Day 1

The first stage - Home to Jasper via Calgary

We had a very early start on Thursday 18th July, our taxi picked us up at 6.30am for the journey to Manchester Airport and a short flight to Heathrow Terminal 1. Having waved goodbye to our luggage at Manchester, and having time in hand, we chose to walk to Terminal 3, any exercise would be good with the coming few hours of inactivity. Air Canada desk found, and formalities completed, we did not have too long to wait before boarding, and take off was on time. Because of a 14.15 take off it stayed light for the whole flight and thank goodness! We crossed Iceland, Greenland and the northern, very unpopulated areas of Canada. Barren volcanic landscapes gave way to snow covered mountains, glaciers and miles of pure wilderness.

The urge to sleep overcame us both from time to time, but the sleep was brief, so dramatic were the views. We arrived in Calgary, Alberta just 2 hours and 20 minutes after take off – if you forget about the seven hour time difference. The luggage arrived on the carousel quite quickly and a taxi should be waiting... which was just about the time when I realised my mobile phone was missing!

Air Canada were contacted and not a tutting sound was heard, our seat numbers were noted and ten minutes later said mobile was back in my hand! Aforementioned taxi had been very patient and was now able to take us to our first hotel, one night only, but excellent.

The coach picking us up for the transfer to Jasper would not be arriving until lunchtime so after a good sleep and breakfast we picked up a courtesy map from the hotel desk and made our way to the banks of the Bow River.

Strolling along the riverbank path we saw a sign for Prince's Island Park, an area being re-developed or should that be un-developed into a nature haven. It was perfect, squirrels of a black and tan colouration, some completely black, scampered all around us. Canada Geese some with goslings were numerous, above all peace and quiet and chance to relax after a long journey the day before and a coach journey of several hours to come.

Our coach arrived on time and after a couple of circuits of Calgary city centre, and its building sites, while we picked up other guests, we were on our way to Jasper. Not far north of Calgary there is a plain where the horizon on any side is many miles away, it was while we passed along that plain that the most spectacular thunderstorm we have ever witnessed took place.

As  the clouds massed into one dark, brooding sky the driver announced over the speakers that the weather may be a "bit interesting" for a while. Interesting! Lightning flashes virtually covering the whole sky, thunder the like of which I have never heard, and rain, big rain, and hailstones in enough quantity to cover the whole of the landscape in minutes.

Somewhat strangely from experiences at home, as we neared the beginning of the mountains the weather improved. Kestrels and Red-Tailed Hawks were spotted as we progressed towards Banff.

A few drop-offs at hotels and then a comfort stop at the bus depot saw us having a cup of Tetley tea much to the consternation of the lady in charge of the café, she took great trouble to point out that our tea bags had no dunking string! I did not waste my time trying to explain the heritage involved in our choice!!

As the journey continued the views became ever more spectacular, another comfort stop at the parking area for the Columbia Icefield gave us the opportunity to photograph the glacier and its surrounding mountains.

As we neared Jasper Josie and I spotted a bear at the side of the road, a little further along a small traffic jam led the driver to announce "Wildlife ahead!", no matter how inconvenient for other road users a good sighting evidently leads to most vehicles stopping. This one was another bear, a small black bear feeding on berries just a few yards from the roadside. Nearer to Jasper Mule Deer were also seen from the coach.

Arriving in Jasper we were the last drop-off from the coach and upon presenting ourselves at the check in desk we were informed that our booking had been cancelled! A duty manager was summoned and a temporary and quite small room was found for our first night, together with an assurance that the situation would be righted the next day. Quite late in the evening now, we had a quick meal and had our first experience of the wandering elk as one sauntered past the bar.

An early night was called for, tomorrow we had a car to collect, and my first experience of driving on the other side – should be fun!

The full image album can be found on Webshots.

Day 2

Saturday 19/7 - Jasper and two lakes

During the coach journey I had tried to observe the traffic flows with a reversed perspective and the traffic in and around Jasper seemed relatively quiet so I was not too worried. One thing that did intrigue me was a sign at a junction saying "Stop – four way." While doing the vehicle walk round i.e. a check for damage prior to my rental, I asked the rental manager about the junction. Evidently it was simple, all four roads were required to stop and then proceed in the order in which they had arrived at the junction! I can imagine the chaos that would cause at home. We had just enough time for a drive round town before returning to the hotel for our room change, the four way crossings worked perfectly, drivers had manners and were expected to give way to pedestrians at all times. The practice drive went well and so, thankfully, did the room change... at last we could unpack properly.

