Jasper, Alberta, Canada
Trip Start
Mar 26, 2008
1
26
60
Trip End
Dec 07, 2008
Jasper,
Alberta,
Canada
Friday, June 20, 2008
Samantha and I were delayed on the train until about 10.30pm, but the party though thinning was still in action when we arrived (at this time of year it doesn't get dark until 11pm).
Mark and Kathryn had kindly let us have their whole basement area and so we had plenty of space to be comfortable. Sam, Zack and Cassie enjoyed the company of their two children, Sadie and Sam.
We enjoyed a sleep in the next morning and had a good look around the town
Views on way
. During our stay we enjoyed playing baseball at the local diamond, a short walk away and Chris and the girls enjoyed a swim at the local pool, also only a short walk. In fact one of the magical things about this town is that everything is only a short walk. The views of the surrounding mountains are spectacular. We enjoyed a morning walk around the town on two occasions and it was no mammoth effort. It is in the national park and a really magical spot surrounded by beautiful snow peaked mountains and forest. The back yard ran straight into the forest and we were thrilled by the arrival of elk at the edge of the yard on two occasions. Jasper itself is a small town but with plenty of character and charm and really friendly locals.
While we were here we went for a drive out to the Maligne Canyon and hiked along the rim. It was amazing with the forest surround, the rushing water in the canyon below us and some of the ice still formed on the canyon walls. We spent a couple of hours here following the path along the side which at times travelled high above the canyon and at other times travelled alongside the river right in the canyon floor. It was only when we decided to head back we realised how far down we had come and how far up we had to walk to get back
Views on way
!We also went for a visit to the Columbian Icefield and went with a guide across the glacier. This was an amazing experience and we had to admit we had yet to visit our own glacier in New Zealand, apparently the only one in the world that is not receeding. The scenery the whole way here was stunning and we got to enjoy a whole lot more because as we got close to the icefield our low petrol warning started to ding and it was 100k back to the petrol in Jasper, but only 50k further to the next one if we kept heading in the direction of Lake Louise.
We spent close to four hours on the glacier with our remarkable guide Bernard and another family of four from California, with two boys, 9 and 11. We were amazed at how much we learnt about this incredible terrain and how tiring it could be! Bernard with over 35 years of experience of mountaineering and guiding was an absolute fountain of knowledge. We were so pleased to be following such an experienced guide because the potential dangers were definitely there and what looked to me to be the best places to walk (like nice snowy patches were by far the most dangerous) We all got to look into the mill wells, where the water is rushing down and creating what looks like a great water slide beneath the glacier, but is obviously extremely dangerous.
Not only did we enjoy the glacier, we were in awe of the inspiring scenery around every bend and the abundant wild life. We saw mountain goats with their babies, mountain sheep, elk and a bear with two cubs. This is amazing countryside, we had sun and we had rain during this day and both just enhanced the surrounding views. After a long and rewarding day we headed back to Jasper to grab a bite in one of the many restaurants in town and then back home to pack up for the trip to Kamloops in the morning.
