Exploring from above and below

After covering almost everything I wanted to see in Jasper that could be achieved on foot, on Wednesday I accepted an invitation to explore a few places that were out of reach of me and my hiking boots.

The first stop was Maligne Canyon, about 9km from the town centre. After the run of good weather I’ve had in Jasper, I couldn’t really complain at my first miserable day. Fortunately the rain stopped whenever we wanted to get out of the car. There are several trails around the canyon and it is possible to walk there from town, if you’re up for it. We stuck to the main tourist walkway on the way down, but took a bit of a shortcut up the other side to get back.

Despite the recent warm weather, there was still a bit of snow along the edges of the canyon. During winter it’s completely covered. As summer progresses the water will change from the murky brown – a result of the winter run-off in the river system – and turn blue. The view changes a lot as you walk along the trail - crashing waterfalls, narrow little corners and more sedate patches before the speed picks up again. There are some caves in the area too, but now isn’t the time of year to explore them.

Our other destination was Athabasca Falls, about 30km from the town, in the opposite direction to the canyon. Only a month ago the road to the falls was closed due to flooding, but we were OK.

Four days in Jasper and I'm still blown away by the beauty of the place. Athabasca Falls isn’t a giant waterfall you can stand at the bottom of and marvel and the flood of water coming from above. Instead, the main viewing platforms are at the top, where you can see river feed its way into the narrow canyon with impressive force and sound. The water bounces off the rocky banks and over millions of years has created potholes, which remind me of like looking into a washing machine while it’s going. The noise of it all is a little deafening. Once you walk further down to where it settles into the river again the silence is almost as startling as the sound in the first place.

We take the quicker route back to town and make it home about an hour before I have to leave for my train.

Up, up and away on the Jasper Tramway

I'm not one for "attractions" and so have largely ignored the many brochures for rafting, sightseeing trips, wildlife tours around Jasper. Initially I didn't even consider riding the Jasper Tramway. But word around town is it's an experience not to be missed.

The tramway base is about 6km from the town centre. It was a nice day so I pulled on the hiking boots again, although most of the walk followed the road. I arrived at base dripping with sweat and, according to the girl who sold me my ticket and a Pepsi, smelling of sunscreen.

The car fits 30 people, but it was squishy with 18 in it for our six-minute ride to the top. I'm not great with heights so cuddled the front of the car so I couldn't see how far we were off the ground. I wasn't comforted by the swaying when we went over the tower at half-way.

Our guide warned us about wind-chill at the top, but after my hike, the 8-degrees was just what I needed. There is still a lot of snow at the top. It's starting to melt, but is unlikely to be completely gone before July. Most of the surrounding boardwalks were closed, but those with hiking boots (including me) simply jumped the rope and headed carefully into the snow.



With gorgeous blue skies, glistening snow and a clear view to wherever you wanted to look, it was a stunning experience. I could see the town (which is shaped like a J), Patricia and Pyramid Lakes where I walked on Sunday, the tip of Mt Robson and those contrasts of green in the valley below.

I spent an hour at the top - walking, sitting, taking photos, enjoying the sun - before heading back down. It was definitely worth the $32 ticket and I had the perfect day for it. I started the 6km walk back into town before a couple from Quebec pulled up in their van an offered me a ride.

 

There is a company, Sundog Tours, which provides a shuttle out to the Jasper Tramway for $36, which includes your tramway ticket. Not a bad deal really. I wouldn't recommend the walk out there once summer heats up.

Today's spending: Jasper Tramway ticket: $32; Drink: $1.50. Total: $33.50

My teacup rides the Jasper Tramway

After a hike up to the base of the Jasper Tramway tucked safely in my camera bag, my little teacup came out to play at the top of Whistlers Mountain.

A post on the Tramway will follow shortly....

Best lunch spot in Jasper

This is where I had lunch yesterday. Gorgeous huh?

While hiking in Jasper is the thing to do, you have to be smart about it, and heading into the trails alone (especially when you're young, female, and not from the area) isn't always wise. Keeping that in mind, my destination was a close and solo-walker-friendly route to Old Fort Point. The walk there is open, follows the highway for a bit, has quite a few people on it, and isn't far from town. It took about one hour from the town to walk along the Athabasca River, pass a couple of long-horned sheep, and climb up to Old Fort Point.

Old Fort Point is also one of the best spots for a great view over the town so I packed a little sandwich and some snacks. The weather again turned out to be pretty special so once I reached the top I needed to lose some layers, pull off my boots and cool down. I stretched out on the grass/stone, avoiding sheep droppings, and looked around. Snow-capped mountains in every direction. A river running to one side. A rich, blue lake to another. Varying shades of green spreading out through the valley. All of this just a little stroll from town.



Travelling in the shoulder season is coming with quite a few benefits - not least the lack of people at the popular attractions. I had Old Fort Point and its spectacular view to myself for most of the time I was there.

