Jasper National Park -
Sightseeing
The Cavell
Road
| Highlights: |
Astoria River,
Access to Tonquin Valley, Path of the Glacier
Trail, Angel and Cavell Glaciers, Cavell Meadows
Trail. |
| Activities: |
Sightseeing,
photography, walking, hiking. |
| Location: |
5.2 km (3.2 mi)
South of Jasper. |
| Time: |
Minimum of one
half-hour at the meadows. |
© Text and Photos By Ward Cameron
Edith Louise Cavell (1865-1915) was a British
nurse during World War I. In 1907, she went to Brussels
as a nurse, but by 1914 was put in charge of a unit whose
main purpose was to help soldiers trapped behind enemy
lines rejoin their units. To the German army, this was
treason, and she was executed by firing squad. Today she
is remembered as a heroine, and to some, a martyr. In
1916, the snow-capped face of this 3,363 m. (11,033 ft.)
peak was renamed in her honour.
Traveling south from Jasper, follow Highway 93A for
5.2 km (3.2 mi.). Turn right onto Cavell Road shortly
after crossing the Astoria River. The narrow, winding
nature of this road precludes motorcoaches, trailers and
large motorhomes. Trailers can be left at the parking lot
at the start of Cavell Road.
The switchbacks begin immediately, and rapidly climb
out of the valley bottom. During the winter months, when
this road is closed to traffic, it becomes a popular
cross-country ski trail. Skiers often stay overnight at
the Mount Edith Cavell Hostel before venturing out into
the backcountry of the Tonquin Valley. The Astoria River
takes its name from American fur trader John Jacob Aster.
Although he was the first to discover the mouth of the
Columbia River in 1811, the British quickly took over the
Oregon territory. Astor and his men soon left, but since
their boat, the Tonquin, had been destroyed by Indians,
they traveled overland, through present day Jasper.
Two kilometres beyond the Hostel, at kilometre 15
(mile 9), the road ends at the Mount Edith Cavell Parking
lot. From here, two short interpretive trails show the
two sides to life in the alpine. One, the Path of the
Glacier Trail, takes you through the debris left behind
by the retreat of local glaciers. In its path, it has
left mounds of glacial debris (called moraines), rocks
scoured and scraped by the passing ice, and two remnant
glaciers, the Angel and Cavell Glaciers. The trail ends
at a tiny meltwater pond littered with icebergs, and a
fine view of both glaciers. The Cavell Meadows Trail
takes you above the glacial debris to a subalpine meadow.
This is the trail for flower lovers as it explodes into
life each July.
Cavell Glacier
|