Museum marks 80th anniversary of Jasper to Banff cross country ski trip

Eighty years ago, five Jasperites set forth on one of the longest cross-country ski trips in Canadian Rockies history.

Joe Weiss, Vern and Doug Jeffery, Frank Burstrom and Pete Withers embarked on the 350 kilometre, three week journey from Jasper to Banff.

With no roads and only a few huts along the way, and using bamboo poles, bits of wire and leather grips, the conditions were treacherous.

“At that time, most people travelled by train. The Icefields parkway was just a trail,” said Karen Byers, curator of the Jasper and Yellowhead Museum and Archives.

Jack Brewster, who was slated to make the journey, had food cached along the route for the team, as they were unable to carry enough for the journey. He was supposed to join the trip, however Brewster twisted his knee right before the start date, and was forced to pull out.

So on Jan. 15, 1930, the five men departed from just outside the Lutheran Church with a plan to follow the waterways to Banff in order to reach the Banff Winter Festival. With a plan to use cabins and camp along the way, the five men embarked upon a voyage that hasn’t been matched since.

The journey was arduous. Without the benefit of lightweight equipment, the men strapped large quilts to their backs instead of sleeping bags in order to keep them warm throughout the bitter winter nights.

By the first night, the quintet reached a cabin at Athabasca Falls. Breaking through brush proved to be hard work, and the crew was happy to have made the cabin that night. The shelter was appreciated, as the temperature dipped to -50 C the next day, forcing the skiers to wait.

Many other nights, the team didn’t have a cabin, and were forced to construct ‘wikis’ – structures made of branches that allows for a fire to be constructed by the shelter. The five men were required to take turns staying up throughout the night to keep the fire going, staving off the frigid temperatures.

Smooth skiing allowed the team to move quickly, however by the time they reached Sunwapta, they reached open water. This presented a huge obstacle for the group, who planned to follow the waterways.

They were then forced to climb out of Sunwapta Canyon and work their way up to the icefields, which required a great deal of effort. This delayed the trip by three days.

Wardens in Banff were expecting the skiers, and became increasingly worried about the delay. They dawned snowshoes and broke trail looking for the skiers.

The skiers soon found the trail broken by the wardens, and found smooth trails to Lake Louise. From there, a hero’s welcome waited them in Banff on Feb. 4, 1930, where the story of their journey amazed Banffites. They were awarded golden pins for their efforts, which are now on display at the museum.

“I don’t know if anybody has done such a phenomenal trip,” said Karen Byers. “It was all unknown territory and to make it in three weeks was amazing.”