September Trip to Canadian Rockies
May 18th, 2007, 05:18 AM
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September Trip to Canadian Rockies
I could use some recommendations on what to see in our time there.
We are in our middle to late 50's and like nature and views. My husband is interested in fossils. We don't do long hikes, just 2-3 miles is best. We will be driving in from USA.
Sept 6: We will be arriving in Brooks in the evening.
Sept 7: Visiting Dinosaur Provincial Park. Spending night in Brooks.
Sept 8: Drive to Drumheller. Royal Tyrrell Museum. Drive to Airdrie. Using points for Holiday Inn Express.
Sept 9-10: Staying in Canmore. Visiting Banff sites.
Sept 11-13: Driving to Jasper. Spending 3 nights there.
Sept 14-16: Driving to Field. Spending 3 nights there. Visiting Lake Louise and Yoho sites.
Sept 17: Driving to Great Falls, Montana.
We are in our middle to late 50's and like nature and views. My husband is interested in fossils. We don't do long hikes, just 2-3 miles is best. We will be driving in from USA.
Sept 6: We will be arriving in Brooks in the evening.
Sept 7: Visiting Dinosaur Provincial Park. Spending night in Brooks.
Sept 8: Drive to Drumheller. Royal Tyrrell Museum. Drive to Airdrie. Using points for Holiday Inn Express.
Sept 9-10: Staying in Canmore. Visiting Banff sites.
Sept 11-13: Driving to Jasper. Spending 3 nights there.
Sept 14-16: Driving to Field. Spending 3 nights there. Visiting Lake Louise and Yoho sites.
Sept 17: Driving to Great Falls, Montana.
May 18th, 2007, 08:07 AM
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>>>>>>Sept 9-10: Staying in Canmore. Visiting Banff sites.<<<<<<
Although it would take you the long way round, I suggest you spend Sept 9th driving to Canmore via the Highwood Pass and Kananaskis Country. It is a charming route. Do my suggested Kananaskis itinerary in reverse:
http://tinyurl.com/nmxoe
On Sept 10th visit Johnston Canyon (walking at least to the Lower Falls), Lake Minnewanka, Sulphur Mountain Gondola, Bow Falls. Stroll through Banff townsite, and see whatever else you have time for and takes your fancy in the Banff area.
On the way from Lake Louise to Jasper, stop at Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefields, Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls.
Spend one day in Jasper visiting Maligne Canyon, driving to Maligne Lake and then driving to Mount Edith Cavell. Do as much of the Angel Glacier / Cavell Meadows hike as you feel comfortable doing. Alternatively, catch the tram up Whistlers Mountain (an experience that is enhanced if you're willing to do the extra little hike to the top of the mountain).
On your other Jasper-based day, either visit the Miette Hot Springs area to the east of Jasper or the Mount Robson area to the west of Jasper.
On your way to Field, stop in to see Moraine Lake. I make that suggestion because you'll reach it in the afternoon. At that time of year, that's when the sun manages to get up over the mountains and shine down on Moraine Lake. That's the condition you need to see the lake's legendary green-turquoise colour. In the morning, when the lake is in the shade, it's a blue-turquoise colour. That too is very pretty, but the green-turquoise really knocks your socks off.
On one of your Field-based days, you could visit Lake Louise, Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake. Your view of Lake Louise will be enhanced if you walk to Fairview Lookout. It's an uphill walk of one kilometre (0.6 miles). The effort is very worthwhile. Fairview Lookout is a better vantage point from which to look at the lake than the shoreline trail is.
The turquoise colour of the mountain lakes is more apparent if you view them from above. Peyto Lake's lookout point is high above the lake, which is very advantageous. In the case of Moraine Lake, you get that uplift if you walk to the top of the pile of rocks at the north end of the lake.
Suggest you do a day trip to the Lake O'Hara area. That will involve catching a bus and that, in turn, requires research and planning. The effort is worth it, however.
Waterton Lakes Provincial Park in the southwestern corner of Alberta and Montana's Glacier National Park are very beautiful, but you don't seem to have plans to visit them. Perhaps you have been to them before.
WEATHER
I used the Trip Planner feature of the Weather Underground website to look up Banff's temperatures from September 9th through September 17th over the last six years. The temperatures in that date range have been as follows:
Average day time high : 58 deg F
Highest day time high : 80 deg F
Lowest day time high : 32 deg F
Average night time low : 36 deg F
Highest night time low : 48 deg F
Lowest night time low : 27 deg F
As you can see, you could encounter a huge variety of weather conditions. You could run into snow (although at that time of year it does not yet stick around for long). You would need to pack lots of layers in order to be prepared for the different conditions you might experience.
Hope that helps.
Although it would take you the long way round, I suggest you spend Sept 9th driving to Canmore via the Highwood Pass and Kananaskis Country. It is a charming route. Do my suggested Kananaskis itinerary in reverse:
http://tinyurl.com/nmxoe
On Sept 10th visit Johnston Canyon (walking at least to the Lower Falls), Lake Minnewanka, Sulphur Mountain Gondola, Bow Falls. Stroll through Banff townsite, and see whatever else you have time for and takes your fancy in the Banff area.
On the way from Lake Louise to Jasper, stop at Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefields, Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls.
