Day 7 Jasper - Maligne Canyon and Lake

We managed to snooze a little longer this morning waking just before 8.  We got ourselves showered and dressed then finished up some of the pastries we had for breakfast along with some mixed fresh fruit.

We had a booking for the Maligne Lake boat tour to Spirit Island for 2.30 this afternoon, so we decided to spend the morning at Maligne Canyon.  The parking lot is just a 15/20 minute drive from the town of Jasper.  The weather is forecast to be more reliable than yesterday but we still started with some snow flurries as we headed for the Canyon.  We parked up, changed into our walking boots but now the sun was shining so I decided to brave it with a fleece, Keith stuck with his coat.  We decided on the "moderate" walk which would give us a round trip from bridges 1 to 4 in total. It was quite a long walk down! A mix of steps and natural path took us to the bridges criss-crossing the canyon giving views down to the cascading river.

After viewing the views at the 4th bridge we headed back up! Lucky us! Eventually we reached the car park and opted to have a coffee in the restaurant.  We sat outside on the patio overlooking the river before it falls into the gorge.

Back to the car and we headed off towards Maligne Lake, just gazing at the ever expanding mountain vistas, every turn is like a postcard.

We passed Medicine Lake which looked half empty of water (we later discovered this is called the disappearing lake as the water falls into underground tunnels in fall and winter before resurfacing further down the valley.  The lake refills during the spring and summer melt).

The drive down Maligne Road to the lake is about 43km so takes a while.  We parked in the overflow/upper car park and decided to eat the picnic lunch I had prepared before we left. We then walked down to the lake shore and had a glance at where we needed to catch the boat later. We had about an hour to spare so took the easy walk to the left of the lake.

Back at the boat Dock we waiting for our boat time to be called then headed onto the Dock and boarded our boat 'the John Albert'.  Our guide was Syndey and our boat driver was Becca.  We were soon on our way with instructions that we were allowed to stand outside on the back of the boat to take pictures if we liked (no kire than 6 at a time tho). We took turns to view the mountains as we powered down the lake.  Spirit Island is approx 14km from our starting point. We pulled into the nearby Dock and were then allowed to get off to view the island.  Its not technically an island at this time of the year but because of its special meaning to some, it is not accessible to the public.  We spent about 15 mins here before the boat sounded a horn to signal us back on board for the return journey.  We had a lovely chat on the way back with a couple of ladies from the Seattle area who were very interested in things like ... how did we cope driving on their side of the road (apparently we drive on the wrong side in the UK) and do we have guns!  This was a spectacular trip, with stunning views in every direction.

Back on dry land we headed to the gift shop, where I added to my ever growing fridge magnet collection and also found a couple of sweatshirts I liked, well buy one get one half price couldn't be missed!

We drove back up Maligne Road, stopping at the 5th bridge of Maligne Canyon, the drove back into Jasper and had brief visits to Pyramid and Patricia Lakes before returning to our apartment.

We had been hoping to go back to Earl's for dinner but unfortunately they had no availability.  So after a wander down the main street we decided on the Mad Grizzly.  We started with lemon pepper chicken wings, then I had Curried Duck with jasmine rice and Keith had Grizzly noodles with beef.  I also had a gin and grapefruit cocktail.  It was a lovely little restaurant with good food.

And unfortunately that just about wraps up our stay in Jasper, tomorrow we head south down the Icefield Parkway.  There may not be a blog update tomorrow as we are staying at Emerald Lake Lodge which has no WiFi or Internet connections!! Will hopefully be back the following day. 

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Day 6 Jasper - Lakes and Mountains

We woke between half 6 and 7 this morning and after taking out time over a cup of tea we got our selves sorted and headed out into the cold damp morning to find breakfast. It was cold enough for our breath to show in the air at just a couple of degrees! We settled on Smithys cafe on the main road through Jasper town. Keith ordered an omelette breakfast with hash browns and pancakes while I had cinnamon pancakes. 

Over breakfast we chatted about what to try and do today given the forecast was for possible rain all day. We decided to start with Valley of the 5 Lakes just a few km away. On the drive it became apparent that snow had fallen to a lower level of the mountains last night with a faint line visible much lower than the main snow from winter (the grey bit in the photo). 

We parked up and put on our hiking boots, and warm waterproof jackets and headed off. We had decided to do the moderate 4.5km hike which would allow us to see all five lakes without circling the larger 1st and 5th lakes. We decided to go anticlock wise as Keith had read it was less of a steep climb and more gradual that way. There was a lot of elevation changes and it too a while before we reached the first lake but it was certainly worth it. The green colours of the lake were amazing, the rain had stopped and the sun came out and our warm winter coats were no longer needed really. We walked a little way round the first lake before heading off towards the 2nd. 

This was not much more than a puddle, not sure why but we carried on and were rewarded with spectacular views of lakes 3, 4 and 5. With the sun out and the clouds lifting, the mountains in the background gave a stunning backdrop to these amazing coloured lakes. We also saw chipmunks and squirrels. This was quite a strenuous hike but was most certainly worth it and a highlight so far. We passed quite a few other walkers but it still felt quiet and very special.

