Skip to content

Weeds in the mountains

The scenery is stunning and the waterfalls are magnificent in the Yoho Valley located in the national park of the same name.

The scenery is stunning and the waterfalls are magnificent in the Yoho Valley located in the national park of the same name. Your bedraggled columnist finds his old well-worn bones and muscles stretched to the limit after ascending the final slog to Twin Falls, the crown jewel of the of Yoho Park. The hike is worth the excruciating effort; the falls are a breathtaking wonder of nature's power and majesty. But as one climbs through the trail's woodlands that resemble west coast rainforests with its mosses and giant timber, one notices a familiar invader audaciously growing along the trail. It's none other than "Taraxacum Officinale" better known as the common dandelion, that nemesis of farmers, gardeners and devotees of perfect unblemished lawns.

But how did this brazen noxious weed end up growing so high up in the mountains? One can blame that old rascal of the early days of railroad exploitation, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). In its quest to lure rich tourists to its mountain resorts, CPR marketing geniuses in the 1890s-1920s created and built trails to remote lodges and tea houses for the use and enjoyment of their wealthy guests.

The locations of those sites were in locales with spectacular views of glaciers and waterfalls, one of which is Twin Falls in the upper reaches of the Yoho Valley. That lodge/tea house exists to this day and is operated by Fran Drummond during July and August. One of its most famous attractions is an outhouse with the most spectacular view of any such facility in the world. But I digress.

Back to the nefarious dandelion and its impudent presence so high up in the pristine mountain ecology. A hundred years ago hiking was not the usual way to get to such remote mountain sites; because CPR guests had the financial means, they rented horses to do all the work and get them to out-of-the-way scenic locations. After this agonizing hike your aching columnist can appreciate the wisdom of using horses to take the pain out of this sort of adventure. Horses not only carried tourists, but also dandelion seeds in their digestive tract. Those seeds were originally ingested by equines through grazing lowland pastures, hay supplementation or oat feed. During the course of a long trek those seeds were expelled and spread along trails wherever horses were used to carry tourists or supplies. Back in those glory days hundreds of horses were assembled by guides and outfitters to be used for trail riding by CPR tourists in mountain parks.

Trail riding was much more extensive back then with some journeys lasting weeks at a time and going deep into remote areas from multiple park entry points. Trail riding continues to exist today, but at a much reduced level. Interestingly, some of the same outfitting companies that provided horses back in the 1900s are still in operation today.

To be fair, the dandelion is not the only invader plant species on remote mountain trails. One notes more benign plants like Timothy and Brome grass also growing along trails and open grazing sites. Those along with others domestic plants and weeds were brought in the same way. Most thrive in areas where there are disturbed soils and foot traffic areas. Much of the actual forest floor has a deep duff layer of debris and moss that makes it almost impossible for grass and weed plants to grow. Dandelions fare better as they are so adaptable to the harshest growing conditions and have evolved into a sort of super plant. Their adaptability and survivability reminds one of coyotes, seagulls and magpies all of which have also become pervasive and a nuisance across the continent.

The spread of noxious weeds and other invader plant species is not restricted to mountain trail areas. One notes that over the past 80 years, southern Alberta has seen a wide spread infestation of nasty plants like thistles, leafy spurge and a rogue's gallery of other nuisance plant species. Most have been spread by the long distance transportation of baled hay and cereals. That's seen many ranches having to deal with an onslaught of nuisance plants that significantly reduce grazing and hay land production. In the past such plants were kept at bay by range fires and bison grazing. That's no longer the case today with ranchers having to seriously consider the use of specific herbicides to deal with invasive plant species and noxious weeds. But I expect for the irascible, dastardly dandelion that's just another bump to overcome.