Jasper National Park’s trail crews may toil for long hours in the rain and hot sun, but they are often invisible to many park visitors and local residents.
Yet, trail work is important as it allows Parks Canada to provide a positive visitor experience by connecting visitors to treasured places, while ensuring visitor safety by repairing or replacing facilities that are damaged or at the end of their useful lifespan.
Trail work also plays a critical role in maintaining the ecological integrity of Jasper National Park. Keeping trails, boardwalks, bridges, docks and campsites in good condition ensures that park users can minimize their impact on environmentally sensitive areas by staying on official trails and campsites.
As the summer season winds down, it is an ideal time to take stock of the tremendous amount of trail work that was accomplished over this summer by our trail crews. Trail work in Jasper National Park is carried out by 15 employees organized into three crews who also work on projects with volunteers from the Jasper Trail Alliance.
This year, Jasper National Park’s three crews were active on projects in both the frontcountry and backcountry of the park.
IN THE FRONT COUNTRY
- Icefield Centre: Crews improved visitor safety by stabilizing the existing stairs and working on the emergency egress trail. Fencing around the toe of the glacier was also braced;
- Miette Hot Springs: Crews removed the rotten boardwalk at the Source of the Springs and rebuilt 30 metres of trail. A 20-metre section of boardwalk was also replaced and drainage was improved;
- Athabasca Falls area: Safety signage was installed and a new fence was erected at various points along the trail to improve safety for trail users;
A protective structure was placed around the Snaring gravesite; - Mary Schaeffer trail: Erosion issues on the trail and trees posing a danger to the public were addressed;
- Flower Loop (Trail 10a): The loop was re-routed to improve visitor safety by alleviating serious water erosion issues;
- Patricia Lake Loop (Trail 6): Horse ruts on the trail were levelled to improve the quality of visitor experience;
- Sulphur Skyline Trail: The Sulphur Creek Bridge was repaired;
- Pyramid Beach: Picnic areas were upgraded and an official trail now connects the beaches;
- Whirlpool Group Camp: Crews gave the camp a major facelift and are currently removing dangerous trees and berry bushes;
- Pocahontas Mine Trail: The trail was brushed and the old cellar pit was closed off to improve safety for trail users;
- Athabasca Island: The campground has been upgraded with food lockers, new tent pads and the outdoor toilets known as “green thrones”;
- Whistlers Summit Trail: Crews delineated and rehabilitated some trails. This work was done in conjunction with the Friends of Jasper National Park;
- Opal Hills and Bald Hills trails: Work was done to improve signage and to rehabilitate the trails. This project was another partnership between the Jasper National Park trail crews and the Jasper Trail Alliance.
IN THE BACKCOUNTRY
- Big Bend Campground: Trail crews installed new picnic tables and rejuvenated the site;
- Evelyn Creek, Lower Fryatt and Celestine campgrounds: New “green thrones” (outdoor toilets) were installed;
- Tonquin Valley: A new 100-metre section of corduroy was created close to the Amethyst Campground; bear poles at Surprise Point and Amethyst campgrounds were replaced with bear proof food lockers to protect deer, elk, and caribou from getting their antlers tangled in the cables. The Verdant Creek Bridge has been re-decked. Trail maintenance continues from the Cavell trailhead to the rockslide;
- And of course, waste from privy barrels along trails was flown out.
WHAT’S TO COME?
Trail crews will continue their work until the end of the season. This work will include upgrades to Saturday Night Lake Campground, along with new tent pads and a new river safety fence at Whirlpool Group Camp.
Docks will also see significant work over the coming weeks. The dock at Lake Annette will be replaced and the Maligne Lake dock will be repaired. Upcoming trail work includes paving the Lake Annette Loop and upgrades to Trail 7, along the Athabasca River. Plans to upgrade the Valley of the Five Lakes Trail are underway and the Tonquin, Skyline and Brazeau Loop trails are being assessed for improvements.
Parks Canada’s trail work also depends on its strong relationship with the Jasper Trail Alliance (JTA). The JTA, through the Friends of Jasper National Park, has worked independently and in partnership with park trail crews this season on a number of important projects.
Jasper National Park’s trail work priorities are set through the Three Valley Confluence (TVC) Trail Plan in conjunction with the JTA. Volunteers from JTA make significant contributions through brushing trails, making trails safer through improving sightlines and maintaining smaller trails.
Parks Canada
Special to the Fitzhugh
