Jasper National park

Day 28 Alberta Canada

Today started like every other, a brisk breakfast of coffee and oatmeal, packing up camp, and hitting the road. Today is our final day of heading north. Jasper National Park is connected to Banffs' northern edge, making the entirety of these parks five times the size of Yellowstone National Park. Surprisingly we have had very limited interaction with wildlife in these parks, aside from the occasional marmot, or raven. Though these parks are supposed to be home to Caribou, Wolverine, Bigfoot and Lynx, I'm starting to think them all fairytale.
After several hours of driving we stopped at what is claimed to be " The greatest natural wonder of the northwest." the Athabasca Ice Field. A massive glacier reaching from the top of the mountain down almost to the road. It was a spectacular sight, and they even had a bus tour that would take you half way up the glacier to sightsee. Unfortunately for $50 a ticket we passed. Instead we ate at the all you can eat Chinese buffet overlooking the glacier, read our books, drank coffee and got stuffed on sweet and sour pork. Our seat near the window was the perfect viewing area for the glacier, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to eat my lunch.
After lunch, we waddled over the the glacier, climbed the steep grade to the viewing area, hating ourselves on the way up. So much food. It was all worth it, getting close to the glacier, and seeing how far it had receded in the past few years was stunning. I guess that's climate change for you. Not that I think climate change is our fault...
Anyway, we hopped the barricade keeping us from getting close to the danger of the glacier. Its' crevasses, fast moving water, and cracking ice. We had to get some close up shots so we shouldered the risk. And I promptly stepped in the wrong place, sinking my foot into muddy clay over my boot. I guess it's what I get for crossing the line. Zach of course survived the experience unscathed.
With still another 125k to drive we continued north. Our next stop came quicker then expected, at Athabasca Falls. The famous waterfall flows the same deep blue green due to the silt rich glacier water. As beautiful as the falls were, the real beauty was the narrow and twisted slot canyon the water flowed through leading out into a wide expanse of river. We picked our way down to the shore of the river below the falls, to find that people had taken the stones and stacked them into many cairns. All different heights, and varying degrees of balance. Some seemed to even defy gravity. It was majestic and serene.
Our campground was nothing special, no electric fence this time. We would have to defend ourselves the old fashion way. Despite the rangers recommendation for when we saw a bear. She just said to take some pictures. Hmm. We set up camp in the rain again, though we had no qualms with it, as the campground was empty, and we were right on the river. The only downside was the restroom was quite a walk, and there were no showers. Still hardly roughing it.
After setting up camp we decided to head to the town of Jasper, only 20k north, and go to the visitors center to find a hike for tomorrow. Jasper was like any small tourist town. Overpriced, crowded and quaint. Zach suddenly had fantastic cell service, so he made a few phone calls, and I wandered off in search of an open Wi-Fi network. After over an hour of wandering town looking like a half crazed American woodsman, (not so far from the truth) I still was unable to find an open Wi-Fi network. Despite every shop in town having a locked one. I even asked a few shop people if they would allow me use of the network for a few minutes, and it was like asking for free food at a restaurant. Needless to say I got nowhere, and looked the fool in the process. On the walk back to see if Zach noticed my sudden disappearance I noticed a small wine store, with an excellent beer selection. I had to stop in, and was not disappointed. The shop had a great wine selection, was affordable, and had a walk in refrigerated beer room. I purchased a nice Barley Wine, a large bottle of Hefe-wiezen and an Old Rasputin stout. They would serve as a delicious dinner for the two of us.
We arrived back at the campground just as the heavy rain started. It rained and rained. The hardest yet on this trip. But we paid it no mind, the beer kept our thoughts light, and our blood warm. It was a good evening, and the rain continued into the night thwarting our odds of seeing the Aurora Borealis. We didn't care.

