Why Jasper National Park isn't replacing some backcountry bridges after they're washed away
CBC
A trail that leads to a national historic site in Jasper National Park is cut off to hikers for most of the year due to a washed-out bridge.
Located about 15 kilometres from the trailhead for the Athabasca Pass Trail, the bridge that crossed Simon Creek was destroyed by ice in 2016.
It has yet to be replaced.
Fording the creek can be impassable at times of high water, according to Parks Canada.
The issue prompted Calgary engineer Trevor Willson to design a new bridge and submit his 108 page proposal to Parks Canada last December. Willson also got letters of support from three MPs and two MLAs but the proposal was rejected by Parks Canada.
"When we see such poorly maintained trails and bridges and campgrounds, it really needs to change. It's not acceptable to leave it that way," he said.
This wouldn't be the first time Willson has built a backcountry bridge as he has worked with the Alpine Club of Canada to restore old trails.
"People should be allowed to feel history, not just read about in textbooks, but actually go to the places where these important events happened," he said.
The Athabasca Pass Trail follows the path, surveyor David Thompson took in 1811 to get through the Rockies. It later became an important fur trade route for accessing the Pacific Coast. The pass itself is located on the Alberta-B.C. border and became a national historic site in 1971.
Over the last half century, backcountry infrastructure has deteriorated in Jasper National Park, according to Brian Patton, author of The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide.
"There were bridges everywhere. We seldom got our feet wet when we were measuring trails back in the '70s and '80s," he said.
A suspension bridge washed away on the Fortress Lake trail in 2014 and multiple bridges are missing on the North and South Boundary Trails.
There are fewer trails in Jasper now than there were 50 years ago, said Patton.
Data from Parks Canada suggests there is only a slight increase of backcountry users now compared to a peak in 1978.
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