Jasper National Park - 12th Stop on our Trek North to Alaska

We departed Banff Trailer Court enroute to Jasper National Park on a dreary, damp, drizzly Monday morning.  30 seconds into takeoff, we spotted 4 elk cows eating!  Within our first hour, we had sightings of 3 bears (sans Goldi Locks) and 6 deer!  Of course, not one photo as evidence—bummer!

The rain turned to light snow flurries as we entered the Ice Fields Parkway, a fully paved road with several large frost heaves to deal with between Ice Field Centre and Jasper.  Despite the rough patches, we’ve been on much worse roads in the States.  The views were just spectacular, like professional photos in National Geographic!  Every turn gives you another picture postcard panorama! 

The Glacier Skywalk

We stopped at the Ice Fields Centre to view the impressive Columbia Ice Fields, which include Athabasca Glacier.  Unlike at Glacier National Park in Montana, I can actually see glaciers here!

We set up at Whistler Campground by 2 p.m.  By this time, the clouds moved out, so we sat outside absorbing the sunshine as we planned our itinerary and ate a late lunch.





Round 'em up for Maligne Canyon!  We did a short 2-mile hike across the first 3 of 6 historical bridges, which were completed between 1914 and 1928, and concluded our tour at the Canyon Teahouse, still closed for the season (this seems to be a recurring theme).

Next stop:  Medicine Lake.  Despite devastation from a fire that occurred last summer, Medicine Lake still offered outstanding views, including a pair of nesting eagles who reside in a nearby treetop!

One of the eagles in flight--other still in nest (not shown)

Our final stop on Monday was to Maligne Lake, Jasper’s largest, deepest, and most photographed lake.  And I am thrilled to report that we actually got a photo of a black bear rambling down the road!  This trip just gets better and better!

 

Up and out the door by 7:30 on a glorious Tuesday morning to go exploring!  We were rewarded for our early awakenings by seeing a few laden elk cows!  Later in the day, we had two male bulls roaming outside our campsite. 

Soon to be mama!

Bull Elk in Campground

Other than a lone fisherman, we were the first arrivals to Patricia Lake, and immediately began our photography session.  Right around the corner is Pyramid Lake, and it, too, is awe-inspiring with its calm waters acting like glass, giving us a photo with mirror image.

Patricia Lake

Pyramid Lake

Pyramid Lake comes with its own little island!  Excessive use since the 1930s with no formal trail system denigrated its beauty.   However, in 1998 Parks Canada, the Friends of Jasper National Park, local businesses, and countless volunteers joined forces to restore the island.  And we are so fortunate to reap the fruits of their labor.

The lake and its island are named for the peak that hovers above them.  Pyramid Mountain was carved by glaciers from gog quartzite, which is tiny quartz sand grains cemented together.  There's also gold in them there hills--fool's gold that is, officially known as pyrite.

Pyramid Mountain

We visited the town of Jasper and could not resist getting a sticky bun at the Bear's Claw Bakery.  Finger-licking good!  Jasper is more like a hometown, not as many shops as Banff, but quaint and lovely in its own right.

On to Athabasca Falls, an absolutely breathtaking example of the elements wind, water, and earth, working in tandem.  We walked through a canyon tunnel in time, where water once traveled many years ago.  "Potholes" have been carved out through the centuries, and the water rushing through them creates whirlpools that makes Jacuzzi look silly.

Notice the "rainbow" created by the falls

A "Pothole" Whirlpool

We visited the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge along Lake Beauvert, where my friend, Stanley, lives.  He helped me write this blog posting!

Stanley's Home at the Lodge

Stanley the Trained Seeing Eye Dog (And He's Got a good nose for food!)

Stanley helping me select pics for this blog!

Take some advice from your friend Rambling RV Rat:  If you are planning an Alaskan RV Adventure, schedule time to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada.  There are too many sensational natural treasures hidden within these parks that you just cannot see from the road as you pass by (especially a visit with Stanley).  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.




Well, time to say goodbye from Jasper.  Talk to you soon!

 

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada – 11th Stop on our Trek North to Alaska

Rain is forecasted as we depart Cochrane.  This is not good for Alberta's camping enthusiasts as they kick off the summer season with Victoria Day on Monday.  We took the wise advice of Canadians Rick and Cary from the Heavy Hauler Escapees Forum and booked reservations in Banff for the “holiday” weekend at Banff National Park’s Trailer Court, which has water, sewer, and 30 amp electric.  Not to mention a lot of Columbia squirrels, and a boat-load of poop specimens.  Guess this campground is inhabited by deer, elk, and bears in the “off” season!

