28/05

Wow Wow!! Got up early again, 7.00am and was out by 7.30am, on the road to Mount Robson. Folks, Bernies directions stated that Robson was about 30 minutes from Jasper. Well, all I will say is that 230 Kms later atanaverage speed of 60Km an hour - you do the Math!! Honestly Bernie, call yourself a Professor!

It was good though and I had breakfast at the Mount Robson visiotrs centre at the foot of the Mountain. A proper wooden lodge - quite lovely. I took loads of photos which will take some sorting out.

On the way I saw two white tailed deer come jumping out of the woods on my right hand side. They were clearly spooked and as I watched a grey wolf appeared behind them with something dead and bloody hanging from its mouth, they obviously thought they were next!

The advise here isnot to stop as this is bear Country and a Black bear was seen at the Hostel in Jasper the other night. This was confirmed to me by 2 people but more on that later.

I was back in Jasper by lunchtime but I decided directly to Lake Maligne where you cantake aboat trip. Well, you can when the Lake is not frozen, which it is.

I watched from the road bridge as some huge Rainbow Trout swanin the river, they were honestly about a foot and a half long - huge. I then sat on the shore line which still has snow and ice along it just taking in the magnificence of it all.

i retraced my tracks to Maligne Gorge which I walked with a German girl called Natasha, she spoke great English, which put me to shame, and she was good company. The Gorge, well it is deep! The ice melt is making everything quite spectacular. The rivers are running whitewater torrents and the falls are thunderous cascading tons of melt water. The sides of the Gorge have great sheets of ice some 30 mters high clinging to the walls. We walked to the bottom and then returned to the top. A recommended walk for anyone coming to the area. Natasha was staying at the Hostel when the Black bear appeared, she confirmed the story I had heard.

I wanted to go up Whistler Mountain so we parted company and I headed off. I took thge cable car part way up and then walked to the summit. I did this for you folks so that I can tell you that I sank up my hips in the snow field which you cross from the main trail to the summit, about 4200mts. i crossed the field huffing and puffing, and scrambled to to the top. More photos to prove it!

The cable car manager who had walked up behind me took the pictures. He was wearing only a pair of trainers and shorts, cocky b******. Typically he was English and was working in Jasper for the season. A nice guy and then left me, decending at the speed of light, oh to be 20 years younger.

I finally got off the Mountain about 7.00pm. A good day. Actually, a very good day.

Now to try and sleep, it's 10.10pm and it's still broad day light.

There's more to come.

Chris