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Home , Angel Glacier, Athabasca Falls, Fiddle River, Grande Cache, Gregg River, Jasper House

133 points of interest, 265 photos, 265 photos, of interest, 133 points include: 22 maps that – Cache – Grande – Hinton – and the – Jasper Parkway Icefields

Discover the secrets of a spectacular of secrets the Discover the with landscape Ecotours® TransCanada Northern Rockies Guide Highway A lavishly illustrated driving guide illustrated A lavishly ecology, geology, the landscapes, to people and history of the culture, Northern Rockies of Region and .

FOOTHILLS TransCanada Ecotours® Northern Rockies Highway Guide RESEARCH INSTITUTE

in

printed P.O. Box 6330 Box P.O. Drive 1176 Switzer Alberta T7V 1X6 Hinton, Canada 5 ecotour.foothillsri.ca Let the Northern Rockies Ecotour set your compass compass set your Ecotour Rockies the Northern Let journey a remarkable offor the through discovery northern part of Mountain Rocky the Canadian and 22 maps 265 photos, site. Heritage World Parks rich Nations First the region’s present 133 Ecopoints mission- artists, of exploits early fur-traders, history, inter- the ongoing and scientists, and tourists, aries, wildlife of inspiring and their play mountain people, research current on draw The authors ecosystem. as climate such issues environmental discuss key to conservation. and biodiversity change One) foothills (Chapter the eastern will explore You on west travel then Cache, Grande in historic ending following Two) (Chapter Highway Yellowhead the Hinton divide from the continental across major the concluding In British Columbia. Valemount, to from turns southwards the Ecotour Three, Chapter through Parkway the spectacular along Icefields Jasper Louise. near Lake ending the Rockies, map on page See the full route

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nik chair on “This wonderfully book interlaces the physical, biological and historical qualities of one of iconic regions. Canada’s entertaining highly but An educational that account will all captivate who the Northerntraverse car, be bike, it by Rockies train or vicariously from their living room.” Northern Rockies Ecotour

Fred Pollett • robert udell • peter murphy • tom peterson

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind1 1 3/27/12 1:10:53 PM Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The Eastern Foothills

1-1 Green Square, Hinton 16 1-2 The Beaver Boardwalk 17 1-3 Hinton Training Centre: The Forestry Trail, Fire Training, Forest Research 22 1-4 Mountain Bike Park and Trails 27 1-5 The Natural Resources Interpretive Park 28 1-6 Where Trails Cross 29 1-7 The Managed Forest 32 1-8 Chinook’s Christmas Fire 33 1-9 Gregg and the Greggs 35 1-10 Mining and Reclamation 37 1-11 Luscar: Coal Mining Interpretive Site 38 1-12 Cadomin 40 1-13 : Bats at Risk 42 1-14 The McLeod River and the First Tourist 43 1-15 Recreation Area 46 1-16 Mountain Park Cemetery 47 1-17 Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park 49 1-18 The Cardinal Divide 50 1-19 Gregg Cabin Recreation Area 52 1-20 McLeod River Silviculture Interpretive Trail 53 1-21 Anderson Creek − Stream Protection 54 1-22 The 56 1-23 Old Entrance 57 1-24 Brûlé Lake - An Array of Landscapes and History 61 1-25 William A. Switzer Provincial Park - The Athabasca Lookout Nordic Centre 67 1-26 Kelley’s Bathtub: Switzer Park Interpretive Centre 68 1-27 Healthy Landscapes: 69 1-28 Old Lower Road 72 1-29 Caribou Habitat Experiment − Growing Lichen 73

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind3 3 3/27/12 1:10:54 PM 1-30 Berland River: Caribou Country 74 1-31 Caribou − Icon of the North in Decline 77 1-32 Pierre Grey’s Lakes Provincial Park and the Hamlet of Muskeg 79 1-33 Muskeg River Graveyard 81 1-34 Bull Trout − Muskeg River − Muskeg Falls 82 1-35 Lake 83 1-36 Grande Cache Tourism and Interpretive Centre 84 1-37 The Sulphur Gates 88