Spend one day in Jasper visiting Maligne Canyon, driving to Maligne Lake and then driving to Mount Edith Cavell. Do as much of the Angel Glacier / Cavell Meadows hike as you feel comfortable doing. Alternatively, catch the tram up Whistlers Mountain (an experience that is enhanced if you're willing to do the extra little hike to the top of the mountain).
On your other Jasper-based day, either visit the Miette Hot Springs area to the east of Jasper or the Mount Robson area to the west of Jasper.
On your way to Field, stop in to see Moraine Lake. I make that suggestion because you'll reach it in the afternoon. At that time of year, that's when the sun manages to get up over the mountains and shine down on Moraine Lake. That's the condition you need to see the lake's legendary green-turquoise colour. In the morning, when the lake is in the shade, it's a blue-turquoise colour. That too is very pretty, but the green-turquoise really knocks your socks off.
On one of your Field-based days, you could visit Lake Louise, Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake. Your view of Lake Louise will be enhanced if you walk to Fairview Lookout. It's an uphill walk of one kilometre (0.6 miles). The effort is very worthwhile. Fairview Lookout is a better vantage point from which to look at the lake than the shoreline trail is.
The turquoise colour of the mountain lakes is more apparent if you view them from above. Peyto Lake's lookout point is high above the lake, which is very advantageous. In the case of Moraine Lake, you get that uplift if you walk to the top of the pile of rocks at the north end of the lake.
Suggest you do a day trip to the Lake O'Hara area. That will involve catching a bus and that, in turn, requires research and planning. The effort is worth it, however.
Waterton Lakes Provincial Park in the southwestern corner of Alberta and Montana's Glacier National Park are very beautiful, but you don't seem to have plans to visit them. Perhaps you have been to them before.
WEATHER
I used the Trip Planner feature of the Weather Underground website to look up Banff's temperatures from September 9th through September 17th over the last six years. The temperatures in that date range have been as follows:
Average day time high : 58 deg F
Highest day time high : 80 deg F
Lowest day time high : 32 deg F
Average night time low : 36 deg F
Highest night time low : 48 deg F
Lowest night time low : 27 deg F
As you can see, you could encounter a huge variety of weather conditions. You could run into snow (although at that time of year it does not yet stick around for long). You would need to pack lots of layers in order to be prepared for the different conditions you might experience.
Hope that helps.
May 18th, 2007, 12:02 PM
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Judy,
Thank you for your suggestions. I had thought about Kananaskis Country and I am glad to see that it will work into our time frame.
You have helped me zero in on what can be accomplished on our different days. If there are any hikes longer than 3 miles that aren't too strenuous and are something we shouldn't miss, let me know. In The Grand Tetons, we have done 9 miles to the Forks in Cascade Canyon. In Bryce Canyon, we have done the Queens Garden/Navaho Loop in that order, coming up the Wall Street section.
The temperatures for then are about what I was expecting. We know there is a chance of snow, but I was thinking it wouldn't stick around long. We have traveled to Yellowstone and Colorado in September before.
We don't have plans to go to Waterton Lakes Provincial Park or Montana's Glacier National Park on this trip. We haven't been there before but would like to go there sometime in the future. We are driving from Oklahoma and making a couple of stops in South Dakota and Nebraska on the way home. So our time is pretty well full on this trip.
Thank you again.
Thank you for your suggestions. I had thought about Kananaskis Country and I am glad to see that it will work into our time frame.
You have helped me zero in on what can be accomplished on our different days. If there are any hikes longer than 3 miles that aren't too strenuous and are something we shouldn't miss, let me know. In The Grand Tetons, we have done 9 miles to the Forks in Cascade Canyon. In Bryce Canyon, we have done the Queens Garden/Navaho Loop in that order, coming up the Wall Street section.
The temperatures for then are about what I was expecting. We know there is a chance of snow, but I was thinking it wouldn't stick around long. We have traveled to Yellowstone and Colorado in September before.
We don't have plans to go to Waterton Lakes Provincial Park or Montana's Glacier National Park on this trip. We haven't been there before but would like to go there sometime in the future. We are driving from Oklahoma and making a couple of stops in South Dakota and Nebraska on the way home. So our time is pretty well full on this trip.
Thank you again.
May 18th, 2007, 01:37 PM
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Some suggested hikes that fit your criteria--
Maligne Canyon (Jasper area)--various starting points.
Mt Robson--Kinney Lake trail (gradual climb--a good part of the trail goes through a lush fern forest area).
Emerald Lake (Field area)--flat loop around the lake.
Lake O'Hara is beautiful but it requires a little effort to get a spot on the bus to the Lake. The trails in that area are more challenging than the ones mentioned above.
Maligne Canyon (Jasper area)--various starting points.
Mt Robson--Kinney Lake trail (gradual climb--a good part of the trail goes through a lush fern forest area).
Emerald Lake (Field area)--flat loop around the lake.
Lake O'Hara is beautiful but it requires a little effort to get a spot on the bus to the Lake. The trails in that area are more challenging than the ones mentioned above.
May 23rd, 2007, 07:00 PM
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Can anyone recommend some restaurants? We don't require fancy, expensive places. My husband does not eat meat, poultry, or fish. But he does eat dairy products. Any places you would recommend with vegetarian choices, pizza, or pasta?
