hiking

2nd leg…..Jasper to Banff.

/ susiecameron / 4 Comments

Our train journey ended in Jasper and from now on we were to be ferried about on coaches. Everything worked seamlessly and the stops and sights chosen by Rocky Mountaineer were spot on. The knowledge from the various driver-guides was extensive and there was no way we would have learned as much if we were self driving. To sit back and relax, just looking at the scenery and concentrating on potential bear sightings was far easier than me having to navigate and the MOTH having to drive.

The drive from Jasper to Lake Louise is one of the most scenic in Canada. The Icefields Parkway is world famous for its beautiful drive through the Rockies. Our trip to the Athabasca glacier on an over snow vehicle was included and despite knowing I would be going onto the snow and ice I somehow wasn’t adequately dressed. Especially as it started raining as we got off our coach. It was more like little frozen needles coming down and we very quickly became wet and cold. Our driver on the over snow vehicle pumped up the heat and we were all soon steaming up the windows as we warmed up and he negotiated his way on to the glacier. There is a maybe a 500sqm area that they groom in the morning to give a little more traction for us to get out and experience the conditions more safely. A Canadian flag flew proudly and I slithered and slid my way around peering at some of the deep blue cracks that you could see under the ice. Our driver told us a story from long ago of a man who fell down one of the crevasses and got sucked into the underground river that runs under the entire glacier. Miraculously he got spat out as the river emerged further downhill and lived to tell the tale! He became a passionate protector of the glacier and felt profoundly connected to it.

Our next stop was far more tranquil even though it involved walking out on a glass platform suspended 280 metres above the wild Sunwapta Valley below! Luckily the one kilometre walk prior to the glass was informative and less scary for this little traveller. We even saw a Mother Mountain goat with her baby clinging perilously to the sheer cliffs. Somehow their hooves adhere to the smallest ledge and provide some shelter from the circling eagles who are partial to newborn kids! Everything about Canada seems to be death defying!

Before we knew it we were back on the bus and heading towards one of my most looked forward to stops – Lake Louise. I have seen so many beautiful photos of it both in the snow and in the summer and I was hoping it wouldn’t disappoint. We had two days and nights to immerse ourselves and I had high hopes. We were staying in The Fairmont, the only hotel that is located directly on the lake and commonly referred to as The Chateau Lake Louise. We were looking forward to some hiking and kayaking during the day and relaxing, eating some good food and of course for our number one Sports Fan the opportunity to watch a couple of the World Cup games in the Sports Bar. Naturally he soon befriended one of the bar managers, a lovely young guy who took a shine to us and ended up gifting us the Lake Louise Gin giftpack and some lovely whisky. Our English friends from the train joined us here and it was lovely to enjoy some drinks and stories whilst watching the soccer! Nothing could outdo the first view I had of the Lake on arrival though. We walked through the gorgeous foyer and were drawn to the turquoise colour that streamed through the huge window in the bar ahead. There she was in all her glory and every bit as gorgeous as I had imagined!

We enjoyed our very comfortable room, complete with a proper coffee machine at last and tried a couple of the restaurants on site. We had no intention of going anywhere else until we checked out!

The next morning we awoke to a beautiful day of blue skies and sunshine and perfect weather for some hiking around the lake, A forested path leads you 2/3 of the way around and all you can see is that amazing coloured water, hear the birds trilling away and the ever cheeky ground squirrels scurrying about. I felt totally relaxed for the first time on the trip and the air was so fresh and clean it made you feel good to be alive!

The time of day completely changes how you feel here. Before the day trippers arrive and after they leave it feels like a magic secret, a natural wonder where someone just happened to drop a luxury hotel. Getting up early and kayaking on the lake in all its stillness was wonderful. Apparently it is very deep – about 70 metres – so I was definitely not keen on falling in, the glacial lakes are soooo cold that you only get a few minutes before your blood focuses on your essential organs leaving your limbs numb and incapable of swimming to safety! Once the day trippers arrive it feels like the Christmas Sales with crowds of people milling about the lakefront and walking around the lakeshore path so it’s a bit of a tale of two cities. We felt lucky that we were staying there and could enjoy the lake avoiding peak busy times.

