After our big night in Banff, 10 unsuspecting individuals boarded the mini-van only to be informed by our guide Heidi that our tour to Jasper was actually a hiking tour. None of us had actually realised how much hiking we'd be doing, but fortunately the beauty of the rockies ensured we were pleasantly surprised to be exploring it this way.
Our first stop was Johnson Lake, where we introduced our motley group of 11 then hiked around the lake for about 30 minutes. Not too hard, most of us figured. This could be easier than we thought
Our next stop was Lake Louise, the most photographed place in all of Canada (so we were told). This is one of those gorgeous emerald green lakes that you see on postcards. Photos can't really do it justice as the water is truly a cloudy green colour that you never actually imagine is real. Apparently the effect comes from rock flower particles in the water which is generated from glacial erosion. See - I'm learning stuff too!
Apparently Lake Louise wasn't just about sitting around - there was also a 2.5 hour hike involved. The hike took us up to Lake Agnes and involved a 3km uphill trek in reasonably warm conditions. Fortunately, half way up there was a pretty spectacular view of Lake Louise which ensured our trip was worth it.
Lake Louise isn't the pinnacle of lakes in the Rocky Mountains. Personally I found there to be many other lakes that were just as turquoise and cloudy green as that one, but perhaps aren't so famous due to their less convenient location. One gorgeous lake was Bow Lake, where we stopped for photos. Over the next few days we also saw some pretty amazing lakes.
One other stop on the first day of that tour was some glacier cascades. It was amazing to see how the rushing water had carved such distinct curves and bends out of the rocks to make such exciting torrents.
Our accommodation for the first night was Rampart Creek Hostel - a rustic hostel. This means no running water, limited electricity and pit toilets... luxury!! Despite the lack of amenities, there was a sauna and glacier creek (duh Rampart creek must be named after something) so when it got dark, a few of us stripped down to our swimmers, sweated it out in the sauna and jumped into the chilly 3 degree waters of the creek. The most refreshing bath I've ever had!!
The next day we were on the move in the direction of the Columbia Icefields. Although you can't really see it from the road, the entire icefields are equal to the size of Vancouver so we were pretty impressed by their apparent magnitude. An optional part of this trip was to take a snow bus up to the glacier, which we all decided to do. It was pretty exciting being right up there in the middle of all this snow and ice in July!
In the afternoon, we lolled around Horseshoe lake, where some people (who we didn't know) amused themselves by jumping off 25 metre high cliffs, then we took a hike up on top of a canyon to see a spectacular view of Jasper.
After a quick walk around the Jasper township, we made our way to our next rustic hostel - Mount Edith Cavell. It was at this point that we had our first bear sighting! We were driving up the 12km winding road to the hostel when a 1.5 year old baby grizzly bear walked right out in front of our van. Fortunately there wasn't a mama bear in sight but none of us managed to get any decent photos so you'll have to take my word for it, but it was pretty exciting nonetheless!
This rustic hostel was pretty much the same deal as the last - no shower, a pit toilet except there was no sauna and river to run in. Instead, there was a pretty amazing view of Mount Edith Cavell which we gazed at until the sun set at around 10:30pm. We had a bbq for dinner, and a bit of a highlight for me was trying my first 'S'more'. I'd read about these in various American books when I was little, so it was so cool to actually try it! It was a melted marshmallow with a Graham Cracker (like a sweet flavoured biscuit) with melted chocolate on it. Yummo!
The next day was our last day of stinkyness before having a shower in Jasper. We were pretty excited... Our first stop was the Mount Edith Cavell Glacier where we amused ourselves by taking photos among the icecaps in the lake in our summer shorts and t-shirts! It's crazy that these caps don't melt when the weather is relatively warm.
We drove onto Maligne Lake and took a 40 minute boat ride to Spirit Island. This area apparently became known because some guy won a New York photo competition with a picture of the island and as a result it because a world famous image. We learnt about Canada's first pioneer woman who thought the area near spirit lake was where all the gods should convene if there were ever such a meeting as the area is so beautiful. It was quite spectacular - a lake completely surrounded by towering mountain peaks and a massive glacier shining in the distance.
We were leaving the lake when we saw about 50 people and their cars stopped on the side of the road. They were all milling around and we soon realised they had been captivated by a bear and her two cubs on the side of the road. It was pretty foolish of them as they were all out of their cars and really close to the bear. In an instant she could have attached one of them, so we decided not to join the throngs and drove on. Our fortitude was rewarded (sort of) as later we saw an elk with massive antlers!
After walking down Maligne Canyon, which had some awesome waterfalls and gorgeous streams, it was time to check into our accommodation in Jasper... and take that shower we had all been waiting for. The smell in our little van really was getting quite unbearable. We all agreed that the cold and insipid shower we took at the Jasper Hostel was one of the best in the world! Smelling clean and fresh, we decided to check out the Jasper nightlife and even found a karaoke bar to practice our 'cheesy' singing that we had been enjoying in the van over the previous few days!
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