Alberta's Gem called Jasper

Less than an hour from Canada’s highest mountain, smack in the middle of the Jasper National Park Heritage site and the northern gateway to the Columbia Icefield, Jasper offers a feast for outdoor sports enthusiasts and nature-lovers.

(Some might consider it a bit TOO close to nature: During my first hike, a bicyclist told me he was forced to turn back after encountering a mama bear and her cub --- on the trail I was following. About 400 bears are in the park.)

On our first day in Jasper, we:

-Followed one of Canada’s most scenic highways to a ‘Sno-Coach’ ride on a living glacier;

-Toured the grounds of, and enjoyed a superb buffet lunch at, one of the classic old Canadian Pacific Railway hotels;

- Watched an underground river emerge in a 75-foot waterfall and cascade through spectacular Maligne Canyon.

Next day, we took a 3-hour hike along peaceful wooded trails and the banks of the Athabasca River. I regretted NOT having time for the half-day rafting excursion, whose riders swept by me during my walk, or for the high aerial tramway to Whistler’s Mountain. For a city of just 4,301, Jasper had a LOT to offer.

Quick Tips:

Remember that Jasper is basically an island in the midst of mostly undeveloped wilderness. Be alert for, and respect, wildlife. Besides bears, the Jasper area harbors many elk who appear ‘tame’ but can be dangerous during the rutting season (males) or birthing season (females).

As for bears, the professional guides advise: ‘A startled bear is a dangerous bear.’ They recommend whistling, singing or otherwise making noise while walking through the woods. Jasper souvenir shops sell ‘bear bells’ --- like sleigh bells only black instead of silver --- that you strap onto your belt. And, of course, NEVER approach that cuddly little cub --- mama’s nearby and she’ll get VERY mad.

For an overview of the area and its recreational activities, start at the visitors’ center in the train station or visit some of the shops directly across the street. They’ll have posters and brochures advertising tours and other attractions, and probably will be able to sell you tickets. There are many small hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and guest houses along the main street, which I doubt you’ll find in any of the usual reservation services. There’s a dumping site for R-V sanitation about a mile south of town.

Best Way To Get Around:

As noted, many shops along Jasper’s main street serve as sales offices for rafting, glacier tours, and other activities. Shuttle buses connect downtown with Jasper Park Lodge, Maligne Canyon and the Aerial Tramway.

Driving your own vehicle on the Icefield Parkway, which connects Jasper to the Icefield Visitor Center and Lake Louise, requires a Canadian National Parks Permit. Tour operators will already have the permit.

The entire area is laced with hiking trails; the main ones are well-marked and mapped. Maps of the network are posted at major trailheads and intersections or you can buy printed maps downtown. The trails I sampled were generally firmly surfaced and quite easy -- albeit with the occasional root or fallen limb to step over.

My favorite way of getting to Jasper is by train; VIA Rail Canada’s ‘Canadian’ offers both tourist class and luxury sleeping-car service three times weekly from Toronto (via Edmonton) and Vancouver. The most elegant way to arrive is by American Orient Express, a luxe Vancouver-Montreal ‘cruise train’ that makes several trips each year and serves as your hotel.

To reach Jasper by air, you’ll need to fly to Calgary or Edmonton and take a connecting bus or van.

Like the more well-known Chateau Lake Louise to the south, Jasper Park Lodge was once part of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s portfolio of luxury resort hotels. It’s now a Fairmont Hotels property, definitely luxe.

Surrounded by Jasper National Park, Jasper Park Lodge is actually a park in its own right: A sprawling communtiy of guest cottages, townhouse-like units, and a large, rustic central lodge with multiple bars and dining areas. Indeed, it was big enough for our group of 91 to enjoy a private buffet without appearing to disturb lunching hotel guests.

Our group was seated near a bank of large picture windows overlooking a lawn and lake and adjoining a huge circular buffet table. On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this spread at least an ‘8’; I never made it past the salad bar, smoked-salmon appetizer and one hot seafood entree --- never mind the meat dishes and desserts.) A slightly less elegant, but very appealing, buffet table nearby served the regular guests. A variety of a la carte dishes were also available. The dinner menu, also very appealing, offered conventional table service in an informal setting.

Behind the lodge and restaurant, the resort grounds occupied almost half the shoreline of a small but attractive lake, with several canoes, rowboats and paddleboats available for guests. An 18-hole golf course --- said to have been designed so that each hole lined up with an individual mountain peak --- was just a short walk away. A herd of elk grazed tranquilly along the road leading into the complex.

The front-desk staff was busy while I was there, so I didn’t ask the privilege of inspecting one or two of the 442 rooms. I’ll not attempt to write an ‘accommodation review’ of a property I never spent a night at, but based on the quality of our luncheon and two hours to explore the grounds and surrounding trails, I’d certainly consider a night or two here if I should return to Jasper.I'd definitely at least come for dinner. Be warned, though, that this is a luxury property and priced accordingly: The published rates begin at CDN $399 (U.S. $255) per night, single or double. Given the effect the Sept. 11 tragedy will likely have on future travel demand, these rates could likely be negotiated lower.

The Icefield Parkway, extending 144 miles from Jasper to Lake Louise, is Canada’s equivalent to America’s famed Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier Park. Near the Parkway’s midpoint, the Columbia Icefield covers hundreds of square miles with live, continuously moving, glacial ice. Many tour companies make it easy to reach.