Chapter 2 Yellowhead Across the 2-1 Moberly Cemetery 93 2-2 Overlander Rest Stop 93 2-3 The Portal to Jasper − Jasper Park Gate 95 2-4 96 2-5 Pocahontas 98 2-6 Ashlar Ridge 99 2-7 Miette Hot Springs 100 2-8 and Disaster Point 101 2-9 II: National Historic Site 105 2-10 Talbot Lake Picnic Site 109 2-11 111 2-12 Cold Sulphur Spring 113 2-13 Bridge 114 2-14 Henry House Flats 116 2-15 The Palisades Stewardship Education Centre 119 2-16 The Moberly Homestead and the Métis Exodus 120 2-17 Palisades Picnic Site 122 2-18 The Brigades and the Express 124 2-19 Meeting of the Three Rivers − Turnoff to Road 126 2-20 Jasper Park Lodge 127 2-21 The Skyline Trail 128 2-22 Athabasca Panorama 130 2-23 Maligne Canyon and Trail System 131 2-24 Viewpoint 132 2-25 Rosemary’s Rock 135 2-26 Maligne Lake 136 2-27 Douglas-Fir at Pine Bungalows 141 2-28 Where’s Henry House? – Old Fort Point 142 2-29 Jasper Information Centre National Historic Site 145 2-30 Discovery Trail 146

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind4 4 3/27/12 1:10:54 PM 2-31 The Jasper-Yellowhead Museum 147 2-32 Road 148 2-33 The Church of St. Mary and St. George 151 2-34 Bridge 152 2-35 Miette River Lookout 154 2-36 , National Historic Site 155 2-37 Internment Camp Memorial Historical Site 157 2-38 Lucerne 157 2-39 Fraser Crossing 158 2-40 The Mountain Pine Beetle and 159 2-41 Overlander Falls 162 2-42 Mt. Robson: The Berg Lake Trail 162 2-43 Terry Fox Memorial 165 2-44 Rearguard Falls 166 2-45 Tête Jaune Cache 167 2-46 Jackman Flats Provincial Park 170 2-47 Valemount 171

Chapter 3 The Icefields arkwayP 3-1 Miette River Bridge 177 3-2 Whistlers 178 3-3 Wapiti and Wolves 180 3-4 Athabasca River Bridge 181 3-5 Prairie de la Vache 182 3-6 Whirlpool Valley Viewpoint 183 3-7 : Alternate Route 184 3-8 Up the Whirlpool to 185 3-9 Mystery Trees 187 3-10 Meeting of the Waters 188 3-11 Mt. Edith Cavell 189 3-12 190 3-13 The Rupicaprin and/or the ? 191 3-14 Mt. Fryatt Viewpoint 193 3-15 Mt. Christie Viewpoint: Moberly’s Bend 194 3-16 195 3-17 Bubbling Springs 196 3-18 Poboktan Creek: The A.P. Coleman Story 196 3-19 Jonas Rockslide 199 3-20 Beauty Creek and the Beauty Creek Flats 201 3-21 Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint 203

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind5 5 3/27/12 1:10:54 PM 3-22 Tangle Falls 203 3-23 Sunwapta Canyon Viewpoint: Old Trees 204 3-24 The Shooting Gallery 204 3-25 and the Icefield Centre 205 3-26 Wilcox Pass 207 3-27 208 3-28 Trail 209 3-29 − Collie’s View 210 3-30 North Saskatchewan Valley Viewpoint 212 3-31 Big Bend 212 3-32 213 3-33 Graveyard Flats 213 3-34 Mt. Amery, Mt. Saskatchewan Viewpoint 214 3-35 Rampart Ponds 215 3-36 Glacier Lake Trail: David Thompson Walked Here 215 3-37 Saskatchewan Crossing … and 216 3-38 Tephra, Fingerprints of a Volcano 220 3-39 Mistaya Canyon and Howse Pass 222 3-40 Lower Waterfowl Lake 223 3-41 Upper Waterfowl Lake 224 3-42 Viewpoint 224 3-43 Bow Summit/Pass and 226 3-44 Subalpine Meadow 228 3-45 Num-Ti-Jah Lodge on 229 3-46 Viewpoint 232 3-47 233 3-48 Mt. Hector 235 3-49 Herbert Lake 236 References 237 Index 239

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind6 6 3/27/12 1:10:55 PM Acknowledgements