Day 29

For today's hike we decided to do a portion of the Edith Cavell backpacking loop. The entire loops totals almost 40k, winding through green valleys, past deep lakes, and up towering mountains. It sounded like just the thing to get as much of Jasper in the single day we had. And Edith Cavell sounded like potential for caves.
A few kilometers above the trailhead we stopped at what we originally thought to be caves given the name Edith Cavell. Instead it was another glacier with a lake beneath it's slowly receding ice. We didn't complain, as every glacier was stunning in it's own right, and with the fresh snow from last night high on its' peaks, avalanches would be ripe to occur. Cresting the hill of the short hike to the glacier we were greeted by something we had given up on. An ice cave! Of course it was just by chance that the Cavell glacier did in fact have an ice cave, we were quite happy to add it to our list of amazing things.
Even though the temperature did not climb above 50° while near the glacier it felt warm compared to the freezing wind blowing without end from deep within the ice cave. Truly arctic.
After the short hike near the glacier we made our way back to the trailhead of the backpacking route we planned to hike earlier. To our surprise, as soon as we started hiking the clouds broke, and the sun shone down, raising the air temperature by at least ten degrees. It was perfect hiking weather. Of course we still had to contend with the mud on the trail, beaten to sludge by the horses that traveled the trail before us. But the sun shone and that's all that mattered. We even used the opportunity to photograph some of the plant life along the trail.
As trails go this one was easy, almost no altitude change, and aside from the mud, easy to walk on and follow. We decided to turn back after 7k, as the rain was coming back. I decided to try something different for the return trip, and instead of listen to music, I turned on a movie I've practically memorized "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World" and listened to the audio. Honestly it worked quite well, watching the movie from memory reconstructed from the audio was great! And it came with a spectacular view.
After the short hike we popped into Jasper for a quick dinner at A&W, a place I've never eaten, but Zach swore by. And he wasn't wrong, aside from the Canadian impulse to put the revolting sauce known as mayonnaise on everything, (I caught on early and got my burger dry) it was a good experience. We read while we ate, happy as old dogs laying in front of a hearth.
I do admit I've done more reading then is probably healthy on this trip, in these 29 days I've finished five novels, and am devouring the sixth. By trips end I'm planning to start and finish the R.R. Martin game of thrones series, another 5 novels. Zach is reading just as much as I, he is about to finish the Game of Thrones books, and is going to have to start reading my books. It's not a bad thing.
Tomorrow we drive ten hours to Vancouver BC where I can finally post these entries. Sleep comes early tonight so we can get as early a start as possible.

MILEAGE:

Driving-

This trip: 308
Total: 3773

Walking-

This trip: 9
Total:183

Banff National Park

Day 26 Alberta Canada

Today we leave the US. Only a short two hours north and we will be in the land of Canadian bacon and French translations. The total drive time today is almost seven hours, taking us several hundred miles north, then east into Banff National Park.
We left promptly at 8:00am, and wished we had left earlier. The road up to Logan Pass already had heavy traffic and construction. This turned out to be only a minor setback, and we made it through the pass and out of the park in under and hour and a half. The real trouble was crossing into Canada. We thought the border patrol would be easy to deal with, and we would cross without a problem. But this guy. We pulled up to the border patrol booth, and the officer inside was brutal. He immediately started grilling us, he bombarded us with at least twenty questions. Ranging from where we lived, what our relationship was, to when the last time we wore handcuffs was. He even tried to trap us by first asking us we had any weapons, then rephrasing the question to make that include bear spray, which he could see we had through the rear window. It makes sense he would have to be that way, not even a smile or have a nice day.
Once across the border we filled up on gas, about 30L, and at only $1.14/9 a liter! With a full tank we would easily make it the 400 kilometers. And with the speed limit of 110 kph we arrived in Calgary, Alberta within a couple hours. Hungry for something familiar we stopped at a taco bell which tasted just like home. Ah the comforts of home.
Back on the road we arrived at Banff National Park, unfortunately we would have to pay the entrance fee, and unlike the US Canada charges per person per day. So for the four days we would be in Banff and Jasper it was roughly $80. On top Of that was the cost per night to camp. Each night cost about $27. Bah! Canada. Although the campground was very cool. We arrived at the campground, which was completely surrounded by an electric fence! And at the crossing point for vehicles was a giant electrified bear guard, similar to the cattle guards but much larger. They took wildlife seriously here, they even had wildlife overpasses on the freeway so animals didn't cross the road. Our campground had free showers! And unlimited firewood, we just needed an $8 fire permit. It was one of the better campgrounds so far.
I forgot to mention that it had been raining the entire day. We set up camp in the rain, built a fire in the rain, and ate fritos chili boats in the rain before finally going to bed in the rain. Canada.

