Alberta 3: Icefields Parkway

Tuesday, June 26

This day was dedicated to the drive from Jasper to Banff. We stopped several times along the way to see the attractions and the wildlife.

Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park

We had already done the hike through the Valley of the Five Lakes (this one takes at least 1 hour), and visited Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls. Driving south from Sunwapta, our next destination was the Columbia Icefields. The terrain in the icefields changes drastically, and the true meaning of the "rockies" is highlighted in this area.

Entering the Columbia Icefields

Guided excursions onto the glacier either by bus or hiking can be arranged at the welcome centre. We didn't take the tour, and instead parked at the base and hiked to the edge of the glacier. I shouldn't even call it hiking. Yes there's a little bit of uphill, but it's more of a leisurely stroll to this glacier. As you walk, you pass signs indicating where the glacier used to reach, and this helps you appreciate exactly how much glacier recedes each decade.

Columbia Glacier viewpoint

Mountain goats crossing the Icefields Parkway

The next major stop is Peyto Lake. There are two places to park to view Peyto lake - both leading to the same lookout. Tourists are supposed to park cars in the lower parking lot, for a longer walk to the viewpoint. In poor weather or if you have mobility concerns, you could still park in the bus lot, where the walk is much shorter (about 150 meters, but involves a steep hill for part of the way), but we weren't confident to stay parked there very long.

Peyto Lake

We bypassed Lake Louise and Lake Moraine today with the intention of visiting them tomorrow. We headed into Banff to check into our hotel, arriving mid-afternoon with the whole evening to spend in Banff.

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Alberta 2: Jasper National Park

Sunday, June 24

The bulk of the driving was done today, taking the famous Icefields Parkway through Banff towards Jasper. The Icefields Parkway is consistently featured in lists showcasing the best drives in the world, and even with the overcast skies and torrential rain its beauty shines through.

Leaving Calgary, you'll pass a large agricultural zone before finally seeing mountains in the distance. You'll drive past Canmore just before entering the park. We did stop by Canmore later in the week to do some horse riding, and the town has cottages and holiday apartments, along with a few quaint stores and cafes in the town centre - a close-enough-to-Banff location which presumably doesn't have Banff prices, although the Banff town centre still has much more options for food and shopping, beyond the unparalleled beauty of the town itself.

Simpson's Num-Ti-Jah Lodge

Hiking to Sunwapta Falls

Entering Banff National Park, we decided to get an annual Parks Canada pass rather than daily passes, and this is worthwhile if you're there for 7 days or more, and even more so if you live elsewhere in Canada and can visit other national parks during the year.

The drive up towards Jasper is increasingly breathtaking the closer you get to Jasper. We stopped briefly for lunch at a hotel situated just off the highway with pristine lake and mountain views. Lunch featured a tasty soup and sandwich, pricey for what it was, but there weren't exactly alternatives in the area and it at least made for a hearty meal. There was a gift shop adjacent to the restaurant which we browsed while waiting for the rain to calm down before we dashed back to the car.

We did a straight shot to our accommodations, about 20 minutes south of Jasper town. We lost a fair amount of the day to rainfall, and eventually decided to attire ourselves in rain gear and go outside anyway, to the nearby Sunwapta Falls. We parked the car and walked out to the falls, and lo and behold, it stopped raining. Seeing the upper falls is right by the car park, and the lower falls is a half hour walk along the river, and a good way to split up the drive a bit.

There was time enough for one more short hike, to the valley of the five lakes. This hike is discouraging initially, when you reach the edge of the woods and discover a stenchy swamp (which was irritatingly loaded with mosquitos). But perseverance pays off, and if you continue 5-10 minutes further you come across a set of lakes ranging from emerald green to opal blue colour. The whole hike took about an hour.

The Valley of Five Lakes

We returned to the hotel and decided to just eat dinner in the restaurant. For dinner, the hotel's restaurant was a bit pricey, but in line with the cost of the area (and the only restaurant until you reach Jasper 20 minutes away). The food reflected the price though, and overall we were happy enough with our choice at this restaurant to return the next night. We tried lunch at the hotel's restaurant the next day though, and that was a real disappointment. During the day they offer cafeteria style food and service for tourists passing by, but at night they pull out full table service and french food incorporating local game. Even if you're staying in Jasper, I'd recommend the drive out to this hotel to eat dinner at the restaurant. It was infinitely better than anything we saw available in Jasper town.

The Valley of Five Lakes

The Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge was about the best hotel you can get in this area. The rooms were a bit outdated (I hear they're planning to fix that), but featured traditional fireplaces, which the staff lit for us each night we were there. I wasn't a fan of the mosquito burden of the area, being mainly in dense forestation and the wet weather certainly didn't help. But I can't say I got any mosquito bites while indoors. We did head in to Jasper the next day and checked out a few other hotels for comparison, and honestly they were all outdated and overpriced. Returning to our hotel after this venture, we were more satisfied that it was the best available and one of the less expensive options, and I don't think any other restaurant would have held up to the standard of dinner we received at Sunwapta.

Monday, June 25

Today was focussed on seeing Maligne Lake, which is just past Jasper and another 20-30 minutes off the Icefields Parkway. This is the place we spotted the most wildlife. We passed several black bears along the roadside, to the point where we didn't bother to stop and look any more. We saw baby bears climbing trees and running after their mother. The was an abundance of elk on this route too.

Black bear family spotted on the way to Maligne Lake

Maligne lake is stunning, and we spent about half an hour walking along the lakeside. There is a few hiking route options and you can follow the path along the lake much longer than we did. We got distracted by the family of bears that came down to the lake and decided to hang out by the path, so that made a bit of a road block for us. A young child attempted to run out towards the bears, I guess they looked cuddly.

View from the Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park

We returned to Jasper to check out the town. You'll see all over TripAdvisor that this town really isn't anything special. This is absolutely true. The town lacks the charm of Banff's architecture, has very little choice by way of food, and the only thing worth seeing there is their supermarket if you're interested in getting snacks and fresh food.

There are plenty of Elk to spot in Jasper National Park

Waterfall visible from the Icefields Parkway

Mike and I returned to the waterfall that is on the Icefields Parkway about 15 minutes south of the hotel, and we climbed to the top of the waterfall for kicks. I really enjoyed the scenery nearby this waterfall - with pink and grey boulders lining the valley towards the mountains.

In the evening we visited the Athabasca Falls. This involves another leisurely walk through some small canyons and forest, and along elevated platforms. The falls are powerful enough that a small rainbow forms in its mists.

We stayed one more night at Sunwatpa. The initial plan was to stay an extra night, but we decided our time would be better spent in Banff and arranged for an earlier checkout.

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