Canadian Rockies (2019)

Canadian Rockies – 2019

The Canadian Rockies Trip has been on my bucket list for many years.  We planned to go there for a couple of times but because of family matters we just had to postpone.

My cousin Lea and her husband Gil have lived there for some time now and we finally put it to work in 2019.

Day 1: July 19, 2019

Orange County, CA to Edmonton, Alberta

Our flight to Seattle was a pleasant one and so was our connection to Edmonton, Alberta.

Lea was waiting for us at the terminal as we landed, amid a thunderstorm that delayed our arrival.

Both Lea and I were very emotional, as we haven’t seen each other since 1989.  That is 30 years ago!

The weather, as I had mentioned, was not good, as rain and colder temperatures welcomed us to Canada.

   

When we arrived to the Lavi's home, the family was waiting to greet us.  There we saw Gil, their 2 daughters Rotem & Ya’ara and one of their son Dor.  This was the first time meeting him, as well as Ya’ara's husband Omer and their sons: (the twins) Lior & Ronnie, Yarden and Carmel.  Yes! 4 sons!!! We also got to see for the first time, Rotem’s son Nadav and the family’s boxer: Sky.

(The only member of the family that was missing was Bar, who was working the nightshift and we will get to meet him only upon our return from the Rockies.)

We were all excited and answering each other’s questions.

Shabbat dinner was served and it was great. Our conversations, memories and the excitement lasted till the early hours of the morning.

Day 2: July 20, 2019

Edmonton, Alberta to Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia

After a fantastic breakfast and some last minute shopping we headed out to start our journey.  Ahead of us today, were about 350 miles.

The road was just beautiful.  The fields filled with thousands of Canola Flowers, were absolutely magnificent .  We stopped in a couple of places for picture taking of the yellow fields.  They were spectacular: wide and seemed to reach the horizons.  The brilliant yellow blossomed canola flowers blanket the landscape and stretched for miles across the region.

           

I later on found out that Canola was: Once considered a very special type of crop throughout Canada but now many farmers across North America reap their own canola fields.  Between Canada and the United States, they will produce about seven to ten million tons of seeds each year which is then exported across the world.  Many years ago, canola oil or rapeseed oil was used for lighting purposes and soon many people realized it was great oil for cooking. Years passed and the oil was found useful for many other things and soon the quality of the plant improved immensely as well.

  

We entered British Columbia and passed Mono Lake, passing Native (Canadian Indians) villages and then arrived to Tumbler Village.  The time was 8:30 in the evening, still daylight with sun hiding behind some clouds.  We checked in the local inn and went out looking for food.  We tried 3 restaurants but two were already closed and the third one had a private venue.  We settled having dinner at the hotel restaurant but had to use some influence to be allowed in, as they were already cleaning up and setting for tomorrow’s breakfast.  Surprisingly, dinner was decent.

Day 3: July 21, 2019

Kinuseo Falls, British Columbia – Hinton, Alberta

Breakfast was served at the same restaurant we had dinner last night and once again was pretty good.

We checked out and went to the Visitors Center, right next door.

   

We learned few facts about the town: The 1,987 people who live there enjoy the peaceful anyone could look for in the country. About 20 years ago, dinosaur footprints, fossils, and bones were discovered in the municipality, along with fossils of Triassic fishes and cretaceous plants. 
The Peace Region Paleontology Research Center opened in 2003, followed by the research center and a dinosaur museum.

Tumbler Ridge is most famously known for its Geopark, which is on the UNESCO list since 2004.  The Crown Jewel of the park is also the main reason we drove all the way here: Kinuseo Fall, some 40 miles away.

        

We started our drive in a beautiful scenery road when we spotted a black bear munching on berries on the side of the road.  He was about 30-40 feet away from us and it looked like we had not bothered him at all, as he consumed his favorite fruit.

  

We made it to the falls and walked along the Murray River, and after about 450 feet we arrived to the most beautiful scenery of the waterfalls, its cascades and the river beneath it.  The river was split into 2 channels, creating a small green island in the middle. 

The falls measure 197 feet (60 meters), slightly taller than Niagara Falls, though it doesn't move the same volume of water as Niagara.

   

We stood on a platform and pictures taking seemed to be the main thing here.  A moderate hike led us to a viewpoint above the falls.  The views were spectacular.

On our way to Alberta, we stopped on the side of the road, next to an old church, preparing snacks (from food that we took from Edmonton and fresh bread we purchased in a bakery), when a midsize truck occupied by 2 Natives, stopped alongside and actually tried to scare us off, by declaring that they were “The Road Killers”.  They sped away right after their deceleration. The night before a terrible murder in British Columbia left 3 bodies (2 tourists and a professor) and they referred to that for sure.  (Note: since that date, the bodies of the 2 attackers were found).  Nevertheless, we finished our snacks and then left.

