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Maligne Lake
Still a touch frozen overThis land just won't quit. I know these stretches of mountains, lakes and forests are finite but it doesn't seem that way. A harsh critic or two claim it's a bit same same. That's one perspective. Mine is it's a same same that's sublime sublime. Show me a person who considers the Canadian Rockies as same same and I'll show you a person of the glass half empty variety.
We hit the Rockies in Jasper up north and this was the point where we rotated the WHOW 180 degrees, south now being the direction of choice back towards home base. This also coincided with roughly the half time interval and we clicked over half our allotted mileage allowance. Don't you just love it when all the pieces of the puzzle come together.
Plenty of drives around the globe claim to be "the world's most scenic". Our own Great Ocean Road often gets a guernsey. Throw in Chapmans Peak south of Capetown, California's Big Sur or perhaps the road into Milford Sound. Why not add into the mix those stretches of tar between Nice and Monaco. All worthy candidates. Sorry, but in this often ignored man's opinion, all have been
Medicine Lake
Good for what ails ya. usurped and play an out of tune second fiddle to Highway 93 from Jasper to BBBanfffff.
At the risk of sounding like the pub bore, I can't overstate the grandeur of good ol 93. No point in careening down the 240 or so klms. We slotted the WHOW in the slow lane and followed the contours over 8 or 9 days.
The Rockies aren't exactly a hush hush keep it under your chest secret. The majority will gravitate in droves to the iconic viewing areas, Lake Louise, Maligne Lake and Athabasca Glacier being particularly well patronised. The reason being they are stellar attractions. Side stepping those throngs is simple enough. Trudging a few clicks down some slightly more obscure trail will invariably offer an alternate otherworldly aspect of the same locale.
I'm not going to let the Rockies get off completely scott free though. The weather. Stuck in a frozen bubble for around 8 months of the year can't be too much fun. Into June and most of the lakes still sport a sheet of ice on the surface, there's an ever threatening mixture of snow and rain and blue sky is as common as midgets in
Moraine Lake
Not much blue sky in Canada the NBL. This has gotta be one frigid corner of the planet mid winter. BING! Hey Penny, let's come back and go skiing.
If waterfalls are your poison then the May/June defreeze is like grape harvest season. If you prefer to witness all the Rockies lakes in their turquoise, thawed out splendour, come later. My pick would be September after the Canadian long weekend. That's comfortably post thaw, post tourist masses and pre freeze. A narrow window, sure, but with a Rockies summer having the duration of an Australian male's idea of foreplay, there aren't too many options.
Campground selection can at times be a roll of the dice. You win some ..............! Whistlers Campground on the southern outskirts of Jasper fell into the "lose some" category. The setting couldn't be much more regal, surrounded by brooding vanilla coated peaks, a bunch of elk roaming amongst sites cocooned snuggly in the forest. It's the size and capacity of this park that are its worst enemies. 782 sites on a few sq klms. When full that's 1500 to 2000 transients. Fine if there was more than 1 shower block. In spot 66 M, we really should have followed the
Male elk.
Don't tangle with these rascals without being armed with a hockey stick or a broom. lead of everybody else and driven to those ablutions. No, we knew better, we'll walk. Should have also packed the walking boots and compass. 2 hours later on return we were sweatier than before left. Our on board shower may be a claustrophobic's worst nightmare but at least it's only ever 1 step away.
Whilst on the topic of RV camps, they are an ideal location for a mid 50s type of bloke to feel young again. The patrons of these establishments give the sense of a lawn bowls club with wheels. Or is it just that we are old before our time. There's a horrible thought.
Giddy up WHOW, we're going back to America.
Yeatesy
While we are back on the road our journey through the Rockies has not clocked up too many of our WHOW miles, instead we have let our legs do the walking or cycling. Nestled each day in some picture perfect locations we have managed to get out into the single digit temperatures and see what's on offer. A number of the trails and campsites are closed as they are still covered in snow, forcing us to
Moraine Lake
Penny liked the dead timber. re-calculate our days events. Someone forgot to tell them it's summer.
Even with a few mountain passes and lakes eliminated from out itinerary we have managed some very noteworthy trails.
Included in my highlights are Maligne Lake, surrounded by purple tinged mountains and turquoise water ( mostly frozen but for a few lines carved by a boat ); the Athabasca Glacier where we were able to hike up to the base of the glacier; Moraine Lake surrounded by the valley of ten peaks; and Lake Louise with the emerald water and glacier backdrop. From Lake Louise we hiked up to Agnes Lake a 6.8 return trek through ankle deep snow to be rewarded by a view of the frozen lake and an opportunity for high tea at the tea house that had only opened two days prior.
Navigating to Lake Louise was simple enough, and after the short drive we thought we would bike ride the 4klms to the lake itself. What we hadn't counted on was that the entire 4 kilometres was uphill, steep uphill. I couldn't help but think about those torturous Thursday mornings at the Sandhills and wondered which was worse. Instead of a beach
and surf backdrop we had mountains and snow. The ride down was another matter. Down in minutes, with the wind, ice and sleet at our backs and Gary's bike almost losing the back wheel.
We finally arrived in Banff, a bigger town than Jasper with it's own welcoming party. As we were slipping into town we could see police running around with hockey sticks and brooms, a little different to guns and tasers they have at home. Following their trail we discovered they were trying to redirect some Elk that had wandered into town for lunch. They must have run a red light.
Animal sightings this week include the Elks of course, a mother bear and her cub, bighorn sheep, ottors, wedge tailed eagle and a variety of squirrel type critters.
Penny.
Anybody interested in buying a Canadian National Parks Pass valid until end of May 2013, half price, drop us a message
More images at:
www.colvinyeates.zenfolio.com
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Greg Burke
non-member comment
Banf ff
Gary, Penny, Wow, gotta go to that caravan park to feel young again.. Seems a common theme world wide.. Always wanted to go to Banf ff ever since F Troop were chasing the burglar from Banf ff.. Your my vintage so hope you recall that.. Anyway, looks like your both having a fantastic time. Gary, just back from 2 month stay at Pitstop.. Ahh living the dream.. Take care Greg