Wandering to Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park, Alberta (48 degrees, chilly, occasional glorious blue skies)

We are now traveling the Cassier Highway and it's one of the prettiest roads we have traveled on this summer. You pass many pristine lakes and small towns. It's quiet, isolated and so lovely. We stayed a couple of nights at Mountain Shadow RV Park and just relaxed.  The name of the campground aptly describes it's location and beauty.  The numerous lakes in the area look so inviting. and we wished we had our kayaks to paddles in this stunning area. 

Mountain Shadow RV Park, Iskut BC

Stewart BC Visitor Center

From here we traveled to Stewart BC. It a small town which straddles the border of British Columbia and the even smaller town of Hyder Alaska. To see this area it's best to camp in Stewart but plan on spending most of your time in Hyder. We came here in hope of seeing grizzly bears feasting on the salmon which come here to spawn. Alas, we saw lots of salmon but no bears. 

TIP:  You do need to cross the border with your passport in hand, but it's an easy crossing.

Salmon Glacier

The highlight for this area is the spectacular Salmon Glacier. We have seen lots of glaciers this summer and we were not too convinced this would be worth the effort. Our friend Barry, however, had arrived earlier and said on a scale of one to ten...it's an eleven!  Really....really!  It's that awesome. It takes some time to reach the glacier and travel on rough roads but our Jeep handled it easily.What really makes it so spectacular is how close you can get to it.

TIP:  Traveling to Stewart is out of the way but in our opinion well worth the extra miles and effort. 

We bid farewell to the friends we have traveled with on this adventure (We met up in April with Barry and Jann and May with Bob and Becky).  We have shared lots of laughs, hikes, meals, boat trips, glaciers, brews and so much more. Our plan is to visit the Canadian Rockies and exit Canada from there into Montana. Our friends have visited this area before and need to leave sooner. We wish them safe travels and look forward to meeting up again soon.

L to R (me, John, Jimmy, Barry, Jann, Bob, and Becky)

Our next stop is Hazelton, BC to visit the beautiful First Nations K'San Historical Village and Museum. It's a reconstructed village of People of the Gitsan. We arrived at the museum and signed up for a guided tour of First Nation Houses. 

Our guide was awesome and she told us many stories of their culture and how she is now trying to connect more to her heritage. You cannot take photos of the inside of the houses. There are beautiful displays of ceremonial robes and everyday items. It was a fascinating tour and one we would highly recommend. The campground where we stayed was within walking distance of the Village. 

After a quick stop in Prince George for some restocking it on to a highly anticipated visit to Jasper National Park in Alberta Canada. There has been a lot of smoke reported in the area Jasper/Banff area due to some nearby forest fires, however, a recent snow fall and lots of rain caused most of the smoke to dissipate. Our timing was excellent. The drive was so pretty and we stopped at two waterfalls along the way. What a great way to stretch our legs. Both waterfalls only required short hikes to enjoy them. The Milepost guide has been invaluable to pointing out these places. Without the guide we probably would have driven right past them. 

Mount Robson

Rearguard Falls

Whistler, our Park Canada campground is a gem. After checking in we quickly drove out to the Athabasca Falls while the weather is cooperating. It's a very busy place to visit but worth the hassle. It's been a bit of a shock getting used to large crowds after being in such remote areas for several months. The falls were roaring and plunged into deep canyons. There are sidewalks wandering all over the area to see the falls from many angles. It's a really beautiful area. 

TIP:  Campgrounds in the Jasper/Banff area need to be reserved well in advance. I made these reservations the first day they became available. I tried to change on of them two month prior to our anticipated arrival and it was very difficult. When we checked in they told us the campground had been sold out for months

Athabasca Falls

We will be exploring this area for a few days. Check back soon for more of our wandering

Campground Reviews:


Moutain Shadow RV Park Iskut, BC, 5 stars, flat sites on gravel and grass, well maintained, quiet RV park with full hookups, walking distance to a beautiful sake on property, nice trail, very limited WiFi, no Verizon signal, owners are very nice and show great pride in their campground.

Big Bear RV Park, Stewart, BC, 3 stars, full hookups on gravel and grass, worn out, muddy with lots of pot holes, very limited WiFi, no Verizon signal, great location to see area, busy campground with lots of caravan tours coming in and out.

K'San Campground, Hazelton, BC, 4 stars, across street from Village, full hookups, large open gravel sites, excellent WiFi, good Verizon signal, very friendly, quiet and peaceful, river nearby and nice trail.

