This morning was the coldest of the trip. The thermometer read 46F at 5:30am. The bikes were packed and we were on the road at 7:15am. On the 40 minute ride to the town of Jasper, we were greeted by brilliantly lit mountain tops by the rising sun.
We also saw a herd of elk grazing off TC16 just outside of Jasper.
We stopped at a gas station to top off our fuel tanks and buy a few additional food items for our picnic in the park.
Fully provisioned, we headed south on highway 97. The scenery was phenomenal. Mountains flanking our left and right, rivers and emerald lakes thrown in for good measure.
Our first stop on our ride south from Jasper to Banff, was Athabasca Falls.
We made a short scenic ride to our next stop.
Sunwapta Falls
Back on the bikes, we continued south following the Athabasca river.
We also saw plenty of glaciers on the snow capped mountains in the park.
And there were a few waterfalls along the roadside.
We reached the end of the river at the Columbia Icefield. This enormous moraine field is from the retreating Athabasca Glacier. You can walk on the icefield to the glacier.
Our highest elevation for the day (about 7000 feet) was just after the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia IceField.
Shortly after the Columbia Icefield we entered Banff National Park
Our lunch spot at Canyon Creek was very nice. It was quite and nestled between large mountains on two sides with a river running nearby. The temps were around 55F but with little wind so it was very comfortable. We even had a local resident that kept us company during our meal.
After lunch, we continued south with more beautiful scenery.
We stopped at Mistaya Canyon to have a look at this S shaped canyon that the rushing water has carved.
Our next stop was at the emerald colored Bow Lake and the massive glacier that sits above it.
The wind was blowing a good 20mph across the glacial lake making for very nippy conditions. We watched a couple of young college age kids do a polar bear plunge in the lake. Their high pitched screams confirmed our suspicion on just how cold the lake water was.
Our last stop in the park was at Lake Herbert. This small lake was a bit off the beaten path and very peaceful. With mountains in the distance it made for a very picturesque scene.
Just outside of Banff, we made one last stop at Vermilion Lakes. The viewing location didn't provide a very good view of the lake but the mountains in the distance were interesting.
Back on the interstate we entered Calgary and saw the ski jumps from the 1988 Winter Olympics.
The terrain changes very quickly on the eastern side of the Canadian Rockies. It goes from jagged mountains to prairie. So as we entered Calgary, we said goodbye to the majestic mountain views.
We made it to our hotel in Calgary around 6:30pm and walked to the Catcus Club. The food was really good. Jerry enjoyed two pints of a beer, Rob two Old fashions, and Michele half of a sangria. We also ate food and desert :-).
Tomorrow we head for Moose jaw in Saskatchewan.
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