Lobstick Lodge Hotel Jasper

... a 30 km day) was not much fun, although they hadn't made it to the end. So we contented ourselves with exploring the local valley and looking for wildlife. We didn't see much. However, the yellow fall colours of the undergrowth against the Ramparts towering over Moat Lake and the Amethyst Lakes were certainly worth the effort of getting into the valley.

Our horse-riding campers were also heading out on day three and they suggested that we join them in ...

... through the storm, but we started to worry when no one from our camp of the previous night had arrived by 5 pm, and it was starting to look like we would have the campsite to ourselves. They began to trickle in after that however, most having been below the notch when the storm came and having retreated to the lodge to warm up. “Did you see the hole?” one asked us. We hadn't, but we went back the next morning and it had definitely not been there when we went ...

... couldn't stop because we were pulling the trailer and the uphill pull was enough already on the truck. Today we returned into the park and saw the beautiful falls and took many more pictures. We saw cow elk and a mule deer. That was it for the wildlife. Tomorrow we head out towards Edmonton and then up to Grand Prairie and Fort St. John. The weather has been absolutely beautiful so far as you can see in the pictures. Catch you down the road.

So everytime I have had a chance to eat at the dinning car I have been impressed by the meal.  Tonight I was called back to the early reservation at the dinning car.  There I had the Orzo Stuffed Portobello Caps meal.  It was the vegetarian dish and it was delicious.  The Portobello mushroom sat underneath the combination of sun dried tomatoes, feta ...

... the one out by the Whistlers, had some dinns and then headed back into town for some drinks. We tried to go to the D'ed Dog, but it was crazy busy, no seats available, so we went down to another bar (can't recall the name) for a wee drink before bed.

Note! Best cafe in town: The Bear Paw Cafe, around the corner just off the main strip at the end of town. DELISH chocolate croissants! Also good, The Other Paw Cafe, on the main strip.

... to build the Hotel. Anyway, us 3 walked into the Piano Bar, looking like frozen Arctic Explorers. We ordered drinks an sat down. Within 5mins, the Head waiter had thrown David's Guinness all over me and catapaulted my Gin clear across the table!!! He spluttered apologies profusely as I attempted to wipe the table down. Everyone drinking in the Bar stopped whatever they were doing and just stared at the mayhem. The pianist also froze, fingers suspended mid-air above his keys as ...

... climb at the end. I got back damp and red in the face, ready for a shower. Pleased, I had clocked up some 25-30 miles this day, great! I showered and the chilled down stairs. Eventually I headed back up stairs, Kelly seeing me, "Your alive then? I hadn't seen you come in"! We chatted for a good while, Kell had spent her day chilling! We had a good laugh, Kelly telling me some spooky stories from her experience!! Weird! We then headed to bed, up early in the morning!

I woke a few times in the night but got up at 8.15am. I packed for the hike and we set off at about 9.45am. Afetr going the wrong way we got onto Whistlers trail and read the warning signs for bears and elk (its mating season for elk so the males can be aggressive). We were very nervous walking up the mountain. We were in trees most of the way up on a switch back path -every little sound we heard made us jump and look. Ben thought a log as a bear when we went round a corner and I kept ...

... and the remainder went Red Leaf and the ones who went Red Leaf said that they enjoyed Red Leaf and didn't think that they had missed out by going Red Leaf. Jasper is a beautiful place and we enjoyed dinner in the Hotel that night and had a local wildlife expert speak to us and she was very informative. We also discovered that there were at least three young Aussies working at the Hotel, I think they were working the Summer months.

... traffic jam and realised this was being caused by everyone stopping to watch a Black bear who was foraging along the edge of the road. Though they advise not to stop it is very hard to resist. We took some photos and then moved on. We have had a great night in Jasper. Had a nice meal in an Italian restaurant and bought some presents for Lucy and Sam for their birthdays. I also did the first lot of washing so we now have clean clothes for the next week or so !!!