Toronto to Jasper on "The Canadian"

In a trip filled with memorable moments, these were tops. Each of these will be covered in a journal entry.

- A quick visit to Toronto, including a visit to a unique train store.
- The excitement and fun of the train itself.
- A Cable Car ride and elegant anniversary dinner at the summit of Whistlers Mountain, Jasper.
- A horseback riding tour at the Jasper Park Lodge.
- Our first-ever whitewater rafting adventure on the Athabasca River.
- A visit to the Columbia Icefields.

Quick Tips:

We planned this trip almost entirely on the Internet. Useful websites included:

http://www.viarail.ca
http://www.discoverjasper.com
http://www.discoverbanff.com
http://www.discovercalgary.com
http://www.toronto.com

Best Way To Get Around:

We didn't rent a car and found we could get around perfectly well with taxis, shuttles, and buses.

We selected this hotel via the Internet, hoping to find a moderate overnight accommodation near downtown. It was a mixed bag.

The staff were friendly and extremely helpful. We couldn''t have asked for nicer folks to introduce us to a new city. Our suite consisted of a living room, bath, kitchen, and very small bedroom. A king, or at least queen, bed would have been more comfortable than the double we shoehorned ourselves into for a restless night''s sleep.

Suggestion? If you need a quiet place to stay for a while, check this out. On hindsight, we might have done better at a bed and breakfast.

How can you have a romantic dinner experience in your jeans and boots? It's easy when you're seated in front of a glass wall, 8,000 feet up, with a view that seems to stretch to the ends of the world.

That was our experience of dinner at the Treeline Restaurant. It was enhanced by the fact that the staff had learned (from the person who made our reservation) that it was our anniversary. They smilingly led us to the best table -- in a restaurant that really doesn't have any bad tables -- and asked us what music we'd like to hear with our dinner.

We began our meal with salads of mixed field greens, cruncy/bitter and carrying a taste of the early-spring weather. The restaurant features local foods and wines, so our main-course choice was roast prime rib of Alberta beef, and we shared a bottle of British Columbia merlot. The vegetable was a first for us, tiny fiddlehead ferns with a delicate asparagus-like flavor. Lemon cheesecake and coffee completed a meal of simple foods, wonderfully prepared.

The Treeline Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and welcomes people who have ridden up to it on the Jasper Tramway. Be certain to allow enough time for a pre-dinner walk to the summit.

For a model railroad fan, a memorable train trip wouldn't be complete without--yes--a model of the train. Prior to our trip, we had looked high and low in the United States for HO scale models of the specially-remodeled vintage 'Budd' cars used by VIA Rail for this special train.

We found the cars, plus dozens of other special models, at George's. It's easy to get to on the subway from downtown, and the people there are knowledgable, friendly, and ready to help with your selections. If you plan to be in Toronto, and you enjoy model railroading, add George's to your list of places to stop.

We felt our visit to Jasper would be incomplete without a trail ride. Several outfitters in the area offer a variety of packages. We decided on the stables at the Jasper Park Lodge. It suited our time frame, was easily accessible by shuttle, and would give us the opportunity to have a meal at this famous hotel.

Everyone should see the Jasper Park Lodge, whether staying there or not. Its lobby, dining rooms, and other public areas are furnished in an elegantly rustic style that recalls a bygone era of travel. Most guests are housed in individual cabins. We enjoyed a casual lunch in the Emerald Lounge and a stroll through the shops before leaving the hotel. The front lawn slopes gently down to Lac Beauvert, a blue-green glacier fed beauty. We found that the paths around the lake were closed for elk calving season, but the view from the terrace made up for our inability to get too close.

The stables are a short stroll from the hotel. They offer lessons and a variety of trail rides of different durations. When we got to the stables, we knew we had made a wise choice. It’s always a pleasure to see horses that are well cared-for, and the Lodge obviously does an excellent job in this area. Sleek, glossy, and well-fed, the horses were also gentle and well-trained.

