Maligne Canyon's Water Landscapes

The top 3 photos are from my hike down Lower part of Maligne Canyon. The bottom photo is a view from Upper Canyon.

Maligne Canyon

On our last day in Jasper we went to Maligne Canyon. We went on quite the walk first to Lower Canyon, then to Upper Canyon. The descent on the Lower Canyon was challenging for me and of course so was the ascent walk. There were a few times where I had to stop and steady my breathing - but really glad that I did the hike. The above are some photos of the Lower Canyon.

Views of Jasper from the top

Here is the town of Jasper

A couple of views you get to see on the top of the Jasper Tramway Observation Deck.

It is a loooooong way down!!! That little red thing on the bottom of the photo is the gondola that we rode in.

Jasper Tramway

When I saw the gondola at Jasper I must admit I got nervous as I knew we would be going up a high distance to their observation deck and then I saw there was no bench to sit on, just strap hooks from the ceiling. Luckily, we went when it first opened so there were only 5 people in our gondola going up to the top, so I was able to snag a corner of the gondola facing the mountain so I was able to hold onto two sides of the gondola. Once I reached the top, I was not disappointed by the view - basically once I am on "solid ground" I am good to view the everything including the town of Jasper - it is just the ride up and down that I have problems with. When we came down back to base I saw this mini-gondola so I got Sandy to take a photo of me - I MADE IT!!!!

Maligne Lake

One of the activities I had booked for us was a boat cruise of Maligne Lake which would take us to Spirit Island. As you can see we never got to do the cruise as the lake is still frozen. A little disappointing, but the sun was shining and the drive there and back was still break-taking.

A Big-Horn Sheep looking for a snack along the side of the road.

There was no one behind me, so I took advantage of the opportunity - I stopped the car, and took this view from inside of my car. How great is that - that is what I get to see as we drove through the mountains. Both Sandy and I thought the same thing - if you took away the mountains you might think you are driving the Trans Canada in Northern Ontario heading to like Upsala - straight road lined with trees.

The Taste of Glacier Water

When I was looking into booking a self-drive tour of the Rockies for Sandy and I, one tour organizer told me to remember to bring an empty water bottle to capture some glacier water. Both Sandra and I did that - boy - that was the most refreshing water that I have drank in a long time - it was cold and pure - it tastes so good! What an experience that was. I definitely recommend adding a visit to the Columbia Icefields to your list of places to go - it is about 2 hours north of Banff or an hour south of Jasper.

Our Big Bus!!

Here I am on the "creavse-free" part of the Athabasca glacier - in the back is the heavy-duty bus we take from the Interpretative Centre at the foot of the glacier.

Since Sandy and I were taking plenty of photos on this trip, we were trying to have things in the photo to say where we were. Until you see it in person, it is amazing how big this bus really it - we are just taller than the tires!!!

Our guide Lucas (the guy in the blue jacket) answered all our questions. This is his first year doing this - like us he is from Ontario orginally, so being able to work in the Rockies is the best. Such a contrast from Ontario landscapes.

Columbia Icefields

Mt Andromeda, Athabasca Glacier, Snow Dome (this was taken at the Interpretative Centre at the base of the glacier)

The top part of the Athabasca Glacier - I took this photo at the parking lot, which is on the glacier as well, where the huge bus dropped us off.

The Circle Ridge - the two mountains and the snow/glacier inbetween creates a circle effect.

Along the side of the road

While we drove up to Moraine Lake I saw this fast running creek running down the mountain and under the road. So on the way back to the hotel, I stopped along the side of the road and took these photographs. I have been finding since I have taken the advantage of coming to the Rockies, I am attracted to these types of landscapes. It just makes me want to capture it to enjoy at a later time at my house. Sounds strange doesn't it?

Moraine Lake

With the freshly fallen snow, the actual path to the Lake was a bit tricky so I decided to look from a distance. Adventureous Sandra made her way to get a closer look of the lake.

Moraine Lake covered in snow - I thought I would see what it looks like as a black and white. What do you think?

There was a path further down the lake that we took, so here is another view of the mountains surrounding Moraine Lake.

With the unstability of the rocks, neither Sandra or I climbed it, but here are some people climbing this huge rock pile. Hey - Canadian trivia question - what dollar bill has Moraine Lake on the back of the bill?

Lake Louise Walk

Sandy in front of Lake Louise with Victoria Glacier in the background. Lake Louise had received a fresh dumping of snow a couple of days before we got there, so the lake was still frozen. Despite the snow, it definitely didn't take away the beautiful of the Lake.

We took the path around the lake and back to the hotel. On our walk back I took this photo of the Fairmount Lake Louise Hotel.

This was one of the many times throughout our trip where we would stop and just enjoy what we were seeing. One of the things that Sandy was awed about was the symmetry of the trees on the mountain. She said that all you want to do is brush your hands throught it similar to when you brush your hands on the new carpet or blanket.