Jasper

Jasper is smaller than Banff but has a similar feel. There is the railway bringing in Rockie Mountaineers, tourists outnumber locals by about 6 to 1 and it is surrounded by stunning scenery.

This was our first hotel since Calgary and, for me at least, the first night wasn't a happy experience. Our room was immediately above the entrance to the bar where the smokers emerged to chew the fat and smoke their fags. The bar was open until 2am and drinkers loitered on until after 3am. I tried not to listen but it was impossible not to hear. It is a bit of an eye opener what people will share with strangers who happen to be having a fag at the same time. Relationship issues of every kind, the later it got the more graphic the detail. Some drinkers got aggressive as the night wore on and the were several occasions when violence seemed likely. The later it got the more I resented the noise and chatter. At on point I got up to do some shouting myself but at the last moment decided that discretion was the better part of valour. The evening culminated in a mock battle between rival bands of chimpanzees. Yes really! For maximum noise and disruptive effect try emulating a chimp ready for a fight. In the morning when I recounted the night's events to Susan she helpfully suggested that my earplugs had been in my bag beside my bed all night long. Oh b*****!

One of the highlights of the Jasper area is Maligne Lake (pronounced Maleen). The longest lake in BC by some way, we set off for a hike along one of several trails. After a ways the trail left the lakeshore and we found ourselves picking our way through mud amid tall trees. Realising that we could do this at home we retraced our steps back to the lake. On the way back to Jasper we saw another Black Bear just at the edge of the road. We stopped and he just went about his bear business and eventually disappeared back into the woods. Another reminder that we are not alone when we walk in the woods.

Edith Cavell Mountain, Glacier, Pond and Lake.

On the way into Jasper Gypsy Jack (more about him shortly) mentioned this spot and peeked my interest by saying that the glacial pond had icebergs floating in it. We retraced our steps a little ways back up the Icefields Parkway and up the mountain to the trail head. It was very steep but not too far. We were high up and the air was cold. Once again high altitude breathlessness was and issue and we took regular stops. At the view point the view was well worth it. Here was the mountain covered in snow. There was a hanging U shaped valley with an ice field in it and a glacier hanging out over a glacial pond. Sure enough the pond had icebergs floating in it. On a daily basis blocks of ice the size of a house fall off the glacier and into the pond. This causes a big splash and water pours out of the pond and rushes down the valley. There were notices warning hikers to stick to the path and with good cause. In 2012 a block of ice the weight of 100,000 London busses broke off the glacier and hit the pond. This sent a tidal wave out of the pond and down the valley, scouring out the trees and soil and leaving the landscape looking like the surface of Mars. That would have been quite a sight. Unfortunately, I don't think that there is any video of the event. I was impressed - this was nature active in the Mega-tonne scale.

We rounded off the day by scaling Old Fort Point which is a small hill just to the south of Jasper. The views were terrific all round, the birches had started to change colour and we could see the Athabasca River snaked off north and south. There were rafts floating down its gentle current in the last of the day's light. There was rain moving around and heading our way so we scurried down the hill and found a restaurant selling Buffalo meatloaf and great wine.