Published: 10.05.2018
Today I continued towards Jasper National Park. My goal was the small town of Jasper, located in the middle of the national park and an ideal starting point for some tours in the park. I will be staying here for the next three nights and driving to some destinations in the park. I'm not sure exactly what I want to see, but I will do some reading tonight as I picked up brochures at the Visitor Centre along the way. Jasper National Park, with an area of 11,000 km², is the largest in the Canadian Rockies. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest national parks in Canada. So there is plenty to explore. I was really looking forward to the drive as it goes right through the Rockies and you can see a lot. Unfortunately, there was a weather change overnight and the sunny blue sky turned into gray sky and rain again. The high mountains were all covered by a thick layer of fog and you could only imagine what was behind it. Until shortly after entering the national park, the drive went relatively smoothly with few breaks and problems. But then I saw a car with hazard lights on the side of the road and wondered, as the spot was very unsuitable for a quick stop. Then I saw him, a beautiful grizzly bear, searching for food with his muzzle in the grass. I turned around and parked on the side of the road to observe the bear as well. After some time, he disappeared into the forest. I was so excited and full of adrenaline. A truly wonderful experience to see a bear in the wild. Especially since I had read before that bear sightings are extremely rare and you really need a lot of luck. It seems like I had consumed all the luck today, because no more than 20 minutes later, I saw the second bear on the side of the road. Another truly beautiful and large animal. The way they move and look at you with their teddy bear face is unbelievable. I arrived in Jasper around 6:00 PM and settled into my new accommodation. After that, I quickly went to the local supermarket to buy supplies for the next few days, and now I will see what I will do here in the next few days. I hope to see more wildlife. Besides bears, deer, moose, mountain lions, and many other animals live here. I'm really looking forward to the next few days.