Anyone know about Nourish in Banff or SunFood Cafe in Canmore?
Anyone know about Nourish in Banff or SunFood Cafe in Canmore?
May 23rd, 2007, 10:37 PM
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BANFF
VEGETARIAN
Nourish Vegetarian Bistro & Tea House
2nd foor, Sundance Mall
215 Banff Avenue, 2nd Floor
I've eaten at Nourish, and the food is pleasant. A few months ago I heard a rumour that the owners were thinking of turning it into a restaurant for omnivores, but I don't know if that came to pass.
VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY
Pad Thai
ClockTower Mall
110 Banff Avenue
Very ordinary-looking place, but delicious food.
Silver Dragon (Chinese cuisine)
3rd floor Park Mall
211 Banff Avenue
A very pleasant establishment with good food.
The Balkan (Greek cuisine)
120 Banff Avenue
Very friendly, very good food, great value for money.
Coyotes Deli & Grill
206 Caribou Street
Cuisine is inspired by the American Southwest and the Pacific Coast. While it is not a vegetarian restaurant, the menu includes some delicious vegetarian options. The last time I was there I had a bean soup that was to die for. This little place is popular. Dinner reservations are essential during the busy months of July and August, and summer visitors may find that they need reservations even for lunch during the summer. Things are not that frenetic in September.
Athena's Pizza & Spaghetti House
next to the Clock Tower Mall
110 Banff Avenue
Excellent pizza. Good value for money.
Beyond the above mentioned restaurants, bassically any moderately priced and any upscale restaurant will prepare a vegetarian dish on request, even if it doesn't have a vegetarian item on its menu.
VEGETARIAN
Nourish Vegetarian Bistro & Tea House
2nd foor, Sundance Mall
215 Banff Avenue, 2nd Floor
I've eaten at Nourish, and the food is pleasant. A few months ago I heard a rumour that the owners were thinking of turning it into a restaurant for omnivores, but I don't know if that came to pass.
VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY
Pad Thai
ClockTower Mall
110 Banff Avenue
Very ordinary-looking place, but delicious food.
Silver Dragon (Chinese cuisine)
3rd floor Park Mall
211 Banff Avenue
A very pleasant establishment with good food.
The Balkan (Greek cuisine)
120 Banff Avenue
Very friendly, very good food, great value for money.
Coyotes Deli & Grill
206 Caribou Street
Cuisine is inspired by the American Southwest and the Pacific Coast. While it is not a vegetarian restaurant, the menu includes some delicious vegetarian options. The last time I was there I had a bean soup that was to die for. This little place is popular. Dinner reservations are essential during the busy months of July and August, and summer visitors may find that they need reservations even for lunch during the summer. Things are not that frenetic in September.
Athena's Pizza & Spaghetti House
next to the Clock Tower Mall
110 Banff Avenue
Excellent pizza. Good value for money.
Beyond the above mentioned restaurants, bassically any moderately priced and any upscale restaurant will prepare a vegetarian dish on request, even if it doesn't have a vegetarian item on its menu.
May 24th, 2007, 01:53 PM
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Thank you Judy for the info on restaurants. Doesn't anyone have any recomendations for Jasper?
I have another question. I understand you can use a credit card for the National Park Pass. Is that correct? What about the Banff Gondola, Icefields Snocoach, Jasper Tramway, and Maligne Lake Cruise? Can I use my credit card or do I need cash? Just want to be prepared with enough Canadian dollars if I need cash, since I'm from the USA.
I have another question. I understand you can use a credit card for the National Park Pass. Is that correct? What about the Banff Gondola, Icefields Snocoach, Jasper Tramway, and Maligne Lake Cruise? Can I use my credit card or do I need cash? Just want to be prepared with enough Canadian dollars if I need cash, since I'm from the USA.
May 24th, 2007, 04:36 PM
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In the Jasper area, upscale restaurants include Becker's Gourmet Dining at Becker's Chalets, Tekarra Lodge, and The Pines at Pyramid Lake. In that price range they will accommodate vegetarian requests for sure.
Fiddle River is an excellent seafood restaurant. It serves good pasta as well, and a couple of its pasta dishes are bound to be vegetarian.
Something Else and The Palisades are two Greek/Italian restaurants that probably have a couple of vegetarian offerings on their menus or, if they don't, they probably could accommodate a vegetarian diner.
I was a vegetarian for 3.5 years, and the comments I made about Banff were based on my personal experience.
I might add that, when I was a vegetarian, I also had an excellent mushroom burger in the restaurant at Deer Lodge in the Lake Louise area. It happened that it was on their menu, and I did not have to make a special request. That said, most of the restaurants in the Lake Louise area accommodate vegetarian requests, whether or not they have vegetarian items on their menus.
We made only one trip to Jasper during my vegetarian phase. During that trip we had one picnic dinner on the beach at Pyramid Lake, and another dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Miss Italia. Although Miss Italia had a couple of vegetarian pasta dishes on its menu, our overall experience there was not satisfactory, and we would not return.
I have experienced other Jasper restaurants only as an omnivore, and was not able to comment from the point of view of a vegetarian. That's why I hesitated to make suggestions for Jasper. However, since no one else has stepped in so far, I've given it a try.
Philosophically I still have the values that I had when I was a vegetarian. Unfortunately, however, I encountered some health problems, and was pretty much forced to resume eating some animal protein. It's a long shaggy dog story that I won't go into.
