Jasper's Tonquin Valley a truly stunning hike

There are few things I find more terrifying than the thought of running into a grizzly bear in the wild. Whenever I'm hiking through areas the bears are known to frequent, my mind races into overdrive, thinking I'll be torn apart around every turn by one of the enormous beasts. But after getting a taste of the peaceful and untouched backcountry of the Rocky Mountains last summer, it became a place I wanted to explore further, and to do that I had to face my fear.

I had heard rave reviews about the Tonquin Valley in Jasper National Park. Known as one of the premier backpacking destinations in the world, the Tonquin Valley is a must do for serious hikers, and is made up of five trails with campgrounds scattered along the way. The only way into the valley is by foot or horse. It's also home to a healthy population of grizzly bears.

Since I was doing the 18.5 km hike along the Astoria River Trail with my mom and dad, I knew they wouldn't be up for hauling a 30 pound pack full of camping gear, then sleeping in a tent for two nights. So I opted to try a backcountry lodge, knowing we'd have a solid roof over our heads and a comfortable bed at the end of a long day.

Armed with bear spray and bear bells, my mother and I made plenty of noise singing Christmas carols and random songs that popped into our heads to make sure any bears on the trail were well aware of our presence. My fear of running into a bear eased substantially the further we hiked into the stunning back country, lined with sparkling glaciers clinging onto giant rugged peaks as far as the eye can see - and nobody around for miles.

Four hours into the hike, I remembered what a good friend had told me: it's not fun anymore after 15 km, and she was right. None of us had ever hiked 18.5 km before in one go, and even though the beauty of the ever-changing mountain scenery often breathed new life into us, the last few kilometres eventually took a toll.

By the time we reached our cabin my feet were screaming, mom was limping and dad felt like he'd been punched in the back. But as I sat by the crystal clear Amethyst Lake near our cabin that night, watching the sun set over the dramatic Ramparts Mountains under a clear blue sky, I fell in love with the backcountry and all my aches and pains melted away.

"Imagine if we were at Lake Louise right now. It would be crawling with tourists," I said to my mother, as she swatted away mosquitoes and soaked in the beauty around her.

Aside from a handful of guests staying at the lodge, we had the place to ourselves. This is what draws people to the backcountry -- truly getting away from it all.

"When I come here I'm just a fisherman," said Gilbert Wall, a Jasper town councillor and owner of Tonquin Valley Adventures, which operates the backcountry lodge.

"When I'm alone on that trail with a pack horse and saddle horse on a Sunday evening, it's as good as it can get."

According to Wall, the Tonquin Valley and Jasper backcountry in general was packed with hikers in the mid-'80s, but those numbers have significantly dwindled in recent years, aside from a few trails. More people are now trading in their tent for hard-roofed accommodation, he explained, and the definition of adventure has also changed.

"It's short and sweet and get back to the hotel room," said Wall, adding Parks Canada is trying to entice more people into the backcountry.

Now in their 60s, it's the first time my parents have ever seen the backcountry of Jasper National Park, even though they only live a few hours away.

After spending two days cut off from civilization, and completing a six-hour, bear-free hike on the way out, we were filled with pride over our accomplishment as we slid our aching feet into a pair of welcoming sandals. The time spent in the wild of the backcountry eased my fear of bears, and opened our eyes to a whole new world.

"It's been a long time since I've been to a place where I could hear no vehicles, see no footprints or see no man-made mess," said my father Brian. "I feel cleansed from the real world. Now it's back to reality."

-- Published by Sun Media August 2015