Our ride took us first along the shoreline of the Athabasca River. Why wasn’t this shoreline closed to humans as the lake’s had been? Well, a human on horseback is larger than an elk, therefore the elk won’t bother a horse and rider. We didn’t see any elk, but our ride along the shore was enlivened by a pair of osprey -- a type of eagle -- attending their young in a nest near the river.

After a pleasant ramble by the river, the path narrowed and turned upward. We began to climb slowly through a forest of conifers. There were few flowers in the early spring, but the woods on either side of the path sparkled with hundreds of tiny, lavender "fairy orchids." The dappled shade, beautiful surroundings, and easy movements of the horses combined to create a relaxing , quiet two hours on the trail. I was sorry to say goodbye to my new friend, the gentle and patient Bob, and I left him with a kiss on his velvet nose and a promise to come back and visit him again. I hope someday I’ll be able to do just that.

A visit to a brand-new foal in the barn, followed by a cold beer in the Emerald Lounge, completed a wonderful afternoon.

IF YOU PLAN THIS TRIP: Reserve ahead of time. Dress in your jeans, but you’ll be most comfortable in a pair of shoes with heels rather than sneakers or hiking boots. The Lodge offers rides for all skill levels.

Our Stroll On the Glacier: The Columbia Icefields

Among the many "don’t miss" trips around Banff and Jasper, the Columbia Icefields probably rank near the top. This immense accumulation of ice and snow occupies several hundred square miles and feeds several major glaciers. It’s certainly one of the most accessible glaciers you’ll ever encounter. But if you take the guided tour, be prepared to be part of a large crowd.

We visited the Icefields during a day-long bus tour of the Icefields Parkway, a road that stretches from Jasper southward to Banff. We arrived at the Icefields Centre at mid-morning and were immediately swallowed up in the crowds as we boarded our bus for the short drive across the road to the specialized "Sno Coach" that would take us to the glacier.

Our guide shared a great deal of knowledge about the Icefields and their surrounding glaciers. All of the glaciers are retreating, and in recent years, the retreat has become more rapid. We also learned that the Icefields are the hydrologic summit of North America. Their meltwater feeds the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans, and the area is unique for that reason. It’s also one of the reasons that UNESCO has declared this area a World Heritage Site.

The Sno-Coach is a six-wheeled all-wheel-drive vehicle whose tires are higher than a person of average height. Capable of traveling up and down steep grades, it carries visitors the last few hundred yards to the foot of the Icefields.

Once we were actually walking on the ice, it was possible to move a little bit away from the crowd and spend our allotted fifteen minutes actually contemplating the beauty and immensity of what we were seeing. It’s Nature on a grand scale, dwarfing the visitor both in time and space. We were surrounded on three sides by granite mountains, each with its own mighty glacier suspended above us. Evidence of recent avalanches was everywhere, although we were viewing them from a safe distance. The ice was covered with snow, which crunched underfoot, and the footing was surprisingly easy.

Our trip back across the road to the Icefields Centre was brief. Once there we had an expensive lunch. There is an interpretive exhibit, but the crowds were simply too much for us, and we spent our remaining allotted time sitting on a sunny terrace looking at the Icefields.

IF YOU PLAN THIS TRIP: Take warm clothing, good boots, and gloves. In addition to the guided tour we took, there are hiking trails and campgrounds in the vicinity.

In late May, spring hasn’t quite taken hold in the Canadian Rockies. The cold, windy weather that had disturbed our morning whitewater trip also threatened to cancel our evening plans for a tram ride up Whistler’s Mountain and an anniversary dinner at the summit. Although our trip was delayed for a few minutes, it was well worth the wait. The blowing snow had stopped for a while when we boarded the enclosed car for a trip nearly 8,000 feet up, past the timberline and into the tundra.