I was feeling a bit sad about saying goodbye to LL but luckily/unluckily the weather changed and we ended up leaving under heavy grey skies which progressed to heavy rain later in the afternoon so the coach was a good place to be after all! We spotted a few black bears on the side of the road and even sitting on a train line so the rain definitely wasn’t bothering them! We drove out of the weather to a lovely little jewel – Green Lake in Sascatchewan. Again the car park was heaving with cars and people which kind of spoils things a bit but we managed to walk to a more secluded part to take in that amazing colour and the serenity. Tourists rarely seem to walk much further than the gift shop or cafe and after taking a few snaps I think they mentally tick it off their list and move on!

Back on to the bus and back into the rain, we headed to Banff. We had been very lucky to squeeze Green Lake in between the bad weather so we didn’t mind too much as we headed through the township of Banff in the pouring rain, dropping various groups at different hotels before we headed out of town to what the locals refer to as the Castle of the Rockies – the famous Fairmont Banff Springs. It is huge, more like a village and with the characteristic architecture we have come to expect from the Fairmont Hotels. Our room was gorgeous, and with the provided map in hand we explored the vast hotel. A lovely swimming pool and golf course outside and a smaller indoor pool and gym for those who were so inclined! There were about 5 different restaurants and a couple of gorgeous bars.

We had our last catch up with Peter and Elaine before they flew back to London, enjoying some drinks and recollections of our trip. Everything had been positive which was brilliant because you never quite know when you sign up to a planned tour whether it will be good or bad! We had visited a great selection of sights and enjoyed unique experiences and felt we had had value for money with all the special things we had done. We hope that we will catch up with our holiday friends in the UK (or maybe even in Australia) at some stage for some more reminiscing!

In the meantime we explored the township of Banff which was quite big, loads of cafes and restaurants as well as cowboy shops selling boots, hats and belts as well as tourist shops with the obligatory souvenirs. My ever stylish partner bought a great pair of boots (having to make room in his case by abandoning a favourite but old pair he had bought in Bath UK – do you notice a theme here folks?) He is notorious on holidays for buying clothes and leaving me for dead in the shopping stakes! We found Banff rather big and again, very busy, but this is to be expected in the summer I suppose when school holidays are in full throttle. The only reason we were travelling at this time of year was because we planned our whole trip around the Calgary Stampede which was on in early July meaning we knew we would have to put up with some crowds. Nothing like Europe though I must say, still plenty of room to get around and plenty of seats in restaurants unlike in Venice, Barcelona or Santorini midsummer. Back we went to the sanctity of the Castle, quite happy just to enjoy the space and the beautiful facilities before our last day on the Rocky Mountaineer Tour which was to end in Calgary.

A trip up the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain was interesting despite a smoky haze enveloping the town due to the wildfires in BC. Mountains that had been clear the day before now completely invisible – it’s quite uncanny knowing they are there but not being able to see them and I think we ended up being quite lucky as after we left Canada the smoke got a lot worse and our last week would have been a very different kettle of fish! You can usually see 5 mountain ranges (see above) as well as The Bow River and the township itself from up there but not today hence no photo! We walked the boardwalk to the summit to Sanson’s Peak and the Cosmic Ray Station (originally a weather observatory before it acquired a second purpose when it was rebuilt to serve as a laboratory for researching cosmic ray particles in the atmosphere.) before heading down to see a herd of long horned sheep gathered under the gondola who entertained us for a while before moving on delighting us and scaring a few hikers on the mountain!

Then it was farewell to Banff and we were back on the bus and off to Calgary to get our cowboy on – yeeha!!

Hello Canada! 1st leg….Vancouver to Jasper…

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We arrived weary at nearly midnight to our not so palatial accommodation. Situated on a 6 lane highway in midtown it was all we could manage to get in a city packed full of tourists here for the FIFA World Cup. Our tour was starting the next day but there was no room at that particular inn, so we found ourselves unlocking door number 255 at the 2400 Motel instead! My travel partner was unimpressed so we set off early the next morning to look for some breakfast. Another setback when it soon became obvious that the only thing open within cooeee was Maccas! Things soon improved though once we took a cab downtown and checked in to the beautiful Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. A beautiful room and in a great location for exploring the waterfront, Granville Island and Stanley Park. We had two full days to ourselves before the start of our adventure through the Rocky Mountains.

