Senior promised her sister that she’d try to locate the Jasper gravesite of a family member who’d been killed in an avalanche during the Second World War, she had high hopes but low expectations of completing the mission.

“I had his name and knew he had been a Lovat Scout, but was otherwise ignorant of his story,” Senior said.

The Lovat Scout’s story, in fact, is well known in Jasper.

In 1944, the elite British regimental unit was sent to Canada to train for an Allied-led invasion of Nazioccupied Norway. As historian Peggy Donnelly writes in RETROactive, the Lovat Scouts were “recognized as having specialized skills adept to a mountain campaign, [and] were the only British unit to undergo formal training in high altitude warfare. Their training, which commenced in the mountains of Scotland and Wales, was completed under winter conditions in Jasper National Park.”

When Senior and her husband John visited Jasper some 75 years after the Lovat Scouts were first deployed here, the springtime weather was crisp and cool. The couple had a free afternoon to explore Jasper, to which they dedicated their search for the final resting place of Lieutenant Corporal Alexander (Sandy) Collie.

There was a problem, however: they weren’t sure where to look. The local cemetery was the obvious choice, but without their own vehicle and with limited information, they were hesitant to set out on their own.

Enter the heroine of our story: Shawnee Janes-Wilson.

Janes-Wilson, the General Manager of the Jasper Inn and Suites, where the Seniors were staying, overheard Angela describing her conundrum to front desk staff.

Immediately, Janes-Wilson was keen to help.

“Without any hesitation she offered to take me and my husband, there and then, to the cemetery in her car,” Senior said.

When they arrived at the Jasper Cemetery, it didn’t take long to locate Alexander Collie’s gravesite in the reference log: Grave 235, Row 6.

“The whole cemetery Members of the Lovat scouts training near had obviously been the columbia Icefileds//JYMA PA 82.34.44 ablaze with dandelion flowers a week or two before, and had now gone to seed which gave the impression of candles everywhere,” Senior said.

RECOUNTED BY CPL ANGUS CAMERON Delighted to have given the opportunity to pay their respects, the couple was eager to learn more about A party of twelve set off to climb Nigel Peak. the Lovat Scouts, which they did during a visit to the Our guide was Sgt. Peyto (Canadian Army).

Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives, another apThe weather was bright, very warm, as we were pointment facilitated by Janes-Wilson. There, archivist climbing the south face of the mountain. When Karen Byers helped the Seniors identify the location we were near the summit the first avalanche of the avalanche that took L/Cpl Collie’s life, as well took place. The only warning we had was a noise as a few salient points about the Lovat Scouts’ Jasper like the crack of a rifle shot. The force of snow training exercises. carried us all downhill towards Wilcox Pass. As Reading from Angus Cameron’s first-hand account of we were nearing the valley below another huge the avalanche, Byers helped the Seniors understand avalanche came down from above us. We moved the impact their time in Jasper National Park had on downhill as quickly as possible. Sandy Collie the Lovat Scouts.

“Listening to Karen reading the account was an was immediately behind me and we were both extremely moving trapped. A count was taken – Sandy and I were experience,” she said. “I reported missing, so a search was organized. wondered how many of Cpt. Peter Nicholson noticed my gloved hand Sandy’s immediate family showing through the snow. He quickly dug me would have known these out, uncovered my head and resuscitated me. personal details.”

The search continued for Sandy Collie and some While Byers was reading, men were sent back to HQ for additional help.

John Senior spotted It was probably about an hour afterwards, while a photograph in the probing in the snow, that I touched his body William C. Taylor book, under about four or five feet or so of snow. We Highland Soldiers, that dug him out, tried artificial respiration for a the archivist had been refvery long time but to no avail. It was almost erencing. The black and dark by the time the stretcher bearers and white picture depicted a section of the Lovat helpers arrived so we were very late in returning Scouts on the summit of to the Chalet with his remains. Sandy Collie was Mt. Kitchener. a big strong fellow, a very good sportsman and “And there he was,” Ana very popular comrade. gela Senior said. “Sandy Collie, staring back at us Excerpt from Highland Soldiers: A from the page after 75 story of a mountain regiment by William years, the very double of C. Taylor his nephew Ian, my brothlooking at, I had probably glanced at the place where er-in-law, unmistakable Sandy lost his life.” and quite unnerving.”