The scenery on Whistler’s is wild. During our seven-minute ride we watched the spruce and fir trees grow smaller, finally yielding in their struggle against altitude and climate to the moss, lichen, and bare rocks of the tundra above. In the middle distance, the town of Jasper appeared very small and very distant, sharing its valley with the Athabasca and Maligne Rivers. Opposite us were the tall, jagged peaks of the Victoria Cross Range.

Each tramway car carries a conductor. Ours was a naturalist in disguise, well-versed in the mountain’s plant and animal life, its geology and climate. We found his commentary added a great deal of enjoyment and interest to our short ride.

The summit was icy, and as we left the tramway the snow began again. Unfortunately for us, it snowed just enough to obscure our view of Mount Robson, far to the west. But we found a warm welcome and a good dinner in the Treeline Restaurant.

TO PLAN THIS TRIP: Try the early evening for fewer crowds and a beautiful sunset. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bring extra warm clothing and sturdy boots for a walk to the very summit of the mountain with spectacular views of Mount Robson to the west.

Jasper Tramway Box 418, Jasper, Alberta, Canada T0E 1E0 Phone 780-852-3093

Serious-minded whitewater rafters will want to skip this journal. But if you’re a beginner, read on. After studying pamphlets and asking a few questions, we signed up with a local outfitter for a four-mile trip down the Athabasca River, suitable for beginners. This was appropriate, since that’s what we were.

Our first stop, after donning wetsuits, booties, waterproof windbreakers, and PFD’s was the Falls of the Athabasca, a stunning waterfall that boiled into mist in what appeared to be an endless drop. Our guides assured us that anyone who went over these falls was unlikely to survive. Then they led us to a quiet spot several hundred yards downstream where our two rafts awaited.

The first project was a short lesson from our guide, who showed us how to hold the paddle to move forward or backward, how to drop down into the raft, and above all how to follow his instructions instantly. The final instruction? If you fall in, keep your feet pointed downstream to prevent your skull from smashing on a rock. We practiced happily for a few minutes, and before we knew it we were into the middle of the river, moving suddenly in the current, and headed downstream. The first little eddy was an experience of sheer terror for me, the Timid One, but as soon as I was through it, I wanted to go on to the next one. Our guide told us that the river was unusually fast due to the large amounts of early-spring runoff from the glacier that fed it. He went on to say that we were fortunate that it hadn’t yet covered all the rocks, so we would have an exciting trip.

The scenery along the river was definitely worth looking at. The trees grew right down to the water, and we spotted elk, beaver, ravens, ospreys, and even owls during those times we could look around. In addition to the rapids, that stretch of the river includes several beautiful small islands covered with fir trees, much favored by mother elk giving birth in the spring.

Halfway down, the weather turned ugly. The skies darkened, and we were troubled by blowing sleet, snow, and wind which often blew us backwards. We used every instruction taught us by our guide (with the exception of the "keep your head upstream" instruction) and were able to finish our trip without incident, though it took almost an hour longer.

Was it worth it? You bet! Would we go again? Absolutely! In addition to the exciting memories, now when the subject comes up, we can stand a little taller and say, "Whitewater rafting? Yeah, we’ve done that..."

TO PLAN THIS TRIP: Our outfitter was On-Line Sport and Tackle, 600 Patricia Street, Jasper 780 852-3630. A variety of trips for all skill levels.

Toronto to Jasper by Train

We knew that VIA Rail's transcontinental train, The Canadian, would carry us from Toronto to Jasper in three days and two nights. We didn’t know that, with its Silver and Blue service, it would also transport us back in time to an era of unhurried leisure, delicious food, gracious service, and pleasant conversation.