  

We re-entered Alberta and drove towards Sulphur Gates in Grand Cache.  A flooded road stopped us of entering the site and Gil explained to us that we would miss a beautiful and impressive cliff edged confluence of two rivers.  We promised him that we will try it again in our next visit to the Rockies…

We entered the city of Hinton and checked into the Days Inn.  The time was 10:30 pm and there was still daylight.  Amazing!

We had dinner in a nice restaurant called The Ridge and called it a day.






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Day 4: July 22, 2019

Hinton – Jasper

We had breakfast at a family restaurant called Smitty’s.  Both food and service were great.

My hiking shoes started to show signs of age and my soil was ripped.  We stopped at a hardware store to buy synthetic glue to hold it up for at least today.

  

  

First stop was at Jarvis Lake, located in William A. Switzer Provincial Park, 2 miles west of Hinton. Gil told us that this would be a great spot for pictures taking and he was absolutely right.  The beautiful scenery of the lake and the reflection of the trees and the clouds in the water were spectacular.  The lake and its campground site are one of the top destinations in Alberta.

  

We headed towards Jasper National Park, stopping at the toll booth to pay for our stay, and then drove towards Maligne Canyon.

A map at the entrance of the canyon was on display, with the many routes you could take on your hike.

       

From the parking lot we chose the main path and crossed the First Bridge, Second Bridge and then the Maligne Valley narrowed to a canyon as we approached the Third Bridge. We turned right at the trailhead and hiked west from there on the clearly marked trail. The river was on our left and shortly, we approached a number of dramatic springs, where water flowed beneath us under limestone boulders. 

Hiking downstream, we found that the springs become less frequent. We found out that these springs are unique to Jasper National Park  and they joined into the Maligne River from under our hiking trail. This was one of the most interesting points of our hike.


We reached the Fourth Bridge. Dramatic views got even better. When we reached the Fifth Bridge, the hike became noticeably less busy. Near the Sixth Bridge, we went right for an even more scenic route.

             

From there we hiked a moderate slope and continued back to the parking lot.

              

A short and an amazing drive, in the National Park, got us to Maligne Lake.  We stopped for scenic views and it was striking with beauty.

 

We continued our day and arrived to the town of Jasper in the early evening.  We had separate hotels in this town and Gil brought us first to the AirBnB that we prearranged.  The room was overlooking the back of a pizzeria, but nevertheless in a good location.  We met with the owner (Matt) that also helped us carrying our suitcases up the many steeped stairs.

A large totem was across our apartment and across the railway station.  The Two Brothers Totem Pole was raised in July 2011 to replace the famous Raven Totem Pole that stood in front of Jasper's railway station for almost 60 years to welcome new travelers on Canadian Rockies train tours to Jasper

According to a legend, the pole commemorating the story of the pole about 2 brothers who, on a journey to the unexplored territory, were separated after one stayed in the Rocky Mountains while the other decided to return home. After years of separation, the brother who left the new land went back to find his counterpart. Upon arriving at a house, the brother found a woman residing inside. It was his niece, whose father had passed on a few years ago. Despite never seeing his brother again, the story makes a connection between the Haida and indigenous people from the area.

Later on we regrouped and headed to a local brewery on the main street, called simply Jasper Brewery.  We sat at the outside patio, sipping beer and enjoying the surrounding dramatic mountains.

With the population under 4,000, Jasper, the alpine town is the commercial center of Jasper National Park. Amid the snow-capped Canadian Rockies, the park has glacier-fed lakes, forests and rivers.

Day 5: July 23, 2019

Jasper – Canmore

We woke up rather early as our room’s window was facing the back of a pizzeria and employees were busy cleaning up the back of the store and also accepting delivery from a noisy truck.

About an hour later Lea & Gil called and we decided to check the bakery, right next to the room, for breakfast.  There were about 60 people in line but the queue moved rather quickly and a short while later we were drinking fantastic latte and nibbling on delicious sandwiches and pastries.




  

   

We were heading to Mount Edith Cavell and the highway offered a wonderful display of the Rockies.

       

After arrival at the site, we hiked a short distance and arrived to the viewpoint of the mountain.  The Cavell area offered us a fragrant subalpine forest, new growth where a glacier recently retreated from the valley, flowery alpine meadows and spectacular views of the north side of Mt. Edith Cavell and the Angel Glacier.  Signs at the entrance explained how the area is now being re-colonized by plants and animals.