Suspected Campground Pooper

 

We experienced some delays with road construction on Route 1 enroute to Banff.  Good thing they are working on this road—it is in desperate need of repairs. I thought I’d suffer whiplash from bouncing around the backseat so much!

 

Well, the weather forecasters picked a fine time to be right for a change!  We have had varying degrees of rain throughout our time here at Banff National Park.  But we didn’t let it interfere with our plans to tour this magnificent park.  Once we set up, we hiked along the Tunnel Mountain Loop and visited the Hoodoos.
 

 

The rock formations here are different than in our northwestern U.S. National Parks:  they are not as colorful and have more jagged peaks due to increased glacial activity.  Nevertheless, they still offer commanding views! I’ve been trying to figure out whether the mountains here are exceptionally high or the clouds are hovering extremely low.  Me thinks it is a combination of both!  

 

On Friday we drove along the scenic Bow Valley Parkway.  We strolled along beautiful Lake Louise, but Victoria Mountain was a bit shy, hiding behind clouds.  We visited the lovely Fairmont Hotel, where we all partook of their complimentary Wi-Fi!  Just look at these data junkies!

 

 

Mike and Claudia - Data Junkies Getting Their Fix

We were disappointed to learn that the tea houses were not open yet for the season.  Ditto for Lake Moraine!

 

We cheered up considerably after stopping at the Bow Glacier outlook, where we had our first up close and personal grizzly bear viewing!  Several other folks were in the area for the viewing as well.  We were all careful, staying inside or right outside our cars along the road, since the bear was only about 50 feet away, far less than the recommended safety zone of 300 feet.   Of course, there is always one moron in the crowd.  “Numbnuts” starts to enter the meadow and the bear’s comfort zone, causing the bear the growl and take a step forward.  The guys in the car next to us were shooting video and said they hoped to upload a bear mauling onto Youtube.  Daddy, always a hero, got out of the car expeditiously, and just like Marshall Matt Dillon, had his right hand at the ready to “take aim”.  No, he didn’t have a gun, but bear repellant in case the bear charged “Numbnuts!”  Fortunately, the bear’s message came across loud and clear to “Numbnuts”, as did the ass-whooping his wife gave him when he got back into his vehicle!
 

 

 

Almost forgot to take a photo of Bow Glacier with all the bear excitement!

 

We continued on to the Peyto Lake overlook, traversing the still snow-covered trail of Bow Summit.  Absolutely stunning shade of blue water at the junction of the lake and stream.

 

 

 

We started Saturday morning at Bow Falls, climbing the steps to the overlook like Rocky at the Philadelphia Museum of Art! Mike, who we affectionately refer to as our “Uber driver” was successful in getting us valet parked right outside the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, so we were able to admire this superior example of luxury built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1886 AND get some much needed free Wi-Fi.

 

 

 

 

We dipped our hand in the Banff Hot Springs, but decided not to partake of the “pools” here.

 

Instead we headed to Minnewanka Lake, Banff’s largest lake, and hiked the Steward Canyon Trail.  Known as the “Lake of the Spirits”, Lake Minnewanka has been revered and considered sacred for centuries.



Yours truly "Sharing the Red Chair" at Lake Minnewanka





We worked up an appetite, so stopped for a picnic lunch at Johnson Lake.  Worked off our calories by hiking the Johnson Lake Loop.

We took advantage of a break in the clouds and toured some sights along the Ice Fields Parkway, including Crowfoot Glacier.



Crowfoot Glacier

All the wonderful places we visited, from the wetlands of Vermillion Lakes, to the tranquility of Two Jacks Lake and Bow Lake, Banff National Park is just paradise for Mother Nature lovers like me.

 

Since it has been dreary weather today, we spent the day relaxing.  The aforementioned Rick and Cary dropped in to introduce themselves to us personally.  What great people we meet in this lifestyle!  And how nice to be able to put a “face” to the “name” of someone we meet through social media/RV club forums.

 

Well, I’ve got to wrap up this posting.  Mike is cooking us all an authentic Puerto Rican dinner and Mom’s homemade chicken soup is ready to warm my chilly bones.

 

Speak to you next from Jasper, Alberta, Canada!

