Detour #268: Dreams Come True on the Yellowhead Highway, Canada
Driving the Yellowhead Highway is, quite literally, a dream made real for James Hearne.
When fantasising about driving through Canada, I envision wide meandering roads running alongside wild and roaring rivers, framed with pristine pine forests, backdropped with imposing snow-capped mountains. Wildlife in abundance. The Yellowhead Highway made my dreams a reality.
A section of the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16 – Winnepig, Manitoba to Prince Rupert, British Columbia) passes through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The Yellowhead Pass, as it is known, lies within the quintessential area of natural beauty that is Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park – home to the Canadian Rockies’ tallest mountain. Nowadays, most people will meet this road in the town of Jasper after having driven the Icefields Parkway, yet it was built for trade during the height of the leather industry and named after a fur trader / pass surveyor nicknamed “Tete Jaune” (Yellowhead) – in reference to the yellow streaks in his hair.
I imagined I’d have to seek out Canada’s most illustrious natives, yet as it turns out, the Yellowhead Pass presented majestic creatures on a platter and served them to me to enjoy from the comfort of my van. I immediately discovered that the poorly named black bears aren’t always black, and I watched in awe as a beautiful cinnamon-coloured bear crossed the road in front of me. Moose, elk and deer also made regular appearances, but one memorable encounter was with the bald eagle that sat with its iconic white head and yellow beak protruding from its nest which perched precariously atop a lone tree. From here, the magnificent bird stared out over a shimmering lake and striking mountains. Of all the wildlife encounters, it is the infamous bighorn sheep that you’ll be unable to ignore. These havoc-causing beasts with their large horns patrol the road as if they own it. They stare down intimidatingly at every driver, as if shocked at the audacity at using the road, what is unquestionably, their domain.
Despite having wildlife encounters at all times of the day, the evening is supposedly the best, then as dusk eventually turns to dark, be sure to look up at the world’s second largest dark sky preserve. You may even be treated to the magical Aurora Borealis.
A portion of the Yellowhead Pass runs parallel to a Canadian Heritage River - the Athabasca River, which originates at the Columbia Icefield and finishes at Athabasca Lake. The river can always be viewed from the road, but the best perspective I found was from a sport climbing spot called Morro Bluffs. For those that don’t climb, the view from the bottom of the crag is as good as the view from the top and can be reached via a worthwhile 15-minute walk from a pullout off the highway. The Yellowhead Pass is also peppered with lakes that line the snaking road and lie beneath its bridges. Short stops at Edith Lake and Lake Annette will ensure you see clear blue waters and, if you’re there in spring, Eastern Brook Trout wallow in the shallows as they spawn.
As I headed westward, along the edge of Yellowhead Lake and out of Jasper National Park, I entered Mount Robson Provincial Park and thoroughly enjoyed the Visitor Centre. Mount Robson – the tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, is steeped in history and can be admired on a clear day from the Yellowhead Pass.
I’ve already pitched the Yellowhead Highway and its Pass to be the ultimate Canadian road trip destination; I’ve spoken of unimaginable natural beauty, starry skies and northern lights, and copiousness wildlife encounters, but as if that wasn’t enough, I have saved the most magical place until last.
Mountains turn to undulating hills that are carpeted in dense forest where you’ll eventually come to a mystical tucked-away corner known as Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park. This area forms part of the world’s only inland temperate rainforest, and when navigating the boardwalk that winds amongst the fauna and huge trunks of the ancient western red cedar and doulas furs, I feel I’ve been transported to another world. The high tree canopies are shrouded in mist and white-water cascades majestically throughout the contrasting green moss and lichen covered branches that are strewn over the forest floor.
Although a stark contrast to the open landscape on the rest of the highway, the intimate old-growth setting adds yet another arrow to the Yellowhead Highway’s quiver.
Words & Photography James Hearne Instagram
ROADBOOK
CLASS: EPIC DRIVE
NAME: YELLOWHEAD HIGHWAY
ROUTE: Winnipeg to Prince Rupert
COUNTRY: CANADA
Distance: 1,700 Miles
Driving the Yellowhead Highway is, quite literally, a dream made real for James Hearne.