Text Contributions: A special thanks to D.F.W. (Doug) Research and Review Pollard and Robert (Bob) Stevenson who were responsible for pioneering David Andison, Tom Archibald, and producing the first Ecotours Denise Barry, Susan Berry, Dave in Canada, in 1973 and 1974 Birrell, Jules Blais, Rick Bonar, Guy respectively. Both have been key Brassard, David Carnegie–13th Earl contributors to the Northern Rockies of Southesk, Allan Carroll, Boyd Ecotour; Doug through his research Case, Bill Cheliak, Roger Couture, and text, and Bob as a reviewer from Mike Demuth, Mike Dillon, Denis start to finish. And our particular Faucher, Jessica Desany Ganong, appreciation to Ben Gadd who, in Alison Girling, Adam Gossell, providing a manuscript edit, also Joyce Gould, Brian Haddon, Keith contributed significant and valued Hammer, Brian Kahn, Werner text changes and additions. Kurz, Lisa Jones, Archie Landals, Martin Legault, Mary Luger, Sean Finally, although he is one of the Kinney, Beth MacCallum, Bruce authors of this publication, the other Mayer, Richard McCrea, Sherrill members of the team recognize the Meropoulis, Ron Peletier, Amber privilege and value of working with Pollett, Sandra Pollett, Meghan Tom Peterson, whose dedication to, Power, Dennis Quintilio, Lisa historical knowledge of, and library Sherlock, Dave Smith, Gordon of materials relating to the region Stenhouse, Victoria Suwalski, Patrick are quite simply remarkable. Tom’s Suwalski, Scott Sunderwald, Marc knowledge is generously available Symbaluk, Diana Tomback, Joan to all. Udell, Jan Volney, Ken Walker, Kim With apologies to those we may Weir, Cliff White, Stephen Wolfe, have inadvertently omitted. Without Dave Winston, Richard Wuorinen, the input and expertise of all Chris Yorath. contributors this book would be much diminished.

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind7 7 3/27/12 1:10:55 PM Walk softly, lest in your haste you miss a thousand things of beauty. david m. baird, geologist, writer, and poet –beauty in the rocks: the photography of david m. baird

Roche Miette. brian carnell

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind8 8 4/4/12 2:36:29 PM Introduction

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind9 9 4/4/12 2:38:44 PM You’re about to embark on In this book we chose to begin a remarkable journey. the Ecotour story in the town of Hinton, aptly called the “Gateway to You’ll be travelling within and around the Rockies.” Why Hinton? Hinton the borders of the northern part of is at a crossroad of the trails that the United Nations Educational, helped define Canada. Most of these Scientific and Cultural Organization’s ancient and not-so-ancient trails are (UNESCO) Canadian Rocky Moun- unknown to many who pass by. tain Parks World Heritage site. The Centuries before Europeans saw natural exhibits are immense, inspir- these mountains, a south-north ing, and ever-changing. Share in the Aboriginal trail followed along the feats of determination and persever- eastern foothills of the Rockies up ance of those who passed through to country. This trail these mountain corridors in centuries was crossed near here by an east- past. While having fun, turn your west trail through the Athabasca brain on to the knowledge available Valley, linking the prairie grasslands from this special place – knowledge with the Pacific Ocean. of the events that created and shaped For new travellers from the east, this land, the peoples past and pres- who were following the Athabasca ent, and the ecological challenges of waterway or overland trails, this was climate change and sustainable man- a place for rest and contemplation agement. This journey will provide before venturing into the mountains. information to distill, use, and share After a long hard trek across prairie, with others. woodland, and muskeg, they looked Much of the Northern Rockies westward toward the Rockies, their Ecotour route lies within the World exhilaration tempered by apprehen- Heritage site, chosen for its outstand- sion of the unknown. What adven- ing universal value and importance to ture waited beyond this mountain present and future generations. If you portal? limit your Ecotour experience to the World Heritage site you’ll be amply The Route rewarded. But the entire Ecotour The Northern Rockies Ecotour is offers you much more as it ventures presented here in three chapters. outside the World Heritage site into Each chapter is shaped by the place surrounding provincial parks, towns, it occupies in the universe of the mining sites, and forests. It’s your Rocky Mountains. chance to gain an even greater under- standing of the northern Rockies. The Eastern Foothills Where can you begin? You can Chapter 1 is about landscapes, select any of the “Ecopoints” and the people of the foothills–whose continue from there. The five anchor cultures define this region–and the points are Hinton, Grande Cache, choices made and being made Jasper, Valemount, and the junction within the landscape. of the Icefields Parkway and the The tour first includes the Hinton Southern Trans-Canada Highway area and then the north-south trail near . from Hinton to Cadomin along



EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind10 10 3/27/12 1:11:07 PM Highway 40 South, and from Hinton Along the way there are side trips to Grande Cache on Highway 40 to Miette Hot Springs, the Moberly North. Highway 40 South takes you Homestead, Maligne Lake, and the into the Coal Branch to Cadomin town of Jasper. From Jasper we and beyond, past the ghost town of continue west through the legend- Mountain Park onto the Cardinal ary Yellowhead Pass, across Mount Divide, then loops back to Hinton. Robson Provincial Park to the North on Highway 40, the Ecotour west side of the Rocky Mountains, crosses the Athabasca River and, after reaching the Rocky Mountain a side trip to the hamlets of Entrance Trench near Tête Jaune Cache in and Brûlé, carries on northward to British Columbia, and ending south Grande Cache. of Tête Jaune Cache in the town of Valemount. Yellowhead Across the Rocky Mountains The Icefields Parkway Chapter 2 sifts through the rich Chapter 3 takes us through the episodes of natural and human his- heart of the Rocky Mountains, with tory that unfolded in this east-west its gallery of natural treasures high- corridor defined by the rivers flow- lighted by great icefields. The jour- ing to the Arctic and Pacific oceans. ney begins at Jasper and continues The tour includes the journey west south to the Columbia Icefield, into on the into the , ending at the World Heritage site, through the junction of the Icefields Parkway portal bounded and the southern Trans-Canada by Roche Miette and Roche Ronde. Highway near Lake Louise.

The Portal into Jasper National Park. brian carnell



EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind11 11 4/4/12 2:39:48 PM ALBERTA Grande Cache 40 Highway 16 MAP 12 TEST copy 2.pdf 1/27/12 7:08:45 PM to Willmore Edson Wilderness Park 16

Hinton

16 Brûlé 40 47

Jasper Robb National Provincial Park 16 40 Park Cadomin Ye Tête llow he ad Jaune H ig 40 Cache hw ay 16 Valemount Jasper

93A

93

5 Ice e ld s P ar kw a y Wells Gray Park BRITISH 11 David Thompson Highway to COLUMBIA and Red

Chapter 1 Routes 93 Chapter 2 Routes Banff Chapter 3 Routes National Other Highways Park

Lake Louise

1 1 Ban

graphic image of north america courtesy nasa / jpl-caltech



EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind12 12 3/27/12 1:56:50 PM EcoTour – Overview of the full route

ALBERTA Grande Cache 40 Highway 16 MAP 12 TEST copy 2.pdf 1/27/12 7:08:45 PM to Edmonton Willmore Edson Wilderness Park 16

Hinton

16 Brûlé 40 47

Jasper Robb Mount Robson National Provincial Park 16 40 Park Cadomin Ye Tête llow he ad Jaune H ig 40 Cache hw ay 16 Valemount Jasper

93A

93

5 Ice e ld s P ar kw a y Wells Gray Nordegg Park BRITISH 11 David Thompson Highway to Rocky Mountain House COLUMBIA and Red Deer

Chapter 1 Routes 93 Chapter 2 Routes Banff Chapter 3 Routes National Other Highways Park