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calgary, Alberta, Canada – 10th Stop on our Trek North to Alaska

We woke up to a pleasant surprise:  a bright, sunshiny, seasonably warm day!  After chatting with a group of RVers all travelling together to Alaska, we departed Lethbridge and made our way to Bow River Campground, a full-service park in Cochrane owned and operated by the Lions and Rotary Clubs. While overlooking the Bow River, it is surrounded by housing and industrial complexes, making it a bit of a weird location for a campground.   Nevertheless, it was a nicely laid out park with amply-sized pull thrus and green grass, trees, and bushes providing privacy at each site.  It reminded me of Home Improvement when Tim and his neighbor would talk over the hedge!  And it was reasonably priced for the amenities:  $34USD/night with our Good Sam Discount.

 

 

Calgary is Alberta’s largest city.  And based on all the building construction going on, it is doing quite well economically.  Calgary is known as “The City of the Foothills” for its proximity to the Canadian Rockies.  It is also Canada’s sunniest city, averaging 333 days of sunshine per year!  Don’t let all that sunshine fool you—it can get VERY COLD here.  But the warm Chinook winds cause dramatic temperature changes in short time spans (imagine wearing a parka to work in the morning and requiring no coat at all by lunchtime).  Walking in cold weather is a non-issue for those who live/work in Calgary.  They did some great planning back in the late 1960s that resulted in the Plus 15, a pedestrian skywalk system connecting more than 100 downtown buildings. 

 

There’s no better way to see the City than visiting Calgary Tower, the tallest observation deck in the world.  They are doing some renovations in its base, but it didn’t stop me from having fun and “dressing up” like my stuffed friends, Bear and Beaver. Fortunately, we finished our “play time” before the school bus full of first graders entered the place!

 

Bear, Beaver, and Me Standing Guard at Calgary Tower!

 

 

The great weather afforded us terrific views in every direction—I was even able to see the ski jump from the 1988 Winter Olympics! 

 

 

 

 

 

They have one section on the Deck with a glass floor.  Claudia was a bit scared of walking on it, but Dad and Mike convinced her it was safe.  Supposedly, it can withstand the weight of two hippopotamuses!

 

 

We stopped for lunch in Calgary’s Chinatown.  Based on an informal poll Mike took among unsuspecting strangers, Ho Won Restaurant was the clear winner.  What a treat—I haven’t had authentic Chinese food since 2012!  The beef and broccoli and fried rice with pork, chicken, and shrimp were all soooo yummy!

 

We did a stroll along the Riverwalk--had to walk off the pounds that I just gained (I like to keep my svelte figure, you know--I still have hopes Minnie will leave Mickey for me.  LOL).

Boy, this poor Mama has her hands full!

We also visited Fort Calgary, built in 1875 at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers by the North West Mounted Police (NWMP).  Instituted in 1873, the purpose of the NWMP was to establish Canadian sovereignty, prepare treaties with Indians, and to eradicate the whiskey traders from Montana.  How ironic that one of the very whiskey traders they were trying to stop ended up as the building foreman for the fort!

 

 

The way this Rambling RV Rat sees it, Canada may have been more diplomatic by negotiating treaties with their First Nations compared to the armed conflicts the U.S. used for acquiring land from its Native Americans.  Nevertheless, the end result was that neither Canada nor the U.S. kept their promises to the Indians.  Like the U.S., Canada established reservations in its Treaty 7, signed in 1877.  Like in the U.S., the source of all life for the Indians, the bison/buffalo, became extinct.  By 1885, the Indians in present-day Calgary were required to have “permits” in order to leave the reservation, a direct violation of the promise within Treaty 7 to allow theme continued hunting and trapping rights on lands surrendered.  I once saw a t-shirt that read, “NEVER trust your government—just ask an Indian.”  I now understand its meaning.  Nuff said!

Of course, everything changed again when the Canadian-Pacific Railroad came into the area--even for Fort Calgary.

I learned much at Fort Calgary, and enjoyed it lots more than I expected.  They had a unique, interactive way to communicate facts:  through “posts” from Buffy Bison on his “social media” page!  What a truly innovative way to teach history and retain the attention of younger (and in my case, smaller) minds.

 

This is Buffy Bison.  I learned after taking this pic that "Buffy" is a boy!

We topped off our evening with chocolate-peanut butter ice cream from McKay’s in downtown Cochrane.  This novelty shop has been owned and operated by the same family since 1948!

 

I think I took this advice too literally!

 

 

Over-indulging with all this delicious food has given me a belly ache.  Time to pop a Pepto-Bismol!

 

Bye!