I'll start off with a few notes from yesterday. We drove up to Jasper last night in our rented Mercury Mystique, and got in at about 10pm. We didn’t get out of Calgary until 5pm or so, and that meant that our drive up through Banff to Jasper was at completely non-peak times. There was no one on the road, and the sun was setting the whole way (it seems to take hours up here). We saw a moose just off the road! By the time we got to Jasper, all the sites were full, so we camped in overflow. This overflow was nicer than many of the regular campsites we have been in…
So… this morning we got up pretty early, and headed for the gondola at The Whistlers (a mountain named after whistling Hoary Marmots that live there) just south of Jasper. It was a good thing we got there as early as we did, because even as we were leaving, the line was huge. We only waited about 10 minutes for a gondola ride to the top. We stood right at the back window, and the view was incredible.
On the way south, we took the scenic drive. There were a bunch of cars stopped in the road that can only mean one thing around here… wildlife! We got out and looked around, and there was a black bear mommy and two cubs playing in the trees. We got some photos of them, and continued on. We were told later that it is very rare to see cubs playing. Cool.
Next stop, Athabasca Falls. This is a must see for anyone coming up here! There is a bridge, and several trails to see the falls. All along the way are informative and actually interesting signs telling the history and creation of the falls. You got the opportunity to see the powerful falls from all angles, top, side, bottom. We even walked through the abandoned fall, which is where the water used to go, but some time thousands of years ago changed course.
On to the Icefield Center. We took the snowcoach ride up to, and on, the glacier, something I remember doing as a youngster. It too was well worth the price of admission. The drivers/tour guides were really informative, and quite funny too. At least they thought so… The glacier that we stood on is as thick as the Eiffel tower is tall (300 meters). We drank glacier water, they say it’s the fountain of youth.
A bit further down the road, we did a few short hikes. Down to Mistaya canyon, and later up to Bow Summit overlooking Peyto Lake. Both were well worth the 10 or so minute hike.
A quick check of the Lake Louise campsite showed they were full (as expected), so we headed just west to Yoho National Park. Our first stop was Takakkaw Falls. This is a 254 meter waterfall, and we walked right up to the base of it getting soaking wet from the mist. We saw a perfect rainbow, and took a few photos of it. I don't know if those will come out or not.
A bit further up the road was Emerald Lake. As you can guess, it is emerald in color, as magnificent as Lake Louise. There was a super cute restaurant right on the lake, so we decided to have dinner. It was getting late anyway, about 8pm by this time. The food was excellent, and the views better.
On the way back to the main highway, we made a quick stop at the Natural Bridge.
We headed down into Banff for the night, and actually got a campsite (pulling in at 11pm).
It was a great day, and I must admit that the car was a great way to do it. With all the stopping and hiking that we did, and with the intermittent rain, the car was much more convenient than the bike. Plus, the roads are packed with motorhomes anyway, so it didn't really matter.
david.
Get your own Free Home Page