Jasper National Park

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Ok so it's another National Park but there was so much to see and do up here - rather than me ramble on about it I thought we should add a few more photos and videos than usual that tell the story a little better.

So, first there was the icefield's parkway - one of the World's great drives up from Lake Louise (one of the seven natural wonders of the world - although I don't know how they work these things out - I've heard of there are hundreds of them) to Jasper. The weather was mixed but we soon forgot about that when we spied a bear demolishing berries on the side of the road - we did what all the guidelines expresly forbid you from doing and pulled over for a photography session to prove the doubters wrong (Kirsty Ferguson - the waves were choppy and the bear was being shot at, but perhaps I was exaggerating, slightly!) - see attached images and videos. From here it was on to Lake Louise itself via an Osprey nest, a few moose and an elk.

The Parkway runs up past the Columbia Icefield (the largest unbroken Icefield in the Northern hemisphere outside of the poles and includes the Athabascar glacier. It's 320m deep in places - thats deep enough to submerge the Eiffel Tower - see this is an educational as well as incredibly entertaining blog). Afterwards. it was up towards Jasper where we climbed Mt Whistler ( a 1200m ascnt up to 2470m - that's over twice the hieght of Snowdon, for the less vertically inclined of you), and walked a traverse of Edith Cavell a whopper of a mountain named after a nurse who was hanged for treason (espionage was the reason) having refused not to treat wounded enemy soldiers at her post during the second world war. The Angel glacier hangs from the North edge and you can see icebergs floating around in the glacial meltwater lake at the bottom (see photo for polar bear siting).

Next was the Skyline Trail - the Rockies premier high level, back country trail - a 45km route from Maligne Lake to Jasper. Incredible middle section on the trail but when Linz insisted on a shortcut that ended up taking us 5km into bear infested woodland wihtout a map or compass, spirits dropped - don't worry Mum we've learnt our lesson. You may get a bit bored off by my commentary on the panorama but feel free to watch it if you want.

We're off to Vancouver tomorrow and the head down the west coast of the states to muscle beach where I will provide pictures of me semi naked on the bench press for you Sam. Ryan - triceps are two thirds of the arm.

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Photos

Athlete on top of Amber Mountain,
7:30am Day 2 of Skyline Trail - Mt Robson is being blocked by me!

On the throne, Skyline Trail
Continuing our fascination with toilet facilities

Comments

[GT]

jackass...
love your pic on the throne - priceless! how are the canucks out west treating you? are you guys starving??? also, finally got that package from your bro - it will cost $15 and close to 10 days to reach Vancouver! what the hell are the discs and do you really need them? considering you don't have a MAC to upload to your ipod...think it's cheaper to send it back to the UK!

[Tiddy]

Polar G
Loving the pics G (NB. The last time i saw you sitting on the toilet was at bens party, soon after you had a hot dog bread roll around your privates and you were covered in felt tip). By the time you get to muscle beach your abs should be in great shape after all this trekking..very lean.....your guns and chest however...well they will be even smaller than usual. xx