We eventually trudged back to the car, our ankles and thighs aching. We perched in the boot of the car and ate an apple fritter we'd purchased yesterday. With the weather still on our side we decided to have a look at the Jasper Sky Train for a trip to the top of Whistler's Mountain.  On the way we saw a group of female and young elk on the side of the road.

We parked up and went to the ticket book.  Our tickets were issued for the next ride in about 10 mins. This is a guided tram rather than a gondola with two trains, one on each side of the station. The base station is just above 4000 feet and the journey to the top lasts around 7-8 minutes.

 

Not my photo!

The views going up were awesome and the guide in the carriage gave us a running commentary on the mountains ranges and specific mountains we could see with the town of Jasper in the middle. Once at the top we emerged to a snowy scene and had a wander around the very short boardwalk area. To be honest we were a little disappointed that there wasn't more planned walk ways, they were also quick to tell you if you went off their boardwalk you were no longer their responsibility if you hurt yourself! There were plenty of others continuing the snowy climb up to the summit but we decided against it. Instead we headed into the restaurant to have a hot chocolate sitting at one of the windows looking down in the lakes, trees and never-ending trains coming in and out of Jasper.  

There were dark clouds approaching and as we booked in for our return trip down the mountain we were told there was a delay due to wind. No one seemed to concerned but the weather closed right it, totally whiting out any few off the platform where the building was, no trees, mountains or anything was visible and then it started to snow! From where I was stood I could see one of the operators reading a handbook about such delays, that started with help for 30 and 60 mins outages. I did have quite a start and a laugh when I caught the next instruction about not talking to guests about overnight stays, as it hadn't happened before! Other instructions were to strongly discourage visitors from attempting the path down the mountain (we were 7425ft above sea level) and for staff to keep calm and in control while understanding scared guests might get angry!! Starting to fear the worst it was a relief when just 30 mins later they announced they were restarting and our group was loaded into the first tram. It did feel like we were guinea pigs but I guess they knew what they're doing. After a couple of mins we set off with our guide saying she would normally point out interesting things out the window but it was still a complete white out! As we descended the clouds lifted a little although it snowed nearly all the way down to the base station. The trip down was smooth although the carriage full of people were peculiarly quiet. It was quite a relief to see the car park come in to view and it was certainly an experience to remember.  The weather at the base station was damp with light rain!

We headed back to the apartment and had a rest before dinner. I have also managed to book the Maligne Lake cruise for 2.30 tomorrow.

We walked into town for dinner at Earls. We started with salt and pepper wings to share.  Keith then had truffled parmesan chicken with risotto, I had cajun chicken and bbq ribs with warm potato salad and slaw.  All really love.

A quick stop at the supermarket for some crisps and cheese and then we walked back to the apartment.

Earls (upstairs)

Whistler's mountain

Keith's step count 15900.

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Day 5 Clearwater To Jasper

We're we tucked up fast asleep just after 9.30 last night, shattered after the long drive, so no surprise, we were awake early! Just after 6am!! Keith had woken with a sore ear. He had mentioned it last night when we arrived at the hotel.  His right ear canal was swollen and closed up. He had a quick chat with the insurance people to see what they suggested. They were super helpful and agreed with our suggestion to check with a local pharmacy first as there wasnt much options for Dr's where we were and if it got worse speak to them again tomorrow when in Jasper. 

Having had a chat about what we wanted to do today we decided to head to Helmcken Fall early as we were up, about 45 mins away, then return to Clearwater when the pharmacy was open.

We had breakfast included with the room so popped to the dining area for a cooked breakfast, then packed the cases and checked out. We were on the road before 8am!  We passed very little traffic on our way and felt like we had the whole of Wells Grey Provincial Park to ourselves.  With just 4km to go the road signs stated that the falls viewing area was closed due to renovation! What!! 41 of 45km completed up a dead end road before a warning! Not impressed.  

Not much we could do though, so we turned around and decided to stop at some of the other stopping points we had seen on the way.  First stop was a narrow "wooden" bridge we had crossed.  Very pretty and very fast flowing through this narrow point in the river.  

Pics to follow, sorry

Onwards, and our next stop was Dawson Falls. We had a short walk through the woods, I was a little nervous as we were literally alone and I was conscious it could be bear country, but once we heard the thunder from the water and glimpsed the stunning river and falls I soon forgot about bears.  Not tall but such power, it was amazing.

We returned to Clearwater and spoke to the chemist who was very helpful and suggested some antibiotic eardrops as a first step.  She thinks it could be an insect bite, he does have one on his cheek and another appeared later in the day on his hand, he must be tasty! We then popped into the supermarket next door to grab some lunch stuff for later (crackers, cheese, turkey and cakes/pastries).  We also popped in to Tim Hortons for a coffee and a small box of Timbits.