Our first proper outing was that afternoon, a short drive to the Lakes of Beauvert and Annette. The colours of the lakes and the surrounding mountains were superb, the glacial melt water seems to add to the contrast. Walks around the two lakes took us most of the afternoon and under a hot sun it was more than enough exertion, we were fortunate enough to see a Chipmunk by Lake Annette, a Squirrel was spotted in the woods and Common Loon were at large upon the waters.

While walking we chatted about the many months of planning, the arguments (or were they lively discussions?) that had taken place over the itinerary... and how worthwhile it had all been so far.

The drive back to the hotel felt much more comfortable, what on earth had I been worrying about!

The full image album can be found on Webshots. 

Day 3

Sunday 20/7 - Miette Hotsprings

The next morning we walked the short distance to Jasper town centre to acquaint ourselves with the shops and went into one of the many adventure booking stores. The gentleman who answered our queries about their offerings was patient and knowledgeable, after some discussion we decided to book on an evening canoe trip for the following day. Paddling it had said was voluntary, wildlife sightings were many and varied, and the weather forecast was good, perfect.

After consulting our local map we had decided on a drive to Miette Hotsprings, it offered some good trail walks and fair bit of history along the way. It was a blisteringly hot day and we were glad to get parked up and out of the car, Highway 16 was an easy drive but the air-conditioning was not up to much.

A Ground Squirrel posed on some rocks by the path at one point but not much else was to be seen.  Apart from stunning mountains, a pretty stream gurgling its way past us, a clear blue sky and beautiful trees and flowers all around us, it was so relaxing we just walked and chatted. We passed the site of the old baths, now derelict, and smelled and felt the hot and acrid outflow of the sulphurous water.

Having crossed a couple of bridges and reached a part where the trail became indistinct we sat for a while and had our lunch, we slowly wandered back down the same trail admiring the views we had missed on the outward leg, a fellow walker advised us it was 30C, we did not need to be told it was hot. It was not always practical to stop for wildlife sightings, no matter what we had been told, glimpses of Bighorn Sheep and a Bald Eagle on the drive back were just that... glimpses. Further towards Jasper a Coyote loped nonchalantly across the road, too far away to photograph but very identifiable.

Tomorrow would be Monday 22nd July, over an early evening meal we discussed our options and decided on an early start to try and beat the heat, then an afternoon rest was planned before the canoe trip.

The full image album can be found on Webshots. 

Day 4

Monday 21/7 - Maligne Lake and Canyon plus an evening canoe trip on Pyramid Lake

Maligne Lake was our destination and what a good decision, on the drive there I spotted movement in the trees at the side of the road and swiftly pulled over. A black bear was foraging for food, the camera was grabbed and the window lowered right down, unfortunately I could still not get a good view. Assuring Josie that I would stay by the car I took a deep breath and stepped out... and started a stampede, other vehicles had stopped and now that I was out in the open many more followed. That was good in a way as the larger the group, the less likely a bear is to attack, cameras whirred and clicked as the bear fed happily then it uttered a couple of deep, low calls and two cubs shimmied down a nearby tree and joined it. What a fantastic sight, all too soon the bear summoned the cubs and they wandered deeper into the woods and out of sight, when I returned to the car Josie was happy to have seen the action from a little further away!

Resuming our journey we were enthralled at what we had witnessed, this was just what we had hoped for. Maligne Lake is the largest in Jasper National Park and being 22 kilometres long did not offer a practical circular walk, instead we had another very pleasant there and back walk along the shore, seeing an Osprey at reasonably close distance along the way. The steep gorge of Maligne Canyon was visited during our return drive to Jasper. An amazingly narrow, steep walled gorge of limestone bedrock has changed shape many times during its history as the plunging water constantly seeks and finds new routes. A short but very steep walk guided us round some amazing viewpoints as the canyon dropped down to lower ground.

On our return to Jasper we took the opportunity of an early evening meal to re-fuel our bodies and then some rest out of the sun before the canoe trip. It was relatively easy to spot our transport when it arrived, there was a trailer with a rather large canoe onboard! The driver, Chuck, introduced himself and on we got, just a short drive away was Pyramid Lake our objective for the evening.

