Wilcox Pass and Parker Ridge 🥾🏔️ - Columbia Icefield ❄️ 🇨🇦

I’d like to first mention Wilcox Pass Trail.
It’s located in the Columbia Icefield section of Jasper National Park.
It's an 8 kilometer (or 5 mile) moderate, roundtrip hike offering rewarding views of Athabasca and Snow Dome Glaciers set in the distance.
Basically...if you'd like to capture a landscape/panoramic angle of this ultra popular - Icefields Parkway area from high above...then you'll appreciate venturing along Wilcox Pass Trail.
The hike ends when you have reached Wilcox Ridge, the "top of it all" where you'll have undisturbed, vista point sceneries.
Here at Wilcox Ridge...some hikers were taking selfies as well as sitting and relaxing while having water and snacks.
Btw, an added bonus midway through the hike was...passing by a family of bighorn sheep while they were lying and grazing in the grass right along the path towards Wilcox Ridge.
I highly recommend you proceed onto Wilcox Pass Trail in the morning to be afforded time with the sun at your back and making for worthwhile picture opportunities.
For Parker Ridge…it’s also one of the primary hikes in this Columbia Icefield/Athabasca Glacier area.
The trailhead is also situated off Icefields Parkway and in fact...Parker Ridge is extremely similar to Wilcox Pass.
I would like to (for a moment) compare both Parker Ridge and Wilcox Pass.
If you gave me a choice for which hike to pick as better...I'd rank them equally.
Both are similar in distances, elevations, terrains, difficulties and offer similar settings.
In a way, they're mirror images of each other.
Yet, the hiker receives different observation aspects.
And btw...both trails are located 5 kilometers away from each other.
This Parker Ridge "after a series of switchbacks, you'll be rewarded with dramatic views of the Saskatchewan Glacier and headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River" according to the trailhead sign here.
The biggest difference between the hikes was evident in my eyes...
Wilcox Pass is situated on the EAST side of the road, whereas...
Parker Ridge begins on the opposite side of Icefields Parkway (the WEST side) and offers hikers two distinct perspectives looking out upon Hilda Peak, Hilda Glacier, Nigel Peak and the Nigel Valley Mountain Range...and beautiful Saskatchewan Glacier.
In the end, you can't go wrong with whatever hike you take, or even choosing both if you have the time.
I'd like to give more details about Parker Ridge Trail...
It's a 4.2 kilometer (2.8 mile) roundtrip hike gaining 250 meters (820 feet) in elevation. I'd rate the hike as moderately difficult.
The first part of the hike is nothing but switchbacks as you gain elevation pretty fast immediately leading to views of the east side of the Columbia Icefield landscape.
Then…you level off and the pathway leads to the edge of Big Bend Peak, Cirrus Mountain, Mount Athabasca and Castleguard Mountain with Saskatchewan Glacier situated off to the right hand side.
I visited here in late September during sunset time and it was freezing out with winds being pretty gusty.
Had I not been in a hurry to complete the hike before dark, I would have struggled with the bitter cold.
But because I rushed the hiking, I didn't feel the effects of the temperature drop.
And interestingly, for this time of year it got dark early at 7pm.
My one big problem with the scenery was...(and I've mentioned many times in prior videos, lol) for late afternoon, the sun quickly set upon the mountains and Saskatchewan Glacier.
Due to this, it made photogenic opportunities hard to come by.
As I always suggest, lol...I believe visitors would be best served doing the hike in the morning time where the sun would be positioned on the east side of Icefields Parkway assisting in glistening the countryside.
And btw...same goes for Wilcox Pass...
MORNING TIME IS A MUST for that hike.
Ultimately, my pictures came out okay.
I'm not bitter...but they could have been better.
Lastly, towards the end of Parker Ridge Trail...the pathway navigated along the edge of the mountainside.
In fact...I actually found myself crouching down and doing some slight scrambling.
I just became cautious in the moment as the winds were howling while heading towards the pinnacle of it all.
As a mindful measure, I decided not to complete the hike because it never hurts to be on the safe side.
In the end...I had already taken enough pictures and felt satisfied getting familiar with the lay of the land.
I was fine with returning back down to reach the parking lot before it got pitch dark outside.
In total, I used 2.5 hours to hike the trail. Had it not been so late in the day and so cold...I could have taken half the day to leisurely take my time.
Overall, Wilcox Pass and Parker Ridge Trails are worthwhile hikes where you'll be afforded undisturbed views of the Columbia Icefield section in between Banff and Jasper National Parks.
#parkerridge #wilcoxpass #columbiaicefield #athabascaglacier #banffcanada #jaspernationalpark #jaspercanada

[@ervinslens]

Wow, what a hike my friend. This looks stunningly gorgeous! Love this hike, such a picturesque scenery! Love it!

[@SethAugust]

Appreciate that so much, Ervin! Thanks for watching…even just for a little! 😊

[@alvaroquijano579]

beatiful. when was this taken? was it spring?

[@SethAugust]

Thanks! It was in mid September