Icefields Highway

Here's another installment of the Canadian Adventure.

One of my favorite things in Alberta is the drive along the Icefields Highway. It goes from Lake Louise northwest to Jasper. It's not very long in miles (or kilometers), but it can take all day because there is so much to see. Seriously. I usually get annoyed by anyone wanting to stop on a road trip. A road trip is usually just necessary torture you must go through to arrive somewhere. However, some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life are on this section of Hwy 93 between Lake Louise and Jasper. For example:

Waterfowl Lake

The Saskatchewan River valley
Athabasca Falls


Mistaya Canyon
Sunwapta FallsI know there are many more pictures I could grab, but that gives you a basic idea. Waterfalls, glaciers and blue lakes galore. Most of the places you can simply pull over to see, but a few of them require a short walk or hike. Mistaya Canyon is a very hidden treasure. From the road you would have no idea that anything worth seeing was down the trail, but it is truly stunning to see how the river has carved and sculpted the rocks over time.

Sunwapta Falls is an easy one to get to and to walk around and see. The trails and bridges were mostly strategically constructed to not hinder the view. However, Athabasca Falls is a tragedy. It's such an incredible rushing river that suddenly drops into a garden of enormous sculpted rocks and then flows into a high-walled canyon. But some idiot in the 60s constructed a bunch of hiddeous concrete walls and bridges EVERYWHERE. Sure, it makes walking around easy, but it is like a really, really bad 60s zoo exhibit. But the Athabasca River is beautiful--even though you have to see it with ugly concrete in the foreground.

The whole drive is full of beautiful vistas. If you're ever driving through there, take your time, bring your camera and tripod, and bring plenty of water and food. There are overpriced cafeterias at Athabasca Glacier and Sunwapta Falls, but, other than that, you're on your own for food and water.

Although the drive was amazing again, it was nice to finally get to our hotel in Jasper--my favorite town. I'll save that for my next post.