May 10, 2025
Our wake-up call today was at 5:00 am. After a buffet breakfast at the cozy hotel restaurant, we had to check out and leave the hotel by 7:15 am. Our trusty driver Aman then took us on a smooth 2-1/2 drive out of Banff to our next destination, the Columbia Icefield. The weather forecast was a number in the negatives below zero degrees Celsius. So this was when all the serious winter jackets and gear we brought came out to be used.
As much as we wanted to sleep in the bus from travel fatigue, the amazing scenery whizzing by beside us kept us fully awake. This 230 km stretch of road between Banff National Park and Jasper National Park was called the Icefield Parkway. Along the way, our guide Pam was rattling off facts about scenes as we passed them, like Bow Lake and the Saskatchewan River Crossing. Too bad there were no photo stops along the way.
From the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center, we rode another bus driven by Sam to take us to the Ice Explorer driven by Logan. The explorer was a huge all-terrain vehicle which took us at a deliberate 3 mph trudge down a steep slope between stony moraines on to the 6 km long Athabasca Glacier itself. We excitedly went around picking the best spots for regular photos or jump shots on the glacier, especially around the Canadian flag standing on the ice.
After that fun time at the glacier (though warmer than expected), Sam's bus took us to the Skywalk. This was a cliffside path with informative exhibits along the way. It culminates in a breathtaking 400 meter glass-bottomed walkway projecting outwards, 300 meters above the floor of the Sunwapta Valley below. We had our fill of snow-capped jagged mountain tops in front of us, with their lush carpeting of lodgepole pine and white spruce trees.
After a sumptuous lunch buffet back at the center, we headed on a 1-1/2 hour drive into Jasper town proper. We made a stop at the train station with old trains and a totem pole, where we were met by our new guide Jake. He talked at length about the major wildfire that Jasper experienced last year. Burned down pine trees were still prominently seen. We were able to see some female elk along the road, including one that bravely crossed the road.
During our drive, we were able to see a couple of scenic lakes around the valley. The first was Lake Patricia, named after a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Notable about this lake was the presence of a World War II shipwreck at its bottom, which divers can visit. The second lake we saw was Lake Pyramid, whose water reflected the peak of Mount Pyramid beside it. We saw tourists on a wooden wharf on its beach sunbathing while taking in the views.
After the city tour, we were taken to check into homey Whistler's Inn, located right across the train station. This place had souvenir shops all around it and we took this time to buy some goodies with humorous names like "Bear Poop" or "Moose Poop" to take home. For those who like fudge, there was a kiosk selling fresh fudge in a store called Jasper Rock and Jade. We ate dinner at a nearby restaurant with friendly staff called Something Else.
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