Jasper National Park

Sunday, 26.06.2022

We leave Banff and make our way to Jasper. The driving distance is 288 km and would take a little over 3 hours, but it takes us 8 hours. In addition to the driving distance, we have also hiked a total of 12 km.

From Banff, we drive the Trans Canada Highway to Lake Louise. From there, we turn onto the Icefields Parkway heading north. We have two passes to cross before reaching Jasper. The Bow River flows at some distance from the highway and forms many lakes here. We decide to visit two of them. Visiting them always means walking quite a distance from the parking lot.

The first lake is located 1 km before Bow Pass (2,067 m) and is called Bow Lake because the Bow River originates there, which is understandable.

The second lake, completely different from the first one, is located 1 km beyond the pass and is called Peyto Lake. It has an unnaturally blue color. The Mistaya River originates here.

Directly on the road is Waterfowl Lake, where we stop. The view is fantastic, especially because there is also a canoe on the lake.

A bit further down is Mistaya Canyon, another waterfall that we also have to see.

The next intersection, Saskatchewan River Crossing, where the Mistaya River flows into the Saskatchewan River, is rather unspectacular, so we continue to the second pass, the Sunwapta Pass (2,030 m). The pass forms the border between Banff and Jasper National Park.

Right behind the pass is the Icefield Centre and the Columbia Icefield, which includes several glaciers. Here you can book a bus tour to various glaciers and the Skywalk, a glass platform above the Sunwapta River. We skip both and hike to the Athabasca Glacier on foot. Along the way, the retreat of the glacier since 1890 is well described.

Our drive towards Jasper is interrupted by another waterfall, Athabasca Falls. From there, we continue directly to Jasper without any further stops.

Monday, 27.06.2022

Yippee Yeah - we saw bears

But first things first. This morning, right after breakfast, we head to Maligne Lake, which is 48 km away. Once there, we book a boat tour that takes us almost across the entire lake to a small island called Spirit Island. Back at the dock, we treat ourselves to a delicious waffle with blueberries. Then we hike the Moose Trail to a small lake where, if we're lucky, we can see a moose. Unfortunately, we're not lucky.

On the way back to Jasper, we see a few goats that look a bit scruffy because they are shedding their winter fur. Shortly after, we see a bear family consisting of a mother bear with three cubs. The animals are at the shore of Medicine Lakes. Unfortunately, we can't get close enough because there are too many cars in front of us. Then the mother walks with the cubs across the road and up the very steep mountain. Here, we can take some photos.

Just before Jasper, the Maligne River forms a deep gorge called Maligne Canyon. There are six bridges over the gorge, which you can walk across one by one. Each bridge is different and offers different perspectives of the valley and the river.

After a very active day, we are looking forward to a relaxed evening at the hotel.

Tuesday, 28.06.2022

Rain is forecasted for today. Nevertheless, we start a hike at Pyramid Lake. The weather holds up so far, but the air is very humid, which attracts mosquitoes that attack us vigorously. After 5 km, sweaty and a bit bitten, we arrive back at the car. We spend the rest of the day taking a stroll through Jasper. We quickly find a good bakery with coffee service. Now we can relax and enjoy.