The train’s sleeper-class service includes a comfortable sleeping compartment, elegant meals, and a seat in the observation car. Each three sleepers is served by a dining/observation car, so we never felt crowded. The cars are beautifully-restored 1950’s vintage 'streamliners,' and they’re luxurious by comparison with Amtrak accommodations. Our compartment included two comfortable chairs, a sink and toilet, and a tiny closet. The picture-window was perfect for gawking and gazing, and during the day we were seated in two comfortable armchairs. The shower at the end of the corridor was shared with other passengers in our car. It was large enough to move around in easily, and we never found availability to be a problem.

We were fortunate to be near the rear of the train with easy access to the Park Car. This classic railway car, with its wide, rounded sweep of windows, is a monument to the glory days of train travel. It includes three sections: An upper-deck observation area with panoramic windows, a small downstairs bar and smoking lounge (the Mural Lounge), and a Bullet Lounge to the rear, furnished with comfortable chairs, tables, and couches.

The dining car also provided a gracious view of the past. One can only speak in clichés about the crisply-pressed linen, the comfortable chairs, and the lovely etched-glass panels placed at each end of the car. The meals featured a variety of choices. Breakfast catered both to the bacon-and-egg crowd and to the bagel-and-juice lovers among us. Lunch included a variety of soups, sandwiches, salads, and pastas, hot and cold. Dinner was a more full-dress affair with soup, salad, main course, and dessert. Diners had a variety of main dishes to choose from. And though we’re not wine buffs and can’t comment on the adequacy of the wine list, we were always able to find something we could enjoy with our dinner.

The train traveled through a diversity of scenery. Only a couple of hours past our departure from Toronto, we found ourselves surrounded by the starkly beautiful forests of Ontario. The land seems wild and remote, its beauty enhanced by rocky gorges and the flash of hundreds of lakes, large and small. Our trip through Ontario was enhanced by two stops. On the evening of Day 1, we stopped at Capreol, Ontario where we enjoyed a twenty-minute opportunity for sunshine and fresh air. On the morning of Day 2, we stopped at Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Our conductor was full of knowledge about the interesting history of this area, which is sacred to the Ojibwa people. We learned that they defeated their enemies, the Lakota, in a decisive battle near the spot where the train stopped.

Our arrival at the edge of the prairie seemed sudden; one minute we were in the woods, the next we had arrived on a typical scene of endless black fields just beginning to turn green under their new crop of wheat. We’d been warned that this part of the trip would be monotonous, but instead we found it pleasant and restful. By the evening of Day 2, we had arrived in Winnipeg, capital of Manitoba, for an hour-long stop and crew change. This provided ample time to admire the beaux-arts train station and to visit Winnipeg’s riverfront mall, adjacent to the train station.

When we awoke on Day 3, we had arrived in Alberta. The land took on a more rolling character, and we looked out onto an open range inhabited by cattle. At mid-morning, we stopped in the suburban station at Edmonton just long enough to glimpse the city’s skyline in the distance. As we left Edmonton we began to watch eagerly for our first glimpse of the Rockies, which we began to see at lunchtime. As the train left the town of Hinton, we began to climb, and we were soon surrounded by the mountains. Glimpses of wildlife abounded as we entered Jasper National Park.

In addition to watching the passing landscapes, we enjoyed getting to know our fellow-passengers. Each breakfast, lunch, and dinner seating gave us the opportunity to talk with new people. Although videos were provided for us in the evenings in the Mural Lounge, we found it much more enjoyable just to sit and talk with our new acquaintances.

When we returned from the Park Car each evening, our chairs had disappeared and our berths were made up and turned down for us. Time to gaze awhile at the moonlit landscape flashing by and drift off to sleep, rocked by the movement of the train.

IF YOU PLAN THIS TRIP: Reserve early. Trains fill up fast. You can arrange to break your journey into several parts, stopping for a while at each place. Accommodations also include single rooms, berths (an economical alternative), and regular rail service. Check for off-season, senior, and other possible discounts. Pack a small bag with your needs for the trip; you’ll be reunited with your luggage at your destination. The VIA website is a goldmine of information: www.viarail.ca