Tag: Jasper

Day 5 – Jasper

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This morning the temperature had dropped and the clouds were in for our first stop of the day; Pyramid Lake which lies at the foot of Pyramid Mountain. Although the sky was completely white, the grey of the low cloud added drama to the surroundings.

Our next stop was Old Fort Point, which coinsidently was where we walked to last night. It was lovely to see it in a different light however as by now the sun had started to break through the cloud. There was some beautiful reflections in the Athabasca River and we managed to find a high up view point which we completely missed yesterday (probably a good thing as it was very icy at the top so one of us would probably have been off the side in the evening light)

After a quick swing by Jasper Park Lodge for a mooch around their grounds (basically here’s a look at another hotel we couldnt afford to put you in 😂) and we headed back into downtown for a spot of lunch. We found this amazing cafe called Bear Paws Bakery. 10/10 for the food and lattes and would 100% recommend if anybody ever comes here!

This afternoon was all about Maligne Canyon. Armed with our cleats (not clits as I had originally thought) we set off for a walk around the canyon. I’ll be honest, I thought we would get to walk around the Canyon floor however we spent the walk up high looking down into the canyon. The photos just dont do it justice and dont show how deep it actually is – 160ft deep in parts! It was still a stunning walk with more frozen falls, ice climbers and snowy surroundings. Thank god for the cleats as it really was super icy in parts. Thank God nobody make the domino effect happen, especially as most of the group are over 65 (I really hope I’m still having these adventures at 65!!) After the walk we were treated to hot wine and s’mores. What more could you want to end the day!

Day 4 – Jasper

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This morning we left Banff and began our journey to Jasper, with a few detours along the way. The first of these was a beautiful walk at the Johnston Canyon to see the lower falls; a wonderful display of how nature can make art out of ice. It was however incredibly slippery at times so thank God for the railings of the walkway, which was suspended off the side of the canyon wall. The shades of blue of the frozen falls against the white of the snow was a photographer’s wank bank, so we managed to get a fair few snaps.

Back on the bus to thaw out and we started the drive along highway 1A, which I have to say is probably one of the most scenic drives I have ever been on. The sky and the landscape was constantly changing and it was hard to know which window to look out of.

We stopped at Lake Louise ski resort for a spot of lunch which was absolute torture as I was desperate to go and join them on the slopes. One day I will get to ski in Canada! At least I got to have some of the tasty slope cuisine that is chips and a hotdog.

Back onto the highway and we stopped at another frozen waterfall to watch some crazy people climb up it. I’m all for extreme activities but I think I’d draw the line at that.

We arrived in Jasper around 4pm and I have to say I’m not sure how I feel about the town. The surroundings are beautiful, but walking around the town itself, it’s just got such a odd feeling about it.

We decided to head into the woods again and came across Old Fort Point Trail. This lead us to sunset over the Athabasca River which was wonderful to see. It was such a treat and totally worth being out in the -8 again.

We ate in another brewery tonight (again.. sorry Santa) and watched some ice hockey before coming back ready to do it all again tomorrow. The walls at this hotel are rather thin…. let’s hope there’s no horny people in the vicinity!