Jasper National Park

The Rocky Mountains are known for their many national parks. After Banff National Park, we take a detour to Yoho National Park, which is located in British Columbia.

15.07.2022 Friday

Once again, we set off on a discovery tour in beautiful sunshine. We drive up the steep switchbacks. We can only navigate the curves by reverse driving. But Jens clearly enjoys the ride.

Once we arrive at the parking lot, we continue on foot to one of the largest waterfalls in Canada. The Takakkaw Falls shines at 256 meters. The origin of the waterfall is 350 meters above, where it is fed by melted glacier water.

With the massive amount of water and the depth, it creates an impressive volume. You can no longer hear your own words.

Afterwards, we head back to Alberta and towards Jasper National Park. We drive significantly higher into the mountains. The landscape becomes more barren and the snow line gets closer.

We stop for the day at Columbia Isfield. Here, the glacier extends almost to the highway. A walk at the foot of the glacier shows its retreat over the past 100 years. The glacier diminishes by 5 meters per year. As we stroll over the rocks, we discover the scratches left by the ice. The wind blowing over the mountain top brings freezing cold with it. Instead of shorts and t-shirts, we retrieve our thick clothes.

We discover a campground along the road. We gladly accept this invitation and spend the night right by the glacier.

16.07.2022 Saturday

Breakfast tastes three times better with this beautiful view.

The next day, we continue towards Jasper City.

On the way, we pick up two students who are hitchhiking through Canada during their vacation. Together, we spot a black bear walking along the road. He is not bothered by cars, motorcycles, or people. Instead, he enjoys colorful flowers and bushes.

When we leave the highway to reach Mount Edith Cavell, our guests get off.

We drive up the mountains again via switchbacks. The parking lot is already busy. No wonder, as it is an asphalted hiking trail once again. This trail is particularly popular with families with strollers.

But the four of us continue to hike up the mountain on foot as usual. Unfortunately, after 2km, we have to stop because the unpaved hiking trail is still covered in snow. So we pause and climb over the rocks following the footsteps of the marmots. During a fruit break, we have the perfect view of the glacier with the lake in front of it.

With the tranquility that we enjoy, we are shocked when we hear a loud crack and rumbling. Larger and smaller snow avalanches occur at the mountain peak.

After many hiking tours, the children seem tired, and we feel it especially in our calves.

So we shorten the tour and drive to Jasper City. This city is mainly a hub for the many trains. In the evening, we walk along the promenade and visit a playground.

17.07.2022 Sunday

The groundhog greets us daily, or in our case, the black bear.

Just as the rain begins, we start hiking. In the fog, everything becomes somewhat mystical.

When we have finally had enough hiking (for now), we head to the Miette Hotsprings in the afternoon. This is a kind of outdoor pool with natural hot springs. The hot pools are between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius. The cold pools, on the other hand, have temperatures of 26 and 19 degrees Celsius. Instead of splashing around and playing in the water, we have to be disciplined. Sit still, no jumping or splashing. It's a bit boring for the children, but we recharge our minds and souls.

That was a relaxing end to our time in Jasper National Park.

Tomorrow, we will continue on the Bighorn Highway.