Jasper Journey – Heading Back Down …


wolf / first aid kit

Columbia Icefield

Saw one of these on the way back. 
Don’t know what they’re called, but it’s a hole 
in the glacier where water goes down. 

Google Maps image

A few people have gone missing up here over the years. 
They just found a body of a guy that had missing for 20 years.
But if you ever fell in one of these holes
I doubt they would ever find you.

Inuksuk

The word inuksuk means “that which acts in the capacity of a human.
A manmade stone landmark or cairn built for use by the Inuit, Iñupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America.

These structures are found in northern Canada, Greenland, and Alaska (United States).
The inuksuk may historically have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for travel routes, fishing places, camps, hunting grounds, places of veneration,
drift fences used in hunting, or to mark a food cache.

Jasper Journey – Flag Afield


misty / ray stevens

Columbia Icefield

Seems somebody brought a Canadian Flag up to the Icefields one day.
It was a big hit, so …

myfavoritewesterns.com

… they brought up more flags.

net photo
net photo
net photo
net photo
net photo
net photo
net photo

I figure there’s about 20 different flags up here now. 
And probably more coming.

Why not?

Jasper Journey – ICEFIELD – The Fountain of Cold


tender offerings / first aid kit

The Columbia Icefield

Glacier Stream!

Perhaps the purest water on the planet.
A tradition to drink.
But who could resist?

Snare some water from the fountain … 

A toast …
The cold blood of the Glacier.
Whereby any cup would be a Grail.

HOOOOLY …. !!!
It’s SSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOO …… !!!

Pure.
Cold. 
At Heaven’s Gate.

Jasper Journey – ICEFIELD 2


bj thomas

The Columbia Icefield

If you’re skating on thin ice, you might as well dance.
– Anita Shreve

Sally forth!COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 6COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 7
Watch your step. It’s slippery.
Well … it’s ice!

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice
Rose helps a lady.
COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 3
Ice. On ice.

But we came prepared.
Ray bought some of these. 

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 4
Mini crampons.
COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 5
Just so …

Also …
Our raingear from Niagara Falls.
Keep your powder dry.
I’ve found that wet cameras often don’t shoot well. 

There’s some people up here.

Lots of people.

And misty mountains.

Gateway to the Heavens.

When nobody was looking Rose claimed everything in the name of Canada. 

Glorious and Free.

Next: Icefield 3

Jasper Journey – ICEFIELD 1


magical mystery tour / beatles

The Columbia Icefield

Many are cold, but few are frozen.

You can only see a small part of the Icefield from below.
It’s HUGE.

The Tour doesn’t go up on top.
We go to the Athabasca Glacier.

Climb aboard!

But first: Melody? Melanie? gives us a prep talk. 

Sign behind her says: 
WARNING
This tour involves steep inclines, rough roads,

movements and sudden stops.

Hold on.

Off we go!

We rumble along at about 10 mph.
For 10 or 15 minutes …

Arrival!

Disembark!

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD out we tumble

Out we tumble …

Next: On the ICE …

Jasper Journey – ICEFIELDS – Saddle Up


when i grow up / first aid kit

The Columbia Icefield

So … when you get to the Icefield you’ll see this place: 

Except it was rainy. Drizzly rain. 
The Centre is full of people from every place on the planet. 
It has a restaurant/cafeteria; a gift shop; a viewing deck; historical displays; toilets … lots of stuff.
This is also where you buy tickets for the Icefield Tour. They cost over 100 bucks each.
Then you head out back …

… and jump on one of these things. 
They’re called buses.

This is Shawn … or Shane?. Our driver.
You can see the drizzly rain. 

Below; MAP: Where we’re going ...

On the bus … 

10 minute bus ride?
Ice Explorer Depot ahead.

We made it.

The Ice Explorer. 
Not your average bus.

VROOOOOM !

Let’s ride !

Next … To the Ice!

Jasper Journey – Icefield of Yesteryore


Climb Ev’ry Mountain / Peggy Wood
from The Sound of Music / Rogers and Hammerstein

The Columbia Icefield

The Icefields as they are today.
Coast Publishing Co (Publisher) . Athabasca Glacier and Columbia Icefield Chalet, Banff – Jasper highway, Canadian Rockies. Vancouver: Coast Publishing Co., Vancouver, B.C, cca. 1920.
Harmon Byron (Photographer) . Columbia Icefields. Banff: Photographed and Copyrighted by Byron Harmon, Banff, Canada, [before 1942].
Six-Hundred Lovat Scouts trained during the Second World War on the Athabasca Glacier in 1944. Yellowhead-Museum and Archives.

Finally we arrive at our modern Icefield conveyance:
The ICE EXPLORER!

Next … To the ICE !

Jasper Journey – Heading for the Icefields …


Rainy Day People / Gordon Lightfoot

Heading for the Icefields

Rainy.
But we’ve got an appointment at the Icefields.

Mountains are like oceans. 
Even in bad weather
they are beautiful
and mysterious.

At Last!!!
Icefields in sight!

Jasper Journey – Athabasca Falls …


Blue Water / Poco

Day 2: Rain
We head out for our scheduled Tour of Columbia Icefields.
But on the way we stop at 

Athabasca Falls

Decisions, decisions …

Be careful …

Deadly accident at Athabasca Falls

Posted date: August 12, 2011 / https://www.fitzhugh.ca/author/admin/

… Public Safety Warden Garth Lemke … said the individual went over the very top left-hand side of the falls at approximately 3:15 pm.
…  “It looked like every solid structure in his body had been broken,” … “It wasn’t a pleasant scene.”
In the past 20 years, the park has reported five fatalities at Athabasca Falls, all of the accidents occurring in a similar location. 
… “Chances are the victim died from the impact of the fall into the rocky waters, but hypothermia can also be fatal if a victim survives the fall …”
The area where the individual fell is blocked off by protective railings, along with signage warning visitors to stay back.

Hear the thunder 

Ray and Sarah’s video. Thanks guys. 

Next: on to the Icefields

Jasper Journey – Posters continued …


We May Never Pass this Way Again / Seals & Crofts


Jasper Journey – Posters of Yesteryear and today …


The Happy Wanderer / Tiny Tim


Jasper Journey – Around Town


The Happy Wanderer / The Obernkirchen Children / 1954

Headin’ for wonders.

‘Neath the guardian peak of Pyramid Mountain
Lies sleepy Jasper town

The jewel of the Rockies
Come! Come see the wonders!

Our Digs

Loaded for bear.

The den if full.
One of the best places I ever stayed.

Charming to a fault.

But first things first:

A pic with Jasper the Bear!

I’ve seen better pics of me.

What could be more Canadian than Jasper the Bear?!Well how about Jasper the beer?
EH!

Or Jasper on a dollar!

Onward …