From Calgary, I headed back to the national parks and from Banff north to Jasper. The highway between Lake Louise and Jasper is called the Icefields Parkway. As the name suggests, there are many glaciers and lakes here.
Here, I first stopped at Bow Lake and Bow Glacier with a waterfall. The hike to the waterfall goes around the lake and then up the valley - easy and quick. Definitely a worthwhile path with a beautiful, blue lake and glacier waterfall at the top.
On the way, this little guy also said hello.
I spent the night at a small campsite nearby because I wanted to go hiking the next day.
The idea was to walk past Peyto Lake to Cauldron Lake. However, the only bridge over the raging river was washed away. So I walked up the 5km anyway, mostly through the riverbed, hoping to somehow cross the river. It was still worth it. I saw the beautiful lake from different perspectives and didn't take photos where all the people were. Again, a very beautiful blue lake surrounded by mountains.
Peyto Lake One of the glaciers here that you can get very close to is the Athabasca Glacier. You can almost walk to the glacier - or pay to be driven up. Besides lakes and glaciers, there are also waterfalls.One of the interesting ones is definitely the Sunwapta Falls. With the small island right in front and the colors in the trees, it was quite impressive.
The second cool waterfall was Athabasca Falls. Something similar but quite different. Especially when you stand next to it.
Miette Hot Springs and Sulphur Ridge
The next stop was the Miette Hot Springs area. Although the weather wasn't the best, I first went on a hike to Sulphur Ridge - a mountain range with a cool view.
After being quite frozen by the wind and rain, it was a nice reward to go to the hot springs in the evening and warm up a bit.
Maligne Lake
The next day, I went to another valley to Maligne Lake. On the way, I saw moose right by the road.There are campsites here that can only be reached by boat, and I planned to spend a night here. However, they were all booked months in advance, so I could only go kayaking and then do a small hike afterwards. The great thing about being in a place that is not easily accessible is, of course, the silence and things that are otherwise hard to see, like Osprey nests or untouched nature. After kayaking, I was approached in the parking lot and asked if I wanted to do a small hike to a lake. Of course, I said yes.The lake was really beautiful and the hike was very easy - and now I know people from Uruguay.Beaver Lake
Mt Edith Cavell and Pyramid Lake
The last stops in Jasper National Park were Mount Edith Cavell and Pyramid Lake in the afternoon.
What's special about Edith Cavell is that you can get very close to a glacier again, with a small glacier lake right next to it. If you hike a bit further, you'll get breathtaking views again.
Pyramid Lake is right by the town of Jasper, located at the base of Pyramid Mountain. The lake doesn't have a spectacular color, but it is still beautiful and even has a walkable island.
Here, I also went on a short hike and found a small lake that is beautifully located in the middle of the forest. There was no one around and it was absolutely quiet. If you whistled, the acoustics were also amazing.