The weather was beautiful, the city was pumping with people from all over the world, united in their love for soccer and giving the place a true party atmosphere. Flags and football colours were everywhere, complete strangers bonded over lunch in their matching shirts and it reminded me of Sydney in 2000 when we hosted The Olympics. There were pop up venues to watch the games, some ticketed, some free, and all the pubs and restaurants were overflowing and of course showing the games…..the MOTH was for once in the right place at the right time to see a major sporting event! Australians are VERY used to having to get up at an obscene hour to see games live so this was a real treat. For him. Not so much for me. We compromised and found a way he could watch 1-2 games a day (or part thereof) without spoiling our time together exploring – probably the reason we have stayed married for over 40 years!

We caught a little ferry across to Granville Island with its huge public indoor market. It was packed with beautiful colourful fruits and veggies, the freshest fish straight from the ocean and a mouthwatering array of bread warm from the oven. There are boutiques and local artisans and artists showing their wares and plenty of places to sit and eat and watch the world go by. They have their own brewery and it is a vibrant and interesting place to spend a morning. We ventured down to the sea wall and checked out all the seaplanes taking off for their joyrides around the harbour. We went to Gastown and saw the old Steam Clock with it’s charming Victorian design and marking the time with a steam whistle every 15 minutes! It was a lovely afternoon for a walk and an ice-cream soaking up the atmosphere.

The next day we rented some bikes and spent a great few hours cycling through Stanley Park which is a fabulous urban park spanning over 400 hectares featuring old-growth forest and a Pacific coast waterfront view. Nestled in the heart of Vancouver’s most iconic park, the Stanley Park totem poles stand tall, narrating tales of Indigenous heritage and artistry. These vibrant wooden sentinels, each carved with intricate designs, offer a window into the rich tapestry of First Nations stories and traditions. Totem poles are the British Columbia Indigenous peoples’ coat of arms. Each carving on these poles represents a given tribe or clan, or commemorates historical events or people.

We continued along The Stanley Park seawall which is 9km long and takes you past several lovely sandy beaches and also a huge outdoor heated pool at Second Beach which was full of families on this glorious day. We stopped for another ice-cream and watched the world go by before heading back into town on our bikes. It had been such a fun few hours and we felt we had really got to know this little corner of Vancouver and liked it very much. Time to pack up and get ready for the early start the next day before heading out for the evening. Free cocktails ahead of a lovely meal at a nearby Italian (where I somehow managed to set the bill on fire while holding it a bit too close to the candle to read it!!) on a balmy evening left me definitely feeling in holiday mode and before we knew it we were boarding the coach to the train station to meet The Rocky Mountaineer.

The coach pulled up into the station amidst a lot of pomp and ceremony and we could see the train gleaming in the morning sunshine. A pianist was playing in the terminal while we helped ourselves to coffee and perused the merchandise on sale. Then a piper arrived in full kit and in the way only bagpipes can – stole the show! He played as we walked outside and found our carriages, the red carpet rolled out for us and a lovely welcome from all the staff lined up on either side. It felt very special.

And we were off……!!! The train grumbled out of the station, laden with 14 carriages – some of which would detach in Kamloops that night and pulling A LOT OF WEIGHT, it gently wound its way out of Vancouver eventually passing through beautiful farmlands in The Fraser Valley before following the winding path of the Fraser River. As you can imagine it was just lovely sitting back in our comfy seats watching the passing scenery through the glass roof. The fabled service of the Rocky Mountaineer began very quickly after leaving the station with our first breakfast. The food is good without being brilliant and we had a choice of meals which is pretty good when you think of what they have to cook in – the tiniest galley – which popped out a large selection of food to keep everyone happy. Needless to say our request for some “proper” coffee was denied – no espresso machine sadly….but we met a lovely English couple – Peter and Elaine – who we got along with like a house on fire. All meals served two sittings and once breakfast was cleared it was 9.30am and time to open the bar!!!! My travelling companion thought this was a splendid state of affairs and proceeded to get acquainted with the Canadian version of a bloody Mary – The Ceaser! As it had tomato and celery in it he viewed it akin to a health drink and the famous addition of clam juice gave it that certain je ne sais quoi! The day proceeded in this fashion, with meals, more drinks (Chardy became the favoured drink) and many snacks along the way. Literally an hour would not pass without being offered something to eat or drink! We were also getting a lovely commentary on the places we were passing and the history of the railroad and of this part of the world.

