Month: August 2021

Today we head to Hinton, AB.  It's about a 3h drive so we aren't in a hurry to get going. We leave iRVin at 1030, get fuel and are on the road at 1050.  

We enter Jasper Park, this time we do not have to pay $10/ea as we are just passing through. Rule is, you can stop for a “pee” break but no photo taking outside of Bailey.

We finally see animals. These guys have no fear!

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The magestic Rockies are over shadowed by the wildfire smoke.

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Yet more brave ones. Drink time, Cheers!!

Great signage after seeing all the animals

We are here!

Hum, does this look sturdy enough? Off we go!

Make it!!!

And we’re set up! Site 22

Anxious to experience our time here and another Jasper visit

Smoke continues, I can’t imagine what the fire fighters are going through.  Mexico sent us 100 of their fire fighters to assist.  A short drive and our adventure begins.                                                     

The march is in the outskirts of town, the walk is a 6k loop.  I like loops.

We drive along 17th which turns into a “Bob” road, ie gravel.

We park  at the Ash parking area and walk left on the trail.  The boardwalk!

Up ahead, no photos, cause I’m frightened – 4 people walking one scary looking dog.  I’m full of anxiety.  The 4 walk slower than we do, we lag back.  Poor Allan and the stuff he has to put up with, he is so sweet and concerned he pulls out our dog/coyote spray just in case.   The group stops to gaze at the marsh.  The dog notices us and starts approaching.  Allan calls out “Could you please hang on to your dog till we pass?”  They are accomendating and do.  I explain I am terrified, they held on. 

Keep moving on   

More grassy stuff, and lots of mosquitos even though we bug sprayed.  We are into this walk 45m, total should be 60m.  15m too long for my liking.  

Make it to the lookout 

    Not so much!!

Round a corner, again no photo, there are at least 8 Canada Geese waiting to attack,  Would our whistles disperse them or attract them.  I’m not walking back through all the tickling vegatation, don’t want to go forward!  What to do…  the geese feel sorry for me and  “flock” off.  🙂 

We make a wrong turn and end up at Hwy 5, back we go and finally find Bob. 

Not the best adventure but hey, it’s done!

 

We’re off to     

It was Allan’s birthday yesterday, here he’s posing in this birthday bear t-shirt

The falls

Looking down the falls

We arrived in time to see the rafters load up     

    those brave soles                 

Waterfalls were fun, next stop                                       

We were discussing how all this sand got here…

…now we know    Beneath our feet & in our shoes!  Lots of sand.    

The sun is trying so hard, the smoke keeps winning.  This was at 111p

              So ends this trail loop

 

First stop, Visitors Centre to learn today’s must doThe suggestion is hike the Berg Lake Trail to Kinney Lake.  It’s 4.2k each way, will our weary bones make it? 

A quick walk around the Visitor’s Centre, oh our history

3,954 m = 12,972 feet   WOW  It’s not quite as smoky hereBerg Lake Trail, be kind to us 🙂Back to Bob to get our bear spray.  Berries & bears!

Fast moving river!

Tree on tree!  Mount Robson as seen from the trail, with just a little zoom

We’ve passed a few of these, skat?   If so, then the answer is…                             “Yes, a bear does shit in the woods.   

Almost there!     

Made it!!    Simply beautiful!  So calm  Beautiful!  Handsome!! 

Well earned!!  Find our rewards…Walk back, big mountains, big trees  Fence, made of logsSkies at home 🙁   Mountains gone again!   

Today’s funny     

 

 

  Today is George Hicks Park day

We walked from our park so our step goal wasn’t an issue.

View from lookout #1 

Lookout #2

Clear water, no salmon, yet.  We’ll have to research when spawning season begins. 

The park/trail was much shorter than expected.  The trail loops and we are back where we began about 15m later.

Back at Bailey the smoke from the wild firest is getting worse.  We are surrounded by mountains which are barely visible.

This is how dry the ground is.  One spark and …

Evening sky, there is a mountain there.  

July 29th  The days have been rather dreary because of wild fire smoke.  The photos on the left were yesterday, right today.  We can see the mountains!!

There is a famers market in town today, hours 4p – 7p.  Weird hours, nothing in this town opens early.  I’m hoping for tomatoes, corn & garlic scapes. We’ll walk to town, go to the market, then have dinner at the The Loose Moose that opens at 430p (even on the weekend).  We selected this restaurant because it has Rickards Red on tap.  Allan hasn’t had that since Kelowna!  And Chicken Parm.

Can’t remember if I spoke about trains here.  There are trains, super long trains, feels like they run 22/7, and blow their whistles (long, long, short, long).  We have the misfortune of hearing 2 separate crossings.  

We have been lucky on our walks to not encounter a train.  But not today                       The conductor waves 🙂 5m later we cross, yes, I timed it. 

We walk past the Valemount Fire Department.  They have an engine for sale This mural is on the side of the building. Who thought a mural of a fireman watching a fire burn was a good idea??? 

The market was larger than we expected

No tomatoes or corn, we did score garlic scapes. Yum

The Loose Moose has no Rickards on tap, in fact no beer on tap.  Then why not update your online menu?  They have all the listed bottle beers, Allan selects a bottle of Kokanee.    Sorry, we don’t have that one either.  Allan settles for a bottle of Rickards.   My wings were good.                       Allan’s Chicken Parm, bottom of photo was the weidest Chicken Parm. 

Featured in the men’s room of this classy restaurant

 

They can’t all be gems!!