Editor: Bill Sherwonit, Alaska Northwest Books

48. Wilcox Pass

The Wilcox Pass trail provides an overview of the high mountains and spectacular glaciers on the northeast fringe of Columbia Icefield. This historic trail climbs steadily to alpine tundra, the haunt of bighorn sheep and grizzly bear. Dress warmly!

When the first travellers ventured north from Lake Louise in the 1890s, Athabasca Glacier blocked the valley that now contains the Icefields Parkway. Just beyond, lay the jumble of the Mt. Kitchener rockslide. Rather than attempting to cross the glacier with horses and tackle the narrow canyon beyond, the outfitters climbed over this alpine pass, and regained the Sunwapta Valley at Tangle Creek. The first explorer to make this detour was Walter Wilcox.

At the trailhead, you are in an old-growth forest dominated by Engelmann spruce. The larger trees are more than 400 years old, nearly 1 meter in diameter, and 20 meters tall. These are remarkable specimens given the severity of the local climate. The stumps in the first few hundred metres are remains of trees that were cut in the 1930s for use as bridge timbers during construction of the original Icefields Parkway.

After a steep climb, the trail gains a cliff edge that overlooks the Icefields Parkway and Athabasca Glacier. The mountain nearest you to the south is Mt. Athabasca. Behind it is Mt. Andromeda. Look for climbers-tiny, black specks on the expansive glaciers and icy faces of these mountains. West of Athabasca Glacier, spectacular Dome Glacier cascades from the rim of Columbia Icefield, between Snow Dome and Mt. Kitchener.

Veering away from the cliff edge, you turn your back on this icy scene and resume the moderate climb towards Wilcox Pass. You may encounter members of the resident band of bighorn sheep. The mountain to the east is Nigel Peak, named for Nigel Vavasour, cook on the mountaineering expedition that discovered Columbia Icefield in 1898.

Two more kilometers of delightful hiking across alpine tundra leads to the expansive summit of Wilcox Pass (2375 m). The precise height of land is difficult to determine, but a large rock cairn serves as the turnaround point. Vegetation in the pass includes willows, sedges, rock lichens, mountain avens, mountain heather, and a variety of wildflowers.

The pass is frequented by grizzly bears, and occasionally by moose. Look for golden eagles overhead. The limestone bedrock beneath the pass contains a significant underground drainage system.