During that short drive Chuck told us about the training and safety drills that would be necessary before we actually set foot in the canoe.

Arriving at Pyramid Lake and the parking area Chuck and his assistant Angele swiftly readied the canoe, and then the drills began. First, life jacket fastening... easy. Second, paddling techniques... not easy, at least for some. Josie and I had picked the basics up quite easily and were chosen to be the first two guests into the canoe, Chuck explained that the craft became more stable as more people were in and seated. With six guests and two experts on board we should have been able to generate some serious paddle power, but for that cohesion and co-ordination are required, and we had neither of those two qualities. The second attempt was much better and now we were gliding through the water, we reached our first rest point and Chuck gave us an interesting talk about the history, geology and biology of the area, a fantastic ridge of Limestone mountains lay to one side of us, on the other including Pyramid Mountain, gog quartzite the hardest mineral found in the Rockies also containing Iron Pyrite or Fools' Gold.

Josie enquired about the voluntary paddling and Chuck smiled explaining that we could leave all the paddling to him and Angele if we wished, but it was an awful long way back to the parking area, so back to the paddling then! But not yet, the uncoordinated couple decided that they needed to switch seats despite Chuck’s warning that this needed a quite dangerous manoeuvre for unskilled paddlers.

We had a hasty lesson in anchoring the boat by pressing down with our paddles in shallow water, and then several wobbles later the troublesome twosome were re-seated, now able to splash different fellow passengers from the outward leg. A sighting of a juvenile beaver on the way back was fantastic, attempts at photographs of it from a wobbly canoe were not good unfortunately. Complimentary words from Chuck and Angele about our paddling were unexpected but very welcome and helped ease the tiredness of muscles rarely used, a swift couple of drinks upon our return to town and we were soon ready for a good sleep.

The full image album can be found on Webshots. 

Day 5

Tuesday 22/7 - Pyramid Lake again

We decided on a bit of a bit of a lazy day on Tuesday, it was cooler and a little cloudy. After a late breakfast and stroll around Jasper we returned to Pyramid Lake. It had looked well worth further exploration as we paddled around the lake the evening before, and so it proved. A stunning location just below the 2763 metre mountain that gave it its name, lots of trails to walk and a nice temperature. Walking in groups of four or more was advised because of bear activity in the area, and while we are not anti-social, at least most of the time, we preferred our own company, so several short walks none straying too far from the lakeside were enjoyed, although with our awareness fully switched on. The lake also has an island, accessible by a footbridge, and delightful, one of the most relaxing places we have ever been to.

Squirrels almost begged for food, but of course feeding them is prohibited, and when food is not offered they screech in protest!

On the drive back down to Jasper several large Elk were feeding by the roadside offering probably our best yet opportunity for photographs, more people are injured by Elk than Bears so a suitable amount of respect and distance is advised.

Checking our holiday documents that evening we discovered that our Saturday pick up time for transfer to Calgary and a 14.15 flight to Vancouver was 11.15, alarm bells rang and check with the hotel desk confirmed that the journey was about five hours. A telephone call first thing the next day was planned.

The full image album can be found on Webshots. 

Day 6

Wednesday 23/7 - "The Jasper Tramway" up Whistlers Mountain

A short call to the transfer company confirmed our fears, checking the paperwork in advance we had failed to spot the error, we were assured that the responsibility lay with them and "some sort of vehicle" will pick us up at 7.30am on Saturday.

The staff in shops, bars and restaurants were faultless, friendly without being a nuisance and very efficient, a lack of foresight had left my altimeter watch useless due to the battery needing replacing and we decided to try the shops in Jasper. A jewellers offered perhaps the best opportunity, alas they did not have the correct one in stock but recommended another shop just a short distance away, no luck there but they recommended... Four shops in all later and back at the first one. The owner lived in Hinton and was sure the battery could be bought there and would be brought to the shop tomorrow, it seems the battery is one of those mainly available in the UK.

We had decided on a cable car ride or the Jasper Tramway as it is known as locally, which transports you for a very reasonable fee to 2200 metres of the 2466 metre Whistlers Mountain, not to be confused with Whistler ski resort which is much closer to Vancouver. The name Whistlers comes from the Marmots which live on and around the summit.