Yes, you can use credit cards at all the places you mentioned. Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted credit cards in this part of the world. Expensive restaurants tend to accept American Express as well, but AE is not as widely accepted as Visa and MC.
Fiddle River is an excellent seafood restaurant. It serves good pasta as well, and a couple of its pasta dishes are bound to be vegetarian.
Something Else and The Palisades are two Greek/Italian restaurants that probably have a couple of vegetarian offerings on their menus or, if they don't, they probably could accommodate a vegetarian diner.
I was a vegetarian for 3.5 years, and the comments I made about Banff were based on my personal experience.
I might add that, when I was a vegetarian, I also had an excellent mushroom burger in the restaurant at Deer Lodge in the Lake Louise area. It happened that it was on their menu, and I did not have to make a special request. That said, most of the restaurants in the Lake Louise area accommodate vegetarian requests, whether or not they have vegetarian items on their menus.
We made only one trip to Jasper during my vegetarian phase. During that trip we had one picnic dinner on the beach at Pyramid Lake, and another dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Miss Italia. Although Miss Italia had a couple of vegetarian pasta dishes on its menu, our overall experience there was not satisfactory, and we would not return.
I have experienced other Jasper restaurants only as an omnivore, and was not able to comment from the point of view of a vegetarian. That's why I hesitated to make suggestions for Jasper. However, since no one else has stepped in so far, I've given it a try.
Philosophically I still have the values that I had when I was a vegetarian. Unfortunately, however, I encountered some health problems, and was pretty much forced to resume eating some animal protein. It's a long shaggy dog story that I won't go into.
Yes, you can use credit cards at all the places you mentioned. Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted credit cards in this part of the world. Expensive restaurants tend to accept American Express as well, but AE is not as widely accepted as Visa and MC.
May 24th, 2007, 08:23 PM
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I think that I might drive the extra hour on your first night and stay in Drumheller, Brooks is a "workers" town, for those who work in the patch and is not very nice. I find it kind of depressing.
Drum on the other hand is a nice little town.
Drum on the other hand is a nice little town.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 11:25 AM
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Sorry I haven't reported back about our trip, but here goes. I hope I don't bore everyone because this might be long. I also want to thank everyone on this site for all the valuable information provided, especially Judy. It made our trip!
First, I wasn't sure if we were going to go. I was sick for 7 weeks before we left and still wasn't completely well when we left. I had spent alot of time in bed and didn't think I would be able to do much hiking, but figured I would be able to enjoy the scenery from the car and on short walks. I was on 2 prescriptions, but we decided to give it a try. Also a warning, we aren't the conventional tourist, my husband is really interested in fossils so some of our stops are geared towards that.
We drove for 2 long days and arrived in Brooks on Sept. 6. We stayed at the Best Western there for 2 nights. Originally we had planned to use points and stay at the Holiday Inn Express, but it was sold and our reservations cancelled. That sent us scrambing for a replacement. The room was good sized and the included breakfast was pretty good. There was lots of choices, including hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cheese, fresh fruit, cereals, bagels, juice, and a waffle making station.
After a good night's sleep and breakfast we headed to Dinosaur Provincial Park. It was cloudy and they were predicting rain. Of course we got lost and passed one of the turns. At a construction area, one of the workers told us we had passed the turn and told us to look for the store with the dinosaur in front and turn there. After getting back on track we arrived at the visitor's center around 11 am. We watched the film and looked around the exhibits (small, but interesting). We decided to take the bus tour of the badlands and purchased our tickets. That left only 1 ticket remaining. We made our decision just in time. The weather turned out just fine. Partly cloudy but no rain. The bus tour was interesting. We got to see the rock formations and see some dinosaur fossils including a nearly complete hadrosaur housed in a building close to where it was found. We really would have like to have done one of the fossil hikes, but it wasn't offered on the weekdays after Labor Day. We headed back to Brooks, had dinner, and spent the evening at the hotel. We decided to swim at the pool. We even enjoyed the slide and went down it several times. If you have kids they would enjoy this.
The next day we ate breakfast and headed for Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. We got there early and climbed up to the lookout across from the Museum. Since it was a Saturday the place was pretty crowded. We were glad that we had made reservations for the Seven Wonders of the Badlands Hike and Fossil Casting a couple months before leaving because they were sold out. The Museum is fanstastic. Everyone should see it, but it a great place for kids. There were alot of kids there and they really seemed bo be enoying it. The Fossil Casting was interesting. It is geared towards children but we still enjoyed it. There were mostly children there, but there was 1 other couple with no kids enjoying the experience with us. The Seven Wonders of the Badlands Hike was OK, but most of what we heard was a repeat from the bus trip at Dinosaur Provincial Park without the fossil sites. After our time at the Museum, we went to some of the fossil shops in town and did a little purchasing. We even made a stop to see the World's Largest Dinosaur, but did not make the climb up (a $3 charge per person). We ate and then drove to Airdrie and spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express purchased with points. Nice room and decent breakfast.
More to come.
