Sawridge Inn And Conference Centre Jasper

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After getting the windshield replaced tomorrow (September 9) in Canmore, we will likely end up returning to Banff National Park for more wilderness adventures… Time will tell…

Tidbits:
- Between 1870 and today, the Athabasca Glacier has lost more than two-thirds of its volume, more than half its surface area and has retreated one and a half kilometres.
- Rip-offs: the library charges for internet access (boo ...

... is huge and contains the world's biggest water slides and an amusement park, where we played for a few hours before seeing a movie. The amusement park has 3 roller coasters and a variety of other rides, some of which I refused to do (that heights thing again). One of the roller coasters is billed as the world's largest triple loop indoor roller coaster. I suspect it is the world's ONLY triple loop indoor roller coaster. To give you an idea how big ...

... rode around for a few minutes and found one of the few B&B's that still had vacancy.. apparently they are cheaper than hotels and inns here.

Jasper definitely has that ski resort town feel with lots of young people and families on holiday. One of the major hazards were the tourists all looking up at the mountains or pointing at something in the shop, when really they should be looking at the road crossings and ...

... Rail #2 was getting ready to depart to Vancouver. Doug made a video of the train's departure with his BlackBerry - neat tool!! And he took some pics too! See the pics we took along the way - we've left BC behind and are now looking forward to Edmonton tomorrow and then places east in the days to come. More tomorrow from Edmonchuk!

... We basked in the car on the way home.

We were staying at a wonderful place called Seldom Inn - the owner was only too keen to lend us any gear that she thought we might need for the day on the slopes, but we thought we should test out our own gear first. What a test it got - the day started out at -22 in Jasper, so probably a bit colder than that on the mountain. It was a good experience - no queues, beautiful views - but the snow was very ordinary. I ...

... own bathroom...wouldn't that be nice? (smile) LOIS: gosh, it would Howard! thanks so much. We'll let you know.... PAUL: or you know what? You could get the train from Toronto up to Quebec...oh that's such a long way but my, it's beautiful, and then you could always...... HOWARD: you know what else we have at our house? LOIS: what's that Howard? HOWARD: pot! (smile) LOIS: Pot?? (I just thought pots, you know, that you cook with...why is he telling me he's got pots? Doesn't ...

... of photos as we reached the summit. The wind picked up slightly, but the weather was spot on, warm, crazy, late September and 8000ft up and its warmer than the top of Whernside! I decided to go on a bit further to the neighboring peak while Kell said she was happy to just wait for me. I was only half hour, but took some good photos and examined some interesting shales! After which headed back and met Kell and we chatted as we headed off the summit ...

We left Banff at 8am and stopped at the supermarket to get supplies for another picnic and then went north on the Icefields Parkway (a highway through the national parks). We went to Lake Lousie where Michael set us a challenge to get a photo of the lake from the highest room in the hotel nest to the lake and also to get a photo with a lepricorn! We headed straight to the lake which is beautiful. Again it is a glacial lake so along with Michael, Ben and one of the four Australian girls ...

... via the Icefields Parkway and the views from both sides of the road were just breathtaking - too much to take in all at once and I am just glad that we will get the chance to travel this road again when we come back towards Lake Louise. We stopped to take pictures of the Crowsfoot Glacier and then we saw a sign for Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, by Bow Lake. Thanks to the wonderful Rough Guide to Canada, it mentioned a coffee ...

... Peyto Lake (between Lake Louise and Jasper) and Moraine Lake (14 km's from Lake Louise); · If you ever get the chance, drive the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper. It really does live up to its billing as a fantastic scenic drive. Beautiful blue-green lakes (like Peyto Lake mentioned above), waterfalls, snow capped mountains, wildlife and the crown jewel, the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefields; · The National ...