I am posting this on Day 30 of our journey from an RV park in Watson Lake, Yukon Territory. We finally have a good internet connection so I will try to catch up a little. The trip has been amazing, with LOTS of wildlife. We traveled through British Columbia and are now in the Yukon.
These pictures are from our drive along the Icefields Parkway from Banff National Park to Jasper National Park. Enjoy!
Our first two stops were at Crowfoot Glacier and Bow Lake
Our first stop on the Icefields Parkway was at the Crowfoot Glacier
Bow Lake was still covered with a lot of ice
Beth at Bow Lake
Bow Lake
Can anyone identify this bush we saw growing on the banks of Bow Lake?
Next stop, a hike to see Peyto Lake. Henry learned that topsiders are not a good choice for hiking uphill through patches of slippery ice. He slipped on his way down and it’s the first time he slipped on ice and fell in June!
Snow covered the ground between the parking lot and the trail head for the Peyto Lake Hike
The paved trail was mostly clear on the way up to the overlook at Peyto Lake. Slippery snow was still on portions of the trail.
Spectacular Peyto Lake
Peyto Lake is a much deeper turquoise than the other lakes along the parkway
At Peyto Lake
Magnificent views of the mountains from the overlook at Peyto Lake
Peyto Lake
We talked to fellow travelers to Alaska at the overlook for Bridal Veil Falls.
Looking down on the Icefields Parkway from Bridal Veil Falls overlook. The overlook is at the end of a steep upward climb.
Bridal Veil Falls Icefield Parkway
We stopped for lunch at the huge parking lot for the Columbia Icefield where we had great views of the glacier.
View of the Columbia Icefields from the parking lot across the street
Columbia Icefield
When we were here in 2007, we road one of these buses onto the icefield and walked around on the glacier
A nice place to stop for lunch
After a fantastic day, we arrived at Whistler’s Campground in Jasper National Park. The warden told us to watch out for elk. It is calving season and the mother’s are very protective of their young. Just as we entered the campground we saw some adult elk with their calves. I wasn’t able to get pictures but what a great way to start our stay!
At the end of the drive we arrived in Jasper, Alberta
Our campsite at Whistler’s Campground. We passed by elk with calves on the way to our site.
Stay tuned for more of Jasper, British Columbia and Yukon Territory.
Day 22: Thursday, June 6, 2013. Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court in Banff to Whistler’s Campground in Jasper National Park via the Icefields Parkway. Site 63H. About 180 miles traveled.
I am posting this from an RV park in Dawson Creek, BC. Unfortunately, the internet connection is slow so I won’t be able to post pictures. To see the route we have taken from Georgia to here, click here to check out our updated map
Another WOW day in the Canadian Rockies and another beautiful drive. The Icefields Parkway takes you beside turquoise glacial lakes, glaciers, and snow covered mountains. There are scenic turnouts along the way where the views are jaw dropping.
Stopping at Crowfoot Glacier and ice covered Bow Lake, and walking on the trail to dark blue-green Peyto Lake, were just a few highlights of the day. After lunch at the Columbia Icefield, we arrived at the campground to see elk in the campground. It is calving season and we were cautioned to keep our distance from the elk as the mothers are very protective of their young.
I will post pictures when I can. I’m now 4 days behind in the posts…
Day 19: Monday, June 3, 2013. Ft. MacLeod, AB to Banff, AB. Banff National Park Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court Site 636. 181 miles traveled
Just when you think you will have a really easy travel day, the unexpected happens.
After hearing the rain hit the roof of the camper all night, we woke up to having to hitch up the camper in, surprise, more rain! Henry was dodging puddles as he put up the water hoses and hitched up the trailer. One of the items on his check list before leaving a campsite is to check the tire pressure. One of our new tires was losing air.
Our first order of business after leaving the campground was to find a gas station with not only an air compressor but room for our 40+ foot truck and camper to maneuver so we could put air in the tires. Luckily there was a Shell station in Ft. MacLeod that fit the bill and for the cost of a loonie (one dollar) Henry filled the tire and we were on our way.
Driving through Calgary in the rain was no fun but we made it past the city safely. Henry continued to monitor the tire pressure and saw it was still leaking air. As we approached Canmore, the only town of any size before Banff, I searched the GPS for a tire store and found OK Tire Company. We followed the GPS directions to the store which was located in a residential section of town with no big parking lot for our rig. Henry pulled over to the side of the road across the street from the store and walked to the store to see if they could help us. They told him to drive a couple of blocks to the parking area for the ball field . A technician would meet us there.
How can something so small cause such a big problem?
A few minutes later the technician arrived as promised and found a sharp object in the tire. He was able to remove it, fix the tire, and remount it all for the huge cost of $25. I highly recommend OK Tire in Canmore, AB if you are ever in need of assistance in the Canadian Rockies.
I enjoyed the view from the dog park while we got the tire repaired
While he was working on the tire, I put on my rain jacket to take Blondie for a walk. As we walked around the parking lot for the complex of ball fields I heard dogs barking. Blondie and I went to explore and found the city dog park. I retrieved her chuck it and tennis ball from the back of the truck and off we went. She ignored all the other dogs as she chased her ball time after time over the grassy field. While she played I was looking at the jaw dropping beauty of the mountains all around. Even though they were mostly covered in clouds they were still spectacular to see.
This is probably the best view we have ever had from any campsite
Before we continued on to Banff we stopped at the Visitor’s Center for directions, maps, and more brochures. Elk were in the campground to greet us when we arrived. When we arrived at our site in the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court all we could say was “WOW”. All the sites are long pull through sites with full hookups and a view of Mount Rundle. Even with the clouds and rain it was amazing. After the long stressful day we just sat in our chairs and enjoyed the view.
There would be a lot more WOW’s before departing Banff. Stay tuned….
Wandering Dawgs 