Cardinal Divide

7 kms
2hours
moderate
Hiking
Fall, Summer
Hinton, AB

Anonymous

There are only a few special places in the Canadian Rockies where you can drive close to treeline. Topping the list is Highwood Pass in Kananaskis Country at 2210m, the parking lot at Bow Pass in Banff National Park is second at 2085m and at 2027m Sunwapta Pass in Jasper National Park is third. By comparison, the Cardinal Divide in the Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park (http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/enjoying_alberta/parks/planning/gateway/siteinformation.asp?id=363), at 1981m may seem diminutive, but it is the only one that, despite being below treeline, has a distinctive alpine feel to it. Elevation and wind keep all but the hardiest trees at bay and allow plenty of room for meadows with stunning wildflower displays.

Even if you don't plan on hiking the trail, the drive up to the Cardinal Divide makes a satisfying outing in itself. From the tiny Hamlet of Cadomin the Grave Flats Road pierces the mountain front and winds its way up the narrow McLeod River valley. Along the way you'll pass the Mountain Park graveyard. Mountain Park (http://www.ghosttowns.com/canada/alberta/alberta.html) was a prosperous coal mining town from 1912-50. Long gone, the location of the buildings are now marked by small signs scattered above the road. Driving to the Cardinal Divide is not something you want to do in a sports car, the Grave Flats Road is not always in the best of shape.

The Grave Flats Road parallels Elk Valley Coal's (http://www.elkvalleycoal.ca) monstrously huge haul road between the old processing plant at Luscar and the new Cardinal River mine(aka: Cheviot). Elk Valley Coal is not fond of trespassers, even something as simple as climbing the berm between the haul road and the Grave Flats Road is 'against the rules'. This mine has and continues to be surrounded in controversy, find out why at (http://fanweb.ca/cheviot/index_html?main_page_name=home_reference).

The whole trail is visible from the parking lot as it follows the Cardinal Divide to the crest of its eastern ridge, a short 1.5km away. Gaining the ridge is rewarding enough for many hikers but it is easy and enjoyable to turn right and follow this exposed ridge to its summit at 3.5km.

All along the ridge the Nikanassin Range, standing guard on the eastern boundary of Jasper National Park fills the southwestern horizon. The prominent gap in this wall of rock is Rocky Pass (aka. Cardinal Pass, Cardinal may have won the battle of toponymy but I'm not switching) over which runs a trail connecting the Grave Flats Road to the Medicine Tent River and the South Boundary Trail. Flanking Rocky Pass are Mount MacKenzie on the south and Mount Cardinal on the north. Framed in the gap of Rocky Pass is Mount Balcarres. Spinning around, Leyland, Cadomin and Redcap Mountains form the northeastern horizon. Just beyond the virtually indistinguishable summit and reflective survey marker marks the turn around point, or you can continue another two klicks on continuing open ridge.

For maps there is government topo 83C14 Mountain Park at 1:50,000 or Jasper National Park at 1:200,000, which is nice because it shows the whole approach from Hinton. Both maps are available from the The Friends of Jasper.

Submitted by 'mtncat'.

Current conditions:

Directions:

From Hinton drive west on Hwy 16 for 2km and turn left on Hwy 40 south (70km east of Jasper on Hwy 16). Drive 47km south on Hyw 40 then turn right on the Grave Flats Road. Pass through the cottage community / ghost town of Cadomin in 3kms, where you can 'eat here and get gas' in Jacoby's General Store, Then it's another 20km to the divide. Soon that monstrous haul road comes rumbling in and even people driving big trucks or SUV's will feel diminutive next to the behemoths that haul eight loads of coal in a twelve hour shift. At Mountain Park the haul road veers right while the Grave Flats Road crosses the MacLeod River twice then begins its accent to the Cardinal Divide. A sign at the divide welcomes you while latrines and garbage cans receive your waste. This is the end of the Grave Flats Road, and the start of the Cardinal River Road

This trail can also be reached from Nordegg. Drive west of Nordegg on Hwy 11, turning right on Hwy 734, drive north for about 70 klicks before turning left on the Cardinal River Road after the Brazeau River crossing. Drive another 55kms on this rough road, through the Small Boy Camp, past Muskiki Lake and up to the Cardinal Divide.