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Family road trip anyone? We decided hiking Wilcox Pass, located in Jasper National Park, Alberta sounded perfect. It was a solid 4 hour drive from the Edmonton area which means we got up at around 5:30 and left the house by 6:00. Taking the rural backroads proved to be a scenic drive, filled with wildlife sightings. We saw a moose crossing a field at a dead run, some coyotes, an eagle, and wild horses!

Arriving at the trail head, we were ready for a snack. We packed a lovely vegetarian quinoa bowl, lots of trailmix, dried fruit, and assorted other goodies. We loaded up our packs, layered appropriately for the weather, and made sure Calico the adventure dog was ready to go. Then we started the hike.

The Start:

The start of the hike quickly takes you up through the trees until you reach the treeline. About 1/3 of the way up there is a popular view point with the iconic red chairs overlooking the glaciers. Lots of people stop here believing this is the best the views get. As we pushed onwards we climbed steadily on a much quieter trail.

Eventually you see a creek/stream/river tumbling down the mountain side, and then you start nearing the top of the pass. This is where the views in my opinion become the most spectacular. Surrounded by mountain peaks, looking across the valley towards the glaciers, it is truly breathtaking. Now as we had climbed the weather which started as cloudy and threatening to rain, changed to rainy and windy, then we had a break and some sun. We reached the top and had a snack picnic. (Food tastes better at the top!)We decided to continue on the unmaintained section of trail that follows the pass. The other option was to climb up towards the peak. With the weather as unstable as it was we thought the better choice was the pass.

The Pass:

Walking through Wilcox Pass was a spectacular experience. You feel dwarfed by the sheer size of the mountains. On a clear day you can see for miles, or on a rougher day, you can watch the weather roll through the valley like we did. We hiked most of the way through the valley before the weather turned nasty again. The wind picked up and it started raining/snowing again. We decided to turn around and head back down.

As we descended the traffic on the trail picked up. People were arriving and starting to ascend. The weather changed another 3 or 4 times as we made our way back down to the parking lot. Calico enjoyed the many streams, puddles, and snowbanks to play in, and us humans would rate the views on this hike 10/10. Our biggest recommendation is to be prepared for the weather, bring layers, and know that the forcast can change constantly. Hiking Wilcox Pass, Alberta is well worth the unpredictable mountain weather.