Skip to main content

Icefields Parkway

By Cheryl

We had a beautiful day to drive one of the world's best drives- the Icefields Parkway through both Jasper and Banff National Parks.  The distance of ~250km can take all day because of all of the stops along the way.

In addition to all of the stunning scenery and mountain peaks, we were lucky enough to spot a black bear and mountain goats roadside.


We stopped at the Athabasca Falls and Sunwupta Falls to see and hear the water roar.


Athabasca Falls

Sunwupta Falls

Unfortunately, one of the most striking differences from our visit 15 years ago is the amount of dead coniferous trees in Jasper National Park.  After speaking with the park ranger, we learned that this is due to the invasive mountain pine beetle. Hard to believe an insect 5mm long can cause such damage.


As we moved south to Banff National Park, the devastation did not appear to be as dramatic.


Waterfowl Lake


 Our first family photo in awhile

Comments

  1. Sinjin Dixon-Warren, PhDSeptember 6, 2019 at 12:42 PM

    Awesome place. Sad about the trees. Live continues apace here at TechInsights. Plan to check your blog a bit more frequently. Cheers, Sinjin

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introducing the Family

By Nathan
This is my first post.  My name is Nathan and I am a 9 year-old boy (almost 10) and can't wait for this trip.  My older sister Chelsea is 12 years old and my younger brother Parker is 7 years old.   I am looking forward to sharing pictures and stories with you over the adventurous year ahead! This picture was taken a couple of years ago so we are all a bit bigger now!
6 comments
Read more

Velika Planina - Slovenia

By
Velika Planina, in a Nutshell This could have been Heidi's village Ever wish you were Heidi ? Well, it turns out, you can find the backdrop you need for your make-believe at Velika Planina in Slovenia. You can hike (a few hours) or take a cable car up to a high-altitude plain where you will find a village nestled on the lee-side of an ever-present windy peak.  A hearty people live here - a tribe of herdsmen.  They build unique huts, in an ancient way, and allow tourists to explore their space/land. This is not an adrenaline jolt, but it is quaint and unique and undeniably historical.  Come for the views, stay for the peace and quiet. Getting Here The cable car runs fast and saves a lot of time and effort... we'd recommend it You can hike up to this peak from the valley, but it is pretty high at 1600m - a good slog on a service road.   Alternatively, you can take a cable car up from  Kamniška Bistrica .  We did the latter - the kids wanted to 'save the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mt. Triglav

By
Mt. Triglav - At the Top of Slovenia Parker at the summit of Mt. Triglav The last major hike we did as a family was up  Mt. Catamount in upstate NY.    Actually, that hike was in preparation for summiting Mt. Triglav - the kids got new hiking boots, so we needed to make sure their new gear would work for each of them during Triglav's long haul of 12km in and 12km out. Mt. Catamount in upstate NY - June 2023 Triglav is Slovenia's national symbol - it is the highest peak in Slovenia (and was the highest peak in the former Yugoslavia).  It's on the Slovenian national flag - the mountain peaks at 2,800m (9,200ft). Note the emblem in the upper left corner - the tri-peak of Triglav This is not the world's highest peak by any means - Mt. Kilimangaro, for instance, peaks at 5,900m... but Triglav is a very respectable climb, and one that puts you well above the clouds most days of the year. Some fun with a topside pic Most of Triglav is a hike... but the last leg is a climb...
Post a Comment
Read more