The Seniors are back in the United Kingdom now Furthermore, their conwhere they have passed along their account of their nection to the Columbia journey, and a copy of Taylor’s book, to Angela’s Icefields Area was made all the more tangible with brother-in law. Sandy Collie’s nephew will be heartened, Angela believes, to know that his uncle is resting their new knowledge of in a place reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands he the Lovat Scouts. called home.

“I found it astonishing that one day earlier, while “I also know the lovely people of Jasper very much took the Lovat Scouts to heart, so in a way he is as visiting the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia much at home there as he would have been in the Cairngorms.”

Icefield Chalet, without

AVALANCHE ON NIGEL PEAK

realizing what I was

Bob covey// bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page b3+B4 // the jasper local // issue 149 // monday. july 15, 2019

FEATURE // PHOTOS BY SIMONE HEINRICH

NOTHING GETS JASPER LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER SIMONE HEINRICH MORE EXCITED THAN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PHOTOGRAPHY WILDLIFE IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK’S VALLEY BOTTOMS. NOTHING, THAT IS, EXCEPT THE CHANCE TO PHOTOGRAPH BABY VERSIONS OF THOSE SAME WILD ANIMALS.

To capture the sensational shots that Jasper Local readers have become used to, Heinrich goes to fairly extreme lengths. Recently, she spent four hours in a moose blind, waiting for mama and baby to wake up. In other instances, she marks on her calendar the approximate time of year when she knows owlets are due to hatch and checks in daily on the nests she knows about. Her coyote pup photos keep getting more incredible each year, not only because the parents are adding to their litter,

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KIDS, GOSLINGS, LAMBS...OH MY! CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH LOCAL JASPER WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER

SIMONE HEINRICH

but because the den site she stakes out remains the same: viewing the photos year to year, one can make out the micro advancements of moss and lichen on the surrounding rocks.

For several years now, Heinrich has been adding to her portolio of baby ungulates, but more recently, it’s her bird photography that has taken off. Her close-ups of the parent-young interactions afford us a peek at nature we otherwise wouldn’t get.

It isn’t always pretty, however, and we’re not

just talking about the molting, googly-eyed Great Horned Owls. Nature can reveal itself to be pretty raw, like when competing male loons fight to the death, or when those adorable elk fawns become a grizzly bear’s breakfast.

That’s the circle of life, however, and we’re delighted to have the chance to showcase a small slice of it through these pages. As always, if you’re photographing wildlife, do so from a safe and respectful distance, particularly when baby animals are involved. // B Covey

622 Connaught Dr. Upper level PO Box 2079 Jasper, Alberta T0E 1E0

Phone: 780 852-2242 Fax: 780 865-1022

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page B5 // the jasper local //issue 149 // monday, July 15, 2019

Local tourism //

Where the Rockies meet the Ranchlands: Riding the rails to B.C.'s Robson Valley Nestled in front of British Columbia’s Cariboo Mountains and a tractor ride away from the province’s longest and most important salmon river, there’s a cornflower blue building where farmers from the nearby Robson Valley region can pick up groceries, order their livestock feed and mail a letter, all in the same shop.

The Dunster General Store is situated 140 kilometres or so west of Jasper National Park and 270 km southeast of Prince George, in “downtown” Dunster, B.C. Although Dunster doesn’t make it onto most travellers’ bucket lists, a visit to the area is a chance to step back into time, to a period when homesteaders toiled a hardscrabble existence, much of western

t

off the train, to label the once-aday bustle as busy would be pretty cute to your average Torontonian.

