Author: Mary-Ann Knight

Smoke comes rapidly. What a difference a day makes! 

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Our hikes today will be the View Point trail & Lake Trail, Lake Abraham. We’ve been, pretty much off the grid since we arrived in Clive Lake.  There is no internet or cell service throughout the park, only limited access if you are right by the office.  Before setting out, we go to the office to check if anything important is happening. 

Oh no, Allan is notified our website is down.  We rush back to Bailey to pick up Allan’s computer – no way is there enough strength.  We’ll drive to Nordegg, 87k away, surely that town (population between 60 & 200) will have access. 

Allan checks with the office, great news 12k up the road there is a large pullout with coverage. 

Allan gets successfully connected and has the issue repaired within a few minutes.  We discuss driving on to Nordegg but with the smoke we wouldn’t see much. 

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Back at the park, Bailey is still hiding. There are more tents here than we have scene in any park.

Trails, here we are

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The trail is a gradual down with many stones. We hear bears, or do we?? Have whistles!

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We had to do a huge up, so big I was freaked enough to not remember to take a photo.

We made it and looped back …

Turns out it is a loop, we come out here.

Fire time! Allan loves his fire gloves. Thanks Kyle & Megan!!

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What is this??

We are heading towards Jasper on the Icefields Parkway to check out the points of interest we didn’t/couldn’t investigate in Bailey

Our ultimate destination, on this beautiful day, is the Athabasca Ice Glacier. 

We drive by glaciers, fortunately no ice this time of the year

The highway turns left, then right. We end up on the mountain that is straight ahead.  The road is just above the tree line. 

This is taken from the viewpoint on top of the mountain. The bridge that is under construction from the previous photo.   There are such big elevation changes, go figure, in the mountains there are elevation changes.

Another cyclist, high up in the mountain. I can’t imagine the ups!!

Beautiful! Breathtaking, awe-inspiring, it is impossible to describe the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.  The Rockies should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Back we go to Athabasca Ice Glacier; looking to the right of the glacier

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Looking at the glacier; those ants are really people making their way up the glacier.

The climb up. Like John I don’t do ups yet here we are!

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Informational signs along the way

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The melting ice

Almost there. I love this photo of my cute heart 🙂

The glacier! Yes, we both made it.

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Look, it’s Bob way down there

The glacier as viewed from across the highway. From here it looks like a hill when it fact, it is flat.

The drive back

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We stopped at Saskatchewan Crossing for dinner.  That didn’t work out, the restaurant was closed, only the snack bar was open. 

Love when they gouge you.  We were warned so didn’t need any fuel 

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The fuel at the park isn’t quite as crazy

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WooHoo it’s fire time…

The wood…

The Fire God!

Good night

Today’s drive

We leave at 1040. 73,370k.  Please bridge, hold us one more time 😊, we’re good, stop for fuel, on the road at 11.  Google tells us this is a 3h05m drive through the Rockies on the Icefield Highway. 

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We admire the many bicyclers that brave the Rockies.  That is one t-shirt I will never get. 

There are many school buses with rafts for white water rafting.  Another t-shirt I’ll never get. 

This orange hose runs for hundreds of kilometers along the highway, wonder what it contains.  I’m going to ask Debbie, think she will know.

Single lane

Then clear sailing past the ice glaciers

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Another single lane

We make the left turn at the Saskatchewan Crossing; Bailey’s GPS says another 15m and we’ll be there.  We always verify with Google Maps but there is zero cell service from Athabasca Falls to Lake Louise. 

500 meters to go, not looking like it.  No buildings

A beautiful view, no resort

Halleluiah!  About another 20m down the road we arrived at 242, took a little longer than 3h. Happy to be here 🙂

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A little tight

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Bailey is hiding 🙂

Someone left us a little gift.  It makes us 😊

Dinner time 😋

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We are in our glory!  🔥 time!! The KOA in Hinton had a fire ban, we assumed this one would too!

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4 for me!

That’s all for today folks!!

CRAP!!

Forgot to clean the windshield!

Soon after entering Jasper Park, we spot our first animal. An elk who could have cared less about us. The 2nd photo was taken from the passenger window. Allan “don’t open your window” 🙂

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Next stop…Brûlé Lake. We didn’t, but did see people 1/2 way across the water and it was only knee deep. Allan did test the water, report “fairy warm”

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Oh look! A train 🙂

We are heading to the Icefield Parkway. Linking Jasper with Lake Louise, the Icefields Parkway is one of the most beautiful journeys on the planet.  The 232 km stretch of double-lane highway winding along the Continental Divide through soaring rocky mountain peaks, icefields and vast sweeping valleys.

Our friend, Debbie, recommended must sees, Maligne Canyon & Athabasca Falls.

The drive is very scenic

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Here we are, Athabasca Falls

So powerful!

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Pretty amazing!

This trail, with all these exposed roots is hard to walk on.

Beautful place, happy we came

Off to Jasper for lunch at Earl’s upstairs, outdoor patio. Great view!

Lunch done, now Maligne Canyon

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Allan determing our route

Maligne Canyon is a slot canyon. Eroded out of the Palliser Formation, the canyon measures over 50 meters/164 feet deep.

Whoa! Will i look down?

Safely on the other side of the bridge, we select the F trail

Stop at one of the lookouts

We walk the trail and come across a sign .06k to the restaurant. What the sign didn’t mention is it’s all uphill. Big uphill, sadly the photos do not depict the elevation. We thought we deserved a reward before – this hill cements it!

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Huffing and puffing, we make it.

On the level, yahoo, road to the restaruant/gift shop we see some commotion. A park ranger was rattling, what appeared to be a stick with streamers on it. Turns out there was an elk in the woods right by the restaurant

Great photo, Allan! The elk made his getaway by dashing out onto the road and heading back to the woods on the other side of the restaurant.

I think the 9 oz Rocky Mountain Cab is slightly mispriced

One of my most interesting drinks; Observation Deck. Allan stuck with beer, although not amber. Jasper the Bear Ale

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OBSERVATION PEAK

Park Glacier Rye, Flor de Caña Rum, Amaro Montenegro, Cherry Liqueur, Park Orange Bitters, Smoked Cedar = Uniquely delicious

The drive back

More animals, we miss talking photos of more than we capture

Missed this herd, the dash cam didn’t

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Another fun day coming to an end

Tip of the day

But first a quick glimpse at yesterday, International Beer Day!

What happens when you have a beer or two? You cozy up with this guy!

Today's destination... William E. Switzer Provincial Park, a 20m drive from our park. Google Maps says turn left, we do.  At the point I took the second photo, Google says "Arrived". Don't think so.

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We find a place to turn around, back we go. T’is pretty

Back on track, we arrive at the Visitors Centre

Hum, maybe I shouldn’t have read this sign

Here we go…

Kelley’s Bathtub! Named for a local outdoorsman who once fell in, (wished for a more entertaining story) Kelley’s Bathtub is a picturesque pond in William E. Switzer Provincial Park with pretty mountain views and plenty of wildlife (think moose, beaver, loon, and others). Despite these potential viewings and those on the sign, we are view-less. Not complaining.

Walk over the bridge and encounter this poor fish who perhaps jumped out of the water a little too far. Or maybe, a bear ate the rest of him?

Rewards!!

Our kind of place 🙂

Evening sky.

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!!