Lake Louise

1 1 Ban



EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind13 13 3/27/12 1:57:03 PM From the Beginning … 15 km thick, and, under that enor- The town of Hinton sits just inside mous pressure, the loose sediments the boundary of the plains to the have been transformed into a layered east and the foothills of the Rocky mass of sedimentary rock, sitting Mountains that begin at the west atop a granitic base that is the core edge of town. of the continent–the Precambrian Why is the vista to the east so flat, Shield. An immense force, caused so rolling here, and so rugged to the by the collision of Earth’s moving west? Geologists have researched tectonic plates is about to shear this the rocks and origins of the Rocky thick underwater sedimentary layer Mountains, and this work is summa- cake off its granite base. rized by Chris Yorath and Ben Gadd A massive plate of Earth’s crust un- in their book Of Rocks, Mountains derlying the Pacific Ocean has been and Jasper: A Visitor’s Guide to the speeding northeastward (at about Geology of Jasper National Park and one mm a week) for many millions in Chris Yorath’s book How Old Is of years. It has just collided with the That Mountain: A Visitor’s Guide to northwestward-moving continent the Geology of Banff and Yoho Nation- of North America. Over the next al Parks. The authors take us back in 100 million years or so, this collision time and unfold the geologic story, and others will raise the land, like an answering many of our questions. A ocean swell slowly moving eastward. second work by Ben Gadd, Canadian The sedimentary rock forming the Rockies Geology Road Tours, is a valu- continental shelf, caught between able and complementary reference. colliding crustal plates, is sheared We draw on these books extensively loose from its granitic base and throughout this Ecotour. pushed upward and to the northeast, as Yorath and Gadd say, like “a stack The Story Begins of rugs across a hardwood floor.” As you stand just outside the Green The mass of rock begins to wrinkle Square Information Centre in Hin- and fold, breaking into thrust sheets, ton, take in the world around you. each sheet several kilometres thick, You’re standing 3.5 km east of the stacked one on top of the other. eastern foothills of the Rocky Moun- A depression forms at the wave tains. Incredible as it may seem, this front because of the weight of the area once stood as high above sea thrust sheets. Over millions of years level as the mountains you see to the sediments eroding from the moun- west. tains on the west and the plains to To set the scene let’s go back 170 the east fill this depression. As the million years. There are no moun- wave continues eastward, the sedi- tains, and the land is flat in all direc- ments in the trough are also pushed tions. Off the coast of western North upward to become part of the stack America, sediments washed off the of thrust sheets. In this way, the continent have been accumulat- eastern Rockies and the foothills are ing over the past 750 million years, formed. Then, 50 to 60 million-years forming a wide continental shelf. ago, the pressure ceases and moun- The layers of sediments are about tain-building is over.



EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind14 14 3/27/12 1:11:59 PM When the pressure stopped, the With expected rates of erosion in waves of rock didn’t flatten out; they future, however, the Rocky Moun- remained to form the continental tains may be gone in a mere 50 to 60 spine of western North America. million years, reduced again to a roll- Where Hinton is now was a Tibet- ing plain – unless, of course, there’s like highland at an elevation as high another major tectonic upheaval! as the mountains to the west are now. What happened to the Hinton The Rocky Mountains mountains? The sedimentary rocks Geologists have divided the Rockies, that made up these easternmost east to west, into three distinct phys- mountains were soft and more iographic zones: the foothills, front easily eroded than the hard, more ranges, and main ranges. Here in resistant limestone mountains to the Hinton, we’re at the eastern edge of west, so, over millions of years, the the most easterly zone, the foothills, mountains in the Hinton area were which vary from 10-75 km across. worn down to become the rounded The ranges of mountains vis- foothills. ible to the west of Hinton are the Erosion has shaped the Rocky , located in Jasper Mountain landscape, as millions of National Park. About 30 km wide, years of mountain-building were also these mountains consist of a series accompanied by millions of years of of thrust sheets arranged like roof erosion. As soon as the sedimentary shingles, inclined to the southwest. rocks rose above sea level, the forces The dominant colour of the front of nature –rain, running water, mov- ranges is grey – the colour of the ing ice, wind, frost, chemical decay weathered surface of the limestone –began to erode them. In fact, more they are made of. rock has been removed from the The third zone of the Rockies is Rocky Mountains by erosion than the main ranges, about 75 km wide. remains today. Does that mean the The town of Jasper sits in the main Rockies are less than half as high ranges. Here, the stack of thrust as they used to be? No, because as sheets was highest. Much of the mountains erode, the weight of the rock was heavily folded deep down, rock becomes less and Earth’s crust, but closer to the surface, in peaks which was depressed by the massive such as Pyramid Mountain and Mt. weight, rebounds. Just as a ship floats Edith Cavell, the layers lie at gentle higher as it’s unloaded, the remain- angles. The sedimentary strata have ing mountains rose higher, and a layer-cake look, in brown and red- they’re still rising today as erosion dish hues. This is where the greatest continues. Also, as the two-km-thick, erosion took place. Older Cambrian Ice Age glacier melted over the past and Precambrian rocks are exposed 18,000 years, more rebound has in places. occurred. Remarkably, although the In Chapters 1 and 3 the routes run Rockies have lost eight to 10 kilome- parallel to the mountain ranges, but tres of sedimentary rock to erosion, in Chapter 2 the route cuts across they have maintained much of the Rocky Mountain ranges. The their height. geological differences are striking.



EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind15 15 3/27/12 1:11:59 PM Rocks of the Rockies Ice and Fire Granitic rock, so characteristic of The interplay of ice and fire can be the Precambrian Shield of eastern seen throughout the Ecotour. By Canada – particularly along the understanding these forces, we can Trans-Canada Highway north of gain insights into their roles in shap- the Great Lakes – is less commonly ing the landscape as well as find out exposed at the surface in western more about the broader global issues Canada. Throughout much of the of climate change, biodiversity con- Ecotour, the Precambrian Shield servation, and managing freshwater lies about 9 km beneath our feet. resources. The Rocky Mountains sit atop the granitic core of the continent and, as Ice we have discussed, the exposed rocks At some points on the Ecotour, are almost entirely sedimentary. you’ll see–and if you choose, have Geologists explain that the hands-on experience with–glacial sedimentary rocks consist mainly of ice. Most of Canada has been under either clastics or carbonates. Clastics several kilometres of ice, not once are made up of erosion products like but repeatedly over the past two mil- sand grains, pebbles, and other par- lion years. The last continental-scale ticles, which form sandstone, shale, glaciation melted away a mere 10,000 and conglomerate rocks. Grains to 15,000 years ago. of quartz sand are common in the Globally, 70 per cent of all fresh- main ranges, forming the very hard water is stored in the form of glacial quartzite that makes up many peaks ice, permafrost, or permanent snow. in the western part of the Rockies. Only Antarctica and Greenland have Most carbonates, by comparison, more glacial ice than Canada does consist mainly of calcium with or today. In Canada, it is crudely esti- without magnesium chemically mated that as much water is locked

bound to the carbonate ion, CO3. up in glacial ice as there is in liquid Carbonates are nearly always depos- form in all our lakes and rivers. ited in seawater through the action From space, the bright white of marine life, especially cyanobacte- patches of snow and ice in the po- ria (used to be called bluegreen lar regions and mountain chains algae ), and true algae. Larger organ- shine like beacons, their brilliant isms like clams and corals contribute surfaces reflecting the sun’s radia- their calcareous hard parts. Carbon- tion. In this way the glacial ice acts ates form limestone and dolostone as a global air conditioner, keeping (a sedimentary rock made of the the surface temperature of the mineral dolomite) of Precambrian planet in balance–(Environment age, which are common in the World Canada) Heritage site and surrounding area, and where fossils of those lifeforms When part of this reflective snow can be found. cover is lost, more solar energy is absorbed by the darker land, caus- ing more melting–a chain of events known as “positive feedback.”



EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind16 16 3/27/12 1:12:03 PM In this case, the result is not nec- 2-21 and 2-26), concerned about essarily positive. As our climate the coming of the railway, was not warms, the balance between water in optimistic about future events in the liquid and solid form is changing in Rocky Mountains. She wrote: Canada. …the virgin valleys will soon be a The Rocky Mountains attract thing of the past… this will bring millions of visitors each year, many the timber-cruiser, the hunter, the drawn to the spectacular beauty of fast disappearing game will be ex- alpine glaciers and icefi elds. A few tinct, and the Indian will be driven come to study the links between gla- back to his reservation; fi res will ciers, climate, and Canada’s water re- sweep through the virgin valleys sources. Some glaciologists describe and there is but one satisfaction the alpine glacial ice found through- – what are they going to do to get out the Ecotour as “young, warm, rid of those fi elds and fi elds of and active” as compared to the much glaciers. older and colder Arctic glaciers and ice caps. Ice has existed off and on To date the forests and wildlife of the in the Rocky Mountains for millions region have remained largely intact. of years. The glacial ice is a store of With global warming, however, information about ancient tempera- “they” may have found the way to tures, pollen rain, and air chemistry. eliminate Mary Schäffer’s one satis- The information of past climates faction – the icefi elds and glaciers. may help to forecast changes we may The entire Ecotour landscape has expect in the future. been sculpted by ice. Valley glaciers, In 1911 Philadelphia naturalist, such as the , fl ow artist, and explorer of the Canadian into pre-existing stream valleys, Rockies, Mary Schäffer (Ecopoints which are usually V shaped,

