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Alisha says: On our last full day before starting our trip back south we ventured to our farthest north location of the entire trip which was the Columbia Icefields Visitor Center in Jasper National Park. I read online that a drive up the icefields parkway was something extra special. I was a little worried because rain was predicted but it turned out to be an incredible day filled with lots of fun. We got an early start and first stopped for a quick view of the turquoise blue Peyto Lake. Dave then suggested that we go to the Visitor Center next before it got too busy which turned out to be a great idea. We got to the visitor center which is across the street from the impressive Athabasca Glacier and were lucky to snag tickets for the tour that takes you out onto the glacier. We had an hour to look around before we got on a bus that took you across the street where we transferred onto a big special vehicle that was specially designed for driving on the ice. We then were taken a little ways out on the glacier and were able to get off the bus and spend about 45 minutes walking around and taking pictures. It was a really different and special experience. Glacier ice is just so cool, I love the blue color and the formations it makes. Skye liked walking around. It was really slippery and there were channels of water that were melting from the glacier. It is crazy to look at old pictures and see where the glacier was and just how far it has retreated. It makes me glad that we got to have this experience because the glaciers really are melting at a crazy fast pace. After taking the glacier vehicle back off the ice we got back on a bus that then took us to a sky bridge a a few miles north (I guess this was technically the farthest north we got). Skye fell asleep on the bus and napped all through the sky bridge which was a horseshoe shaped walkway with a clear bottom that went out over a cliff. It was cool but the real highlight was walking on the glacier.
After getting some lunch at the now very busy visitor center we started our trip back to the campground but we stopped for one more adventure hike up Parker Ridge to get a view of the Saskatchewan Glacier. It sounded easy enough at only 3 miles round trip but it was a steep climb and Dave got a workout carrying Skye. Even though it was steep, you climb up this mountain surrounded by beautiful trees at the beginning giving way to a just a carpet of green tundra and wildflowers. You don't see the glacier until you are on the ridge but then you see it on the other side, a huge glacier stretching down the valley below you. Wow, I was so glad we made the trek to see this view. Nature is amazing! We hiked up the last part with another couple hiking with their dog so we took each others pictures and visited for a bit while enjoying the view before doing the steep hike back down.
After the drive back we picked up some pizza to eat at the trailer as we got things ready for an early start the next day. It really is hard to rank everything that we saw and did on this trip but this full day was really something special.
Peyto Lake
View of the Athabasca Glacier from the Columbia Icefields Visitor Center
The cool vehicle that took us out onto the glacier
The Sky Bridge
Saskatchewan Glacier after hiking up Parker Ridge
Resting and enjoying a snack with a glacier view
My heart and spirit were full from such an amazing day in nature
Skye playing at the campground in her Canadian pajamas
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