Columbia Ice Fields Parkway

Wilcox Pass

It’s another Athabasca Day, this time seeing the Athabasca Glacier way up high from across the Valley at Wilcox Pass as well as Snow Dome Glacier and  Dome Glacier on the way up. 

Yes, a steroid Canadian Rocky Moment.  

We were able to experience the Athabasca Glacier from afar this time on this incredible, 7 mile,  Wilcox Pass Hike through the Christmas Tree forest, to the windy cold infamous Red Chairs about 1 mile up,

And onto the peak with sun, wind, clouds and rain sprinkles and through the alpine meadows where we saw bighorn sheep grazing. 

The weather was quite varied and we started the hike by taking a nap because it started to rain, but then parts of the sky were blue and the sun shown in the puffy cloudy day so we were off to peel off all the layers in some sections, getting blown where I needed to wear my beanie as face protection, to getting out puffy jacket/purple gloves on the way back.  

Back to our most rustic first come first serve campground, Wilcox Creek,  where we had already self-registered and accumulated fire wood for the evening.  As we descended the mountain,  it became still and the fire, not only built for ambiance, but also kept us warm, as we had our bear spray on the ready fireside.  Seems like Canadian campgrounds have kitchen areas with tables, water, and this one even had a huge wood burning cast iron stove that was burning hot out of the shelter’s chimney when we arrived back at camp. 

 And it got cold and I could even see my breath this morning.

Parker Ridge Hike 

Another day another glacier viewing hike, 

Parker Ridge, we are again surrounded by the dominating mountains. Saskatchewan Glacier, the largest of the Columbia Icefields Valley is in grand view.  

Another hike through the Christmas Trees, and up to the alpine meadow.  We first took the main trail that went along a steep ledge to the end. This  included  some rocky ledges about which John was not too excited.   

All along the trail, a beautiful view of the meandering, light blue milky Saskatchewan River into which the glacier(s)  flows.  Then we took an off shoot up  higher here the wind blew and on went puffy green.  I forgot John’s Eagles hat so he had only his sunhat and shorts.  Well, after two days of 5 mile plus hike with elevation gains of over 1000 feet, we sat back and enjoyed the Columbia Icefields Parkway ride into our next stop, Lake Louise Campground.   

We couldn’t resist stopping at some viewpoints along the way.  I was intrigued by Panther Falls, which I learned afterward is a short up and back .8 mile hike, which normally would be a nice leg stretcher at 256ft elevation gain.  Around the Big Bend (no, not Texas) Over the Saskatchewan River to more blue, blue Lakes.

 Waterfowl Lake was beautiful and also has a campground.  Then Bow Lake and Crawford Glacier ~had to stop and take a pic for our favorite Crawford’s,  Steve and Terri.

Of course upon arrival in most places,  a brewery was in order. 

This time a very fancy pants place down in the basement of the Fairmont Hotel which is right

on the famous Lake Louise. 

Normally parking is for Hotel Guests only, but as it was 7pm, things were emptying out and we scored.  I don’t think we saw Louise in her blue glory since it was getting dark.   

Greeted with a grand hotel setting, women playing and a grand piano in the lobby,  we snuck by the “Hotel Guests Only”  sign to descend to the restaurant bar.  Luckily they had John’s new favorite Good Morning Vietnam Coffee Stout, not on tap like the Birch, but good enough, and the food very good.  It’s so nice to have daylight and we arrived around 10pm to our lovely wooded campsite for the night at Lake Louise Trailer (hard side).  Evidently the soft side area has an electric fence around it for bear mitigation.   We had also discovered John needed a new tube and the tire was balding so needed to look into that.