April Newsletter

This month's newsletter features our accommodations for the last two nights in Banff, as well as our drive from Lake Louise to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway. There are many stops along the way, some that we will do on the drive up to Jasper and some will be saved for the drive back to Calgary. One such stop is a hike to Wilcox Pass (see below). There is also a description of a possible hike all above treeline to Whisters Summit and along the Indian Ridge Trail.

FEATURED ACCOMMODATIONS - BANFF ASPEN LODGE

Our last two nights we will be at the Banff Aspen Lodge in private family rooms with two queen beds. The lodge is located right in the center of town within walking distance of everything. Breakfasts each morning will be at the one-site breakfast room. We will eat one dinner at one of the town's many awesome restaurants and say goodbye at Banff's premiere restaurants with a view, the Juniper Bistro's Vermillion Room.

Icefields Parkway

The Icefields Parkway is 227 km (141 miles) of mountain road built almost parallel with the Continental Divide. That’s why they say a drive on the Parkway is like driving on the backbone of the North American continent. The Icefields Parkway, named after the Columbia Icefields, is also known as Highway 93. From the TransCanada (Hwy #1) /Highway 93 interchange just outside of Lake Louise, the highway travels through Banff National Park for 122 kilometers (76 miles). The rest of the Icefields Parkway traveling north, including the Columbia Icefield, is situated in Jasper National Park, Alberta.

Highway 93 is a north south route that travels through the western Unites States, into eastern Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, traverses the Continental Divide and ends in Jasper, Alberta.

Highlights from the Icefields Parkway

Bow Lake is the headwaters of the Bow River that runs south through the city Calgary and onto the Oldman River ultimately to Hudson Bay. The lake lines the Icefields Parkway and makes a perfect place to stop and view the Crowfoot Glacier (shaped like a crow's foot), Wapta Icefield, Bow Glacier, Crowfoot Mountain and Mount Thompson.

The most popular glacier-fed lake, Peyto Lake is the also the most visited and photographed lake in the Canadian Rockies. During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit which is 2,088 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level. Bow Summit is the highest point on the drive from Banff to Jasper and is the highest elevation crossed by a public road in Canada.

This is a significant location where three rivers meet; the mighty North Saskatchewan, the Howse and the Mistaya. The North Saskatchewan River rises in the Canadian Rockies and empties into Lake Winnipeg over 1,600 kilometres (1,025 miles) east across the country. “The Crossing” is a starting point for tours on the Columbia Icefield.

A mountain that cries? Located at Cirrus Mountain, the Weeping Wall resembles a mountain with a river of tears. More than 100 metres high (330 feet) water cascades in a series of waterfalls. The main fall is called Teardrop.

Aptly named, you will know when you arrive at the Big Hill and Big Bend. The descending road clings to the wall of a mountain and offers expansive views of the valley and river below. The Big Bend is the famous hairpin turn that wraps in a circle below towering peaks. If you choose to stop, please ensure that you are completely off the road.

Parker Ridge in northern Banff National Park is a must do for those who want a bit of elevation to take in a multitude of mountain ranges and Saskatchewan Glacier (the longest). The hike is approximately two hours rising 250 metres (820 feet). Parks Canada has been closing the trail from late spring to early summer to preserve the landscape.

Just as the name implies these glaciers or “fields of ice” straddle Banff National Park and Jasper National Park and are the largest south of the Arctic Circle. They are 325km2 in area and 100 to 365 metres (328 to 1,197 ft) in depth and receives up to seven metres (275 in) of snowfall per year. During the summer months visitors to the area can travel onto the glacier in the comfort of large "snowcoaches" or you can simply marvel at them from the roadside parking lot.

The Columbia Icefield is also a major destination for ski mountaineering in the winter months. Visit the Columbia Icefield Centre and its natural history museum. A large three-dimensional model of the Columbia Icefield clearly shows its extent (100 square miles/259 square kilometers) and its three meltwater drainages (Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific). Other displays examine wildlife of the alpine zone and explain how glaciers form, grow, and retreat.

Among the most breath-taking and powerful falls in the Canadian Rockies, the Athabasca Falls are located 30 kilometres south of Jasper town site. The falls are impressive for the volume and force of water, less for its height. The falls can be safely viewed and photographed from various viewing platforms and walking trails.

This class 6 waterfall is located south of the Jasper town site and has a drop of approximately 18 metres (60 feet). The falls are particularly impressive in the late spring and early summer when snow pack run off is high. The Sunwapta Falls are fed by the Athabasca Glacier.

Featured hikeD: Wilcox Pass

This is a moderately 5.8 mile loop with an elevation gain of 1,712 feet. The trailhead is close to the Columbia Icefields visitor center, so we may do this hike on our drive to Jasper.

The trail starts just short of the alpine zone where you'll find beautiful meadows, Big Horn Sheep and outstanding views of the Columbia Icefields area. Wilcox Pass may be one the finest hikes found in Jasper National Park. You won't find a better view of the surrounding glaciated peaks, Mount Athabasca, Mount Andromeda, Snow Dome and Mount Kitchener. As you're hiking along the ridge towards the summit of Wilcox Pass, the full 6km length of the Athabasca glacier stays in view. There are several creeks running through the surrounding meadows with wildflowers growing everywhere. Big Horn Sheep are used to the hordes of hikers and often very close to the trail, especially during the early morning hours and at dusk. Continue on until you reach the pass summit sign where the meadows are a full 1km wide. From here you can continue on straight ahead towards Tangled Falls, or take a trail to your left that leads to the ridge overlooking the Icefields Centre and Mount Wilcox.

FEATURED HIKE TWO: WHISTLERS SUMMIT AND THE INDIAN RIDGE TRAIL - easy and harder options

We will take the Jasper Sky Tram up to the trailhead where both hike options are completely above treeline. Once you arrive at the upper terminal, the hike starts its first ascent up to Whistlers Summit, named after the high pitched whistle Marmots make. From here Indian Ridge is visible to the south west. For those who want to continue onto Indian Ridge.The last 20 minutes of the ascent presents you with a challenging scramble over a loose shale slope. The round trip to Whistlers Summit is 2.3 miles with 850 feet of elevation gain. The hike to Indian Ridge is 7.9 miles roundrip with 3,175 feet of elevation gain. This will be significantly a harder and longer 6+ hours of hiking and should not be attempted in bad weather.

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