Thursday, June 25, 2009

Cross Canada Trip - Day Eight – Jasper National Park


Previous Post: Cross Canada Trip - Day Seven – Banff National Park
After a long day in Banff national park (arrived around 10PM to the hotel), today we are going to explore Jasper; It is the largest park in the Rocky Mountain region and less crowded than nearby Banff. It is a bit colder as well, but hey, you are in Canada...
We have stayed at the The Best Western Jasper Inn & Suites hotel which is not far from the main road. Having said that, Jasper is small enough to have everything close enough to the main road. Since I woke up earlier than the rest, I went to a nearby Robinson's Good Food Naturally store to get some groceries for the breakfast and to the rest of the day. Do not forget, breakfast is the most important meal of the day...
The rest of the day was as following:
  • Mount Edith Cavell (30km from Jasper) – Fantastic! Absolutely stunning place! It is a bit difficult drive to the parking but well worth it; When we got there, around 11AM, it was cold and snowing! I guess T-shirt and a jacket is not a proper wear for mountains. The walk itself is quite easy (the more difficult path was closed due to the weather) and you can see hanging glaciers and alpine meadows. We were brave enough to drink from the mountain river which is basically melted ice...
  • Athabasca Falls (30 km from Jasper) – 23 meter waterfall, considered the be the most powerful in the park.
  • Maligne Canyon (10km from Jasper) – On the northern end of the Maligne Valle, there is a very (50 meters) deep canyon. The name is derived from the French "mal" to infer sick, or evil as in "malicious". It is incredibly narrow and has confounded geologists for many years (http://www.explorejasper.com/sights/malignecanyon.htm). If you get there, there are nearby Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake to explore.
  • Miette Hot Springs (60km from Jasper) – Two hop pools with the hottest mineral springs in the Canadian Rockies – fantastic end for a day. The entrance fee is about 6$ and you can stay for up to two hours (which is more than enough). Don't forget to bring your own towel, slippers and bathing suit (renting those is quite expensive).
That is it for today. Check out the photo album at http://picasaweb.google.com/alla.markh/20090626Jasper#
Enjoy,
John.

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