     

We were now back on the road and on our way, heading towards the attraction of the day: Athabasca Falls.  Once again the winding highway offered us plenty of views all spectacular. 

      

We arrived to the waterfalls site and as soon as we entered the park we could hear the powerful sounds of the fall.  At 75.5 ft in height, Athabasca Falls may not be the tallest waterfall in the Canadian Rockies but it is one of the most powerful, due to the sheer volume of water flowing into the gorge from the Athabasca River, fed by the massive Columbia Icefield (we would visit the Icefield later on the trip).

  

Our mouths dropped when we watched the falls from the bridge.  We stood there for a few minutes, breathing it all in.  We then continued with the path and stood above the mouth of the waterfall while watching the powerful river and the rainbow formed on the rocks, as water splashed them.

   

We followed Gil and went downhill to a beautiful spot where people were dipping in the cold water and some were braving the river by rafting it downstream.

We returned to our car and could not stop talking about the wonder we just have seen.

  

We drove only a few miles away, when we got lucky: A bear was walking up and down the field, adjacent to the highway.

On our way to the Columbia Icefield center, the skies changed dramatically and a few minutes later we were in a middle of a system that brought lots of rain and winds.

 

When we approached the Icefield Center, the weather turned to be “cloudy only” but the visibility was bad.  We stopped for a (very expensive) warm hot chocolate and coffee and then decided to alter our agenda and return here on Friday (praying for a sunny day!).

  

  

     

We left the site and headed towards Banff.  On our way we stopped a couple of times for a beautiful sunset at Waterfowl Lakes.  My camera captured many great pictures at both lakes.

Once we were back on the highway the heavy rain returned as we approached the town of Canmore, where we would spend the next couple of nights at Banff gate Mountain Resort. 

Before checking in, we went to town and sat for dinner at the Grizzly Paw, a trendy place with lots of young clientele but mediocre food.

The cabin itself was fantastic but we encountered some problems: Slow drainage in all faucets and the Jacuzzi (no shower in the room) was not functioning.   To top it all, the winds overnight caused a huge tree to fall on the electric lines and we (among thousands of other users) were without power the entire night.

My hiking shoes finally gave in!  They have lived for 10 years and travelled to many countries, sites and hikes but now they needed to retire.

Day 6: July 24, 2019

Banff Area

    

We woke up to a dark cabin.  No electricity.  All I wanted is a cup of coffee to get me going after the rough night at the cabin.  The stove was electric and it seemed hopeless, but we came up with an idea: Let’s boil a pot of water on the bar-b-q grill in our patio!  The trick did wonderful things to our bodies.

I sat on the patio, enjoying the majestic surrounding and sipped my special brand Turkish coffee.

We headed towards the city’s center and found a great store, specializing in hikers’ needs, where I purchased a brand new pair of shoes.  From there we headed up the street to a breakfast bistro named The Summit Café where a long queue was forming ahead of us, but we were patient and it was worth it.  Great place for breakfast!!!

  

We were on our way to Grassi Lakes and as we arrived our hope were high as the sun came out and a welcome sign warned us that bears were spotted on the trail.

We chose the “More Difficult” trail and the views were unbelievable.  The sun decided to hide again as rain clouds showed up and started to wash the trail.  We were soaked but never gave up.  We reached the summit and the beautiful waterfall with the mountain in the background was upon us.  What a sight!







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We climbed for few more feet and found ourselves in front of the beautiful lake.  The rain eased a bit as we watched the fantastic colors of the water in the lake.

      

Our way back was much easier as we choose the “Easy Trail” and about 20 minutes later we were at the basin.

We took the Three Sisters Pkwy back to Banff and once again, every corner or turn of the road offered different and fantastic views.

We arrived to our next destination in the late afternoon: The Upper Hot Springs nestled in the Canadian Rockies.

We packed our swimwear in the morning so we were ready to plunge into the hot, bubbling water right after we paid and stored our belongings in a (provided) locker.

The feeling was amazing as I felt that all the aches and stress, for sitting 5 days in the care and sleeping in hotel rooms was winding down and it felt so great.

Some history: n 1883, three rail workers stumbled across hot water and steam flowing out of a cave on the lower slopes of what is now known as Sulphur Mountain. The hot spring was discovered to be one of nine sulphurous hot springs on the mountain’s northeast flank. In the midst of the late XIX century craze for the “water cure” was popular and commercial operations were soon established as people flocked to Banff to “take the waters” and enjoy the soothing and reputedly healing properties of the mineral-rich springs. The Banff Upper Hot Springs are the last remaining springs open to the public for bathing.