First, I wasn't sure if we were going to go. I was sick for 7 weeks before we left and still wasn't completely well when we left. I had spent alot of time in bed and didn't think I would be able to do much hiking, but figured I would be able to enjoy the scenery from the car and on short walks. I was on 2 prescriptions, but we decided to give it a try. Also a warning, we aren't the conventional tourist, my husband is really interested in fossils so some of our stops are geared towards that.
We drove for 2 long days and arrived in Brooks on Sept. 6. We stayed at the Best Western there for 2 nights. Originally we had planned to use points and stay at the Holiday Inn Express, but it was sold and our reservations cancelled. That sent us scrambing for a replacement. The room was good sized and the included breakfast was pretty good. There was lots of choices, including hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cheese, fresh fruit, cereals, bagels, juice, and a waffle making station.
After a good night's sleep and breakfast we headed to Dinosaur Provincial Park. It was cloudy and they were predicting rain. Of course we got lost and passed one of the turns. At a construction area, one of the workers told us we had passed the turn and told us to look for the store with the dinosaur in front and turn there. After getting back on track we arrived at the visitor's center around 11 am. We watched the film and looked around the exhibits (small, but interesting). We decided to take the bus tour of the badlands and purchased our tickets. That left only 1 ticket remaining. We made our decision just in time. The weather turned out just fine. Partly cloudy but no rain. The bus tour was interesting. We got to see the rock formations and see some dinosaur fossils including a nearly complete hadrosaur housed in a building close to where it was found. We really would have like to have done one of the fossil hikes, but it wasn't offered on the weekdays after Labor Day. We headed back to Brooks, had dinner, and spent the evening at the hotel. We decided to swim at the pool. We even enjoyed the slide and went down it several times. If you have kids they would enjoy this.
The next day we ate breakfast and headed for Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. We got there early and climbed up to the lookout across from the Museum. Since it was a Saturday the place was pretty crowded. We were glad that we had made reservations for the Seven Wonders of the Badlands Hike and Fossil Casting a couple months before leaving because they were sold out. The Museum is fanstastic. Everyone should see it, but it a great place for kids. There were alot of kids there and they really seemed bo be enoying it. The Fossil Casting was interesting. It is geared towards children but we still enjoyed it. There were mostly children there, but there was 1 other couple with no kids enjoying the experience with us. The Seven Wonders of the Badlands Hike was OK, but most of what we heard was a repeat from the bus trip at Dinosaur Provincial Park without the fossil sites. After our time at the Museum, we went to some of the fossil shops in town and did a little purchasing. We even made a stop to see the World's Largest Dinosaur, but did not make the climb up (a $3 charge per person). We ate and then drove to Airdrie and spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express purchased with points. Nice room and decent breakfast.
More to come.
Oct 24th, 2007, 11:25 AM
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Sunday, Sept. 9
We had planned to go through Kanassassis Country, but it was pretty cloudy so we headed straight to Banff. We looked around some of the shops and went and hiked the Hoodoo Trail. The views were pretty good and the clouds started to lift and get burned off by the sun.
We ate lunch and then headed to the gondola since it looked like the afternoon was going to be nice and clear. I remembered everyone saying to go at the first place where it was clear because it might not be clear at the next one. I wasn't sure this was a good decision at first, because when we got up to the top we walked out on the deck, right onto ice. I almost fell down. Workers were out on the platforms scraping the ice and slush off. We hiked to the top. Great views. It turned out to be a perfect afternoon, with clear skies and nice temps.
We then went and check out the Fairmont Banff Springs, and the Bow Falls. We ate at the Nourish Cafe. It is a small place, only about 5-6 tables. The food is vegetarian and was OK. We then checked into our hotel, the Best Western Pocaterra Inn in Canmore. We liked this place. We had a large room with two queen beds, a fireplace, microwave and refrigerator. Breakfast is included. The usual fare.
Monday, Sept. 10
After breakfast, we headed to Johnston Canyon. Since we got there early, parking was not a problem. We spent the morning hiking and taking in the sites here. I really enjoyed the cave near the lower falls. We had lunch and went into the town of Banff to do a little souvenir shopping. Then we headed back to our hotel. Since the hotel had a laundry, we decided this would be a good place to get some laundry done since we wouldn't have another laundry facility so handy for another week. We had dinner at the SunFood Cafe. It was a nice day, in the 70's F, so we decided to have dinner on the deck. Good views and very good vegetarian dishes. We liked this place better than the Nourish Cafe in Banff.
Tuesday, Sept. 11
Today we headed to Jasper. We stopped and saw Peyote Lake, no problems with car break-ins while we were there, but we did keep everything out of sight in our trunk. We made a lot of stops at lookouts. All beautiful. This is a gorgeous drive. Our weather was perfect.
We arrived at the Icefield Centre and ate a picnic lunch. Went inside and purchased tickets for the Snocoach. We had to wait 5 minutes before taking off. Our timing was perfect. We enjoyed the Snocoach. The half day hike would have been nice but I don't think I would have been up for it yet. Some people were not prepared for the cold up on the glacier. They tell people it will be cold and warn them even on the tickets, but some still don't get it. The wind sweeping down the glacier made it feel like -5 C. We were glad we had our coats, gloves, and hats.
After our time at the Icefield Centre we continued on towards Jasper. Making stops at several lookouts. We also stopped at Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls. Both of them were fanstatic. We walked around both places including the abandoned canyon at Athabasca Falls.