Rolling out of town to the west, the silver locomotive and its threecarriage cargo canters into the Miette Valley, an area so thick with black and grizzly bears that Parks Canada recently instituted a 12 kilometre no-stopping zone to ensure motorists on the Yellowhead Highway aren’t rubber-necking wildlife and getting into accidents.

The nicest part of train travel, I’m learning quickly, is that rubbernecking is not only allowed, but encouraged. Cora and I peer into the lush river valley, keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife. When she spots a beaver smacking its tail in a silty eddy on the Fraser River, she’s reminded of the care package she received as a newly minted member of VIA’s Choo Choo Club. Our next 20 minutes are thus spent applying temporary tattoos, and soon she’s sporting a half-sleeve that includes a cartoon

SunDog Tours guide Chuck Cantley captures a moment for visitors to the famous General Store in “downtown” Dunster.

Together with VIA Rail, SunDog Tours offers a Jasper to Dunster sightseeing trip through the scenic robson Valley. // Bob Covey

Canada was still an unknown frontier and the railway was settlers’ only link to the outside world.

It’s also a place to get a really good sausage roll.

On a wet weekend in June, my three-year-old daughter and I stepped aboard the VIA Rail passenger train to experience the Jasper to Dunster connector. The journey would take us over the continental divide, alongside turquoise mountain lakes and rivers and give us a long look at mighty Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Being from Jasper, we were familiar with most of the geographical highlights, but as this was the first train trip either of us had ever taken out of our home town, we were excited to see the area’s iconic imagery from the other side of the tracks, as it were.

The historic railway station in Jasper is a quiet place until the train chugs into view. But even when the passengers are pouring on and

beaver, moose, fox and bear.

Her first ink. How sweet.

Speaking of sweet, we’re a week or so early for the sweetest celebration this side of Moose Lake, but it’s probably a good thing my daughter hasn’t yet heard of the Dunster Ice Cream Social, an annual event held not far from the General Store. This year’s incarnation, its 42nd, will once again have all the ice cream, pies, cookies and brownies its patrons can eat, all for the adorable price of $8 and $6, for adults and kids respectively.

The family dance to follow isn’t the most famous jamboree in the Dunster area, however. The (back for 2019) Robson Valley Music Festival is an incredible, three-day celebration of music, art and community taking place on a two-acre spread next to the Fraser River.

The intimate, family-oriented festival brings artists from all over the world to share their talents amongst a beautiful blend of cow-

All aboard! // Excited passengers on their first train trip! // N Covey

times each summer, my wife and boy culture and hippie heritage.

I will pack up the van and hit the That’s in August. For now, Cora and I are looking up at the summit highway for McBride, tagging on a stop at the Beanery 2 Bistro in the of 3,954 metre Mount Robson, a village’s heritage train station for view that isn’t always afforded to visitors for the constantly swirling one of Donna and Andy’s famous clouds atop the Canadian Rockies’ sandwiches. Sure, 160 kilometres seems like a long way to go to get highest peak. Impressive as the groceries and lunch, but we justify sight is, however, what’s caught Cora’s eye are the trip the pink and as a purple-hued lumini-vapins at the foot cation, a of the mounchance to tain, some of get away the flowers from the standing as tall hustle of as her. touristy Even though Jasper they’re less and an than 100 km opporapart and tunity to on the same rejuveDunster’s Ice Cream Social is the sweetest latitude, the nate our event of the year. // Rocky Mountain goat Robson Valley spirits is significantly with a bit of more lush than Jasper, owing country living. mainly to the warm, wet air masses To be sure, that’s the essence of that build off of massive Kinbasour train trip, too. Going to Dunket Lake to the south and which ster by rail isn’t necessarily on break up as they head east over the the list of every visitor coming to spine of the Rockies. Not far from Jasper to explore the Rockies, but where the train crosses over the the experience is perfect for those provincial border heading west, who like beautiful scenery, friendly cedar forests start to spring up and folks and a chance to take things biodiversity blossoms. It’s partly a little slower. For first time train for the region’s generous growing travellers like ourselves, it was a conditions that the farmer’s market dad-and-daughter date to rememin McBride, a community 45 minber. utes up the track from Dunster, is an amazing place to find fresh fruit This story originally appeared and vegetables. Even in the spring, as a blog post for VIA RAIL. when our garden at home is barely Check out https://blog.viarail. sprouting, the Robson Valley grow- ca for more rail-themed travel ers are pulling up juicy carrots and itineraries. gorgeous garlic. As such, a couple

