Icefields Parkway

It could be called the land of Lakes, Rivers, Waterfalls and Glaciers! Here in the Canadian Rockies on the first week of July, traveling from the town of Jasper 233 km to the community of Lake Louise along the spectacular Icefields Parkway (93N), the high peaks are still covered in a blanket of snow. As the summer sun thaws it, the runoff creates cascading waterfalls and refills the glacial blue and green Lakes and rivers.

The Parkway is like a thin ribbon of asphalt surrounded by high peaks and pine trees, connecting Jasper National Park with Banff National Parks. It also gives access to Yoho NP and Kootenay NP.

Jasper National Park

We spent several days in a campground called Whistlers just outside of the town of Jasper. The campground was well designed with 781 campsites laid out in loops surrounding natural areas. Our site was fairly well screened off from our neighbors by trees and shrubs, but we still had views of meadows and mountains. In fact We saw an elk walk through the campsites adjacent to us to graze in the meadow in the center of our loop on a couple of occasions! 

The location of the campground gave us access to some of the sights of Jasper National Park. One popular destination was Maligne Canyon, where a walk along the canyon’s edge offers incredible Birds Eye views from bridges revealing the rushing river far below. The walls of the canyon are deep and narrow forcing the river to flow rapidly and in several places creates waterfalls as the canyon drops down the mountain.

Annette Lake and Beauvert Lake 

We have come across plenty of shattered tree stumps like this one and not thought too much about what it would be like to have a tree fall nearby while we hike. Until we were walking around peaceful, serene Annette Lake and heard what sounded like an incredibly loud gunshot, followed by a tree crashing through the canopy to make a loud thud on the forest floor. Believe me the adrenaline kicked in and we were frantically trying to see which tree might be crashing down and would it fall on us! Fortunately it fell away from the trail, but it was a shock for sure.

Icefield Parkway 

After enjoying the area of Jasper National Park we packed up and headed down the Icefield Parkway enjoying the stops where we could find parking for our truck and trailer!

Athabasca Falls is a very popular site for a very good reason. (Steve found a place to park!) A short walk down the bank of the Athabasca River led to viewing areas on both sides of the river via a pedestrian bridge just downstream from the falls. 

A trail took us down several flights of stairs through a canyon that was an older route of the river giving us a window into what the river bed is like.  Very Cool!

Just upstream from the turbulent falls the river is wide and  quite peaceful! After passing through the narrow canyon waterfall the river once again is very calm.

Glacier Views

As we neared the Columbia Icefield we were stunned with a view point of the dramatic Stutfield Glacier rising high above a valley. This was North of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center, which was as far as we had traveled two years ago, so this stunning glacier was new to us!

Peyto Lake

A short hike from the parking lot along Icefield Parkway leads to decking on the side of the mountain overlooking the incredible blue waters of Peyto Lake stretched across the valley below. 

Banff National Park

Just as the American National Parks, the Canadian Parks are having to evaluate how to accommodate the surge in tourism that is happening over the past couple of years. Since we were in some of these areas two years ago during the same time of year we can really see the impact of the increasing popularity of travel to these parks. 

To help with overcrowding, two of our favorite destinations, (and every one else’s) Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in Banff National Park are limiting or eliminating onsite parking, as their lots are just too small. Shuttle passes must be purchased online prior to the date you want to visit. The parking lot for the area ski lifts is used as a “park and ride” lot, and buses shuttle visitors out to the lakes. Once at the lakes the crowds were unbelievable as the shuttles were completely sold out for the day.

Moraine Lake

Ascending the Rockpile for elevated views of the Lake is a first look for most visitors. When the Lake first comes into view everyone is wowed by the aquamarine blue of the glacial lake with the snow covered peaks beyond! 

The Rockpile offers several different

levels and many places to sit and enjoy the views and to people watch; all are interested in instagram worthy selfies and it’s fun to watch them posing!

Once filled with the sights from up high, a Lakeside hike to the end of one length of the lake offers water level views back to the front end of the Lake. Canoes can be rented here, but because it was a windy day all the canoes were tied up at the dock.

Lake Louise

Home to the iconic Fairview  Lake Louise, this destination was super crowded along the Lakeshore, where once again everyone is jockeying for a good spot for a group photo or selfie! The winds had died down so a lot of people were renting canoes for a paddle out on the crystal blue waters.

We chose to hike a 1.8 km trail, (a lot of incline but we made it) to the Fairview Lookout for some fabulous views of the Chateau, with the mountains beyond. The canoes on the lake looked like toys and the people were so small from our high perch on the hillside. We had only seen the lake from the shoreline so this was a treat to see it from these heights!

