Icefield Parkway
A drive along this Parkway brought stunning vistas of vast forest lands, high snowy peaks of the Canadian Rockies, milky blue rivers cascading over rocky landscapes and chasms, glaciers and idyllic blue lakes, such as Bow Lake and Peyto Lake.
At Peyto Lake, a sign answers the question, "Why is the lake blue?"
The junction of the stream, the lake and the delta is the clue. Water leaving the glacier is muddy with rocks, gravel and silt. As the stream slows down most of that rubble is left behind to become delta. Silt flows into the icy water where most of it sinks to the bottom. Fine particles of rock ground to the texture of baking flour remain suspended in the water. This "rock flour" scatters the blue-green rays of light, giving the lake its special color.
Our drive on Icefield Parkway began just outside of Lake Louise Village in Banff NP and crossed into Jasper NP. We brought a picnic to enjoy at a day use area overlooking a river at the base of a high cliff face.
Icefield Center
A magnificent visitor center with decks provided views of Athabaska Glacier and the Columbia Icefield.
This was our turnaround point for our day trip and we enjoyed some time to relax in Adirondack chairs with sunshine and views and a coffee. “Highest elevated Starbucks in Canada”, was the claim of this coffee shop location. It was also one of the busiest lines I’ve experienced at Starbucks due to some tour groups also wanting a coffee, but our drink came pretty fast and was delicious!
Yoho National Park
Trans Canada Highway 1 took us from Lake Louise campground west into another National Park in the area, Yoho NP. This Park has more lakes and glacial valleys, and we soon arrived at Emerald Lake.
Emerald Lake Hike was a 5k trail around the lake. We started behind the lodge and traversed very boggy areas, enjoying lake views when not focused on our feet! The course of the trail passes through unique and diverse landscapes from avalanche zones to
a delta area, to several types of forest, each with differing amounts of annual rainfall and different vegetation.
Spiral Tunnels
These spiral tunnels, take trains around and up a figure eight through two mountains on either side of the highway to get over Kicking Horse Pass. On our way back to our campground in the evening we were in time to watch a train, that must have been a mile long, with 3-4 engines spaced throughout the train, go by and at one point we saw that train on three sections of track as the front of the train came out of the tunnel and the back of the train wasn’t even near the tunnel entrance! What an amazing engineering marvel that was developed using an example from rail lines in Switzerland.Banff
A little history learned along the way:
When the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was completed in 1885, Canada achieved its dream of becoming a single country connected from Atlantic to Pacific. At that time the Government of Canada was only 18 years old; the CPR merely a fledgling corporation. How would they recover the enormous costs of building this ribbon of steel across thousands of kilometres of wilderness? With hotsprings and spectacular scenery in the Banff area, tourism revenue became the answer. General Manager of the CPR at the time was William Cornelius Van Horne, an American with a flair for making a financial success of railway ventures. Quick to recognize the tourism potential of the area (and his railway line), Van Horne is reported to have exclaimed, "Since we can't export the scenery, we'll have to import the tourists."
The CPR opened the original Banff Springs Hotel in 1888. The hotel immediately assumed its role as the main attraction in a chain of luxury
railway hotels from coast to coast along the CPR line. Evolving in form over the years and rising from the ashes of a fire in 1926. the current hotel remains a symbol of the visions that brought Canada to nationhood. The surrounding Banff National Park is now part of a United Nations World Heritage Site.
Today the town is still a tourist destination enjoyed by people from all around the world. Downtown shops and restaurants surround streets only open to pedestrians, bikes and buses. From anywhere in town views of the mountains are spectacular.
Bow River waterfall, The Cascade of Times garden, museums and other points of interest are conveniently located within a short distance of the main downtown area.
The Hoodoos viewpoint was not far from our campsite at Tunnel Mountain campground. We had a spot on the outside edge of the campground with unobstructed views of Tunnel Mountain.
Johnston Canyon Hike
From tremendous waterfalls to towering cliffs and turquoise streams that trickle below, it’s so easy to fall in love with Johnston Canyon! This is by far the most crowded hiking trail we have ever been on, but it is easy to see why it is such a popular hike! Narrow catwalks bring you along the cliffs and just over the rushing stream below, while the canyon wall tower overhead!
Canada is exceeding our expectations! But we have more to share with you from Calgary and Waterton Lakes National Park in our next blog so stay tuned to our Adventures on the road!
Looks like you are having a spectacular trip. Glad you are both well and enjoying God's beautiful creation.
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