   

The water in the Banff Upper Hot Springs is heated geothermally, bubbling up to the surface from about 2 miles into the earth’s crust. The water that reaches the surface has not seen daylight for hundreds of years. It began as precipitation (rain and snow) which very slowly seeped through the sedimentary rock layers, getting hotter and absorbing dissolved minerals as it descended. The water then flows up to the surface along the Mountain Thrust Fault, a large fracture in the mountain where rock layers have slid on top of each other. 

The natural temperature of the water that emerges at the Upper Hot Springs outlet varies depending on the season. During the winter, the temperature is as hot as 116°F. In the spring, the flow increases and the temperature cool off, to a minimum of 81°F.

We sat in the large pool for about 90 minutes, relaxing and looking at the amazing background of Mount Sulphur, and when our skin started to “prune” we left and then showered in the facilities.

On our way down, Lea stopped the car next to a luxurious hotel.  That was the Banff Fairmont Hotel, known around the world for its beauty.  Located in the heart of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel stands as a landmark in the picturesque alpine town of Banff.  The hotel is also called the "Castle in the Rockies", has been providing legendary hospitality for more than 130 years.  The rate, Lea told us, is about $1,000 CAD, per night!

     

We arrived to Banff at around 8:00 and the weather was still miserable.  We parked the car and walked to a recommended Italian restaurant by the name of Pacini. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was superb.  The décor was unique and authentic and we had a great time.

We returned to our resort in Canmore.  The lights were on (Thank God) and we called it a day!

Day 7: July 25, 2019

Banff

     

When I woke up I went outside to take some fresh and cool air when a pleasant surprise was about 50 feet away, in a meadow next to our cabin: 4 adult elks were having breakfast!

I ran back to the cabin, grabbed my camera and started shooting photos.  One of the bucks had an impressive antler and I could only guess that he was the leader of the pack.

   

The first thing on our agenda, after checking out, was to clean our car.  After 5 full days driving in nature, our car started to look like a dirt road and it was time to give it a bath.  We found a carwash in a gas station and this is when I learned that in Canada they do not have full service offered for car wash.  Nevertheless, the car came out of the wash like new!!!

Our first destination was the main reason people flock to the Canadian Rockies: Lake Louis.

  

I have seen many photos of the lake but they haven’t prepared me for how it feels to experience it myself. Rounding the corner, the sight of the emerald green water and rugged peaks and glaciers hit me and my emotions instantly. I’ve never seen anything so dramatically beautiful. As I wandered around the lakeside path it seemed like the whole scene was for just me to enjoy. It was a feeling I will remember forever.

  

Lake Louise is world famous for its turquoise water, the Victoria Glacier, soaring mountain backdrop, the magnificent Fairmont Hotel, and incredible hiking and skiing. Surrounded by a lifetime’s worth of jaw-dropping sights and adventures, I found Lake Louise to be a rare place that must be experienced to be believed.

After we settled down and stopped clicking away shots, we started to hike towards the Tea House but stopped midway.  The hike would have taken us about 90 minutes each way and we did not have the 3 hours to spare.

Our next stop was Moraine Lake, just 9 miles southeast from where. What we saw was a brilliant blue-green lake that was sheltered in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. The lake was surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, and rock piles, creating a scene so stunning it almost seems unreal.

       

The views were stunning as the beautiful lake is surrounded by 10 peaks. We took a forested stroll along the shore and blended in the beauty of nature.

   

Lake Louis Gondola was our next stop.  We took the gondola, took our seats in an open chair and cruised for about 15 minutes to reach the summit at 6,850 feet.  


     

The summit offered spectacular views of the mountains and the valley beneath, including Lake Louis.  We experienced the expansive beauty of Lake Louise from the top and it was unforgettable.

On our way back we spotted a grizzly bear with her cub but it was too high and far for taking a photo shot, while the gondola was moving.

We drove back to Banff and found a nice Asian restaurant, which was an excellent ending for a beautiful day.

Our hotel tonight was Windtower Lodge & Suites in Canmore.

Day 8: July 26, 2019

Banff

The breakfast at the hotel….well, let’s not talk about it…

   

Our first thing on our agenda was the Banff Gondola. 

We arrived to the visitors’ center and found inside a state-of-the-art facility, which heightened our senses at every turn.

  

Once we arrived to the summit, we started with a walk along the Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk. Some mountain goats were along the route. As we arrived to the peak of the mountain, which is called Sanson Peak, we were overwhelmed by the six stunning mountain ranges and the sweep of the Bow Valley lay out before our eyes. 

