This is SPHP’s favorite short day hike in the Canadian Rockies! If you only have a couple of hours to spend while in the area (simply tragic!), this is the hike to take. The Parker Ridge trailhead is located 2.5 miles S of the Banff and Jasper National Parks boundary at Sunwapta Pass. The trailhead is at a small parking lot immediately adjacent to the southbound side of the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93.
Lupe set off from the trailhead at 9:43 AM on this clear, calm day. The temperature was already a very pleasant 63 degrees F. The 2.7 km trail to the top of Parker Ridge starts out just below tree line. It immediately starts to switchback up the ridge through a scattered forest of small conifers. The trail climbs steadily the entire way at a pretty easy pace, rising above tree line about halfway up. Total elevation gain is about 250 meters (820 feet).
Once the trail reaches the crest of Parker Ridge, it continues a short distance to a series of viewpoints along the steep edge of the huge valley to the S. While the scenery is gorgeous in all directions, the main attraction is the spectacular view of the Saskatchewan Glacier flowing down into this valley from the Columbia Icefield. Continuing along the trail just a short distance heading E, away from the glacier, actually gets you to the best views of the glacier due to the curvature of the valley and topography of Parker Ridge.
Lupe, of course, was very cooperative in posing for a few photos with the Saskatchewan glacier. She stayed up on Parker Ridge quite a while enjoying the fabulous scenery and keeping a sharp eye out for marmots. Although there had been only a few vehicles at the trailhead when Lupe started out, before long people started arriving in droves. When Lupe got back to the trailhead just before noon, the parking lot along the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93 was nearly full.
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