Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska is excited to announce 2 new backpacking trips to our summer 2015 offering: The Tonquin Valley in Jasper National Park and the Yoho Valley and Iceline Trail. These spectacular areas offer superb scenery and are perfect for those looking for a bit shorter backpacking trip.
Tonquin Valley Backpacking: Hidden behind the popular Marmot Ski Hill in Jasper National Park lies stunning alpine valleys, intimate forests, expansive lakes, and towering peaks and turrets. With evocative peak names like Paragon, Bastion, Drawbridge, Dungeon and Redoubt, this area is collectively known as the Tonquin Valley. American mountaineer and historian J. Monroe Thornington, who spent much of his life exploring the Canadian Rockies, wrote that the Tonquin valley “presents itself with a singular beauty almost unequalled in alpine regions of North America”. This broad valley is also home to a variety of wildlife – it is not uncommon to see evidence of grizzlies, mountain goats and mountain caribou. Join us at the end of summer when the air is crisp and clear as we explore this area and appreciate all that’s best about hiking in the Canadian Rockies.
The Yoho Valley and Iceline Trail: When the Yoho valley was first explored in the late 19th century, it was reported to include an impressive array of glaciated peaks, vast ice fields and numerous stunning waterfalls. Indeed, the Yoho valley is worthy of its name, when translated it means “wonder” or “awe”. Our trip begins under the dazzling 254 metre Takkakaw Falls and promptly switchbacks up the deservedly famous and popular Iceline Trail. From here we have access to many of the local trails: the Whaleback, Little Yoho Valley and Twin Falls, all outstanding trips in their own right. These interconnecting routes allow us to tailor the trip to suit the group’s fitness level and destinations we would like to visit. No trip to the Rockies would be complete without a visit to Yoho National Park. Join us for an extended weekend as we discover this truly awesome and unforgettable area.