Jasper is in the middle of the Jasper National Park so wildlife are common. Despite the traffic and people around Old Fort Point, there were plenty of long-horned sheep, unfazed by curious tourists. A rather calm elk also made his way through the car park as I left. I overheard a guide tell his group to avoid female elk (they don't have antlers) at this time of year. About five minutes later, as I walked back along the trail I came in on, I came across the said female elk. After a couple of photos, at a distance, I walked back and came in through another track. I didn't know why the guide had warned his group, but I wasn't interested in finding out.



I spent the afternoon wandering through cute little Jasper and enjoying a much-needed lemonade.

Today's spending: Lemonade: $1.50; Sunscreen: $2.50; Food and drinks for housewarming party: $15: Total: $19

Into the trails

While much of Canada's mountain towns are packed for the winter, it is the summer when Jasper swells. Why? This little town, home to about 4000 year round, is surrounded by miles and miles of trails. It is a outdoor enthusiasts heaven. Hikers, horse riders and mountain bikers have endless routes to explore.

After a much-needed sleep in and meeting Reece's latest Couchsurfers, two French girls, the three of us headed out to explore the trails. The maps are great and each trail is numbered so it's hard to get lost. We chose a path that was about 5km, but took several detours resulting in a six-hour hike over hills, alongside beautiful lakes, through bush and back home.

Oh and did I mention the weather was A. M. A. Z. I. N. G. I think I'm actually a little bit sunburnt.



 We were on the lookout for wildlife - out of interest and safety concerns. As much as I'd love to see a bear close enough to get a great picture, I'm happy to achieve that from a train window. Reece had also warned us the elk have been moody lately and to keep our distance.

 

The first part of our walk took us through quite sparse bush, which has been thinned out to create a fire break. On another trail the trees were quite dense and the track a little muddy. The edges were covered with moss. Then it was back to thin little trees and a dusty track before coming out at a gorgeous lake. Wow. I took my boots off and paddled, but didn't last long before the icy waters got too much.



Further on we came to Patricia Lake. We stood on the shore staring out over the turquoise blue waters stretching out before the snow-capped mountains. Stunning. It was an image straight out of a tourist brochure. The kind of setting you only imagine seeing. And yet here we were with the whole place to ourselves.



It was a few more kilometres to Pyramid Lake, our initial destination. Each lake more gorgeous than the last. Aside from the tourists pulling up at some of the scenic spots, we saw three other hikers and two people on bikes. In another few weeks I suspect we wouldn't be able to count the other people on the trails. Jasper is about to get busy.



The trail back took us past some stables. There was lots of horse droppings along some of the trails, but we never saw any riders. The next trail brought us out to the road. After hours in secluded bush land we finally saw our first animal (aside from some squirrels). On the grassy bank by the road, an elk was grazing, oblivious to the traffic and us, across the other side. We sat down and watched it for a while, although cautious of Reece's earlier warning.



Another kilometre or so and we were back home, with a quick stop at the supermarket for supplies.

Today's spending: Ice cream and drink: $6; groceries: $25. Total: $31

On the road again

There are few travel adventures that give me butterflies more than the thought of a train trip. I love the romance. The journey. Weaving across country that roads wouldn't bother tackling.

One of the greatest journeys in the world is The Rocky Mountaineer....but I don't have that kinda cash. So instead I parted with $700 for a Via Rail rail pass, which is my ticket across Canada for the next few weeks. Vancouver to Halifax would take about four days, but I'm breaking up the trip with a few stops along the way. After all a girl needs to shower.



The first stage of my trip was Vancouver to Jasper. I found myself struggling to get my backpack closed thanks to having to pack for almost a month in chilly Canada and even longer in Europe during its hottest months. It's fair to say some jeans and hiking boots will be going in the post in a few weeks.

The train pulled out of the station at 8.40pm, gliding past graffiti-laden fences and truck depots. It was a disappointing last image of what is such a beautiful city. Within about 10 minutes I'd met the people in the seats around me. Such conversation doesn't happen on planes, or buses, but within minutes there was a group of us from six or so seats chatting away. In front of me was a seasoned traveller called Peter who was perhaps a little too chatty. I managed to escape most times but the canteen attendant and some other passengers weren't so lucky. Actually either was I....I still had to hear about his problems with going to the loo after eating certain foods.



It's been a big week so I was changing into my pjs by 9.30pm, fluffing up my backpack to use as a pillow and making the most of my two reclining seats. I had hoped to snag a spot in the observation car like I did on the way to San Francisco but the seats there were more uncomfortable than my allocated one.

I woke in the morning feeling surprisingly well rested. I'm determined to keep to a budget on this trip so I'd packed some instant oatmeal for breakfast. I bought a cup of tea from the canteen and put half the hot water in my little cup to make my oatmeal. Definitely beats paying $6 for the oatmeal offered on-board.



The trip is timed so we travel through the Rocky Mountains during the day. It would have been a stunning trip a month ago, but even now there is still enough snow on the peaks to make it a beautiful trip. Unfortunately I was a bit tired (two more naps taken during the day) to really enjoy it.

We pulled into Jasper a little after 4pm and it was a bit of a rush to make it to my hosts place before he had to leave for work. But here I am, safe and sound, in Jasper.

Today's spending: Cup of tea on the train: $2; Taxi to Reece's house: $9; Pasta ingredients to cook dinner: $9. Total: $20