Chapter Four - Across the Rockies - Part I

Hi All

This is the first part of the fourth chapter of our journey through North America. 

Originally the chapter covering the Rocky Mountains trip was one long tome as this was a memorable and spectacular episode in our saga. 

However for the sake of easy reading, I really had to split this chapter into two more digestible parts - mainly to accommodate what is a tiny sample of the 1500 photos that we (four of us) took during this leg of the trip. 

As you will recall, in our last update we were in Vancouver and about to depart on our cross (half of) Canada journey.

After departing Vancouver, we headed out over the Lions Gate Bridge and headed north east towards the Whistler/Blackcomb resort. The driving was easy for me as I was not behind the wheel - I was the navigator! Nevertheless, after a relatively cruisey morning's drive we arrived at Whistler Village in time for morning coffee and muffins.

The main street of Whistler Village

Another view of main street

Looking towards Blackcomb mountain from Whistler

The gals posing in front of the Whistler village entrance sign

Leaving the delightful village of Whistler behind we soon set out across the BC maritime range and through the peaks and valleys of this mountainous region. 

Lunch beside a high valley lake saw us clear the first part of the mountains and into the high valleys that were part of the road north during the gold rush era of the 19th century.

Our lunch stop after leaving Whistler

After lunch, we continued on our journey through the mountains and finally emerged into some flat-ish land in a valley between the peaks and stopped off at Historic Hat Creek Ranch (an old way-station and wayfarers inn) for a quick wander around.

The original wayfarers inn

An old covered wagon from by-gone days

Leaving Hat Creek, we headed west towards Kamloops and then on to our first overnight stop - the ski resort at Mt Toc and the beautiful Sun Peaks Grand Hotel. This had been the longest drive of our journey at about 480km and it had not been too arduous and the scenery had been magnificent.

The gorgeous Sun Peaks Grand Hotel

Our late-ish arrival meant that we didn't have a great deal of time to explore Sun Peaks and with another long drive day ahead, we set out early the next day and headed for Jasper, still in British Columbia and at the northern most part of the Jasper National Park.

Denise in front of the mountain goat heralding
 Mt Robson Park - the northern gateway to Jasper National Park

Our accommodation in Jasper was a way out of the main town but was comfortable and otherwise convenient. Next day we sampled Jasper National Park and some of its glories with some fantastic walks and sightseeing. Our first foray was to head off to walk the Five Lakes Trail.

The first of the five lakes

Looking along the narrow defile of the second of the glacial lakes on the walk

The cool clear waters of lake three

Anne posing on the little jetty out into the lake

Looking through the trees to lake four

Looking back at the lakes and the mountain vista

The views of the lakes on this trek were beautiful with little interconnected glacial lakes brimming with green and blue-tinged water reflecting the depths of the lakes and the composition of the glacial water that runs into them.

Next was our ride to the top of the Jasper Aerial Tram with its views of the Jasper Valley, the Five Lakes and the numerous peaks surrounding this central Rocky Mountain township.

The Jasper Aerial Tram

Top Station - at 6 degrees is was not overly warm

Phil rugged up at the top station (despite the shorts)

The township of Jasper from the top of the tram

Looking back towards the mountain peaks - the Five Lakes in the middle ground

In the afternoon, we visited Pyramid Lake and then the Maligne Canyon (pronounced Ma-leen and meaning the Devils Canyon) and gorge which was really quite breathtaking in its might and grandeur.

Pyramid Lake

Views of Miligne Canyon and Gorge

Wednesday saw us back on the road southwards through the Jasper National Park with a stopover at first the Athabasca Gorge and then the Columbia Icefield where our package had provided us with tickets for a foray in an ice-touring vehicle out on to the ice of the Athabasca Glacier. We had to wait a long time for out turn in the ice-bus and walking on the glacier was rather underwhelming but having been to the site, we couldn't pass up the opportunity - and it had been paid for as part of the package!

The Athabasca Gorge

Phil amidst the spray

The Gorge...

...and falls of the Athabasca River

Laurie and Denise on the Athabasca Glacier where it snakes down from the Columbia Icefield

Anne and I on the Glacier with the Ice Crawler Vehicle (how we got there)  in the background 

Leaving the Icefield, we continued or journey on to our overnight accommodation - the famous and fabulous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and a lake view room on the 2nd floor. The setting for this hotel is awe-inspiring with the chalk-green water of Lake Louise at the hotel's doorstep and the magnificence of the hotel and it's surrounds simply astonishing.

Our first taste of the Chateau Lake Louise and the view of the lake from our bedroom window

Next morning we walked out around the lake to the source of the ice-fed head waters and then back to the Chateau before checking out and heading off.

Looking back to the Chateau from the head of Lake Louise

The head of Lake Louise

A little Golden Mantle Squirrel taking a peek at the passers-by

Quintessential Lake Louise photograph - tourists and a beautiful lake!