A Jaunt Into the Rockies

 

Early this week we left our island home, crossed the Strait on a ferry, and enjoyed dinner with my parents and siblings. Monday morning saw us slip quietly out of the house in the early morning darkness, and drive up over the Coastal Mountains (snow!), down into the interior plateau, winding along a river and through another mountain pass to arrive at Jasper, Alberta. The almost full moon welcomed us on our first night, glowing through the clouds. 

Jasper National Park lies next to its larger and probably more famous neighbour, Banff National Park. It had its beginnings as a fur trading post, then a railway town. The trains come and go here throughout the day, but quietly, with no whistles. In July 2024 wildfires swept the surrounding mountains, burning up to the tree line. To add to the devastation, 30 percent of the townsite burned - private homes, small business, hotels, and historic churches. There is a huge building program going on now to replace these structures. Everyone we spoke with was very positive about the future.

The smell of the burned forest still wafts through the area. Denuded trees stand as tall sentinels to the fierce winds and flames that ravaged hectares and hectares of land. 

The temperature on our first day exploring was COLD for us. -10 degrees Celsius. I layered up as much as I could, and then wore Tim's down vest over my down jacket. There was no snow in town, but when we drove to Maligne Lake, snow crunched underfoot and ice is forming on the edge of the lake. 

Such amazing scenery. We were in awe at every turn, surrounded by high peaks whose crags and ridges were highlighted by snow. 

Curves of water and rocks lead the eye to the tall peaks. Clear blue sky all day made everything crisp and bright. 

Jasper is about 360 kilometres further north than our home (and 878 km to drive). By 3 pm shadows slant long across the ground and the sun slips behind the mountains much earlier than we're used to. Above you can see the golden grasses - the first plants to grow under the burned forest. It's truly amazing how nature is rejuvenating. Beauty from ashes. 

That first day we also visited Athabasca Falls. Water levels are low at this time of year, but there was still plenty of thundering and crashing. Icicles are formed by the spray from the falls. 

And soon the sun slides beneath the hills as the water calms into the wide river. 

That gorgeous glacier green/blue water reflects everything beautifully. The fires burned right to the water. 

Tomorrow we drive home. It will take about 8.5 hours to the ferry, then 90 minutes to cross and 30 minutes from there. We've had such a wonderful time and there are more stories to tell. I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you once I'm settled again.