Two Moro's Travels

“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.”

DAY 7:

Woke up at 5 AM and headed to Lake Louise for early morning light and to avoid the crowds of yesterday. Success. Colors were amazing; shots from every angle mesmerized and, trust me, I took shots from every angle. Grateful that my iPhone has 512 GB and that my husband brought several hard drives for backup.

Happy Canada Day. Stopped at Petro Canada gas station in Lake Louise for the morning cup of Java to kick-start the day and this colorful employee demonstrated pride for his country. Continued on our way in Big Bertha, as my husband affectionately calls our Toyota Sienna van. Headed towards Golden, BC to see the Natural Bridge. On the way, passed the Continental Divide that borders Banff and Kootenay National Parks. Saw more glacier-water, green lakes; they are like nothing you have ever seen before. Banff is truly a photographers’ dream. Captured baby deers wading in the streams.

YOHO NATIONAL PARK

One of my husbands favorite shows to watch is Highway thru Hell/ So we headed towards Yoho National Park and went through a man-made, massive canyon that cuts through the highway on the way to Radium Hot Springs and located Jamie Davis’ storage yard from the show. It was closed, but it made his day. Oh, the little things in life are what count. He took a picture in front of the storage yard and left with a smile on his face.

From there, we wanted to stop by Natural Bridge, a natural historical landmark that was sculpted by the erosive forces of the fast, moving water. It spans the flow of the Kicking Horse River. Another great photo opportunity is is within walking distance of the parking lot. These parks offer views and experiences that you do not want to miss. From there, you can head to Emerald Lake just minutes away; we missed it. Truly a regret. We did not have a real plan for that day and missed out on a beautiful scenic in area. So I can’t stress enough the importance of pre-planning your trip.

JASPER NATIONAL PARK

Ok, you know everything I said about Banff, well Jasper outshines it, in my opinion. There are more sights at every turn. Where Banff is in your face bold beautiful, Jasper has a more subdued aura to it.

After headed back to get on the Icefields Parkway, considered as one of the best scenic drives in the world. Twenty one miles past Lake Louise is the Crowfoot Glacier on your left side. There are 3 strands of ice pointing right resembling a crow’s foot. Easy to miss if you did not know this information ahead of time. So it serves you well to read about areas you are visiting ahead of time. That way you will miss less.

The Glacier overlooks Bow Lake which was our next stop; the bow summit reflects in the still waters; but at the time we were there, the water was not calm and there was no reflection in front of the glacier. We had time for one more stop before calling it a night, and I am so glad we arrived at the time we did. We got to see this next sight as the sun was setting and giving the water a turquoise blue hue so intense unlike any color you have ever seen in nature. Peyto Lake was by far my favorite stop of all. I took time to gaze at that water as it became darker before my very eyes. There are a few different levels on the viewing platforms where you can get different angles, and it was not crowded; but you did have to take your turn if you wanted the main viewing area to yourself so you could get the whole backdrop.

NIGHT 7: Backtracked 5 minutes (4 miles) to Bow Lake and spent the night there.

DAY 8: Woke up at 6 AM and decided to visit Peyto Lake again since we had to drive right past it. Walked the 1.5 mi trail to the lookout again, and this time we had the place to ourselves. The reward for getting there so early was witnessing the color changes in the water; this time it was the most intense royal blue you have ever seen. This is not a typical color you see in nature. The lake gets its color from the large amounts of glacier rock that flows into it in the summer.The color varies with the season and the time of day depending on the angle the sun hits it. If you have the opportunity, see it late at night and early in the morning; it will make a lasting impression.

Continued on the Icefields Parkway and the early morning fog was floating on the mountains engulfing them regally in white. Every direction was a feast for the eyes, Yes, take picture, but also take time to look and take it all in. This is one trip you will not easily forget.

Up next was the Weeping Wall, a mountain side full of little waterfalls with one main one water flow in the center called Teardrop. It is over 300 feet high. You can drive right by it and almost miss it it; we almost did. It is 65 miles from Lake Louise and offers a unique view of nature’s wonders.