We weren’t able to traverse the main portion of the icefield, but we did drive more than an mile onto the Athabasca Glacier, just below it. The original ‘Sno-Coaches’ that pioneered this tour were crawler-treaded vehicles somewhat resembling World War II ‘halftracks’ and carrying relatively few people. To visualize today’s coaches, picture a city transit bus given huge picture windows and mounted on 10-foot-high snow tires. To reach the glacier, they need to negotiate a grade of at least 25% --- one foot down for every four feet forward. That’s as steep or steeper than San Francisco’s cable cars --- and we were on snow and gravel!

The journey on the glacier lasted only 50 minutes or so, but allowed more than enough time to contemplate how northern North America might have appeared during the Ice Age. The more venturesome of our passengers --- those with good footwear and balance --- had 10 minutes or so to actually walk on the glacier. Not feeling comfortable walking on wet ice, I stayed on the coach and shot my photos from the door.

(At least one of our passengers did fall, but apparently escaped injury. Walking the glacier without a professional guide who knows exactly where the crevasses are is extremely dangerous; unescorted hikers who fall into crevasses often die of exposure before they can be pulled out. A three-year old child who briefly wandered away from his parents was lost during the 2000 season.)

The scenic bus ride from Jasper to the Icefield Center offers frequent views of Mt. Athabasca and other glacier-capped peaks and several lookouts for photography. (If you see Smokey the Bear wearing a blue railroad cap, it’s the one the wind snatched off my head during one of those cliffside stops.) During the trip, our guide pointed out what’s thought to be North America’s only ‘triple continental divide’ --- a glacier whose outflow goes west to the Pacific Ocean, northwest to the Arctic Ocean, and northeast to Hudson Bay and thence to the Atlantic.

It isn’t necessary to use a tour operator to visit the icefield. Hostels and other low-cost overnight lodging options are available and hikers/backpackers are welcome. You must, however, have a Canadian National Parks permit. It’s not difficult to drive or hike to the rims of the glaciers. However, walking ON the glaciers without an experienced guide, though not illegal, is foolhardy. That said ...

The Columbia Icefield Tour was one of the most memorable experiences during my 14-day trans-Canada journey. It can be done from Jasper, Lake Louise or Banff.

Originating at an icy mountain lake about an hour southeast of Jasper, the Maligne River spends much of its life under ground. At Maligne Canyon Park, it emerges in an impressive waterfall that you’ll hear long before you can see it. Far below the footbridge over the falls, it races northward through a steep, narrow gorge until it joins the mighty Athabasca.

You can walk from the parking lot to the falls and back in 15 minutes or so, but there’s much more to see if you have the time. Though the floor of the canyon is accessible only by expert hikers, the upper rim is lined with safe, relatively easy walking trails. The going gets steep in a few places, but there are plenty of handrails and other safety aids. As the photos show, an extra half-hour or hour exploring the further reaches of canyon will reward you with memorable views of rock cliffs and wild crevasses.

You could, conceivably, hike all the way back to Jasper; Maligne Canyon Park is on the network of trails radiating from the city. It was only a 15-20 minute bus ride, from town, so should be well within the range of a reasonably fit walker. (Had I been travelling independently, instead of with a group, I’d have probably tried the hike myself; there was an easy-to-follow map posted at the trailhead.)

Shuttle bus service was available for CDN $8 (a little under USD $5.)

In the winter, when even the fast-moving water freezes over, our guide tells us that many locals actually rappel down the frozen waterfall so they can walk through the canyon over the ice!

White-Water Rafting

Rafting operators boast a variety of rivers and routes suitable for everyone from beginner to fast-water expert: ‘Anyone over seven years old,’ one brochure proclaimed. Indeed, the flotilla of rafts that swept by me during my walk along the Athabasca River contained a least a few children. They were moving fast enough to give them a thrill, but over relatively smooth water. Further upstream, higher in the mountains, the river appeared to be considerably more challenging; from our vantage point on the Icefield Parkway, we looked down at some fairly spectacular rapids.

According to the brochures, the rafting companies usually provide life vests, wet suits and other necessary equipment, plus transportation from the Jasper visitor center or your hotel.

Maligne Lake Tour

Long, slender Maligne (Mah-LEEN) Lake lies near the foot of 11,380-foot Mt. Brazeau, about 40 miles southeast of Jasper, and is the source of the underground river whose canyon we visited earlier in this journal. Many of our group went there the next morning for a boat ride and on-board lunch, and described it as a very pleasant and lovely lake and, altogether, a worthwhile half-day excursion.

Chateau Lake Louise

So great is the lure of the Banff/Lake Louise area that some of our group opted to miss the Sno-Coach icefield tour and, instead, drive the full length of the Icefield Parkway for lunch at the legendary Chateau Lake Louise. This was another crown jewel in the collection of ultra-luxe hotels built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to lure affluent tourists to its passenger trains, joining such classics as Quebec’s Chateau Frontenac and Toronto’s Royal York.

A travel group I belong to had its inaugural banquet here in 1987 --- and the photo I shot from the lawn in front of the main dining room is still one of my all-time travel favorites. I stayed behind this time --- didn’t want to miss the icefield tour --- but those who had lunch there this year highly recommended it.

The ideal tour of Rocky Mountain Alberta would probably be to visit BOTH Lake Louise and Jasper, with a trip over the Icefield Parkway and Sno-Coach cruise in between.

For a more comprehensive look at Jasper’s recreational opportunities, including the nearby Marmot Basin ski area, try this website:
http://www.discoverjasper.com

For a great description of the aforementioned aerial tram ride (the one I missed), see an earlier journal by guide annekmadision.