Sunday

Even though the date above is marked Monday, this is really Sunday's post. I am behind due to lack of internet availability! Ilene

Sunday couldn’t have started in a prettier place. We got moving quickly, knowing that we wanted to capture some unforgettable pictures at both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. They are just 4km and 14km respectively from the campground so this will be a quick trip. Lake Louise is breathtaking any time, but particularly in the early morning. The sun glistens on the water and the light is perfect on the mountains behind. 7:30 is nice and early and majority of the tourists have not yet gotten out of bed (especially on a Sunday). It’s not that we don’t like people. We just prefer to take some pictures without a million tourists in our view. Since most don’t speak English, their chatter creates a cacophony that makes it difficult to concentrate on picture taking. I am so curious about people of other cultures that I find myself distracted. Just like now with this thread of thinking. Lol

Once we have captured Lake Louise, we move to Moraine Lake. In case you ever studied Canadian currency, the old twenty dollar note had an image of Moraine Lake on it. Along the way up the steep incline to the lake, we see wonderful vistas, including one called the Ten …. We stopped and shot a picture of our motor home with the range behind it.

We locate a great parking place at the lake, as it is about 8:15 and the tour buses and families have not yet arrived. I decided to take a trail recommended by GyPSy that promises to offer the best view of the lake. Dennis is not as smitten and decides to stay on the lower side. The climb is so steep, I’m not sure it would be open to the public in the states. It certainly wouldn’t meet handicap accessible standards. The steps are carved out of the former avalanche, some eighteen to twenty inches high. Oh, it was worth it. There is a beautiful carved park bench at the perfect spot, inviting any traveler to sit and take in the view. GyPSy said that the biggest mistake people make visiting these places is not to stay long enough to truly take it all in and enjoy.

After descending the higher vantage point, Dennis and I reconnect. We find another park bench adjacent to the canoe livery. Dennis bought a cup of coffee and muffin for us and we enjoy the view with our treat. The canoes are not available until 9:00 AM but the fellow running the concession is beginning to lower the canoes in the water. He is placing them like petals on a flower all around the dock, making an exquisite and colorful arrangement, perfect to add to the pictures of Moraine Lake.

I will tell you, this is the prettiest place I think I have ever seen in my life.

We move on, away from the Lake Louise area and north towards Jasper. To get there, we will travel on the Columbia Icefields Parkway. Just as its name suggests, the road traverses incredible mountains and incredible glaciers. Stunning. They say that this is the most beautiful road in the world and in my limited view, they may be correct. GyPSy gives us all kinds of information and tells us where to stop and see wildlife, waterfalls, glaciers, etc. Seeing these things with your own eyes, taking pictures of them and then hearing a narrator explain more about them really helps solidify your memories (I hope!).

Once we traveled the Parkway, we entered Jasper National Park. We decide that we had better locate a campground, as it is already 5:00. We pulled into Whistler's National Campground. The Park has 781 sites. We waited over forty minutes to get a site. Our luck has run out as we were only able to get a site. No water, no electricity, just a pretty site. The only bad thing is that this park has one shower area for all 781 sites! Yikes! Good thing our motorhome is equipped with a shower, etc.

Something to be said for no electricity, etc. We didn't want to use the generator and spoil everyone else's solitude, so we "roughed it" and used our propane for stove, etc. Even made coffee with an old coffee pot!

Tomorrow we hope to get great shots of Jasper, the last stop on our Canadian Rockies tour.