Day 8 - July 22nd, 2014

Rocky Mountain Trip - Day 8 - July 22nd, 2014 

Banff - Jasper (Icefield Parkway)

A beautiful, sunny morning saw the departure from Banff for the Icefield Parkway on our way up to Jasper. Gas tank filled (at an extraordinarily low price, I might add!), van packed, and away we went. 

Don't let anyone tell you that wrong turnings can't be fortuitous. We missed the exit for the Parkway, and were enjoying the scenery when we stumbled upon the Spiral Tunnels. 

Something in the back of my mind registered that maybe, just maybe, something was wrong because I distinctly remembered seeing them back in 2009 on our way from B.C. to Lake Louise. So, while we were there, we showed our British friends where the tunnels were - tunnels through which they had journeyed just days before on the Rocky Mountaineer. No trains were showing so we started to retrace our route so that we could get back on track. 

Not 5 minutes along the route, and we espied a freight train heading westwards. A quick U-turn took us back to the spiral tunnel, where we waited a full 15 minutes or more for the freight train to worm its way into view. So worth the wait!  We saw it snake through the spirals so that, at one point, we could see it on three different levels! The pic doesn't show it very well, but our friends were suitably impressed. 

I, myself, was impressed with Alberta's awareness of wildlife and road safety. I had forgotten these special bridges constructed so that animals can safely make their way, undisturbed, from one side of the highway to the other. Didn't see any, though - and, in fact, the larger animals seem to have hidden themselves away so far (apart from the sighting of the wolf the other day). 

We did see a little gopher (that's what we think it might be), who was just as curious about us as we were about him. 

A must stop for tourists on this route is Peyto Lake. A 10-minute, uphill trail leads to a spectacular view of this pristine lake, which epitomizes the beauty of the bodies of water in this area. 

One of my mom's friends, back in the U.K., when talking about cathedrals she had visited over the years would say, 'Seen one, seen 'em all!'.  We used to laugh at that expression, knowing that it was not true - and neither is it factual when it comes to mountains and lakes! Each one of them has distinct features and is to be savoured for its own beauty. Whether it's the birds or the flora/fauna that punctuates the vista, each brings a sense of awe and appreciation of the beautiful country in which we live. 

When uploading pics for this blog entry, I realized that maybe 30 different pics of mountains may be just too much! So, for those of you who want to bypass those pics, I've included an optional slide show of some of them.  Click here for slideshow. 

Another attraction that we recommend is the 'Doing the Ice' on the Columbia Icefields, just over an hour south of Jasper. While waiting for our trip, Mark saw a couple of old friends, and insisted on having his photo taken with them. Who am I to deny the desires of this patriotic man? 

The bus takes would-be adventurers to rendezvous with the Ice Explorer (sometimes known as a 'snowcoach') which then takes you out onto the Athabasca Glacier itself. As the wind, made colder by the icefields, refreshes you physically, so the views and experience exhilarates your inner being as you are brought into the vicinity of geological history.

The melting ice provides water that was frozen long before the Industrial Revolution, and so it is probably one of the purest sources of water that is on the planet. The ice has a bluish tinge to it, which adds to the whole experience. 

The tour also helps us to realize the impact we are having upon our environment as the evidence of the continue retreat of the glacier is obvious - especially when compared to photos taken just a few decades previously. 

Just across from the Athabasca Glacier, is the Snow Dome - a mountain and glacier that was described by our driver as the only true continental divide in the world. (Actually, there are others!). The melting water from this point will make its way either to the Atlantic, the Pacific, or the Arctic - whichever way it flows. 

The fresh water must have given our friend, Alan, some super-human strength! We knew that we would be safe on the return journey and that the roof or the snowcoach was certainly not going to cave in! 

Just 5 minutes north of the Icefield, is the new SkyWalk, which opened in May of this year. We are particularly looking forward to visiting this on the way back down to Banff as a friend of ours, Jordan Wolfe, was part of the construction team. Mark and I have already got our tickets, and we'll be stepping out onto the platform sometime tomorrow. 

The last impromptu photo-stop was at the Tangle Creek Falls, which has several levels of rocks over which the water tumbles into the stream below. Quite spectacular - and we would have liked to explore this area a little longer, but needed to get into Jasper for our evening meal so that we didn't eat too late. 

Looking forward to exploring Jasper tomorrow, and taking in Moraine Lake and Mount Robson.