By this time it was starting to get cloudy and it really looked like it was going to rain. We arrived in Jasper and found our home accomodation- A & A Accomodations. It was on the main street in Jasper, with the train tracks just across the street. The trains really didn't bother us. We were right next to Craystons, which has been recommended on this site. We had the upper suite. It was very nice. We had a queen bed, fireplace, tv, and kitchenette (refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, sink, and kitchen utensils). The bathroom has only a shower but was still nice. The only thing is, I wish they had better towels in the bathroom. We had only 2 bath towels, 2 hand towls, and 2 washcloths, which were fairly small and very thin and were not replenished for the 3 nights we were there. But it was a good value at $100 a night.
We had dinner at the Jasper Pizza Place. We split a pizza and a salad. The pizza was OK but the salad was very good. As we were headed back to our accommodation it started to lightning and thunder. We made it back just before it started to pour. It rained most of the night.
More to come.
We had planned to go through Kanassassis Country, but it was pretty cloudy so we headed straight to Banff. We looked around some of the shops and went and hiked the Hoodoo Trail. The views were pretty good and the clouds started to lift and get burned off by the sun.
We ate lunch and then headed to the gondola since it looked like the afternoon was going to be nice and clear. I remembered everyone saying to go at the first place where it was clear because it might not be clear at the next one. I wasn't sure this was a good decision at first, because when we got up to the top we walked out on the deck, right onto ice. I almost fell down. Workers were out on the platforms scraping the ice and slush off. We hiked to the top. Great views. It turned out to be a perfect afternoon, with clear skies and nice temps.
We then went and check out the Fairmont Banff Springs, and the Bow Falls. We ate at the Nourish Cafe. It is a small place, only about 5-6 tables. The food is vegetarian and was OK. We then checked into our hotel, the Best Western Pocaterra Inn in Canmore. We liked this place. We had a large room with two queen beds, a fireplace, microwave and refrigerator. Breakfast is included. The usual fare.
Monday, Sept. 10
After breakfast, we headed to Johnston Canyon. Since we got there early, parking was not a problem. We spent the morning hiking and taking in the sites here. I really enjoyed the cave near the lower falls. We had lunch and went into the town of Banff to do a little souvenir shopping. Then we headed back to our hotel. Since the hotel had a laundry, we decided this would be a good place to get some laundry done since we wouldn't have another laundry facility so handy for another week. We had dinner at the SunFood Cafe. It was a nice day, in the 70's F, so we decided to have dinner on the deck. Good views and very good vegetarian dishes. We liked this place better than the Nourish Cafe in Banff.
Tuesday, Sept. 11
Today we headed to Jasper. We stopped and saw Peyote Lake, no problems with car break-ins while we were there, but we did keep everything out of sight in our trunk. We made a lot of stops at lookouts. All beautiful. This is a gorgeous drive. Our weather was perfect.
We arrived at the Icefield Centre and ate a picnic lunch. Went inside and purchased tickets for the Snocoach. We had to wait 5 minutes before taking off. Our timing was perfect. We enjoyed the Snocoach. The half day hike would have been nice but I don't think I would have been up for it yet. Some people were not prepared for the cold up on the glacier. They tell people it will be cold and warn them even on the tickets, but some still don't get it. The wind sweeping down the glacier made it feel like -5 C. We were glad we had our coats, gloves, and hats.
After our time at the Icefield Centre we continued on towards Jasper. Making stops at several lookouts. We also stopped at Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls. Both of them were fanstatic. We walked around both places including the abandoned canyon at Athabasca Falls.
By this time it was starting to get cloudy and it really looked like it was going to rain. We arrived in Jasper and found our home accomodation- A & A Accomodations. It was on the main street in Jasper, with the train tracks just across the street. The trains really didn't bother us. We were right next to Craystons, which has been recommended on this site. We had the upper suite. It was very nice. We had a queen bed, fireplace, tv, and kitchenette (refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, sink, and kitchen utensils). The bathroom has only a shower but was still nice. The only thing is, I wish they had better towels in the bathroom. We had only 2 bath towels, 2 hand towls, and 2 washcloths, which were fairly small and very thin and were not replenished for the 3 nights we were there. But it was a good value at $100 a night.
We had dinner at the Jasper Pizza Place. We split a pizza and a salad. The pizza was OK but the salad was very good. As we were headed back to our accommodation it started to lightning and thunder. We made it back just before it started to pour. It rained most of the night.
More to come.
Oct 24th, 2007, 12:37 PM
#12
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Sorry for my spelling errors in the previous post. I'll try to shorten this report some.
Wednesday, Sept. 12
When we got up, we walked to the Bears Paw Bakery. Bought some scones and some sun dried tomato bread, which was very good. They even sliced it for us. It made great sandwiches. The mountains had fresh snow on top from the previous night. It rained in Jasper, but snowed at the high elevations.
Today we went to Maligne Canyon. We started at the fifth bridge and hiked to the first bridge then back again. We met a couple here that had been on the Snocoach with us the day before. Enjoyed the canyon very much.
Next we drove out to Maligne Lake but decided not to take the boat tour. On the way back to Jasper we turned a corner and there were 7 long horned sheep walking down the middle of the road. When we got back to town we went to the grocery store and purchased food to cook dinner for the next 2 nights.
