The Rockies, Jasper and a Change of Plans

September 5 – Reunion in Jasper

We pulled out of our very windblown campground around 10:00 and stopped for gas before turning east toward the Rockies and Mount Robson.

The drive to Jasper was a beautiful two-hour journey, with the mountains becoming more spectacular as we got closer.

Then, just as we were turning into Jasper to get our park pass, we had a perfect bit of timing.

Coming from the opposite direction were John and Suzanne!

After three weeks apart, we met right at the intersection.

Unfortunately, Jasper was still without power, so there were no park passes to be had. There is a wild fire burning north of the park but has burnt through the main power supply into the park. We continued on to Whistlers Campground, where we met J&S once again in the parking lot at the registration office.

We got set up in our sites in Loop 47.

These were supposed to be 50-amp sites, but with the power out, they were essentially just basic campsites. Loop 50 had the full-hookup sites, although that didn’t matter much without electricity!

We settled in, had drinks with John and Suzanne, started our generators and made dinner.

After three weeks travelling separately, it was nice to be back together again.

September 6 – Hiking Above Jasper and an Unexpected Closure

A park ranger came by before 9:00 in the morning with some unexpected news.

The park would be closing as of the following day.

The closure was due primarily to the continuing lack of power and gas, along with dwindling supplies in Jasper. The fire itself did not appear to be the immediate problem, but its effects on the town’s infrastructure certainly were.

We talked over our options with John & Suzzanne and decided on a new plan.

We would leave Jasper and head south to Banff, followed by a few days in the Calgary area over the extended weekend. We managed to get a campground in Cochrane, northwest of Calgary. They were going to go to Lake Louise.

With our plans sorted out, we decided to make the most of our final day in Jasper.

We headed out on a hike up Whistlers Mountain, below the gondola.

The trail was a good climb. We hiked 4.2 kilometres uphill, gaining about 700 metres in elevation before deciding that was enough and turning around.

The hike back down gave us a total of roughly 8.5 kilometres.

One of the coolest parts of the hike was seeing the huge rock slide below the gondola.

The views over Jasper and the surrounding valley were excellent and made the climb well worth the effort.

Later, we drove into Jasper and managed to pick up a bumper sticker before returning to the campground.

That evening, we had a campfire using all the firewood that had been left behind at neighbouring campsites by people who had already departed.

Then, just as we were getting ready to head inside, we had one more wildlife encounter.

A small herd of elk came wandering through the campsites.

A pretty special way to end our last night in Jasper.

September 7 – Elk, the Icefields Parkway and Banff

When we woke up in the morning and looked outside, the elk were back.

This time, there was an impressive stag with the herd.

Not a bad view from the campground!

I went out to get gas for Harley, and by around 10:00, we were ready to leave.

Our route south took us along the Icefields Parkway from Jasper toward Lake Louise.

What a drive.

The weather gave us a little bit of everything—overcast skies, sunshine peeking through, rain and patches of brilliant blue.

But regardless of the weather, the scenery was spectacular.

Glaciers.

Icefields.

Towering mountains.

Around every corner was another incredible view.

We eventually arrived at Banff’s Village 1 Campground at around 5:00, just in time to fire up the generator.

We were staying for only one night in an unserviced site.

That evening, we burned the remainder of the firewood we had brought from Jasper—only to discover afterward that the Banff campground supplied free firewood!

Oh well. At least we stayed warm.

September 8 – A Short Drive to Cochrane

We left Banff Campground around 11:00 for the short drive to Cochrane, Alberta.

We were spending the extended weekend at Springhill RV Park.

After getting settled, we made a couple of practical stops at TD and Safeway.

Back at the motorhome, I got in a workout.

After weeks of constantly moving, it was nice to slow down for a few days and spend some time in one place.

September 9 – Cycling the Countryside

It was an early morning of running errands, with stops at Bulk Barn and Save-On.

Once that was done, we got out on the bikes and headed into the countryside.

We covered 33 kilometres before heading back home.

After the ride, we worked out and enjoyed another quiet evening at the campground.

September 10 – An Afternoon with Vicky

Today we drove to Airdrie to visit Vicky.

We spent the afternoon at her place enjoying a barbecue.

June made potato salad, and I made Pflaumenkuchen.

It was a very nice afternoon—good food, good company and a chance to catch up.

Sometimes the best days of a long trip are the simple ones spent with friends.

September 11 – Cycling, Calgary and Catching Up

We started the morning with a 22-kilometre bike ride around the area, followed by a workout.

Later, we drove into Calgary.

We stopped at LensCrafters and a BC fruit stand, then spent some time driving around downtown before heading back home.

That evening, we spent some time catching up with people.

First, we Skyped with Toni and Charlie, followed later by Peter and Dianne.

It was another good reminder that even after travelling thousands and thousands of kilometres, there was still plenty of life—and plenty of friends—to catch up with back home.

September 12 – Liqueurs and Back to the Mountains

We started the morning by making cherry liqueur and crabapple liqueur.

Then, before noon, we packed up and pulled out of Cochrane.

It was time to get back on the road.

Our destination was Banff.

The Rockies were calling us back once again.