Sunday, September 18, 2016

Canada Trip to Banff and Jasper

August 30 - September 15

Our September Trip this year was to Canada
We visited Banff and Jasper National Parks
We always go with Jan and Doug and this year
Walt's brothers and wives, 
Don, Mickie, Tom, and Sherry, came along
 Our first stop was Moses Lake, WA
 None of the pools on the trip were heated,  brrrrr
 Athol, ID

 Right outside of Silverwood Amusement Park
Fort Steele, British Columbia
 The weather got worse as we went north
But on toward Banff the scenery got better and better
The water started changing colors
These pictures were taken going thru
Kootney Nat'l Park in British Columbia
 The hills got higher


and more wildlife
Glacier up on the left of the highest hill
Alberta, Canada
Once we drove into Alberta we crossed into Banff Nat'l Park
 They build these overpasses for the wildlife to
cross the road to keep them and people safe
Lots of trains
 We camped in Banff Nat'l Park right outside of town
This is the view we woke up to every morning, bummer :o)
 Interesting setup all the sites are pull thru and fairly big
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
An old railroad lodge now taken over and run
by the Fairmont Hotel chain
 Don and Mickie on the grand staircase
 Views from the back decks
 Tom and Sherry




View of the Hotel from the Bow River Falls
Bow River Falls
 with the glacial waters


 Downtown Banff
 Rundle Mountain in the background
 Other mountains at the end of Banff Avenue
Camp meals were eaten in Jan and Doug's RV
it was too cold to sit outside -- 34 deg. mornings 54 deg. evenings
Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mtn

Banff Spring Hotel from the gondola


 Banff from the gondola with Bow River around it
and Lake Minnewanka northeast of town
on the side of this mountain you can see the
Boardwalk Trail to the top
It was definitely 32 degrees up there 



Nice trail with great views
 The trail looking back at the gondola landing

 The Group -- Doug Jan Tom Sherry Don Mickie Me and Walt
 Banff Spring Hotel




Victoria Glacier
Canoe rentals on the lake

Another old railroad hotel taken over by the Fairmont
Chateau Lake Louise
View of the lake from the hotel
 Moraine Lake
Walked up Rockpile Trail for a spectacular view of the lake


 The color was spectacular too
I can only imagine what is hiding under those low clouds
 Not this
 Oh, this is it!!
Wow
 Dinner out the last night in Banff
Jan and Doug
 Yikes
Don and Mickie
Tom and Sherry
Good food
Just sayin'
The Canadian Rockies between Banff and Jasper Nat'l Parks



if only the clouds would lift


Glaciers along the way


Icefields from Icefield Centre
The Icefields are at the Southern tip of Jasper Nat'l Park


No Way!
Jan rode in one of these 50+ years ago when her family
came up to the Icefields.  Now they have big bus
looking things that take you out onto the ice fields
 And so we arrive in Jasper and set up camp and what
comes walking in??
Beautiful

Sunwapta Falls



Athabasca Falls




Glacial water



Jan, Doug, Walt, and I went up on the Jasper SkyTram
and on to Mt. Edith Cavell while Don, Mickie,
Tom, and Sherry went into town
SkyTram overlooks the town
That's a long train
Little Pica
 The town of Jasper is laid out in the shape of a 'J'

The leaves were getting ready to change
This would be the perfect tree for Walt's Christmas tree
he likes them skinny so they just fit in the corner we have

Mount Edith Cavell with Angel, Ghost,
& Edith Cavell Glaciers

The Canadians call this a ground squirrel
I call it a chipmunk
Edith Cavell lake

This is actually a trail leading down to the lake
 When we were around camp a neighbor said there were
elk in the field along the road so the guys went over to
check it out
The next morning
Don, Mickie, Tom, and Sherry ditched us for warmer weather
so we moved our trailer over next to Doug and Jan
Yes, that is 'nest to'... big spaces
Jasper Park Lodge
Another Fairmont owned hotel



 view from the lodge
this was in town
Railroad station right in town
Walt saw this in town and thought it was unique

The next morning we woke to 29 degrees
but it got up to 65 in the afternoon
(dinners were eaten outside the rest of the trip)
Good day to go to Maligne (Ma.leen) Lake
 Maligne Canyon Trail
Along the Maligne River you cross
5 bridges going down the trail
this is Bridge #1



 Bridge #2
Deep canyon
 Bridge #3

 another view of #3
 Bridge #4
 There are a lot of spots water runs off the mountains,
thru the ground (an aquafer) into the
canyon and down into Medicine Lake.  This time
of year this is the only aquafer we saw

 Bridge #5
There is a #6 but it was a long way down river and not
much elevation to the trail so no waterfalls we didn't venture on
The snow melt runs down into Medicine Lake, also
known as Disappearing Lake because when the snow
stops melting the lake dries up.  It was pretty low and should
disappear in another two weeks
 An excelsior fire from July 2015
Extremely dry conditions caused the lightening
strike caused fire to smolder underground for 9 days
 Lake Maligne




This elk was along the road on our way back up to
Maligne Lake to take a boat tour on the lake
 It was a beautiful day for the boat ride





 The mountain range runs up the lake and circles
around Spirit Island shaped like a cane



Great day for a boat ride.  The boat captain said they
had 26 days of rain in July so they were hoping the
rest of September was going to be nice

 Miette Hot Springs had a few goats hanging around
There's Walt on the left.  It only cost $5 to get in
and you could stay as long as you want
 Back at camp


 Still cooling down in the evenings
 makes for a beautiful sunset

Heading home, our last view on the way out of the campground

and down the road
 Fog settled in the valley
Kamloops had a huge ballpark, two four plexes
and a train running down the side.  By the time I
got my camera out I was mostly past it
 Kamloops
Mount Baker just before the border at Abbotsford

Dry camping at Tulalip Casino
pretty night
and sunset
Back to Reality

Gorgeous Trip!!
Wildlife:  We saw lots of elk, a couple black bear, two
of us saw moose, I saw a wolf.  Every night in Jasper at 8:00
a murder of crows came thru camp.  We also saw squirrels, a pica,
and mountain goats.  If I didn't post a picture of it it's because we
saw it driving somewhere and I couldn't find it in the camera lens
fast enouigh