Day 27

It rained all night and shows no sign of breaking. We are still going to go ahead with our 20k hike today, a little rain can't stop the spirit of adventure! We suited up in our best rain protection gear, which is pretty slim on my part, I forgot to pack a waterproof jacket. Oh well, to late now.
The hike we settled on was to take us into the backcountry of Banff, allowing us to get as much from the park as we could in the single day we have here. The trailhead was near a river they call Paradise Creek, I suspect it is only a river because of the unnaturally harsh winter the northwest experienced. It was a beautiful river, and hinted to the type. Of hike we were getting into. Another beautiful hike along a river through the forest to a lake. The only difference in this hike is that it continues past the lake into a small loop around a meadow, and past some waterfalls.
The first 8k we gained 400m in elevation, and arrived at a small glacier fed lake. The only way I can describe the color of this lake would be to compare it to the "Glacier Freeze" flavor of Gatorade. They actually got the color spot on. The color reminded me of the deep blues and greens we saw at Havasupai Falls. The only difference was the cold temperature and the giant glacier in the background. Mesmerized by the lake I didn't notice my pack was not balanced properly on the rock I set it on, and watched as it plunged into the lake. IPad and all. I quickly recovered it, pulled the iPad out as quickly as possible, dried it with my shirt, and put my trust in Apple. We hiked on.
My fear and frustration quickly faded as we continued to climb, and crested at the base of a glacial rockslide that the trail picked through. Progressing further we heard heavy thunder rolling across the valley, catching us off guard as we saw no lightning. As we rounded the bend it suddenly made sense. The first Avalanche caught us off guard. Snow poured from the cliffs like water, only when we heard the thundering crash as it hit the rocks thousands of feet below it's epicenter. Safely several kilometers from them we had a fantastic view. Every ten minutes another roar, as thousands of tons of fresh snow cascaded down the mountains. The sight was spectacular, making the hike in the rain more than worth it.
After thirty minutes or so of watching avalanches, we continued toward Horseshoe Meadow, and the Giant Steps. The Giant Steps are just like they sound, massive slabs of flat stone, stacked in steps with water flowing and falling one to the next. The meadow was a severe disappointment, just a small loop with trees obscuring the views of the mountains. And the avalanches we could hear echoing down the valley.
Finishing our hike we decided to head to famous Lake Louise, to sit in the lobby of the hotel, reading, and hopefully using their Wi-Fi, as my IPad survived the bath. Apple wins again. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Lake Louise was stunning! The water even more blue than Havasupai, the glaciers as a backdrop, and framed by towering mountains, and the greenest pine trees. No wonder they built a five star hotel here. Which as it turned out had no free WiFi, so it looks like this post along with Glacier, and probably Jasper will have to wait until Saturday when we are in Vancouver. We did enjoy a sandwich from the hotel deli, and enjoyed the comfort of the lobby. They even had a wine bar, selling Mark West Pinot Noir for a substantial $79 a bottle. I guess that answers the Vino 100 problem. We should have marked our product up 1000%. Snap, if only we had thought of that sooner. Kidding, kidding. But the prices at this wine bar were exorbitant.
On the way back we made a quick side trip to Moraine Lake, a smaller glacial lake with a massive moraine blocking the far end, hinting the size of the glacier that used to be there. While Zach was off photographing the lake, I snuck into the hotel, past the small registration area, and into the communication center for the hotel. Once there I let y'all know I was going to be unable to post till Saturday. I quietly snuck out through the kitchen. Back to camp, and off to bed. Jasper tomorrow.

MILEAGE:

