Jasper National Park - Alberta, Canada

Columbia Icefields and Athabasca Glacier

Continuing north from the Sunwapta Pass you soon encounter the towering mountains and glaciers of the Columbia Icefields in Jasper National Park. The Icefields Centre is the only building in the area - you can stay overnight, enjoy a meal in the cafeteria and is the place for booking tours onto the Athabasca Glacier.

We were initially a bit concerned about the number of tour buses and cars in the car park, however the Icefields Center is used to managing large numbers of visitors. There is no need to pre-book the standard glacier tour as they leave regularly. The Glacier Tour starts with a short shuttle bus ride up to the Ice Station. At the Ice Station We transfered to the Snow Bus for our trip out on to the Athabasca Glacier. As we headed out on to the turnaround area Jen, (our driver) explained about the Athabasca Glacier and Colombia Icefields area. Jen was very knowledgable, sharing many interesting points about the area. One point of interest is that the glaciers of the Rocky Mountains feed rivers which flow into three different oceans - the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans! We travelled about 2 km out onto the glacier and were allowed to walk out on the glacier for about 20 minutes, staying within the marked area - to maintain the safety of all visitors. We all made the most of the photo opportunity before heading back to the Ice Centre. It was a fabulous and very educational experience for all of us. The ice adventure takes about 90 minutes.

Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls

Continuing on Highway 93 northbound we now follow the Sunwapta river. At the Sunwapta Falls, the Sunwapta River joins the Athabasca River. About 30 kilometres up the road, we passed the Athabasca Falls. The Athabasca River then continues on into Jasper. Both falls are worth seeing and it is a short walk from the car park to the lookouts.

Jasper

If you want a birds' eye view of the Jasper area, try the Jasper Tramway. It is a 7 minute ride up Whistlers Mountain which provides views of the surrounding mountains, glacier-fed lakes and the Athabasca River.

Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake

South-east of Jasper is the Maligne River Valley. The Maligne River flows from Maligne lake into Medicine Lake. Medicine Lake has sink holes and some times of the year the water level drops and almost empties the lake. The Maligne River flows from Malign Lake to Medicine Lake. The river is usually dry from Medicine Lake to the Athabasca River which flows near Jasper. Sometimes during spring (or after heavy rain) the river does flow above ground.

Maligne Lake is the largest glacier fed lake in the Rockies and is about 50kms south east of Jasper. Maligne Lake is one of the most frequently photographed - if you want the photo of the Lake including Spirit Island, you need to take the boat tour (or have your own means of reaching the part of the lake where Spirit Island is located). You can also hire canoes or wander down the walking trails near the lake. The Maligne Valley is also a good place to see wildlife.

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