The temperature is really going down as we travel north. It has rained every night in the
campground and snowed on the mountain tops. It makes the mountains standout even more.
The campground is a little more rustic. Mud, potholes filled with water, and tons of trees.
If the sun comes out the trees block it from the motorhome. We are using the furnace during
the day now. Added blankets to the bed for night and leave the furnace off. It goes into the
low 30's during the night and high 50's during the day. On a good day it gets into the low
60's. It makes for brisk hiking.
The mountains are different in Jasper vs. Lake Louise. More ridges and less glaciers.
There are about the same number of lakes, only they are fed from farther glaciers.
We went to the Jasper Park Lodge and decided to skip the dinner. We went on the
Jasper Tram, which is near the campground on Whistlers Mountain. It had a great view and we
also had dinner. We had our first real bad service (that we can remember) on this trip.
The waiter explained that he was new! We are looking forward to a great meal at
Banff Springs Hotel--known as the "Castle in the Rockies".
Unfortunately, we are past Labor Day. That is the end of the year for all campfire presentations
in Canada and the US. So now we will have to view all of the movies in the visitor centers.
We hiked in Maligne Canyon. The canyon is very narrow (only 10 to 15 feet wide) and very deep,
about 300 feet. The Maligne river which flows in the canyon can be heard but not seen very well
because it is too far down. It was a fun hike but the pictures are not that great.
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Athabasca Falls.
The Athabasca river is very wide above the falls and narrows at the falls. They say that there
is more energy, per meter width, going over this falls than Niagara Falls. The Athabasca river
is fed from the Athabasca Glacier. That was the glacier which we went on with the Snowcoach.
You can see Hardisty mountain in the background sticking up above the clouds. We are at 4,100
feet and the Hardisty mountain is 8,823 feet.
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You can see how the water funnels to the falls.
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Below the falls the canyon is very narrow. There is a hiking trail which crisscrosses and
follows the canyon. It runs for about 500 yards in the canyon and then empties into a valley.
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We were resting after the hike back up the canyon and a couple ask if we would like
our picture taken because we looked so peaceful in the sun.
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This is outside the Visitors Center in Jasper.
Mom said that she hasn't seen Snap Dragons for a long time.
As usual, Canadian towns have flowers all over the place.
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Sunset on top of Whistlers Mountian after dinner.
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