North and east of Jasper National Park lie hectares of protected territory. Wild land — the former domain of the Rocky Mountain Cree, and at one point the domain of guides, trail riders and outfitters. In more recent years, the mystique and beauty of the Willmore Wilderness has become increasingly unknown and isolated, but now, a group of dedicated volunteers are embarking on an ambitious reclamation project.

The Willmore Wilderness Foundation was formed in 2002 by an enthusiastic group of outdoors-people based in the Yellowhead, as well as Edmonton and other areas of north central Alberta. The initial goal of the organization was simply to re-open historic pack trails that criss-crossed the 4,600-square kilometre park.

“Initially we just wanted to clear the trails — but as we started talking to the outfitters, the next thing we knew we were in a huge mode of data collection and image collection,” said foundation administrator Susan Feddema-Leonard. “Then people started giving us stuff, it’s huge, just huge.”

Many of these trails were initially established by the local indigenous people, called the Aseniwuche Winewak or Rocky Mountain Cree. Based in the Athabasca River Valley, this group traditionally travelled between Jasper, Grande Cache, Hinton and the Continental Divide using the valleys, passes and trails that transected and traversed what was to become the north boundary of Jasper National Park. 

When the land was set aside and protected by the federal government, the Aseniwuche Winewak were forced to leave the park and moved northwards, closer to Grande Cache. Although they continued to use a certain portion of their former home range, the trails they had blazed continued to be followed by trail riders and guided expeditions that left from Jasper, Mount Robson, Tete Jaune and Hinton. 

The encroachment of industry onto the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains north of Jasper inspired Norman Willmore, then Yellowhead MLA, to propose the designation of a wilderness area north of the national park in the 1950s. After his tragic and untimely death in a car accident, the newly-created wilderness area was named in his honour. In this territory, the traditional activities of hunting, fishing and trapping were permitted, but no motorized vehicles could be operated within its borders.

In its early days, the traditional trail systems were maintained by Alberta Forest Rangers, who needed to use the throughways as a means of patrolling the backcountry. But with the advent of helicopter patrols, the administrative need for these trails was diminished. This was combined with the inexorable decline of horse travel as a common form of holidaying, and the shrinking influence of outfitters in the region. 

In the 1970s and 1980s there were approximately 20 Commercial Trail Riding (CTR) operators in the Willmore Wilderness. By 2005, the Hinton Park & Protected areas office issued just seven CTR permits to Willmore Wilderness Foundation outfitters.

“Twenty years ago people were fighting for permits,” said Feddema-Leonard. 

Compounding the difficulties faced by modern-day trail users was a 75-year burn ban enforced by the provincial government. The forest grew dense and when wind storms raced through the valleys, the blowdown created an impassable maze of tree trunks criss-crossing the trails.

“The trails are still well-worn, but the problem is that you need to crawl on your belly to avoid the blowdown,” said Feddema-Leonard.

Tackling this problem is a time-consuming and expensive task. The average clearing expedition heads into the backcountry for three weeks or more, and because chainsaws are required, trained and ticketed individuals have to be among the party.

“People with those credentials have volunteered their time. We have received one Alberta grant but for the most time we have been relying on volunteers,” said Feddema-Leonard.

The second focus of the organization came about through conversations the members were having with old outfitters and guides. Soon, the idea of a book was born. Several years on, and the research and writing of “The People and Peaks of Willmore Wilderness Park” is almost completed.

Chock full of interviews, anecdotes and archival photos and maps, the hard-cover book will be an ideal starting point for anyone wanting to gain insight into the recent history of the region. If it’s ever published, that is. Printing 5,000 copies of the volume will cost approximately $60,000, Feddema-Leonard said, and while the foundation has been busily raising funds little by little, they are still well short of the needed amount.

“We’re about halfway — we need to get the rest of it,” she said. “We’ve approached industry and large hunting organizations that basically got their start from these guys. If there hadn’t been these original outfitters there would not have been a hunting industry.”

Until the group does come up with the money, the Willmore Wilderness will continue to be one of the Rocky Mountain’s best-kept secrets.

“We have an absolute paradise up here. Everyone thinks Jasper’s so beautiful but so is the Willmore Wilderness,” said Feddema-Leonard. As well as restoring the area, the foundation is attempting to make sure the Willmore is preserved as it is, and the more people who are aware of it, the better. 

“If you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it,” she said. “Albertans need to know it’s our playground.”