As our cable car ascended the views became more and more spectacular, the walk to the summit although only a 246 metre height gain, was not rushed. We savoured each segment of view, Mount Robson the highest peak in the Rockies stood proud in the distance in amongst a surrounding group of spectacular mountains. Icy blue rivers and lakes were like ribbons beneath us as we walked steadily towards the summit, young kids in sandals raced past us, others older and wiser or perhaps just breathless like us took their time. Pretty wildflowers grew out of the sparse soil and in between rocks and then the top! It is so popular mini cairns have been built everywhere, the main summit cairn is unmistakeable, as is the direction disc, but there are literally dozens of other cairns which denote absolutely nothing.

We wandered across the top and a little way day down the other side seeking a little bit of peace and quiet, someone was photographing rocks! Or not, as it turned out, as we neared he pointed out the Marmots munching the sparse vegetation and we spent more than a few pleasant minutes enjoying the antics of these beautiful, gentle creatures.

The descent was gentle in the cable car, the return to Jasper was chaotic as an Elk stag wandered to and fro across the road. Fortunately all the drivers involved had the patience necessary to let the Elk go where it wanted, sounding of horns is not recommended in these circumstances.

Two full days left to go in Jasper, and tomorrow we head to the most spectacular waterfalls in the region!

The full image album can be found on Webshots. 

Day 7

Thursday 24/7 - Athabasca Falls

The next morning we called at the jewellers to be greeted with a sad, apologetic face. The owner explained that her husband had tried several outlets in the larger town of Hinton with no success, as we chatted her eyes suddenly lit up, a display model very similar to my own watch had caught her eye! Battery change completed, my watch lit up too! All my attempts at payment were rebuffed, as I said earlier, faultless.

Athabasca Falls took about an hour's driving to reach, and will take many years to forget. A huge river, enriched by glacial melt, reaches a narrow and forced drop and limestone bedrock. Over the years various passages have been forged by the river, then abandoned as the forces of nature created new courses. We marvelled at the sights, sun and water spray combining to make a mini rainbow at one point, crashing water so loud we could not hear one another from a couple of feet away, and then just past the outflow... so quiet all we heard were the birds singing. Nature at its best and soon after that we took a side road on an impulse and were rewarded with thirty or so Elk appearing from the trees by the river. This was how we had hoped to see Elk, young ones ventured into the middle of the river as the adults grazed the riverbank, how beautiful.

The full image album can be found on Webshots. 

Day 8

Friday 25/7 - Pyramid Lake on my birthday

Friday and our last full day, kindness deserves kindness so a nice bottle of wine was delivered to the owner of the jewellers, first objective of the day completed. We had enjoyed the scenery and atmosphere at Pyramid Lake so much we decided to spend our last day there, short walks and a lovely picnic, with the Squirrels and Common Loons much in evidence made it a special day, and it was, my birthday!

The car was returned unharmed, PHEW!! The petrol had been cheap at approximately half UK prices, so all in all a good first foreign motoring experience.

We had booked a table in a restaurant adjoining a bar close to the hotel, the staff told us we had chosen a great "hang out spot" as we called for a couple of drinks most nights, they were great people, really interested in what their customers were doing during the day and adding their own advice too.

A wonderful birthday meal, if you don't like steaks don't read on... 16oz Ribeye that could have been cut with a spoon... WOW... Oh and then a free drink too... perfect!!! So to bed and to dream of what sort of transport would pick us up tomorrow. Well almost, first we had to pack our four bags so that two could be stored in Vancouver and only two taken on the cruise. I think my lack of interest in that part was repaid the next morning when one of the heavy bags "slipped" off the luggage trolley onto my knee!

The full image album can be found on Webshots. 

Day 9

Saturday 26/7 - Back to Calgary

A last message for now was sent to our daughter Lisa, now just a few days away from her expected due date of the arrival of a new baby for her and partner David, and a new grandchild for us. Using the free internet access at the hotel had been of great value, a telephone card which brought the cost of calls to the UK down to reasonable levels had also seen some serious use. The circumstances served to highlight just how far away we were from our family but at least technology brought us a little closer.

Now we had to say goodbye to the most exhilarating place we had ever visited, a black limousine drew up as we sat outside the hotel, "Mr & Mrs Dimmock" the driver requested, "That's us" we replied, this should be more comfortable than a coach!

The driver explained that it appeared to be his company's fault and this was the only transport they had available, we were not arguing, and we stopped for some wonderful photographs on the way to Calgary.

The full image album can be found on Webshots.