After leaving Hyder/Stewart we continued south to the end of the Cassier Highway hung a louie onto the Yellowhead Highway and headed east towards Jasper.  We stopped at the service station/cafe on the corner for gas and a most excellent hamburger.  You never know when you will find a great burger.

We took a chance and did not make any reservations for a campground and lucked out with an overflow spot at Wapiti.  It was more or less a parking lot but it turned out to be a good spot for seeing female elk (no antlers).

 

A whole field of elk!! Twice as many as I could get in the picture. Right in front of our site.

Ah!!! A male elk hiding in the bushes on the side of the road

A day later on the way to Maligne Lake we saw this guy.  He is shedding the velvet off his antlers.  That means rutting season is fast approaching.  Watch out ladies.

My daily bear sighting, also on the way to Maligne Lake.  I'm surely going to miss seeing the bears. :(

Going for a nice Skyline (sounds steep) hike and a dip in the hot springs at Milliete. OMG! Is that the mountain we're hiking????

Ah, we made it. Nice view from the top.

See waaaaay down there? That's the hot springs. Oh, my aching feet.

What!?! This isn't the top. Look up! That's where we're going.  See the tiny people?

Finally, this is the TOP. GREAT view.

On the way back to the hot springs, a bear walked out on the trail once, then again. A few seconds later a couple of women pushing a baby stroller walked on that same spot (it was near the parking lot and paved). We yelled, 'TALK LOUD!' They started singing nursery rhymes. The baby chimed in, too. They were happy we warned them.

Next day we took a drive to Maligne Lake for a short hike .  The lake was so pretty.

We decided to rent a double kayak and go for a paddle.

Thank you Nancy and Rett for introducing us to Kayaking!!! It was wonderful. I do think I'll stick to a singles kayak from now on though. Don't ask!!!

Tomorrow we head south down the Icefields Parkway.