            

Views from the Sulphur Mountain summit were nothing short of breathtaking.

We enjoyed the stunning views for more than an hour and then returned to our car and started our way to explore our next attraction, 

the Columbia Icefield.  

   

About 30 minutes into our drive, we spotted a black bear very close to the highway (about 30 feet away).  The bear was stuffing his mouth with berries while us(and others) were taking hundreds of pictures of every move he/she made.

We continued driving and in one curve saw a (skinny) fox wandering the road.

The Columbia Icefield is the home of one of the most accessible glaciers in the world. The massive 4 miles long and just short of one mile wide "dome" of the Athabasca Glacier flows to within walking distance of the Icefield Parkway. (To get a perspective of the size of the Athabasca Glacier look at the bottom of the photo below for the parked vehicles and buses.)

We took the shuttle from the Visitors' Center to another location, closer to the icefield and then boarded a special coach made specifically to ride on ice.  The Terra Bus (aka The Glacier Ice Explorer) is a wheeled vehicle and is one of the few snow coach type vehicles currently produced. It is an all-wheel-drive, three axles, off-road bus which is specially constructed for use in Arctic climates by the Canadian specialty vehicle manufacturer Foremost, based in Calgary.



  

Before our arrival, Lea & Gil kept telling us that this adventure was a must and they were absolutely right.

   

After a 10 minute drive on the unique bus, accompanied with a driver that was also a guide, we arrived to the Athabasca Glacier.  At the heart of this incredible field was one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world.

  

Earlier in the Terra Bus, our guide Bruce told us that what’s visible 
from the road is only a small portion of the Columbia Icefield; the rest of the ice mass is hidden beyond the mountains. 

There are six glaciers that it feeds. The three that can be seen from the parkway are the Dome, Stutfield and Athabasca. 

The Columbia Icefield is the largest mass of ice in the Rocky Mountains. It stretches 16 miles across the Continental Divide. This is one of only two places in the world that forms a triple continental divide. The waters from the glaciers and melting snow flow across North America north to the Arctic Ocean, east to the Atlantic Ocean and west to the Pacific Ocean.  "Every drop of water that you see here, could end up at any of those places", Bruce told us.

We had a tremendous time at the icefield, taking panoramic pictures and posing for others.  If I would be asked what the most significant spot was in our entire trip, I would probably debate between the Icefield and Lake Louis.  Lea & Gil were right: It was a must!

As the Terra Bus returned to its station, a regular coach was waiting and took us to another highlight: The Skywalk Bridge, where Lea & Gil were already waiting for us.

  

When we arrived, after a short ride, we saw a cliff-edge walkway where giant glaciers perch above us and the spectacular Sunwapta Valley down below. The experience featured a nice waterfall, wildlife, fossils and more on an exciting ¾ of a mile walkway that leads to a platform where glass is all that separated us from a 918-foot drop. The walk towards the actual bridge presented in an interpretive storytelling format that connected us to the natural world in a deep and meaningful way.

      

Once we stepped on the bridge it was amazing as we actually were added another dimension to our site seeing and it was spectacular.  On the bottom we even spotted a sheep and its baby lamb munching on a bush.  It was just perfect!

We returned to the Visitors’ Center and to our car and started our journey back to Edmonton, where it all started.

We stopped for dinner at the Rocky Mountain House and saw sights of the Red Deer River, before night took away the clear and sunny skies
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We arrived at 2:00 AM.

Day 9: July 27, 2019

Edmonton, Alberta

   

We woke up late and a winter kind of storm with winds and rain, kept us home for the rest of the day.  We met Bar, the youngest of the 4 children and he reminded me so much of my uncle Zvi (My mom's brother). 

   

We browsed some family’s albums and planned, along with Ya’ara & Omer to get together for dinner at a Brazilian restaurant called Pampa.  We (the 12 of us) were seated in a private table, away from the crowd and the food kept coming in!  Both the quality of the food and the service were excellent!

Day 10: July 28, 2019

Edmonton, Alberta

We woke up and the weather was back to summer with sunny skies and warmer temps.  Brunch was served at the house around noon and we then relaxed and had a leisure time with the Lavi Family.

In the afternoon we drove to the downtown area and visited the (famous in Canada) Taste of Edmonton. Once again we were having absolutely a great time with a great family!!!

Day 11: July 29, 2019

Edmonton, Alberta to Orange County, CA

We woke up at around 8:00 and after a fantastic breakfast we completed our packing and headed to the airport.  We laid-over in Seattle and arrived to LAX in the evening.

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