Thursday, Sept. 13
We drove out to Mt Edith Cavell and hiked the Path of the Glacier Loop and ran into another couple who had been on the Snocoach with us. We spent some time at the edge of the water with all the chunks of ice that came off the glacier floating around.
We then hiked part of the Cavell Meadows Trail. And lo and behold we met the same couple that we had met the previous 2 days. So now we had met them at the Snocoach, Maligne Canyon, and Cavell Meadows Hike. This really was a coincidence.
In the evening we went out and hiked near Patricia and Pyramid Lake. We watched the sunset at Pyramid Lake.
Friday, Sept. 14
Today we headed to Field. As we were leaving Jasper we saw a Doe and a Buck near the Alpine Village cabins.
As we went down the Icefields Parkway we made a few stops since things do look different heading in the other direction. Since I felt pretty good and had done well on our previous hikes we decided to try Parker Ridge. Part of the trail was still frozen and some of it was slippery mud. Near the top I thought I wouldn't make it. I was so tired and out of breathe. I rested a little and then tried again. I MADE IT! We went over the ridge and took in the views. We had our picnic lunch overlooking the Saskatchewan Glacier.
We made a stop at Mistaya Canyon and then made a stop at the Visitor's Center in Lake Louise. We got information about hiking possibilities for the next day. On the way to Field, we stopped at the Spiral Tunnels Lookout on the Trans-Canada Highway. We had to wait only 1 minute and a very long freight train came. It was quite interesting to see it winding through the tunnels. Then on to Field and our accomodations for the next 3 nights (Spiral Tunnels Guestshouse). When we got to Field we were stopped by the very same freight train we had just seen. We had to wait as they changed crews.
The Spiral Tunnels Guestshouse was a great place, large living area with large fireplace and kitchenette with microwave, sink, refrigerator, and range with burners and oven. There was a separate bedroom with a comfortable bed, separated from living area with French doors. The bathroom was large with a separate shower and a large soaking tub. There were great views from the place. I want to thank Bob Brown for mentioning this place. It was great. Carla is a great host.
Saturday, Sept. 15
Today we spent our time in the Lake Louise area. We arrived early at Lake Lousie and started walking on the path to the end of the Lake. We continued on and hiked the Plain of the Six Glaciers. Great views. We didn't think we would make it. This time I had no trouble, but my husband was having a hard time. We had to take it slow. We stopped at the teahouse and had a little refreshments before continuing on. When we got back to the Chateau the area was really crowded.
We went on to Moraine Lake and since it was a weekend and in the afternoon the place was very crowded. We had to park along the road and walk about 1/2 mile to the parking lot. We went up the rock pile and found the views breathtaking. We got one of our pictures from here enlarged, framed, and hung in our living room.
Sunday, Sept. 16
Today we checked out Yoho National Park. Our first stop was Takakkaw Falls. On the way up the winding road, we had a male and female elk in our lane of the road. We stopped and 2 other cars stopped behind us. We got some great pictures of them. Then they went off into the wooded area. We climbed around the falls area.
We then headed off to Emerald Lake. Did some hiking around the lake and then made a stop at the Natural Bridge on the way back out. Things were a little smokey here. It turns out that they were having a prescribed burn in the area which made everything a bit hazy.
Next we drove out to Wapta Falls and hiked out to the falls. Very nice falls. Not as high as Takakkaw Falls but a lot wider. It reminded me of a mini Niagara Falls.
On the way back to our Guesthouse we stopped at the Yoho Visitors Center in Field and looked at their exhibits. My husband bought a couple books about the fossils of the Burgess Shale.
Monday, Sept. 17
We started out early for our trip back to the States. It was a great trip. The weather had been great, the sights beautiful, and I even made I few hikes. We had taken over 800 pictures with our digital camera and had 2 hours of video, so we will be able to relive our adventures. If anyone has any questions I will try to answer them.
Wednesday, Sept. 12
When we got up, we walked to the Bears Paw Bakery. Bought some scones and some sun dried tomato bread, which was very good. They even sliced it for us. It made great sandwiches. The mountains had fresh snow on top from the previous night. It rained in Jasper, but snowed at the high elevations.
Today we went to Maligne Canyon. We started at the fifth bridge and hiked to the first bridge then back again. We met a couple here that had been on the Snocoach with us the day before. Enjoyed the canyon very much.
Next we drove out to Maligne Lake but decided not to take the boat tour. On the way back to Jasper we turned a corner and there were 7 long horned sheep walking down the middle of the road. When we got back to town we went to the grocery store and purchased food to cook dinner for the next 2 nights.
Thursday, Sept. 13
We drove out to Mt Edith Cavell and hiked the Path of the Glacier Loop and ran into another couple who had been on the Snocoach with us. We spent some time at the edge of the water with all the chunks of ice that came off the glacier floating around.
We then hiked part of the Cavell Meadows Trail. And lo and behold we met the same couple that we had met the previous 2 days. So now we had met them at the Snocoach, Maligne Canyon, and Cavell Meadows Hike. This really was a coincidence.
In the evening we went out and hiked near Patricia and Pyramid Lake. We watched the sunset at Pyramid Lake.
Friday, Sept. 14
Today we headed to Field. As we were leaving Jasper we saw a Doe and a Buck near the Alpine Village cabins.