We proceeded to the Athabaskan Glacier; we did take a short 1-hour nap in the car and it gave us a second wind, as this is day 8 for us.The walk itself is short 30 minute hike and only slightly rocky. Watch others walk up the trail in front of you and take their lead. The less rocky areas are easier to come down as your feet will not slide. We went in July and it was quite warm; a sweater was enough, but it does get colder as you get closer to the glacier and experience the katabatic winds. They occur as air passes over the top of the glaciers and quickly gets cooled since cold air is denser and heavier than warm air so it slides down the glacier creating those cold breezes. They are stronger in the fall so I would definitely bring a jacket if you are here at that time. On the way back, we stopped at one of the signs depicting the year 1992, and there you realize the effects climate change has had on Earth.The glacier loses 5 meters (16 feet) per year. In the past 25 years, it has receded a little under a mile (0.93 mi / 1.5 km) The evidence is visible in the rocky terrain it has let behind which is the path you are walking. At this rate, it is expected to become an alpine meadow and completely disappear in one hundred years. Most of the glaciers in British Columbia are in retreat. As the water melts, these glaciers empty into the Northern Pacific, Atlantic and The Arctic Oceans, and water levels will rise in places that have never seen a glacier in their life.

Another scenic stop for the day was Tangle Falls which is visible right off the road. Pull over carefully and watch crossing the highway. It is quite easy to miss if it wasn’t for the masses of people walking in the area. It is a quick stop and grab-a-picture waterfall, but I am glad I stopped. To those of you who want to be a part of the scenic landscape that everyone is trying to capture, my advice it to wear bright yellow. Just in case you do not have anything yellow, fire-engine red is another eye-catching possibility. Do not wear earth tones because we wouldn’t want you to disappear into the background and not be part of the permanent memories of so many.

Waterfalls:

Sunwapta Falls has walking trails that lead down to the impressive and loud waterfall which consists of an upper and a lower falls. It is located close to the parking area. To get the best view you need to go no further than the bridge which is about 0.5 mile. The water travels around a small piece of tree covered round land before.

Another one of the many waterfalls we saw on our trip was The Athabasca Falls. It may not be be the tallest waterfall, but the sheer volume of water makes it one of the most powerful. It is a must stop and is less than a 5-minute walk from the parking lot. You will not be disappointed.

NIGHT 8: Spent the night at Mount Fitzwilliam Trail on Hwy 16

DAY 9: Breakfast was leftover coffee (contigo cup) and leftover sandwich. Sounds gross; tasted pretty darn good. Took off early. Was a full-day of being on the road, but did stop at Rearguard Falls, a 0.5 in-and-out trail down to the falls. Early morning is the best time to visit just about everything; light is perfect and crowds are minimal. Rearguard Falls, located downstream from the Fraser River. This is the farthest point on the Fraser River that salmon migrate to spawn. It’s not a big falls measuring only 20 feet in height, but flowing water is always beautiful. In this early morning sunlight, we managed to get some rainbows over the water itself.

NIGHT 9: Drove to Prince George and stayed the night and the next night at the Hyatt Regency Prince George, a brand new hotel. We do this when we feel we need a break, just get to a hotel early and spend two nights. While all our electronics recharge, so do we. This break is like food for our soul.

The hotel had a writing desk area and a corner set aside with a small sectional and ottoman. We were able to tweak our schedule since just found out that the Alcan Highway is closed southwest of Watson Lake which was our original route to get to Alaska. We will now be talking an alternate way through route 37. This will take a little longer, and we will miss the sign at the beginning of the Alcan in Dawson Creek. This is an analogy of how we have handled life in general. When things don’t go as planned, find an alternate route and keep going. What is the alternative? Staying where you are? Going back? What about all the wonderful opportunities that await you that you may miss. Take the alternate route, it may surprise you what you will encounter.

Quote by George Washington Carver