High meadows beneath twin cirques on Mount Edith Cavell’s lesser-seen backside.

Statistics

4 - 5

hrs

688

m

688

m

8

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

Edith Cavell’s sheer north face is what most people recognize––ubiquitous in photos from Jasper.

But the mountain’s “backside” is equally impressive in a different way.

Here, Horseshoe-shaped cirques of vertical cliffs make the sides of Edith Cavell and her neighbor Chevron Mountain.

The high pass between them is aptly named Verdant Pass, for its grass-covered and spruce-dotted meadows. Verdant Pass is not a well-known hike by Jasper standards, but it begins from the trailhead known by trekkers as the start of Tonquin Valley, which is Astoria Creek Trailhead.

The hike commences by crossing a bridge, with a stunning view of Edith Cavell framing a small lake.

It then continues through thick forest for some time before departing Astoria Creek on an inconspicuous side trail. The trail becomes steeper as it goes, and navigation is tricky in some places.

Nearing the timberline, views begin to open up, and keep getting better.

You may encounter snow at these elevations.

Soon come the alpine meadows surrounded by massive peaks.

The best views of all are at the very top of the pass, so don’t shy from the effort to reach it, if you have the time and energy. Note that dogs are not allowed on this trail. Sources: https://heycolleen.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/verdant-pass-jasper-national-park/ https://trailpeak.com/trails/verdant-pass-near-jasper-ab-2264