Driving-

This trip: 308
Total: 3465

Walking-

This trip: 13.5
Total:174

Waterton Lakes-Glacier International Peace Park

Day 23

Well, we survived the night at hidden lake, and are off towards Glacier National Park. The drive to Glacier is another two hours north, and the reason we decided to stay near Lake Placid. Of course before we head into Glacier we have to make a small detour to Whitefish Montana to drop off my revolver and my airsoft gun for shipping to Seattle. Canada, having heavely regualted firearms, will not allow me to bring mine into the country.
Our destination in Whitefish was a gun shop called Grizzly Custom Guns. From the title we assumed it was an actual walk in business, as it turns out after driving off up into the hills, past several no trespassing signs, the business is a garage. Skeptical at first we quickly realized that Grizzly Custom Guns was in fact a gentleman named Lew, who machines custom rifles in his private shop next to his house. He turned out to be a great guy, able to ship my guns, and only charged me shipping cost! He even gave us a jump when the battery died trying to leave. So as a plug for Lew, if anyone ever wants a great hand built rifle from a quality craftsman, look not further than Grizzly Custom Guns, Whitefish Montana.
Nearing noon we drove into Whitefish proper looking for a place to grab a bite to eat. As we drove down the main street through town we suddenly caught the sweet wafting smell of smoked meats, and chicken. Overwhelming our senses we flipped a U-turn and pulled into the parking lot off a little restaurant called The Shak. It turns out we made the right decision, the Shak, was a small mom and pop southern style fried chicken joint, who smoked their own meats, and made all of their side dishes. It was incredible, Zach had the smoked pork sandwich, and I the smoked beef brisket sandwich. Both slathered in their home made spicy BBQ sauce.
Waterton Lakes-Glacier International Peace Park. What a mouthful! The park is actually split into two sections, Glacier National Park on our side and Waterton Lakes National Park on the Canadian side. As a sign of peace between our two countries Waterton Lakes-Glacier International Peace Park became the first park of its kind in the world, and has nothing blocking wildlife between the two parks. The days we would be in the park are of course on the American side, the larger portion of the park.
We arrived in the mid afternoon, made camp, and eagerly got in the car to do some laundry (the first since Mesa Verde) and take a shower (the first since Jackson Wy.) I wish we had taken a picture of the shower, to show that this trip isn't all beauty and comfort. The thing was practically falling apart, rusted, dripping who knows what, and was so good. All that mattered was hot water, and that it had. The reason the facility was run down was that it was located outside of the park in a small town behind the gas station. We showered, laundered and headed back to the park to drive the main drag and survey the plan for the next few days.

I had never seen a dead body before...

...the motorcyclist had lost control, fell off his bike, and was run over by a car coming the other way. We arrived on the scene only minutes later. Not able to do anything to help we continued on. A sobering experience.


Day 24

Waking up early, before Zach, I walked the quarter mile to the Fish Creek Campground Amphitheater where a church service was being held. This being the first church service we had come across during the trip, I was ready for some good old fashion churchin. I planned to arrive roughly five minutes before it was going to start, and figured I would be able to find a seat near the front, enjoy some worship and a simple sermon. I could not have been more wrong, walking into the amphitheater I was greeted by a host of empty seats, and three gentleman. Chris, the worship leader. Fred, the story filled old-timer who seemed to be a member of the National Park ministry team. And Ralph, pastor. As it turns out I was the only one who showed up to church, and it was great. We ended up forming more of a small group study circle, lead by Ralph who looked to be about my age. I spent about an hour fellowshipping and enjoying my morning. God always provides support, and after the events of yesterday, Fred, Chris and Ralph were just that. Thanks guys.
After church Zach and I had a quick breakfast, you guessed it, oatmeal, and headed off on the Going-to-the-sun-road. The road was constructed into the edge a cliff climbing over 3000ft towards Logan Pass in 1933, and was an incredible drive. The climb started in the dense forest growing against the edge of The McDonald Creek. We could tell how north we were from the lush undergrowth and moss growing in the forest, it was just screaming to be explored. We continued up a steep ascent that quickly became narrow and framed by shear rock, the occasional turnout did little to relieve traffic, nor did the construction bringing it down to one lane. We didn't mind the traffic in the least, as the view was spectacular, and there was so much water coming down the mountain we literally were driving through waterfalls at points.
The drive to Many Glacier took us three hours, and required us to leave the park and reenter on the east side. Our destination was a ten mile round trip hike up to Iceberg Lake, and The Wall. Excitedly leaving the car, Zach in the lead, he got us on the trail. Along the way we passed within twenty feet of a bull moose with a full rack, and some beautiful lakes. The lakes where what tipped us off to something wrong. Zach took us the wrong way! Two miles the wrong way. Which brings our total hiking today up to 14mi after backtracking and getting back on track for Iceberg Lake.
The trail to the lake was a steady climb of 1200ft over the five miles, making for a pleasant day hike. Along the way we surprisingly did not see any wildlife, aside from squirrels, Zach hauling the telephoto lens (4lbs) all the way for no reason, as it is only good for wildlife. Arriving at the lake was similar to our hike up to Lake Solitude in the Tetons. The lake had ice and snow chunks floating, and snow up to the shore. The real stunning thing about this lake was the wall. The Wall is a 3000ft glacial cliff dropping off straight to the lake. It was quite a sight. Even the wide angle lens was unable to capture the entire wall, he would have needed a fish eye lens for this one.
Driving back out of the Many Glacier portion of the park we suddenly found ourselves caught up in not one but two bear jams. A cars everywhere! To our left was a momma grizzly with two cubs, and to our right a black bear. We attempted to get a a shot of the grizzly, as she was much closer than the last one we encountered, but she was quickly off into the bushes, cubs in tow. We then tried our luck with the black bear, who apparently enjoyed the attention and stayed near the road posing for some better photos. So many bears. Apparently Many Glacier has the highest density of grizzly bears in the world.
Tired and hungry we stopped at the first food we could find, a little place called "The Two Sisters Cafe" we were greeted warmly, given a couple of beers to drink while we waited for a table and enjoyed a fantastic meal. This Cafe I would highly recommend, it's a hidden gem of a place, great people, atmosphere and best of all good grub!
Dusk is a great time to see wildlife, and this being one of the first days we were driving near dusk, even though it's almost 10:00pm, we got another animal checked off the list. As we drove back through Logan Pass we rounded a corner, and nearly hit a family of pure white mountain goats wandering across the road, oblivious to traffic. Zach was quick enough on the draw to grab his camera and snap some quality shots in the seconds before they disappeared over the cliff. Satisfied with the day we made it back to camp just in time to pass out for the night.


