We wake in the morning feeling refreshed. For the first time this trip I am not suffering with the dry throat caused by air conditioning. Getting to sleep was also a little easier, despite the heat, without the constant motor noise of the A/C too. We are beginning to see this accommodation in a better light. We have a fridge to keep our provisions fresh, and a freezer to freeze our ice pack. We breakfast in the hotel restaurant, reasonable buffet with fresh fruit, yoghurt and home made granola. Pancakes and maple syrup round things off.
We leave and head down the Icefields parkway. We have planned to visit a few places today to avoid a long day when we go down to Lake Louise on Wednesday. Just outside of Japer we see a number of cars parked up with people milling around. We slow down and see what the commotions is about. There is a group of female elk, with small calves, and the people are all taking photos. We join in. I had read in books prior to coming on holiday that an easy way to see animals was to look for parked cars at the side of the road.
We turn off the main highway onto the old road and shortly after see a sign for Moab Lake. The road is not paved, and for the next seven kilometres we are subjected to a rather bumpy ride. Arriving at the parking area, I jump out of the car to read the information board while my fellow traveller remains in air conditioned comfort. Within two minutes I am surrounded by a fog of mosquitos, and they are very hungry. I return to the car and advise my companion that we are probably better of not walking to this lake after all.
The weather is dull and overcast this morning, no sun available so I decide to take some monochrome pictures at our next stop, the Athabasca Falls.
There is a gushing torrent of cloudy water crashing over the rocks. There are boulders and potholes in the canyon walls, the result of the erosion caused by the Atahbasca River on its journey north to the Arctic Ocean. This is the same river that flows through Jasper and forms a large flood plain just to the east of the town.
Next, the Sunwapta falls, another stunning spectacle with the water plunging down into a gorge which is being deepened by around 4mm each year by the water and particles it contains. It has been humbling to witness the wonders of nature such as these.
We return to Jasper, and head north out of town to Pyramid Lake, our picnic stop for today. It is quiet here, away from the crowds and bus tours on the Parkway. While eating my lunch I see a head pop up from behind a rock. A small chipmunk is looking around for a morsel. After lunch we walk over to Pyramid Island. We spend a pleasant few hours here, my fellow traveller is inspired to paint the view. The waters around the shore are crystal clear, we can see small fish darting here and there. There are young lads swimming and canoeing, they give the impression that the water is warm.
We head back to Jasper town to browse the shops. As I park the car I notice a railway carriage near the train station. It does not look as though it has moved for a long time, as there are weeds growing all around.
The main road though Jasper has a plethora of gift and souvenir shops. Some are better than others. Some are probably stocked entirely with Chinese products that are carried in the containers hauled by the trains that pass through the town twenty four hours a day. We buy a few bits, tea towels, an oven glove and some cooking spice. My companion, always with an eye for a bargain, spots a reduced rail outside one shop. Alas nothing is suitable.
We walk back to the hotel and change for dinner. Tonight we eat at the Crimson Hotel. There are only two other diners there. We talk to the waitress who has just graduated university. Her field is health science. We chat about the opportunities that are available worldwide, even in Swansea.