Cirques and Arêtes along the Icefi elds Parkway. fred pollett

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EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind17 17 3/27/12 1:12:05 PM widening them to U shaped. A more The Great Divides common feature is the cirque glacier “The person interested only in the (such as on Mt. Edith beauty of the scene will find it even Cavell), which erodes a horseshoe- more moving when he [or she] shaped basin (a cirque) in the side of reflects on the intricately woven pat- the mountain. Other features caused tern of events that have, through the by the erosion of multiple cirque millions of years, produced the rocks glaciers include long serrated ridges and the mountains, the rivers and (arêtes) and pointy peaks (horns). the glaciers.” – David M. Baird, These features will be highlighted Jasper National Park: Behind the along the route. Mountains and Glaciers.

Fire Writing about Jasper National Park, Fire is a natural feature of the geologist David Baird challenged northern forests of Canada, and the the imagination by speculating that Ecotour area is no exception. As soon a single drop of rain or a solitary as the ice retreated, 10,000 to 15,000 crystal of snow falling on one special years ago, and forest vegetation was place in the Columbia Icefield may re-established, there was fire. Near split into droplets that end up in the Pyramid Lake in Jasper, an old Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans Douglas fir bears the scars of no less after flowing for thousands of kilo- than 9 fire events. With climatic metres in completely different river warming, we can expect that drought systems. How is this possible? and fires will become more common The ice-covered summit of the in this area. in the Columbia Icefield This is a dire forecast. Since the is the hydrographic apex of North formation of Jasper National Park a America. The three continental div- century ago, fire as a natural agent of ides of North America that separate forest renewal has been suppressed. Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic drainage Much of the forest is now past the systems intersect here. This means time when it would normally have that water from this point flows to been renewed by wildfires. Park three oceans, through the Saskatch- managers are concerned, because ewan and Nelson river systems to the without periodic natural fires, Atlantic, through the Columbia sys- dropped branches and needles accu- tem to the Pacific, and through the mulating on the forest floor provide Athabasca and Mackenzie systems fuel that increases the risk and com- to the Arctic. pounds the severity of catastrophic wildfires. Excluding fire from the Vegetation park has decreased biodiversity and The vegetation of a landscape is an increases the risk of losing wildlife expression of the climate, soil, natu- and plants that depend on fire to ral processes (like fire or landslides), renew ecosystems. For these reasons, and human interventions (like fire Parks Canada specialists are rein- suppression). The map covering troducing fire into park ecosystems most of the Ecotour area shows through prescribed burning. that there are five main zones of

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EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind18 18 4/4/12 2:43:10 PM Hinton Natural Subregions Brule

Alpine Robb

Subalpine

Montane Cadomin Upper Foothils Jasper 16 Lower Foothils

40 Natural sub-regions of the Foothills Research Institute core study area

Icefields Parkway

vegetation. You will have stops in all the three zones. In Jasper National of them, so you’ll be able to appreci- Park, it represents only seven per ate the differences on the ground. cent of the landscape, very important East of the front ranges of the as wildlife habitat and, also most Rockies are the boreal forests of sought after and used by the human the subalpine and the Lower and species. Local climate variations Upper Foothills. The steeply sloped produce a diverse array of plant subalpine region is typically clothed communities that changes rapidly with forests of lodgepole pine, white over short distances. The grassy open spruce and Engelmann spruce, slopes and mixed-wood forests of the and subalpine fir in older stands. montane make for ideal grazing. For The Upper Foothills Subregion has wildflower enthusiasts, the montane rolling terrain containing stands of zone is home to brown-eyed susans, lodgepole pine, white spruce, black crocus, forget-me-nots, paintbrush, spruce, and balsam fir, often inter- wild rose, wild strawberry, and mixed with aspen and balsam poplar yellow lady’s-slipper. in the younger forests. The subalpine zone covers about Three ecological zones in the front half of Jasper National Park. Open and main ranges are documented by Engelmann spruce and subalpine Parks Canada literature: montane, fir forests intermix with scattered subalpine, and alpine. The montane whitebark pine and herb-rich zone is located in the valley bottoms. meadows at higher elevations, and There are lodgepole pine, Doug- white spruce and fire-succession las fir, and aspen stands and some lodgepole pine stands at lower grasslands at these lower elevations. elevations. Multicoloured columbine This is the driest and warmest of and the orange western wood