Day 25

We decided to hike trails near Logans Pass today, keeping us somewhat close to home. Of course it is still an hour drive up the steep pass, and through the traffic and construction, but is much closer than the Many Glacier area from yesterday. We settled on doing the 6mi round trip hike to hidden lake out from the Logan Pass visitors center. What we did not expect were the thousands of snow play tourists climbing all over the glacier we would have to traverse ourselves. I guess snow players are everywhere, not just all over highway 18.
The hike over the glacier was actually quite pleasant, after getting passed all the tourists, and despite the rain. One guy even took one of the trail markers and used it as a ski. Bah! People. The hike crested on a dry ridge overlooking stepping valleys, the first held hidden lake and the river flowing from it. The second valley was the main part of the park, and the hidden lake river cascaded 460ft to the McDonald Creek area. It was mesmerizing.
Standing on the overlook platform we were suddenly surrounded by a large number of mountain goats who seemed to be totally acclimated to people. They contrast of their white fur against the green trees was awesome! Then something happened. Turning around we saw him. Standing tall, white as snow, regal. The elusive Unicorn. One horn pointed to the sky, it was magical. Even with the missing horn, this goat seemed to be the leader, walking with authority.
Due to ice, and a steep decent we decided not to climb all the way down to Hidden Lake, and headed back to the visitors center to find another hike. Our hike back was a blast, sliding leaping and bounding down the glacier was fantastic, only taking us about twenty minutes to go the mile and a half back.
Not wanting to go any further away from camp we drove back down Logan Pass, and stopped at the trailhead for Avalanche Lake. A five mile hike through the dense cedar forests. This hike was incredible, everything I could ask for in a hike. Dense trees, green undergrowth, altitude gain, a rushing river and a lake at the end. Aside from the lake we mistakenly walked to yesterday, this was our first unfrozen lake hike. And what a lake this was. Avalanche Lake is, like most glacial lakes in a deep basin surrounded by towering mountains, and fed by thousands of feet of waterfalls. The water was cold, the sun shining, and the geese feeding. It was tranquil, despite more people being there then we are used to.
Having done 9mi today, and 14mi yesterday we were content to head back to camp. We even tried our hand at spaghetti tonight. And it turned out quite good, just had to add a little garlic salt and Tapatio. The camp host even came by to welcome us to. The campground. A little late. We packed up most of the camp tonight because we are leaving for Canada bright and early tomorrow. Canada here we come! Let's hope we can get past customs.


MILEAGE:

Driving-

This trip:427
Total: 3157

Walking-

This trip: 23
Total:160.5

The top picture here is of Hidden Lake, the hidden lake we stayed next to instead of Placid Lake.