I should have suspected something different about this area with a highway named "Icefields Parkway". Everything changed after about 40 miles north of Banff. It was starting to look more like Switzerland with these peeks and cold temperatures. I was hoping to stop at Lake Louise, but missed the exit so I pressed on. All the lakes in this area had this very unusual green color which I suspect had something to do with the purity or certain mineral content. Either way, it was all beautiful up there.
Don't adjust your screens, the water is really this color.
This place was like the Colorado Rockies on steroids.
This next group is interesting. Hard to show the scale of this area with just a small camera, but if you look at the bus in the lower right and then scan up off to the left, you will see a road with these buses taking tourists out on this glacier. Those black dots out there further up are the buses.
Here if you look closely at the base, those are hikers trying to head out on to the ice.
So much for the beauty of this area. Now for the disturbing reality: I was told in the late 40's and part of the 50's that this glacier came over what is now the highway you see today. We are actually looking at something in the process of disappearing. Very haunting when you see this up close. Those are tons of cars and buses out there if you look closely.
Another receding glacier off to the right.
Spectacular and yet disturbing.
Continuing on to Jasper the weather got even colder.
Jasper was a charming town and a welcome stop after riding all morning with very little signs civilization.
When was the last time you saw one of these? There are none in the US today.
These always held some intrigue for me as a young boy and I always wanted to ride in one, but never got the chance. The train was moving when I took this shot. Would love to know where it was heading.
The locomotive however was parked here permanently for all to admire.
Not surprising they had one of these instead. Get it?
I made it to Blue River that day and decided to call it a night. Not many towns with places to stay in the area plus I wanted to be off the road before dark due to animals.
Glad I stopped when I did, since the place filled up. Still cold the next morning when I took these shots out front of the hotel. The gas station next door made it easy to fill up and get going in the morning.
Continued:
Don't adjust your screens, the water is really this color.
This place was like the Colorado Rockies on steroids.
This next group is interesting. Hard to show the scale of this area with just a small camera, but if you look at the bus in the lower right and then scan up off to the left, you will see a road with these buses taking tourists out on this glacier. Those black dots out there further up are the buses.
Here if you look closely at the base, those are hikers trying to head out on to the ice.
So much for the beauty of this area. Now for the disturbing reality: I was told in the late 40's and part of the 50's that this glacier came over what is now the highway you see today. We are actually looking at something in the process of disappearing. Very haunting when you see this up close. Those are tons of cars and buses out there if you look closely.
Another receding glacier off to the right.
Spectacular and yet disturbing.
Continuing on to Jasper the weather got even colder.
Jasper was a charming town and a welcome stop after riding all morning with very little signs civilization.
When was the last time you saw one of these? There are none in the US today.
These always held some intrigue for me as a young boy and I always wanted to ride in one, but never got the chance. The train was moving when I took this shot. Would love to know where it was heading.
The locomotive however was parked here permanently for all to admire.
Not surprising they had one of these instead. Get it?
I made it to Blue River that day and decided to call it a night. Not many towns with places to stay in the area plus I wanted to be off the road before dark due to animals.
Glad I stopped when I did, since the place filled up. Still cold the next morning when I took these shots out front of the hotel. The gas station next door made it easy to fill up and get going in the morning.
Continued:
