May 5th - Jasper to Lake Louise

Our drive today was down one of the great roads of the world, Highway 93, the Icefields Parkway.

Knowing how much there was to see on this wonderful road we had an early breakfast and left the Best Western at just after 9am.

As we drove through Jasper we had to give way to this gentleman being pushed in his wheelchair.

Our first stop on Highway 93, going south towards Lake Louise, was at the Athabasca Falls. The Athabasca River cascades down through a narrow gorge and has, over millennia, sculptured the rock into giant pot holes.

We stood by the falls and took this group photo.

We left the falls after about half an hour and continued the drive south. The scenery was simply breathtaking. On both sides of the road snow covered mountains towered above us, with their summits often hidden in clouds. Each bend brought more mountains into view. Here we are following Bob & Thelma, with Kenny and DeeAnne behind us.

At the highest point on the road, the Sunwapta Pass, 2,000 metres, we stopped to take photos and saw these sheep, or are they goats, walking along a ledge thousands of feet above the valley floor.

I then took this photo of Kenny & DeeAnne, which I hope their family back in Texas like!

Only joking, here they are enjoying themselves!
 

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Our drive then took us through more and more fantastic mountain scenery until we came to the Columbia Icefields where we took a snow bus up onto the glacier. It was a great thing to do and everyone enjoyed being able to walk on the ice. We had a good driver/guide who showed us how the glacier has receded over the past 150 years. It is now shrinking at the rate of 30 metres a year!

We had a bite to eat at the Icefields centre and then drove about 70kms south to Peyto Lake. It was a fifteen minute walk across the snow to the view point high above the lake. The view of the lake far below was well worth the walk.

We left Peyto and drove the 20 miles to Lake Louise and our hotel, The Chateau Lake Louise. We are staying here for two nights so I'll post photos of the hotel and lake tomorrow.

One day I'll make a list of my top ten drives and I know the Icefields Parkway will be in that list!