As we went down the Icefields Parkway we made a few stops since things do look different heading in the other direction. Since I felt pretty good and had done well on our previous hikes we decided to try Parker Ridge. Part of the trail was still frozen and some of it was slippery mud. Near the top I thought I wouldn't make it. I was so tired and out of breathe. I rested a little and then tried again. I MADE IT! We went over the ridge and took in the views. We had our picnic lunch overlooking the Saskatchewan Glacier.
We made a stop at Mistaya Canyon and then made a stop at the Visitor's Center in Lake Louise. We got information about hiking possibilities for the next day. On the way to Field, we stopped at the Spiral Tunnels Lookout on the Trans-Canada Highway. We had to wait only 1 minute and a very long freight train came. It was quite interesting to see it winding through the tunnels. Then on to Field and our accomodations for the next 3 nights (Spiral Tunnels Guestshouse). When we got to Field we were stopped by the very same freight train we had just seen. We had to wait as they changed crews.
The Spiral Tunnels Guestshouse was a great place, large living area with large fireplace and kitchenette with microwave, sink, refrigerator, and range with burners and oven. There was a separate bedroom with a comfortable bed, separated from living area with French doors. The bathroom was large with a separate shower and a large soaking tub. There were great views from the place. I want to thank Bob Brown for mentioning this place. It was great. Carla is a great host.
Saturday, Sept. 15
Today we spent our time in the Lake Louise area. We arrived early at Lake Lousie and started walking on the path to the end of the Lake. We continued on and hiked the Plain of the Six Glaciers. Great views. We didn't think we would make it. This time I had no trouble, but my husband was having a hard time. We had to take it slow. We stopped at the teahouse and had a little refreshments before continuing on. When we got back to the Chateau the area was really crowded.
We went on to Moraine Lake and since it was a weekend and in the afternoon the place was very crowded. We had to park along the road and walk about 1/2 mile to the parking lot. We went up the rock pile and found the views breathtaking. We got one of our pictures from here enlarged, framed, and hung in our living room.
Sunday, Sept. 16
Today we checked out Yoho National Park. Our first stop was Takakkaw Falls. On the way up the winding road, we had a male and female elk in our lane of the road. We stopped and 2 other cars stopped behind us. We got some great pictures of them. Then they went off into the wooded area. We climbed around the falls area.
We then headed off to Emerald Lake. Did some hiking around the lake and then made a stop at the Natural Bridge on the way back out. Things were a little smokey here. It turns out that they were having a prescribed burn in the area which made everything a bit hazy.
Next we drove out to Wapta Falls and hiked out to the falls. Very nice falls. Not as high as Takakkaw Falls but a lot wider. It reminded me of a mini Niagara Falls.
On the way back to our Guesthouse we stopped at the Yoho Visitors Center in Field and looked at their exhibits. My husband bought a couple books about the fossils of the Burgess Shale.
Monday, Sept. 17
We started out early for our trip back to the States. It was a great trip. The weather had been great, the sights beautiful, and I even made I few hikes. We had taken over 800 pictures with our digital camera and had 2 hours of video, so we will be able to relive our adventures. If anyone has any questions I will try to answer them.
May 15th, 2008, 07:27 PM
#14
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Having been there, and visited all those fine places, you have gotten the BEST possible advice. I know personally some of the sources, and I can assure you that you would not get better advice if you paid for it.
The people who have advised you know that area well.
The only thing I can add is to contact Travel Alberta and see if you can obtain one of the official Alberta road maps. I have 3 older ones, and they are very good.
In planning your routes, have no concerns about taking the back roads of Alberta that are marked as "paved." I have looked at the map, drawn a line between the two places I wanted to go, and just took off on the closest available road headed in my desired direction.
It was sort of fun, and I never got lost at all. There was no problem with road surface, save one.
We decided to drive from Pincher Creek to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. We ended up on a graded gravel road. Of course I grew up with dirt roads, so one did not bother me at all.
When we got to the destination, we found a festival in progress with one of the most incredible native North American dancers I ever saw in my life. He was the whole package.
Graceful, athletic, and rhythmic.
Boy was he athletic!! Lots of pro basketball players would love to have his body control.
At any rate you have gotten the best word available, period. Although I have been there in that part of Canada many times, I have virtually nothing to add.
You will have an incredible trip.
So enjoy it while you can.
The people who have advised you know that area well.
The only thing I can add is to contact Travel Alberta and see if you can obtain one of the official Alberta road maps. I have 3 older ones, and they are very good.
In planning your routes, have no concerns about taking the back roads of Alberta that are marked as "paved." I have looked at the map, drawn a line between the two places I wanted to go, and just took off on the closest available road headed in my desired direction.
It was sort of fun, and I never got lost at all. There was no problem with road surface, save one.
We decided to drive from Pincher Creek to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. We ended up on a graded gravel road. Of course I grew up with dirt roads, so one did not bother me at all.
When we got to the destination, we found a festival in progress with one of the most incredible native North American dancers I ever saw in my life. He was the whole package.
Graceful, athletic, and rhythmic.
Boy was he athletic!! Lots of pro basketball players would love to have his body control.
At any rate you have gotten the best word available, period. Although I have been there in that part of Canada many times, I have virtually nothing to add.
You will have an incredible trip.
So enjoy it while you can.