Back on the road and we drove until 12.30 when we got to Blue River where we decided to stop and enquire about the safari cruise I had heard about.  We were in luck with space on the next trip in about half an hr.  From the signs outside we assumed this was an hour long boat trip, oh no ... 3 hrs later we returned to Dock! They had suggested we wrap up warm as the second part of the trip often gets chilly so we returned to the car to get our coats although we thought this might ge a bit much.  Then we had to don life jackets and they also handed out waterproof ponchos as the weather looked unsettled and said to pop then under the seats until needed.  

More pics to follow

We started out on what looked like 2 long canoe/kayaks strapped together, not what we were expecting, but hey ho, we'd paid up so off we went.  Keith looked a little dubious! We were guided out onto Mud Lake (named after a mountain) and learnt about the habitat surrounding the lake, the trees, the weather and the animals, whilst keeping a lookout on the shore for moose or bears.  The guide said if we had waterproofs it might be a good idea to pop them on, no one did, until about 2 minutes later when the cold rain started and we realised he knew better than us! It didn't last long, just a passing shower, but we all kept the ponchos on.

After a while we headed for a pontoon in the middle of the lake where we disembarked and waited for 2 jet boats.  We then swapped places with their passengers and set of for a thrilling ride round the bends of the Blue River.  We also met the owners 2 dogs who just love joining the passengers on their ride.

Lots more pics to follow but on other camera so will probably wait til I get home!

We paused for a while near the base of Mud Mountain, with a little more chat from the guide, before we set of back down the river to the lake.  We paused again by a small "beach" area, and there we saw a black bear!  So lovely.  We watched for a while til it wandered off back in the woods and we headed back to the pontoon.  We swapped boats again back to the double canoes and headed back to the shore first stopping to view a waterfall. The rain had started again along with some hail. We were very grateful for all the layers of coat, life jacket and waterproof ponchos!!  The weather changes quite quickly.

Back on dry land, we sat and ate our lunch, although by now it was 4pm, before getting back on track with our journey to Jasper.  We did stop for another fuel stop on the way but other than that we just kept going.  As we got nearer the scenery changed to more snow capped mountains, taller than the Whistler ones.  As we left British Colombia and entered Alberta we rounded a corner to see the most impressive sight, Mount Robson.  Absolutely stunning! Just breathtaking. 

We also changed time zone so now 7 hrs behind Uk time not 8.  We drove on and eventually got to the park entrance and purchased an annual parks pass (c$153). Soon we were entering Jasper itself and quickly found our accommodation for the next 3 nights, The Red Chair Inn, a private apartment found on Airbnb.  Its a lovely basement apartment, very clean and modern. 

Tired from another busy day, we walked the short distance to town and grabbed a takeaway pizza from pizza hut.   Strangely it shares a shop, counter and staff with the KFC who sell fries here not the biscuits the Americans do!

We took the pizza back to the apartment and chilled with a bottle of red wine left by the owners.

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Day 4 Whistler to Clearwater

This morning we packed our cases ready to leave Whistler behind. We ate the remains of yesterday's lunch Sub and Melon pieces. After a quick chat with Mum we set off north at about 9.50. We decided to make a fuel stop before we actually left the Whistler area and stopped at a Chevon station and put C$50 in (1.89 per litre). We also grabbed a couple of Coffees. 

We had briefly considered squeezing in the gondola trip as the peak to peak was due to restart today, but knowing we had a long drive ahead we decided against it. Google maps claimed we had at least a 5hr drive but know these are usually longer than stated. 

We drove for around 40 minutes before stopping at a parking area for Nairn Falls. A sign said it was a 1.5km walk to the falls. The walk was alongside a very fast flowing river, with crystal clear water. The pathway was rocky underfoot with some reasgentle undulations, although at the far end it was a little more difficult climbing up the rocky surface to the viewing platform. We stood watching the powerful upper fall for a while, then Keith scrambled down to the lower one whilst I had a quick rest in the sunshine. Not the weather we'd been expecting today as the forecast had been for rain. Overall the walk and viewing had taken us just over an hour. 

Photos of Nairn Falls to follow!! 

Back on the road we were soon exclaiming over the stunning scenery, the lakes and rivers with stunning mountain backdrops. We pulled over a few times to take photos. 

Approaching the town of Lillooet about 2pm we decided to make a lunch stop at Tim Hortons. We had a couple more coffees and shared a flatbread pepperoni pizza. Keith also had something called a honey cruller and I ordered an apple fritter. 

The scenery changed from the wooded snow capped mountains to a slight less dramatic landscape, with wider, calmer rivers, farming areas, and less spruce trees, but it was still lovely. We made our way through the town of Kamloops, where we stopped again to fill up with fuel to save having to do it tomorrow. As we left yhd fuel station the weather ahead looked ominous with dark clouds, we didnt get far before the rain started. It continued for most of the way on towards our destination of Clearwater.

We checked in to the Quality Inn at around 6pm and after a short rest went to find some food at the nearby Hop n Hog smokehouse. To be hibesfcwe weren't really hungry, so ended up ordering 3 starts/tapas plates to share (prawn cevice with corn chips, crispy pork belly and brisket stuffed jalapeno peppers wrapped in bacon! All delicious.  

We were shattered so headed back to the hotel for an early night.

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