Let me say that we have had it all to this point (except warm and sunny) - wind (and a lot of it), sleet, rain and snow, yes snow! The temps have been mostly in the 40's with an occasional heat wave approaching 50 :-) We have learned to appreciate 50 degrees lately.
June 14th - Ice Field Parkway and the Columbia Ice Field
All I can say is WOW - this is jaw dropping scenery and an experience we will never forget.
We left the Banff area early with plans (weather permitting) to stop by the Columbia Ice Field and tour there so we would not have to back track from Jasper. As we started onto the Ice Field Parkway, early on, we saw a black bear on the roadside and Kathy took photos but he would not cooperate and give her a full face shot....still exciting but no good photo of that one.
Leaving Banff headed to Jasper (Auburn fan lead dog)
Highway view leaving Banff
The scenery was awesome on this drive even though the weather was pretty cool and a bit cloudy/foggy which made for some pretty interesting views of mountain peaks shooting above the fog. We did see some mountain goats at one stop but from a distance and they appeared to be shedding a lot of their hair on their neck.....not sure if this was normal or if something else was going on with them.
Mountain Goats - Long shot
We stopped about midway of the parkway for fuel at the only stop available. I was okay on diesel but needed some gas for the generators. As it turns out, it was good thing I didn't need much fuel because the cost of gas there was $6.22 (US) per gallon. (Ouch) Ed, on the other hand, had to fill up and got to enjoy the full effect of that cost :-(
When we arrived at the Columbia Ice Field we ran into some folks from Chattanooga Tennessee, Jim and Sheila Lemons, who we had met in Glacier National Park and were also going to Alaska. They are meeting their caravan in Dawson Creek. So, we saw them again in Banff, now at the Ice Field and they are staying in the same campground as us in Dawson Creek. By now we are good friends and exchanging contact info.
Jim Lemons (left) taken by his wife Sheila
At the Ice Field we purchased tickets that were good for a trip out on the Athabasca Glacier on an Ice Explorer, a walk on the Glacier Skywalk and a boat ride on the Maligne Lake up near Jasper (next day). We spent about three hours total at the ice field and what a great experience. We learned a lot about the glaciers receding, etc... and it was cool (no pun intended) just being on them and learning how they are formed.
Not a lunar landing but felt like it!
Panoramic view from the visitor's center
The ice explorer vehicles cost over 1.4 million and the guide said that each tire is $5K and they have six. (Might help explain the ticket cost....but worth every penny). We were surprised to learn the tires only hold 14 psi of pressure. There are only 23 of these vehicles made and 22 are here, one is being used by the US government for research in Antarctica. In our trek up to the glacier we traversed a 32% grade which felt really steep but the vehicle is built to handle that.
Ice Explorer
The Glacier walk is a glass floored arch that extends 100 yards out from a cliff and is 900 feet from the canyon below. I have to admit it was a little uneasy feeling for me being out there. The other three (Kathy, Ed, & Kay) were either not bothered or wouldn't admit it. If you look closely at the photos you may see my hand prints and scratch marks on the hand rail :-)
And it was wet and rainy out there!
After leaving the Ice Field we continued on to our next campground in Jasper. Soon after departing we saw a big horn sheep on the road side. It was on the drivers side and I did manage a photo shot but the guardrail ruined the full photo....having to settle for a heavily cropped eye and horn.
Here's looking at you!
Our accommodations at Jasper National Park for the next two nights were without any hook ups....no water, electricity or sewage so we were roughing it (somewhat) for a couple nights. Kathy's shower's were much shorter than she preferred in order to avoid running out of water. The generators again proved to be a much needed asset but we were limited on when we could run them in order to observe quiet hours in the campground. Also limited internet (blog/photo work) activity.
June 15th - Maligne Lake Cruise
Heading out for the cruise first thing in the morning which is an hour's drive from the campground we drive through the Maligne (pronounced ma-leen) Valley which is also known for wildlife and sure enough we spot a black bear near the roadside and are able to get some photographs of him.
Maligne Valley Black Bear
The Lake cruises started at 10:00 and the last one is around 6:00 P.M. so our thought process was go early so hopefully it won't be as crowded AND maybe we can enjoy the lake cruise before the wind gets up and the water gets choppy - wrong! Not only was the wind up and the water choppy, it snowed. Not flurries but SNOW and it snowed the whole time! Ed said this is the first boat ride he had ever taken in the snow (me too).....thank goodness the boats were enclosed. So, the visibility was not great and the photo conditions were less than ideal but it was still good...partially because of the great onboard narrator (Cam) who is a young man working here from New Zealand - quite entertaining. There are many young folks from Australia, New Zealand and all over Canada that come here to work these jobs and they are fun/interesting kids.
Maligne Lake Cruise (in the snow)
The cruise made a stop about 35 minutes in at a place they called Spirit Island.....actually a peninsula most of the time but occasionally the water rises enough to make it an island, and like Cam said, Spirit Island sounds much better than Spirit Peninsula. We spent about 20 minutes there walking a short trail and taking photos.
Boat (not ours) heading around Spirit Island
The brilliant blue/green color in these mountain lakes is because they are glacier fed and the glacier activity produces what they call "rock flour"...tiny sediment that reflects in the water producing the color. Maligne lake was really pretty but the weather prevented being able to see it as clearly in the photos.
In the afternoon we found a spot for a picnic lunch by the river and did some exploring (riding) the area around Maligne Lake and also did a drive thru the town of Jasper and up above the town to Pyramid Lake. We did spot an Elk but they are becoming so commonplace that we rarely stop to photograph them anymore....leaving that for the "new" tourist, aye :-)
Ed grilled up some chicken for dinner that Kay added to a stir fry and we made plans over dinner for the coming days while enjoying a perfect meal and a couple of adult beverages. Heading out of Jasper tomorrow for Dawson Creek in British Columbia.
Additional photos from the last couple days below:
Sun City folks turned ice explorers
Sporting my new cap
Athasbasca Glacier
Pyramid Island
Me trying to stay warm :-)
Maligne Boat House
Photographing Aspen trees and an Elk photo bombed
A cool dude!