Psalms 135:1, 3

Praise the LORD!

Praise the name of the LORD;

Praise Him,  O you servants of the LORD!

Praise the LORD,  for the LORD is good;

Sing praises to His name,  for it is pleasant.

Sea to Sky Highway

Chasing Waterfalls on the Way to Whistler

After leaving Vancouver Island our Adventures on the Road continued on the mainland after our early morning nearly  empty ferry docked to unload us at a rural area between the sea and the metropolitan city of Vancouver. 

Our route along the highway towards Whistler took us on the outskirts of the city and we soon began to climb along the steep slopes of the mountains. The snow capped peaks rose sharply above forested valleys which cut through by rushing rivers. It was amazing that there could be a roadway to take us through the heart of this spectacular mountain range! We did a few roadside stops along the way to check out some waterfalls! Each one is so unique, some falling great distances, others fanned out wide across a cliff.

With all these high glacial peaks it is no wonder that the area north of Vancouver was home to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler. 

There are lots of shops and restaurants in the downtown area which were built up in preparation for the Olympics. Steve managed to get a last minute opening with a Barber. There seemed to be lots of barber shops but a shortage of barbers everywhere we had looked.  He had a wonderful opportunity to share his testimony and the gospel message with Erin, who gave him a great haircut!

We actually stayed about a half an hour beyond Whistler at a campground in the Nairn Falls Provincial Park. A trailhead from the campground led us along a popular hike above the river to a stunning waterfall. At the view point for the falls we climbed the rocky outcropping of the hillside to see the waterfall cascading behind rock walls, the mist from the torrential flow of water filling the air.

Another great hike in the area

of our campground was 

One Mile Lake. A raised boardwalk led around and over the water’s edge where cat tails, water lilies and ferns grew in abundance! The trail took us around the entire lake, providing views in all directions!

We took a day to drive back to Whistler for some hiking, shopping, and dining. While this is a ski resort town it is also a popular summer destination. Although it was the end of June, snow still cloaked the tops of the mountains. In the summer season bikers take their bikes via the ski lifts and gondolas to the tops of the peaks for adventurous rides down the slopes.

Speaking of mountain bike trails, we accidentally found ourselves on an incredible advanced mountain bike trail, complete with bridges, ramps and jumps. No, we weren’t on a ride! We were trying to find the hiking trail to the Whistler Train Wreck. What should have been an easy hike along well marked trails became a challenging hike up and down rock outcroppings and over ramps and narrow bridges, hoping no bikers would come upon us from behind and run us over while we tried to find the train wreck. So much for using GPS..sometimes it takes you to the wrong place!

We did eventually find the site where a train derailed in 1956. The railroad company took out the five boxcars that could be salvaged and hired a local logging company to drag the remaining cars off the rail bed and into the forest. There the rusting skeletons of the boxcars remain to this day, between the tracks and the river. This is a fairly well known site where films have been made. It is a hiking and biking destination, and a Mecca for graffiti artists who have painted every surface of the boxcars in vivid colors, which seem out of place in this verdant forest!

We were able to get day passes to Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, that only releases about 500 hiking permits per day. The day we could go was a rainy day but we headed out on the trail in all our rain gear. The rain diminished some of the crowds. There are a series of three glacial lakes on this moderate hike. Due to the gray skies the first lake was not its usual stunning blue color. This lower lake (pictured above) is only a short and fairly level walk from the parking lot.

We felt up to a bit more adventure so we headed down the trail to make a try for the second lake, but after about an hour of almost all uphill hiking and rock scrambling we chose to turn around while we had energy to get back to the trailhead! Trails here in Canada seem to be marked by time to travel, rather than distance and elevation gain, as most trails in the US. This adds to the challenge of selecting trails that will be at our ability level.

Turning around was a good decision, but a bit disappointing to not see the second lake, which is supposed be prettier than the first lake. But after hiking the part of the trail that we did we could see it was beyond our ability and endurance. I think it is underrated at moderate! We knew the way back would include steep downhill terrain over rocks and steps on wet ground.

Better to be safe and turn around than over do it! What we did was very beautiful, even without getting to a second lake. The clouds and misty rain added a great atmosphere to a spectacular forested mountain side!

The area from Whistler to Pemberton was filled with great waterfall hikes, streams, lakes and towns. We loved our week in this area of Canada which we hadn’t been to before, but which came with great recommendations that did not disappoint!

From here we head east toward Jasper National Park for a few days before traveling on to Lake Louise and Banff. This part of Canada is absolutely spectacular, and we are so blessed to be able to see this part of the Canadian Rockies again!