Village Squire, 1974-06, Page 53Travel
A new summer experience:
trail riding in the
Canadian Rockies
BY JEROME KNAP
The scene below was overpowering. The
Tonquin Valley, long regarded as one of the
beauty spots of the Alberta Rockies, stretched
before our eyes. Dismounting from my horse,
I reached into the saddlebag for my camera.
The Tonquin Valley lies verdant, wide and
open, high up in the shoulders of the Great
Divide. Running in an arc from the southwest
to northwest rise the rugged Ramparts,
towering slabs of rock without a trace of
vegetation.
A dozen of us were on a horseback camping
trip that started in Jasper National Park and
continued into the remote wilderness areas
outside of the park boundaries.
In the southern end of the Tonquin Valley
lie the Amethyst Lakes, their pale waters
streaked with amethyst -colored shadows. The
lakes offer fine rainbow and eastern brook
trout fishing. Another scenic area is the
Skyline Trail and Maligne Lake. A short hike
up the mountains will bring the visitor into
typical alpine meadows, which in early July
are splashed with the colors of exquisite
mountain flowers. From the Big Shovel Pass,
the rugged Maligne Ridge mountains rise to
an altitude of 8,000 feet. Many people have
compared the grandeur of this area to that of
the Grand Canyon.
The only way to see the remote areas of
Jasper and the even more rugged wilderness
areas outside the park boundaries is by
horseback and with a sturdy pair of hiking
boots. Surprisingly little is needed in the way
of equipment. Comfortable, European -type
hiking boots with lug soles are a must. These
should be well broken in. Clothing should be
loose and comfortable. A rain slicker is a good
bet because showers in the mountains can
come almost without warning. Binoculars and
a camera give added enjoyment. Certainly
anyone planning to photograph wildlife
should havt a telephoto lens.
An angler should bring a medium -light
spinning ' outfit or a flyrod with a good
selection of lures and flies. All of your extra
clothes and gear should be packed in a duffle
bag or a backpack so that they can easily be
tied to a pack horse. Your sleeping bag should
be warm. The clear mountain nights can be
chilly, even in early August.
You don't have to be a skilled horseman to
make the trip. Most people who go on such
mountain rides have never been on horseback
before. However, getting a riding lesson or
two from a riding stable before the trip is not
a bad idea. The horses you will ride are
sure-footed and gentle. They are used to tyro
riders. And they are saddled for you every
morning. No doubt once you learn how to
saddle a horse, you' will probably enjoy doing
it for yourself.
The cost of such a trip depends on where
you want to go and what you want to see. A
short, three .or four day trip of the Jasper
highlights runs about $35 per person per day.
Trips deeper into the wilderness cost about
545 per day. Each group is accompanied by a
cook a horse wangler, and a guide who is a
knowledgeable naturalist.
Our outfitter was Tom Vinson, a mountain
man, naturalist and big game guide. His
address is P.O. Box 508, Jasper, Alberta. He
is more than willing to put together a travel
itinerary for any group, based on the group's
desires and interests.
Before we went, we were promised some of
the most spectacular scenery anywhere and a
good look at some of the big game animals of
the western mountains. That promise was
kept many times over. The scenery was
spectacular. And while we hiked and rode
along the mountain trails, golden eagles
soared high over rocky ridges and bighorn
sheep grazed in the lush mountain meadows.
Golden -mantled ground squirrels peered at
us, shy and inquisitive. We saw grizzlies
ambling up hillsides and mule deer and elk
browsing as dusk settled in the valleys.
Mountain goats watched us from steep rocky
crags, and once a lordly bull moose, its big
sweeping rack of antlers still covered in
velv(', let us ride up to within 60 yards of it.
On some of the high alpine tundra, we saw
small herds of mountain caribou grazing on
vivid green lichens.
The Circle M Ranch, just two miles east of
the Jasper Park gate, offers guest ranch
experiences with riding instruction, including
one day rides to spectacular Charles Pass and
back by sundown. Three-day pack horse trips
to Mystery Lake for rainbow trout and the
chance to see moose, elk, bear and mountain
sheep in the Folding Mountain Ridge area is a
western -style bargain at 530 per day.
Harvey and Doris Cook are your hosts at
the Circle M, Box 2056, Hinton, Alberta.
Bring your own sleeping bag if you plan to
tent out at Mystery Lake.
There was no doubt in the minds of all of us
when we returned, that the back country of
Jasper and the area beyond the park
boundaries is a place that everyone who loves
wild things a^d wild places should %'isit.
For further information on trail rides
-ontact the Canadian Government Office of
Tourism, Marketing Branch, 150 Kent Street,
Ottawa K1A OH6.
FESTIVAL OF ARTS
& CRAFTS
A SALE!!!
Stratford Arena
July 13 & 14.
Original works
Handcrafted articles
by 50 selected Can-
adian artists and
craftsmen.
A fund raising project of the Women's
Committee of Stratford Art Association.
mtwigirmmgii
(*)
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GODERICH
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VILLAGE SQUIRE/JUNE 1974, 15