I once read somewhere that a photo can’t give you a sense of the scale of the mountains that are the Rockies. They are so high and so commanding, the colours so rich and the detail so clear. As we have driven and hiked through them you become so aware that you are so small but not in a scary way it just hits you all at once. The other thing is that fabulous mountain air, there is nothing quite like it is there. Its so fresh and vibrant, it kind of grabs you in a really great way…yep I’m liking these mountains.

We are now in the picturesque or should I describe it as charming town of Jasper. Jasper has a population of about 4,500 people so it is not to big at all. A walk down the main street of town is a matter of minutes. The three hour trip from Lake Louise took about seven, there is so much to see. Steve has really mastered the little Golf and we are so loving having the freedom it has given us.

Our first stop was the Crows Foot Glacier along the Icefields Parkway about 40 kms outside of Lake Louise… pretty nifty isn’t it.

The funniest thing happened when we got back to the car we were stalked by this crow he looks so cross perhaps he is unhappy with the name of the Glacier?

You might be wondering why starry nights in Jasper – well did you know that Jasper National Park is the second largest in the world Dark Sky Preserve. This means that there is limited artificial lighting visible which creates the right conditions for dark sky viewing. The community here is actively working to eliminate or at least reduce light “pollution” in all its forms. If we were here in October we could have been part of the Jasper Dark Sky Festival – gosh we might need to come back ! How cool is this.

As I was getting all excited about this Steve let me know that of course given the way Australia is populated we also have Dark Sky areas and so after investigating we do have a recognised Dark Sky area in Australia in the central west of NSW the Warrumbungle National Park. So a local place to enjoy night sky gazing. What a fantastic initiative, we might need to see when the Warrumbungle festival is as we are missing the one here in Canada☹️. How did I not know about this until now, I was obviously being kept (or keeping myself) in the dark (I know I’m corny but it had to be said).

Back to the trip, so our first full day in Jasper started with a coffee from the friendly guy (Nathan) here where we are staying. He is also new to Jasper but unlike us is here to stay for a little while, he was able to give me some great tips on Banff which I have stowed away for when we get there.

Another great tourist information centre who were able to fill our day starting with Maligne Canyon and Lake. The canyon is so impressive and is the deepest canyon in the Canadian Rockies. There is an almost four hour hike you can do of this canyon which will take you to the six bridges that cross the canyon.. we decided that we had a lot to see today so would park at the first bridge and then drive the car down to the fifth…. it was all so lovely.

And then to the way to the Maligne Lake just walking along the road we saw..

From here we headed to Mount Edith where Steve and his crocs were going to get up close and personal with a glacier. This mountain was named after a British nurse who was executed during the First World War for helping allied prisoners escape from Brussels. Aren’t some people extraordinary.

The drive up this mountain is tough – if you have read the Lord of the Rings and can recall the trek that Sam and Frodo took over the plains of Mordor to get to Mount Doom, all along the way you are thinking gosh they must be almost there and then there is just one more chapter. Well this describes our trip up Mount Edith…it was a long, steep trek in the car with many an obstacle (like oncoming traffic). The road is narrow, there aren’t any reassuring guardrails so you often feel that you are inches away from a the car sliding off the road and down the mountain as you take on the endless (or so it seems) hairpin turns. It is like that first time you drive down the Clyde from Canberra to the Bay but on steroids. I am absolutely sure that it is a fine road for the locals but for us on a different side of the road let’s just say it was a relief to get to the car park.

It’s a bit of a trek then up to the viewing platform but I tell you Canadians look after people visiting their national treasures well. There is always a spot to have a bit of a rest just when you need it and you guessed it boy was it worth it when you arrive at your destination.

As I waited at the viewing area Steve made the decision to go right down to the pond. Why didn’t I? Well the signs about possible falling ice and avalanches kind of turned me off and my old legs had about reached capacity so thought it wise to stay put.

After making our way back down the mountain relatively unscathed we made our way home listening to our designated local radio station Real Country (as you will hear in this video) and we spotted a couple more four legged friends.

Another great couple of days Banff here we come.