By August 20th we had made
it to just outside the National Park. We stopped at an Info Center and view Mt Robson.
 |
| Mt Robson highest point in the canadian rockies |
We stayed at a British Columbia
Provincial Park, Lucerne, next to Whitney Lake. We had a lovely spot
overlooking the lake. It looked like berry picking to me so I took
my baggie and went on the hunt. I found low bush cranberries and
then a huge bush of gooseberries.
William came to help and we also
found huckleberries and high bush cranberries.
 |
| William with a handful of gooseberries |
We also found the ubiquitous
snake berries, deadly poison, and soap berries, an acquired taste.
We met some people from Edmonton who told us where the beach was.
William braved the cold water and went swimming. I just waded.
The
train track is on the far edge of the lake.
 |
| A Canadian National Passenger train |
A black cloud was
heading our way so we went back to the RV and arrived just before the
deluge. The rain was short and we still were able to have a
campfire. I saw a few more berries. Raspberries made a lovely before
dinner snack. The other berries I cooked into a sauce for dessert.
8/21
Off we go on the Yellowhead Highway on
toward Jasper.
Then the fee station. We were not expecting a park entry fee
here. We thought the fee would be after we entered the Icefield
Highway. The fee is not cheap. Senior rate is $8.30 per person per
day that you plan to be in the park. We would have bought Discovery
Passes in Dawson City if we had known. Kind of a downer way to start
our visit. When we visited Jasper in 1968 there was no park fee. The
lady at the Jasper Museum said there were plans to raise the fees by
quite a bit. I also found out that the Raven Totem pole, that I
remember from 1968, was sent back to the village on the coast where
it was carved because it was deteriorating. The village carved a new
totem called two brothers and it stands in place of the old one.
 |
| The new two brothers totem pole |
 |
| William at lunch. His beer is named after Bullet Nosed Betty. |
 |
| William in front of Bullet Nosed Betty |
We took the poorly marked old highway
93A all the way down to Athabaska Falls. Very impressive. Lots of
water moving here from the Columbia Icefields all the way to the
Arctic Ocean.
 |
| Athabaska Falls
|
We are camped tonight next to the Athabasca River. We
sat next to the river a while until a black cloud started moving
toward us. Drat the Rockies. No berries except snake berries and
soap berries at this campsite. Lots of mushrooms, but I need to take
a class. One mushroom looked just like oyster mushrooms. We met a
bicycle rider who has been riding for two months from Quebec City.
8/22
The Icefield Highway to Lake Louise.
William remembers a lot more snow on
the peaks when we were here in July of 1968. We stopped at the
Icefield Centre, but did not do what most people were doing and that
was buy a ticket on a huge bus to go up and drive on the glacier.
 |
| The view from the Icefield Centre |
| In
'68 there was a much smaller center near the glacier and we bought a
ticket to ride on the glacier in a snow cat. This visit we parked in
the place to hike to the glacier. The toe of the glacier was about
at the current parking lot in '68 and the hike up to the glacier is
quite an uphill slog. |
 |
| At the Athabaska Glacier |
 |
| The trail was steep |
Now we are driving to Lake Louise. We
don't have campground reservations and it looks to be close as to
whether we will get a spot.
When we arrive at the campground there
is a line and the board notice says full. But we stay in line and are
given a spot in the tent campground since we are small. We go over
to check out the spot and it is really not level. But the spot next
door is level and looks unoccupied. So we head back to the
registration office and are able to trade. Great!
We head over to Lake Louise to hike
the edge of the lake to replicate our '68 trip. We even found a
parking place in the crowded parking lot.
When we walked over to the hotel and
looked out at the glacier we saw what we thought was a waterfall
coming from the glacier. Then we heard a loud boom and saw no
waterfall. Then right away we saw a larger fall and then a louder
boom. The glacier was calving at the edge of a cliff.
 |
| Victoria Glacier is much smaller and is now a hanging glacier. |
The path to the head of the lake was a
huge 8 foot wide semi paved path crowded with people when we remember
a small forest path.
We did walk all the way to the end of the lake
and saw some rock climbers scaling the vertical cliffs, No big
begging marmot this time, just a fair sized begging chipmunk.
We stopped for a beer in the Fairmont
Chateau Lake Louise Hotel saloon. The patio has a pair of beggar
birds. Clark's Nutcrackers.
 |
| Me at the
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Hotel saloon |
 |
| Clark's Nutcracker
|
We wondered around in the hotel for a
while before heading back to camp.
8/23
On the road to Banff. I wonder if the
wildlife corridors are effective.
 |
| The Hudson's Bay Company since 1670 |
 |
| The Garden of Time looking back at downtown Banff |
 |
| We admired the burl birch bridges in the garden |
 |
| Lunch at the Maple Leaf Grill |
And now a rush job on this blog at the local library.