One of the most surprising pieces of information we received was that the wheels of the train are all changed weekly! I would never have thought this was a viable thing to do but in Kamloops there are huge sunken pits that the train moves over and that is exactly what happens – WEEKLY!!!! I suppose they do drag a lot of weight in a very isolated part of the world so they have to make sure everything is shipshape! We passed Osprey nests, some huge and visible for miles and we spotted some long horned sheep but no bears. Bald eagles soared high in the sky before landing on dead trees overlooking the valley floor. We crossed the Fraser River and began our passage through the narrow valley. The green was replaced by dusty shades of brown and gold, with perilously steep cliffs hugging the river. The Fraser went from wide and mild to narrow and wild, with raging torrents of water slashing past the open rock as our train hugged the side of the canyon. We rolled past wonderfully named landmarks such as Skuzzy Creek and Jackass Mountain and made our way to Lytton, where the Thompson and Fraser Rivers meet. 

The scenery between Lytton and Kamloops is mesmerizing: dry rocky canyons with copper cliffs and slashes of red rock, deep forests of pine and old-time bridges. Our route takes us past Rainbow Canyon, but also Avalanche Alley and the Jaws of Death Gorge. I get the feeling the names in this part of the world were not dreamed up by the local tourist board!! We enter Kamloops at about 7.30pm but it is still light – the sun doesn’t go down until around 10pm – and as we came into the town people all stopped and waved at the train – it was so lovely! People waved from their gardens, in the streets and finally all the railway workers lined up as we came into the station in Kamloops and waved, The train makes us all feel like 5 year olds! Kamloops owes it’s existence to the railway. The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed here in 1886, and the Canadian National arrived in 1912, making Kamloops an important transportation hub. 

Kamloops was hot, sweaty even, and a weird little town after Vancouver but we went for a walk and ended up having a wonderful Indian meal – the most amazing pancake dosa “thing” and utterly delicious! This holiday is certainly becoming one of contrasts! Next we head to Jasper and the end of our train journey but the beginning of the Rockies……..

Jasper was a lovely little town. Home to just 5000 full time residents it’s population swells in the summer months as visitors come from all over the world to enjoy the beautiful Jasper National Park, the largest park in the Canadian Rocky Mountain System. Jasper has a small town feel but with plenty of restaurants and bars to make things fun. In winter of course there is skiing and in summer you can hike and paddle or canoe on some of the beautiful local lakes or for the more adventurous there is white water rafting at Athabasca Falls. We stayed in town which made for easy exploration and eating etc but our new English friends were staying out of town at The Fairmont. This made it harder to pop into town but to make up for it they did experience a pair of black bears sauntering across the golf course right in front of them! There is plenty of wildlife all around but you have to be lucky to be in the right place at the right time to witness it!

We caught the Skytram up to the top of the mountain which gave us an amazing view of the surrounding mountain ranges and despite being mid summer there was still some snow up there. The air was so fresh and clean and I felt at one with nature. This is the highest and longest tram in Canada and takes you up to 7500 feet. We could also see from here the devastation that occurred after the wildfires swept through in 2024. Two different fire fronts merged just outside Jasper and destroyed 358 buildings, one-third of the town’s structures, causing an estimated $1.23 billion in damages. The high cost was partly due to Jasper’s geographical isolation, which made transporting materials into the town and moving debris out more difficult. The Alberta and federal governments supplied $170 million in funding to the town; $30 million went towards construction of temporary and permanent housing, and the rest went to Parks Canada for recovery work in Jasper National Park. By May 2025, insurance companies had finished clearing debris, and Parks Canada had issued 100 permits to start rebuilding houses destroyed in the fire and now the town is in full building mode restoring and improving their buildings just in case it happens again. No more log cabins, metal roofing is the new big thing! Interestingly however the authorities decided to leave the park itself to burn as long as it didn’t threaten the town. This is because the forest NEEDS to burn every 125 years to regenerate, to burn off the dense parts thereby creating new open areas that attracts the sun, new plants and therefore animals back into the park. If there hadn’t been a natural fire they would have had to initiate a controlled burn anyway! It still looks very dead and will do so for some time to come – but the new trees are already starting to grow and the next phase of forest life is well on its way.

Next we head to Lake Louise via the Icefields Parkway…..