Jasper and the end of the Rockies

We reached our final destination of Jasper after a great nights sleep at the Icefields Center, the best view this trip. There are so many things to remember and we both want to return. The National Parks take their wildlife very seriously going to great expense to save their resources (and us) with critter crossing that go below and over the roads along the Trans-Canadian Highway. With the exception of all the bears, we did not see the volume that we saw in Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons and part of that is the size of the parks and the efforts of the conservation officers to keep people and the large animals apart. It is a long journey through the prairies to get here, but it is worth it! It is a special and unique place on this planet, from the hand crafted signs to the smallest animals, we will hold this place in our hearts forever.

Water falls along the Icefields Parkway

This needs it's own special treatment. There are too many to see in a week or two and they are amazing in their power to cut through rock. At one set of falls there was a little Inukshuk guy stood at the edge of the falls, I wonder at the crazy person that put it there.

The Icefields Parkway

As we make our final push through Banff and Jasper National Parks our last leg takes us up the Icefields Parkway, past the last of the glaciers in the Rockies. In the US Glaciers National Park they predict the remaining glaciers to be gone before 2020. It is expected to take longer in Canada but they are shrinking at an alarming rate. At the Icefields Center we walked from the parking lot at the toe of the Columbia Icefield, known as the Athabasca Glacier. There are markers along the way to show tourists how far the Glacier has retreated. We were shocked to see the length between the 2000 and where it sits today.

The drive is one breathtaking view after another reminding me of the Cathedrals in Europe. All are special and unique with beauty you can't comprehend, but when you have taken in one to many they begin to run together. We had fantastic weather and it is a magnificent drive to make and we're glad we had the chance to see this before it is gone.

Gondola and horse back in Lake Louise

Before leaving the Lake Louise we had a beautiful day and took full advantage of the weather with a gondola ride up the ski hill and a horse back ride to the end of the lake. The view from the top was spectacular and we had the good fortune to see both a black bear and Grizzly bear on the runs below.

The ride was equally special with 2 hours through the woods along the lake and a stop at the end to take pictures back up the lake, far from the tourists.

Yoho National Park

Cross over the Continental Divide and you find yourself in British Columbia and a new time zone, well, except for the Yoho National Park area that decided to be different. With a cloudy day on tap, we drove over the pass and saw many of the highlights of Yoho (a Cree word meaning awe), like the spiral train tunnels, Takakkaw Falls (one of the highest in Canada) the small town of Fields, a natural rock bridge over the Kicking Horse river and the spectacular Emerald Lake. If I were to stay in a cabin in the Canadian Rockies, this would be my first choice. We retuned back to Lake Louise Campground in time to see a black bear checking out the campsites. We heard the ranger fire a warning shot or rubber bullets at the bear to chase him off. After dinner a walk along the Bow river near the campground showed many signs of bear activity but no additional bear sightings (thankfully).

Lake Louise

We took the short drive to Lake Louise and were amazed at it’s beautiful. If only you didn’t need to share this beauty with sooooo many people. We walked the grounds of the Chateau Lake Louise striking lakeside and stuck our heads into the dinning room and marveled at the spectacular views from the windows. A great place to dine if you have a few hundred to drop for your meal. The lake is framed by mountains on 3 sides with the glacier covered Victoria at the end. The waters are the stunning color we first experienced in Europe, high in the Alps of Austria. The light turquoise color is a result of the finely ground glacier sand which is light enough to float and filters the light causing the unique color. Our next stop, Lake Moraine, higher up in the mountains, has a water color much deeper blue and changes dramatically with the sunlight.

Banff and Lake Louise

From Banff to Lake Louise the views just get better and better. We parked the car in the Lake Louise campground and took a quick drive around the park, as we were completing the last turn around the tent section, we spotted a mother Grizzly Bear with two cubs. Just a few feet from the car we felt somewhat safe with a multiple strand electric fence between us. That didn’t stop one of the cubs from performing a mock charge just to let us know we were to close. The mother was busy tearing apart something on the ground with great interest even charging the other cub when it got in the way. The Lake Louise campground is much better than the Banff campground that looked more like a parking lot.