Discovering Hinton—a crowd-free northern Rocky Mountain community with winter riches galore.
Words :: Bob Covey
Jasper: Explore wilderness without the crowds!
Hinton: Hold my microbrew.
As a Mountain Lifer living in Jasper, I like to think my slice of Rockies paradise is relatively unpopulated. Since being introduced to the big wild between Hinton and the national park’s east boundary, however, I’ve had to reconsider which northern Rocky Mountain community can lay claim to the least claims laid!
Years ago, about an hour’s drive east of the bustling Jasper townsite, a curious road sign captured my attention: “Scenic Route to Alaska: Follow Hwy 40.” Canadian indy music fans know the mile marker inspired an Edmonton band’s moniker, but taking the sign’s literal advice and following the scenic route was something that took me way too long to do.
Until now. Motivated by the buzz surrounding Hinton’s fabulous biking, and hoping to shed some Christmas calories Nordic skiing and check out the snow-rich Joachim Valley, I recently became better acquainted with the incredible winter recreational opportunities that Hintonites have been (understandably) keeping under wraps.
Totally Found
Gearing up at the empty parking lot of the Hinton Bike Park on a frosty January afternoon, performing jumping jacks to keep the minus 17 degrees Celsius temperatures at bay, I scanned the Hinton Mountain Bike Association trail signs at the park’s entrance. I had about 90 minutes to explore the park and the adjacent Happy Creek trail system, and thanks to some sound local tips I was soon rolling soundlessly through fresh snow on a trail with only a few other tracks.
My friend suggested I find my way to an undulating forested trail called Totally Lost. Just when I figured I must have missed the turn, a Totally Lost signpost assured me I wasn’t.
As I gained a bit of elevation, the Cougar Ridge trail had me looking over my shoulder—on the alert for the track’s namesake predator—but it wasn’t until I got onto Flow Master and spiralled down the trail’s machine-built banks that my adrenaline really surged.
The route is rated intermediate in the summer, but a few inches of snow makes the flow fairly funky and I figured I’d need a few more laps before I could call myself anything close to a master of it. Ending the session with a spin on Stinger restored my riding confidence, and after I chucked my bike back into the van, I sent a trail report to a buddy while wiggling my toes next to the hot air vents.
“Fat biking in Hinton is amazing,” I wrote, followed by three “mind-blown” emojis. “And there’s nobody here!”
All in the Family
A week later, my wife, two kids and I drove around another bend of that same scenic route to Alaska, arriving at Jarvis Lake Campground in William A. Switzer Provincial Park, about 15 minutes from Hinton. Digging our cross-country gear out of the van, we found a few folks clicking into their skis, and I was happy to get confirmation from in-the-know locals that we were in the right spot.
Switzer Park sits high above the wind-swept Athabasca River Valley, and because of its elevation (1,371 metres) and the shade provided by the spruce, pine and aspen forests, the area tends to hold snow better than lower lying zones in nearby Jasper. At least that’s according to Scott Sunderwald, a longtime Hintonite, Alberta Parks employee and bonafide bushman. Twenty years ago, Sunderwald was attracted to the Hinton Northern Rockies area for its lack of crowds and general freedom-of-the-hills aesthetic. Despite the bougie booms experienced by other mountain communities since that time, a frontier feel persists here.
“For people who love rugged wilderness, this is paradise,” he says.
To really get off the map, Sunderwald will head into nearby Willmore Wilderness Park, where ancient glaciers, high mountain peaks, thick forests and raging rivers define 4,600 sq. kilometers of untamed wilderness. But closer to Highway 40 it’s still easy to feel you’ve entered a winter sanctuary.
“These are the same mountain ranges as Jasper National Park, but with less of the limelight,” he says.
Ice fishing huts dotted Jarvis Lake and dog walkers waved friendly hellos as we prepared for our family ski outing. There were plenty of spots left in the parking lot.
“These are the same mountain ranges as Jasper National Park, but with less of the limelight…”
We intended to complete our Joachim Valley ski trek at the site of an airplane wreck (now used for search and rescue training), or the log shelter known as the Hanington Hut. Although both were a bit too far for our four-year-old, the gentle cruise through the poplar forest gave us a fantastic first taste of not only the serenity of the Joachim Valley, but the commitment from locals to maintaining its well-groomed, track-set trails.
Nordic Dreams
Before it helped keep cross-country ski clubs toasty and became the backdrop for provincial biathlon medal ceremonies, the Hinton Nordic Centre’s 60-person wood chalet served as the original lodge at the Columbia Icefields.
That relocation—dismantled, log by log, then reassembled 200 kms away from the tourist-teeming commotion on the border of Banff and Jasper National Parks—epitomizes what adventure seekers in Hinton are after: mountain experiences without the masses.
In late-December, I hit the Nordic Centre cord with the club’s past president, Tim Shain. Yes it was mid-week and yes it was cold enough to freeze the quills off a porcupine, but we had all 35 kms of groomed trails to ourselves. When we ducked into the warm-up cabin, the logbook in front of the wood stove indicated other trail users—folks from Stony Plain, Leduc and Edmonton, amongst the local skiers—had enjoyed similar solitude.
“Good way to get yer ya-yas out,” one entry read. “What an awesome day!”
After depleting nearly all of my own ya-yas on the first few hills, the snack break was welcome. I like skate skiing to get fit, but I love skate skiing to get fed. As such, I was motivated to ski a few more inclines because I knew that after Tim and I finished our hour-long loop, I was headed to one of the Northern Rockies’ tucked away gems: Folding Mountain Brewery Taproom & Kitchen.
Normally I’d wash down their buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with a signature West Coast IPA or pair a poutine with a Parkway Porter. However, considering the day’s mission of getting away from it all, on this occasion I reached for an Outbound Lager. It wasn’t the first time I felt refreshed in Hinton.
As a Mountain Lifer, I relish unwinding in untamed wilderness. In the Hinton North Rockies area, that feeling is practically on tap.
And because it’s only an hour east of Jasper, it’s the perfect place to plan your next adventure.
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