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EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind19 19 3/27/12 1:12:15 PM lily cling to the mountain slopes. Retreat of the Athabasca Glacier below The alpine zone occupies the high- Roche Miette. howard coneybeare est lands in Alberta and includes all areas above the treeline in the front have been dated to 9,000 years BP and main ranges. A cold harsh cli- (before present). mate, along with steep and unstable Over the past two or three rocky substrates, active glaciers, and centuries, Shuswap people have permanent snowfi elds, limits plant lived in the Jasper and Mt. Robson growth and soil development to areas. Beaver and Sarcee, both sheltered areas. The alpine zone has members of the Dene Nation, and its spring display of fl owering alpine scattered Sekani (all with languages meadows, and lichens are abundant, of Athapaskan origin) are among the some of them hundreds of years old. endemic groups. Beaver Slight changes in climate may people inhabited a vast territory cause an abrupt change in an between the present-day Alberta– ecosystem such as insect outbreaks, Saskatchewan border and the Peace wildfi re, and forest dieback. Some of River. They lived in relatively small these responses may be benign and family groups for most of the year. benefi cial – in any case we need to The Stoney Nation (originally reduce our impact on climate and part of the Sioux), also known as the learn to adapt to changes. Assiniboine, was allied with the Cree. During the early nineteenth century, People and Cultures the Stoney and Cree people moved The repopulation of this area after westward with the fur trade, along the continental glaciers melted is the system where not yet well understood. Some of they claimed territory for themselves the earliest signs of people are found between the Peigan (Blackfoot) and near Brûlé Lake and Cold Sulphur Gros Ventre (related to the southern Spring, both of which we will visit Arapaho and Cheyenne) to the south on the tour. From the type of stone and the Beaver nation to the north. tools found at these sites, both sites The Cree are the largest Aboriginal

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EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind20 20 3/27/12 1:12:16 PM group in and, they also included a few Nipiss- although there are variants of Cree ing and Abenaki, both Algonquian. language, their language is associated Some trappers stayed on in the area with the larger Algonquian group of as “freemen” after their contracts languages. The Ojibwa, also known expired, and many married local in the west as the Saulteaux, and of Aboriginal women and adopted the Algonquian language nations, the Cree language. Their role in migrated here from the Great Lakes the cultural history of this area will region drawn in part by the expan- be explored in many parts of the sion of the fur trade. Ecotour. Trappers from the east in the ser- Beginning in the mid-eighteenth vice of the fur trade became a small century, European fur traders and but highly influential Aboriginal explorers came into the area from presence. The men were recruited the east and north. Those who largely from villages along the passed through, and those few who St. Lawrence River near Montreal, settled in the Ecotour area, will be and, although most were Iroquois, introduced along the journey.

A Word about Distances to the nearest whole kilometre. In this Ecotour we have tried to Because people are encouraged record distances as accurately to take side trips we also show as possible and, in most cases, distance between consecutive have shown the distances in two Ecopoints. For further insurance, directions – from the start of we provide the GPS coordinates a reference “leg” of the tour to in latitude north and longitude the end and back again. Because west. Finally, the information is vehicle odometers do not always presented in a manner that allows record distances the same, we use the traveller to navigate in either different scales. From 0-50 km we direction through a particular record to a tenth of a kilometre; Ecotour section. See the following from 50-100 km to the nearest example, taken from one point in half-kilometre, and over 100 km Chapter 2:

West from Icefields Highway 93 102 East from Valemount 18.7 West from last Ecopoint 5.0 Distance West to next Ecopoint 5.6 Latitude North 52058.152 Longitude West 119025.541

In this case, if travelling west, Your last Ecopoint was 5.0 km you would see that this Ecopoint back (Column 1), your next is is 102 km west of the Highway 5.6 km farther west (Column 2). 16/Icefields Parkway junction If you are travelling east, the and it is 18.7 km to Valemount. to/from distances are reversed.

Now – on with the Ecotour!

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EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind21 21 3/27/12 1:12:16 PM Brûlé Lake and the Boule Range in Autumn. brian carnell

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind22 22 3/27/12 1:12:28 PM ChAPTER oNE The Eastern Foothills

EcoTour INTERIOR Layout no 5.ind23 23 3/27/12 1:12:33 PM