Slideshow: GDT Part 2: Banff-Jasper (Mile 292.2-577.7)
Here are the slideshows from the final two chunks of the Great Divide Trail. You may not be able to view this on a smartphone or in the email if you are an email subscriber. Click here for the direct link of the Banff-Jasper slideshow if you don’t see it below.
For a more descriptive idea of this section, here is the general breakdown of how it all connected in this section…Starting at Sunshine Meadows in Banff, the trail goes north to Egypt Lake over Whistling Pass and Ball Pass. Then it drops down and back up agian through a burn area along the Vermilion River to the popular Floe Lake. From there, it’s over Tumbling Pass and along the Rockwall and Rockwall Pass and Goodsir Pass down to the Ottertail River. Then it is a road (or railroad track) walk to the town of Field. After Field is a remote and brushy stretch along the Amiskwi River and over Amiskwi Pass. Then down to the Blaeberry River to connect to the David Thompson Heritage Trail and over Howese Pass to the Howes River flood plain. This leads to Misaya Canyon and a roadwalkt o Saskatchewan River Crossing Resort From the resort, it’s up Owen Creek and over Zinger Pass to Michelle Lakes and the GDT highpoint of Annesley Pass. Then on to Pinto Lake, into the Whitegoat Wilderness, over Cataract Pass, and into Jasper National Park to go over Jonas Pass and Jonas Shoulder. Then into a non-maintained section of trail that leads. to Maligne Lake. Here the trail connects up with the Skyline Trail and cruises into the town of Jasper.
Slideshow: GDT Part 3: Jasper-Kakwa Lake (Mile 577.7-752.6 )
Click here for the direct link to the Jasper-Kakwa Lake slideshow if you don’t see it below.
For a more descriptive idea of this section, here is the general breakdown of how it all connected in theis section…From Jasper, it’s some paved and then dirt road walking to then some high alpine meadows and over Miette/Cenre Pass. Then over Grants and Colonel Passes to drop down to the burn area along Colonel Creek that leads to the brushing hiking along the Moose River. After going over Moose Pass, it’s along the Calumet Creek flood plain to the Smokey River Crossing before heading down the Berg Lake Trail to Mt Robson Visitor Center to resupply. Back out the Berg Trail, and then connecting to the North Boundary trail until Chown Creek. From Chown Creek, it’s over Bess Pass and Bess Shoulder to Jackpine Pass. We chose the Jackpine High Route and then came down Jackpine Mtn Trail to the fun of the Jackpine River. Then up to Little and Big Shale Hills before hiking along Mt Morkill and over Featherstonehaugh Pass. Then on to Sheep Creek and over Surprise Pass connecting to the Surprise Pass High Route and the Providence Pass High Route before dropping down to Kakwa Lake and coming out on Walker Creek Forest Road. Whew!
