The Bow Valley and Icefield Parkways to Jasper
We left Banff at 8AM and our first stop was nearby Moraine Lake.
Here we can see Mount Fay, Mount Bowlen, Mount Allen, and Mount Babel above a beautiful jade green lake. I personally think that this is one of the best views in the Rockies.
This color comes from the sediment of rocks grinding together underneath the glacier. The fine powder is then suspended in the water and absorbs and scatters varying colors of sunlight, giving a milky turquoise appearance.
Apparently I’m not the only one who likes the view. This same scene graced the Canadian 20 dollar bill until all Canadian currency was converted to polymer which was introduced into circulation between November 2011 and November 2013.
We started seeing some wild life along the roads Here is a black bear out side the bus window:
We moved on to Lake Louise and views of the Victoria Glacier. Another beautiful lake which can be viewed from the Chateau Lake Louise. The hotel was developed at the turn of the 20th century by the Canadian Pacific Railway and was thus “kin” to its predecessor the Banff Springs Hotel mentioned earlier.
Note the color of the water. That’s really the color!
Of course we had to get the “been there” picture!
We also had to get a picture of Chief Thunder Thud. He was posing for the tourists.
The Bow Valley Parkway becomes the Icefield Parkway above Lake Louise at the Bow Glacier and Bow Lake. (The head waters of the Bow River.)
Our next major stop was at the Icefield Center. Below is the Athabaska Glacier which flows out of the Colombia Icefields way above.
Neil parked the bus at the Visitors Center and we took a Park bus and wound up the road on the left to the Ice Explorers parking lot at the edge of the Glacier. According to the guide, the glacier is rapidly retreating. It used to end at the Visitors Center. By 2030 the glacier may have fully retreated to the Icefield – and be gone!
Here is an Ice Explorer creeping along the glacier at 8 MPH. They use these special buses on the ice because the $4000 tires would wear to quickly off the ice.
Here’s Mary Ann getting ready to pelt the photographer. She missed.
Here are Sir Edmund and Tenzing getting ready to scale Everest. 
We left the Ice Fields and headed tp Jasper along the Sunwapta River. There was a young moose in the road that let us take a picture.
and an elk,
and a ground squirrel,
and a sheep.
After a 178 mile ride from Banff, we arrived in Jasper, went to our motel and had a nice dinner at the “L and W Restaurant”. It was on GCT and the food was very good! I had Lasagna and Mary Ann had stuffed cabbage which she really enjoyed.
Our evening was spent at the Mt Robson Inn with a view of the Whistlers Mountain across the street. Nice room, spectacular view!
Across the street from the Inn was a great view of Whistlers Mountain.
There is a tram to the top of Whistlers Mountain with this view of Jasper. It shows how small the town is.
