Cavell Meadows, Jasper National Park

The hike to the Cavell Meadows is probably the best half-day hike to wildflowers in Jasper National Park. And it certainly lived up to its reputation on Monday, July 29. The damage from the collapse of Ghost Glacier had no impact on the Meadows trail, though the lower margins of the parking area are still being cleared of debris.

The trail was dry all the way to the Meadows viewpoints. Angel Glacier on the east face of Mt Edith Cavell and the milky green waters of Cavell Pond were brilliant on this sunny morning.

The trip was highlighted by the wildflowers in the forest and high meadows—magenta Indian paintbrush, purple fleabane, yellow ragwort, arnica—all the usual suspects are reaching the peak of the summer bloom. As a bonus, we spied a mother white-tailed ptarmigan with chicks above the south viewpoint and three or four fresh grizzly excavations.

The Cavell Meadows trail is also open, and is described in our Canadian Rockies Trail Guide.