Tag Archives: Canadian Rockies

On the Columbia Icefield's Athabasca Glacier, Canada.

My Canadian Rockies Trip, Part 7: Columbia Icefields and a Walk on the Athabasca Glacier.

Continued from My Canadian Rockies Trip, Part 6: Maligne Lake and Spirit Island.

Today we would be visiting the Columbia Icefields, walk on a glacier— essentially a river of slow-moving ice, and get an opportunity to drink freshly melted glacier ice that had formed thousands of years ago, hopefully without modern pollutants. To that end, I kept an empty water bottle with me.

View from the Columbia ICefield Discovery Center. You can see the Icefields and Athabasca Glacier in the background.
View from the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center. You can see the Icefields and Athabasca Glacier in the background.
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Spirit Island and Maligne Lake under cloudy skies, Jasper National Park, Canada.

My Canadian Rockies Trip, Part 6: Maligne Lake, Spirit Island and Jasper.

Continued from My Canadian Rockies Trip, Part 5: Lakes Louise, Moraine and Peyto.

After yesterday’s visit to three scenic lakes, we headed out today to see yet another—the stunning Maligne Lake. Spirit Island in Maligne Lake is perhaps one of the most iconic and photographed spots in Jasper National Park, seen in advertisements by Apple and Kodak showcasing the enhanced photo-capabilities of their iPads and films. A must-see place and I was looking forward to it.

The route to Maligne Lake took us through almost unspoiled wilderness teeming with wildlife. We saw numerous elk and wild mountain goats grazing by the roadside.

A superbly antlered bull elk observing us as we drove past.
A superbly antlered bull elk observing us as we drove past.
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The blue of Lake Louise and snow.covered Mount Victoria.

My Canadian Rockies Trip, Part 5: Lakes Louise, Moraine and Peyto.

Continued from My Canadian Rockies Trip, Part 4: Bar U Ranch and Banff.

We started the day with a hearty breakfast at our hotel in Banff and readied ourselves for the trip to three iconic lakes in the Canadian Rockies known for their uniquely beautiful, blue shades; Louise, Moraine and Peyto Lakes. We had glimpsed Lake Louise from the top of Sulfur Mountain as described in the last post. Today I was looking forward to viewing it up close.

Lake Louise, is named after Princess Louise Carolina Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. The glacier covered Mount Victoria provides the unique backdrop seen through the V formed by forest-covered peaks. It is no surprise that many peaks, provinces and features in Canada are named after members of the British Royal Family.

Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada.
At Lake Louise, Canada, with Mount Victoria in the background. Note the turquoise color of the water.
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