Calgary - Jasper via Icefields Parkway

Trip Start Sep 17, 2007
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Trip End Nov 15, 2007


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Flag of Canada  , Alberta,
Monday, October 22, 2007

Today I made the long drive from Calgary up to Jasper. The Icefields Parkway is the road that connects Banff and Jasper National Parks. As I got to the start of the road, after Lake Louise, I wasn't best pleased to see that driving conditions were rated as poor (out of Good/Fair/Poor/Road Closed). Still I was going to Jasper and this was the best way, so I decided to give it a go and see what the conditions were like. Thankfully there were a few snowy areas at the beginning of the road, but the snowploughs were out along the road, and it had been gritted, so it was manageable.
There were some stunning views along the road, and obviously I didn't stop at all of the possible points were the road conditions were bad. The main stops i made were the beautiful Mistaya Canyon, and the Columbia Icefield, which is a large Glacier. This was a fairly unpleasant stop as it was freezing and the wind was whipping the snow about so face it was actually painful!
I arrived in Jasper late afternoon. I was lucky enough to stumble on a few elk, while looking for my hotel (Of course it was the first one I had passed on my way into town and I didn't see it!). I took a few photo's before heading into town for a walk. When I got back to the hotel I was surprised to find a big bull elk grazing on the grass right outside the hotel! The Elk were around for a fair while hanging around on a patch of grass from across the hotel. So I took my time taking pictures, before it became to dark.
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