The drive from Lake Louise to Jasper along the Glacier Parkway goes through Banff and Jasper National Parks. Along the way there are five river valleys, more than 100 glaciers, the Columbia Ice Fields and some very impressive lakes and falls.
As you can probably guess, this post is mostly about the scenery and is heavy on the pictures. The day was almost still, the sky blue and the lakes extremely reflective.
The first stop:
Driving along – it was mountain peaks and hanging glaciers
Followed by more lakes
and a drive further up into the mountains
and I am sure that I didn’t get photos of all 100 glaciers, but it wasn’t for not trying!
Then there is the edge of the Columbia Icefields
and a quick look at the 5 km long glacier
and a picture of The Athabasca Glacier from 1919
and now just random shots from both on the ice and the visitors center across the main road. The road on to the glacier is built on a lateral moraine. The vehicles are custom built (all but one in the world are here, the other is at Murdo) and, as you might expect are extremely expensive. The actual gravel onto the glacier is at a 32 degree angle which actually seemed steeper going back up than the original down. Glacier melt along the edges heads down sink holes (some extending the 300 meters to the bottom of the glacier before coming out in the two small lakes at the foot. From here, the Athabasca River flows north to the Mckenzie then on to the Arctic.
after leaving the ice fields – we headed to Athabasca Falls
We arrived in Jasper about 1700, checked into the hotel and wandered around town before settling on dinner at Wicked Foods.
Athabasca Glacier was our farthest point north during our one and only trip to the area in the spring of 1990 when Jacqui was pregnant with Jonah. Rudy’s favorite expression at age two and one-half was (with arm outstretched and index finger pointing) “Snow in the MOUNTains!”
No sitings of Rocky Mountain sheep? The day looks gorgeous. What was the air temperature? I’m not positive, but I think I saw one goosebump on George’s hairy leg. 🙂
That second picture is exactly what I remember about Banff. I was ten.
Wow! I used to dream of making that trip every time I routed someone there when I worked for the auto club.