It’s been a rough year for backcountry skiers.
Jasper’s had plenty of snow, but with closures seemingly tacked up on every trailhead, there’s been almost nowhere to enjoy it.
That is, of course, until now. Because, finally, after two months of delayed winter access for caribou conservation, the Maligne Valley is open.
The Mecca, the promised land of fresh tracks, has been calling to backcountry users all winter long and finally that call is being answered.
Although it’s exciting, and skiers have been out en force to take advantage of the warm weather and open terrain, it doesn’t make up for the last two months of scrounging, in search of places to “Venture Beyond,” as Jasper’s new brand implores adventurers to do.
With Parks Canada adding delayed winter access to the Maligne Valley and Whistler’s Creek late last year—both in an effort to protect the park’s dwindling caribou herds—it effectively cut off the lifeblood for winter recreationalists.
Already, the Tonquin Valley and Cavell Road have delayed access for caribou, which see the areas closed until Feb. 15. With all these closures, skiers are left to wonder whether, in a few year’s time, there will be any winter terrain left.
That’s why Jasperites Dana Ruddy and Sean Elliot, two experienced, long-time backcountry users, are proposing something new: a ski cabin near Rink Lake, west of Jasper and north of the Yellowhead Highway.
To open up new ski terrain and to make their dreams a reality, the duo is forming a non-profit ski club, similar to the Maligne Lake Ski Club, which manages Shangrila.
Their proposal is exciting. As Elliot put it, it’s a “light at the end of the tunnel.”
With Parks approval—which it still needs to get—a ski cabin, or two, in the west end of the park would reignite the enthusiasm of Jasper’s backcountry skiers, offer a new adventure for the park’s visitors and remove some of the resentment that’s built up over the course of the winter.
There’s no doubt that there are plenty more hoops for Ruddy and Elliot to jump through before this proposal is even considered, but both men have the will and the support to make it a reality.
Now it’s just a matter of making the right jumps.
