On a hiking trip to Jasper National Park, we drove up the Mount Edith Cavell Road to the Astoria River Trail.    We hiked for 2 km the turned up a side trail that followed Verdant Creek up into Verdant Pass.

The trail passes by Cavell Lake before starting a gradual descent into the Astoria River Valley.    This  trail is the main route to the Tonquin Valley.  

As we hiked west we had glimpses up into Verdant Pass.  

The hike to the top of the pass is 10.5 km.   The area would be a good basecamp area, camping at a tarn, allowing time to explore the cirque below Edith Cavell and the two lakes (Buttress and Beryl Lakes) below Blackthorn Peak.   

Chevron Mountain rises above Verdant Pass on the west side. 

A longer trip would be to hike through Verdant Pass all the way down to the Whirlpool River.    At the river a trail goes for 32 km southwest to Athabasca Pass, entering BC by a very remote route.    Going the other way would lead back to the Whirlpool River trailhead, a through hike of 17 km, suitable to a two vehicle system.     

Our return hike was 21 km, a long day in the backcountry of Jasper National Park.