The whole trip was amazing, but our final destination was Emerald Lake, B.C. … what words could I possibly add to this …
View of the cabins …
The following photo shows where an avalanche occurs almost every year …
There is the main lodge Emerald Lake Lodge for dining and warming up by a fire, but our accommodations were an amazing little cabin with no tv, no internet, and no cell service. It was like we were on another planet and was so cozy. Every time we walked up to it, I affectionately referred to it as our little Hobbit Hole … yes … right on the lake.
Looking through a window from the main lodge … goodness, I love B.C. These pots reminded me of some kind of hanging bamboo …… our room!
breakfast is served … From the canoe …
I know … serious photo dump, and I still have more. We walked around the lake and I have a ton of mossy mushroom shots to share … but I’ll leave that for next week :) but, here’s a bit of top-down faffoolery with the flora and fauna I foraged:
Sunwapta Falls and Old Man Mountain
A torrent of plunging water not far from the Icefields Parkway, Sunwapta Falls is just one of the many waterfalls in Jasper created by hanging valleys.
Hanging valleys were formed when glacier ice receded 8000 years ago, leaving behind broad U-shaped valleys. Larger valleys were carved deeper than smaller ones and in places where the two meet, the smaller valleys “hang” at a higher elevation. This is an excellent place to find waterfalls. At Sunwapta Falls, the smaller “hanging” Chaba Valley and larger Athabasca Valley join in a spectacular stepping waterfall that has carved a deep limestone gorge out of the rock some metres below the footbridge.
We made a quick stop at Sunwapta Falls … just another stunning waterfall in Jasper National Park.
The result of thousands of tourists making their way down to the falls …
Now I’m just throwing in Old Man Mountain, Roche Bonhomme, or Nanabusho which is visible from the Jasper townsite as well as various places along the highway.
It struck us funny because the first night we were having dinner in a restaurant in Jasper, Don looked up and said “oh, there’s a face up there!”
We joked that it was Brian Mulroney, stern jaw and all …
Some aboriginals refer to it as Nanabusho: a teacher, a brother of humans, and a reminder of spiritual connection to the land.
Next stop … Yoho National Park and Emerald Lake Lodge … Heaven on earth.
Athabasca Falls Jasper National Park
Our next stop was Athabasca Falls.
The 23-metre Athabasca Falls is not very high by Canadian Rockies standards, but the size of the river makes it one of the most powerful falls to be found in the mountain national parks. Pouring over a layer of hard quartzite, the falls have cut into the softer limestone beneath, carving intricate features, including potholes and a short canyon.
Parks Canada
It’s deceptively quiet at the beginning … and the whole area is misty with spray …
… then eerie, because … people have slipped in and died here … It’s positively thunderous …
… and magnificent.
See Lake Annette for part IV
Lake Annette, Jasper National Park
After we explored Maligne Canyon, we stopped at Lake Annette (and Lake Edith … which I didn’t get a photo of … eek.) (This is Part III of our Canadian Rockies Getaway.)
Both are beautiful. Lake Edith seemed a bit rougher with private homes nestled in the trees (can you imagine?)
Lake Annette is smoother, calmer, and great for swimming, which is a bit of a rare find in Jasper due to the fact that most lakes are fed by glaciers (including Annette) … brrrr …
So, whoah … get a load of this guy … ;)
… sorry about the butt end but it was all he was going to show me on this particular afternoon and I was hiding behind a sign, using my telephoto lens … this guy was daunting …
The elk or wapiti is one of the largest species within the Cervidae or deer family in the world, and one of the largest land mammals in North America and eastern Asia
He had a few ladies on standby …
Some people were standing so close to these animals, trying to get a shot with their phone (please do.not.do.that.)
I was talking to a ranger later in the day, and she told me that of all the animals in the park, elk are the ones she fears the most … she’s seen the injuries that have been inflicted by a seriously annoyed male.
This is where I slowly walked to the left and hid behind a Parks Canada sign …
See Highway 93A for part V