Andy Werner and Donna Perkins’ sandwiches at the Beanery 2 Bistro in the heritage train Station are worth the trip to McBride. // B Covey

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local trails //

monday, July 15, 2019 // issue 149 // the jasper local// page B6

Incredible views from Southesk Cairn. // 10adventures.com

Cairn Pass: Remote, rugged and ridiculously beautiful At the other end of a long, mundane, valley-bottom slog is one of the most wonderfully wild places in Jasper National Park.

Hiking to Cairn Pass harkens back to days gone by, when early explorers were outnumbered by bears and good route finding skills and fitness were prerequisites of adventuring in the mountains.

If you want to experience Jasper National Park like it was for explorers 100 years ago, you might consider backpacking to Cairn Pass. The route takes in part of the South Boundary Trail and although it requires an intense effort to get there, the reward for those who make the journey is a remote, historic and isolated camp, not far from which are some of the best views in the park.

The route is typically done as a four-night trip, although an extremely fit hiker could make the 30km hike to Cairn Pass Campground in one big push, mak-

ing a two-night trip possible.

The best access point is Rocky Pass, also known as Cardinal Pass, about 30 minutes (22.4km) past Cadomin, on the east side of Jasper National Park.

From the trailhead, hikers take the trail signed to Rocky Pass. You’ll have to cross the Cardinal River three times before you get to Rocky Pass. There are no bridges, so be prepared for high water, and it’s best to wait until at least the middle of July after water volumes have receded.

From Rocky Pass, the views start to open up, and on the descent down the other side, the trail leads into the Medicine Tent River Valley, where most will make camp for the first night. Medicine Tent Campground is primitive; there’s not even a real outhouse, just a log between two trees. Along with the utilitarian amenities, there are plenty of fur-covered rub trees and scratchings made by big, sharp claws. Backcountry users should be bear aware and take measures to ensure food is stowed safety.

Day two takes hikers to the highlight of the backpack, Cairn Pass. The route follows the South Boundary Trail here, and it will take about 20km to get to Cairn Pass.

There’s no avoiding the reality of this mundane section: other than the hallway of trees on either side of you there are no views. You’ll need to be mentally prepared for the mud, roots, rocks and horse manure. Coupled with the approach to Rocky Pass, this means that nearly 40 km of the 56 km round trip is in the trees. Hikers have the option of using La Grace

Campground, in case they want to push farther on day one.

Although this section of the South Boundary Trail is mentally taxing, once the route starts climbing Cairn Pass the long slog is worth it. Two kilometres past Cairn Pass is Cairn Pass Campground, a pretty campground on the edge of a meadow with a firepit, hitching posts for horses and antlers nailed to posts. Turning back time, indeed.

It’s best to plan for a full day at Cairn Pass, as the scramble up Southesk Cairn provides some of the best views in the Canadian Rockies. This is a real scramble, definitely not a hike, so hikers should be comfortable on steep terrain before attempting it. The route is about nine kilometres from the campground and you’ll gain 550m of elevation.

There are many other scrambles around the area, though you’d be forgiven for spending the day at Cairn Pass, with its stunning views.

Many people hike back to La Grace Campground on day three, allowing them time to hike out on day four.

Others decide to make a full-day 30 km push from Cairn Pass back to the trailhead on day four. Whatever you choose, you will have memories to last you forever.

This route description was submitted by the editors at 10adventures.com, an online portal featuring guides to humanpowered adventures in the most stunning places on earth. For more of the best backpacking trips in Jasper National Park, see www.10adventures.com/backpacking/ jasper