Icefields Parkway & Jasper National Park

I was watching an interview with Alex Baldwin recently where he shared that the Canadian Rockies in Alberta are the most beautiful place on earth.  Well, I am not sure I think it is the most beautiful place, but it is certainly one of them.  We have already seen some of the Rockies but our drive this day would be a big surprise.

We left Calgary heading west on the Trans Canada Highway.  The ultimate destination for the day was Jasper about 250 miles away.  I took the first leg of easy driving.  The highway surface was smooth and straight.  As we headed out, in the distance we could see snow capped mountains rising.  They seemed so far away and I wondered how long it would take us to reach them.  As it turned out, not long at all; in about an hour we were approaching the beginning of Banff National Park.  The township of Banff is a charming place to visit, famous for the hot springs; but we have been there and Lake Louise before so we traveled through rather than stopping.  Beyond Lake Louise lies a stretch of highway called the Icefields Parkway (French: Promenada des GlaciersI).  It is one of the most scenic drives in North America, crossing Alberta’s Banff and Jasper national parks in the Central Rockies.  The road parallels the Continental Divide and passes through the Columbia ice fields.  To say it is beautiful is an understate for sure.

From the moment I turned onto the roadway, we knew the day was going to be really special.  The road twists and turns between the mountains with steep grades and twist backs.  All along the way are warnings of wildlife on the roads.  The mountains are very different from anything we have seen to date.  In Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, the mountains are majestic but “soft” somehow.  They are mostly covered by trees and vegetation of all sorts.  But here, the mountains rise and slash the sky like serrated knives.  The trees and vegetation mostly grow around the foot of the mountains.  Above, the granite grey color reaches upward as if the stone itself is angry.  The edges are sharp and menacing looking warning of the dangers they hold.  There is no way I can describe everything we saw.  I hope my pictures will tell the tale.

 Heading out on the Trans Canada Highway.  In the distance, the Rockies rise promising great things to come.

Inside Banff National Park are many warning signs about animals on the roads.  We did not see any, but we did not doubt that we would at some point.

These overpasses serve a unique function, a crossing bridge for animals.  There is no road on the top.  It is covered with grass and vegetation to create a natural bridge for Elk, Caribou and other animals.  This is the season when migration occurs so they are valuable to both animals and travelers alike.

The stark peaks reach upward for the sky.  We mere mortals can only marvel at the power of the earth.














The western side of the roadway has heavier snow cover.  Up ahead is Hector Lake nestled within these peaks.

 Here is Crowfoot Glacier high above Helen Lake.  This panorama also included Dolomite Pass not visible in the picture.  The turnout was very busy with a number of tour buses.

Our first bear sighting.  A young grizzly bear forages for food in this snowy valley.

Bow Summit, the highest point on the parkway, 6,849 feet high.

Jim and his girls.  Savannah and Charlotte has been good traveling companions.

Mistaya Canyon is a 10-minute hike down from the turnout.  Here the river has worn a deep, twisting gorge in the limestone rock bed.  The water created tumbling boulders and a natural arch in the canyon sides.  The rock striations vary from white to deep grey.  Jim took a video and the sound of the water tells the story of its power.

The peaks on the east side of the parkway get more sun.  The melting snow forms multiple waterfalls that cascade down the sides of the rock.  It was very difficult to get a picture of the falls as the tall trees block good views but I was lucky enough to get this one.

Columbia Glacier was a sight.  The sun was so bright that it causes the view to have an surreal look with the rock varying from pale grey to very dark.

Mount Athabasca in the distance.  We were near the end of the parkway. Poor Jim, when he took over driving the road turned really difficult.  The surface was rough and pothole filled.  It was a constant challenge to make sure he was slow enough when we encountered ice heaves to avoid damage to the RV.  When we finally reached Jasper, we were exhausted and so ready to find a place to stay.  We stayed within Jasper National Park at Whistler Campground.  It is a beautiful place.