The Icefields Parkway
Trip Start
May 29, 2009
1
36
114
Trip End
Oct 03, 2009
Jasper National Park,
Alberta,
Canada
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Almost immediately we saw Bighorn Sheep along the road. At the northern end of Yoho, we reentered Banff National Park and turned toward Jasper on Highway 93, the Icefields Parkway. This road is considered to be one of the most scenic in the world. We stopped for photos of Crowfoot Glacier. This glacier has receded so much that it has lost one toe and is losing a second one. At Bow Pass we paused to see beautiful Peyto Lake. We had planned to stop at Mistaya Canyon, but there was not enough room in the parking lot for the motorhome and car. After crossing the Saskatchewan River, we headed for the Columbia Icefield Centre just across the park line in Jasper National Park.
This centre has very informative exhibits on the Columbia Icefield and its glaciers. The icefield occupies about 325 square kilometers and is "drained" by six glaciers. One of the must-dos is walking on Athabasca Glacier. The Ice Explorers are buses built onto a mining vehicle chassis – quite an improvement from 50 years ago. You take a shuttle bus from the Icefield Centre to a transfer station close to the glacier, where you board the Ice Explorer. You immediately ride down a 32% grade, then up onto the glacier itself. At the turn around area, you get out and walk around for a little over 30 minutes. Then, it is back on the Ice Explorer and back up the 32% grade to the transfer station.
After the glacier walk, we continued northwest on the parkway. We stopped at Sunwapta Falls and the impressive Athabasca Falls. By the time we arrived at Whistler's Campground near Jasper Townsite, it was almost 7 pm. There were no sites left with hook-ups or even electric, so we are dry camping here. The weather is chilly, rainy, and foggy – just glad that we are not in a tent.