Whistler Campground, Jasper National Park, Alberta,  5 stars, 50 amp full hookup sites on asphalt, well spaced, great location, make reservations way in advance, no WiFi, good Verizon signal, will be closed 2019 season for renovation

Exploring A Remote Waterfall - Kinuseo Falls

Chetwynd, BC 52 degrees, blue sky and rain showers later)

"I believe it is in our nature to explore,

to reach out into the unknown.

The only true failure

would be not to explore at all"

Ernest Shakleton

Sometimes the best adventures are the ones off the beaten path. This was one of those. We were staying in Chetwynd BC and were there for a few days during the Chainsaw Festival. Barry and Jann had told us about this beautiful remote waterfall and we all decided it was worth the effort to go see it. From Chetwynd it's an hour and a half to a pretty town with a pretty name called Tumbler Ridge. We stopped at the Visitor Center for advice and were quickly back on the road. From here there is an additional 11 miles on paved road and another 30 miles on gravel to get to the Monkman Provincial Park where this beautiful waterfall is located. For a short time we even had a blue sky and the long drive was worth it.

There is a short walk out to where the waterfall drops off and a nice overlook. It's a powerful one to see and higher than Niagara Falls. The roar of the rushing water is intense. A rainbow was even seen halfway down. 

It certainly was a great spot for a group shot.

L to R (Me, John, Becky, Bob, Patsy, Bob, Jann, Barry)

Our dear friends Bob and Patsy have now joined our group. They are from West Virginia and John and I have volunteered with them several times at J.N. Ding Darling in Sanibel Florida and Grand Teton Association in Jackson Wyoming. We are so glad they are joining us.

As you trace back to the parking lot there is another trail which is a more rugged. It worth the effort, however, to see the full waterfall and wildflowers. Jann helped me identify the wildflowers.

The first documentation of the falls was written in 1906, however, First Nation settlements have been found here dating back over 10,000 years ago. 

There are other waterfalls and trails to explore along the way from Tumbler Ridge, however, we did not have enough time to see much more.  

It was a great day to explore made more special by sharing it with our friends. 

Wild and Rugged Moutmorency and Canyon Sainte Anne Waterfalls

12 kms from Quebec City (62 degrees, blue skies)

Two spectacular falls are within driving distance of Quebec City. We were thrilled by our first stop at the Mountmorency Falls. It was much larger than expected and is 98 feet taller than Niagara Falls. The visitor center was very helpful and there is an excellent restaurant too. From the center you walk down  a nice boardwalk all the way out to a suspension bridge which goes OVER the falls. Of coarse, Randy and Fran found some cute warblers to show us along the way hiding out in the rugged rocks and trees. Powerful and dramatic are the best adjectives to describe the falls.

Visitor Center and restaurant

Here is the suspension bridge which goes directly over the falls. It was scary and thrilling all at the same time. 

Jimmy even came along to check out some new smells too. 

Front - Randy and Jann, Back- John, Fran, and Vickie

On the other side is a dramatic stair case which goes down to the base. It was about 360 steps down. We all decided to pass on that experience and thought it must have been very difficult to build. There is also an aerial tram which would take you up and down.We saw pictures in the gift shop of the falls frozen in the winter with a huge ice dome at the base - highest recorded at 126 feet. Spectacular.  Did I mention it gets really cold around here in the winter.

We had lunch at the restaurant in the visitor center. None of the meals came out as we imagined-due to everything being written in French with a translation. However, it was delicious! Everyone is really enjoying being together.

Afterwards, we drove with a slight detour by mistake :) to Canyon Ste-Anne Falls. This is a totally different experience. It's has a raw and less developed natural beauty making it all our favorite. The powerful water has carved its way through the rock. Trails wind you along the side of the falls and there are two suspension bridges at different levels to take in all the beauty. 

This is how it quietly starts...

The water gathers speed and plunges over the edge.

WOW!

The valley belo

Upper suspension bridge

Lower suspension bridge. Some of the group took the stairs down and went across. 

Mist of the falls in the air

On the way back we made a quick stop at the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beupre. It's the largest church we have ever seen. It was originally built in the 1500's after some sailors prayed to St. Anne for safe passage during a storm. They built the original church in her honor for saving them. It is located in a quaint village and many people come here as a pilgrimage for healing.

Driving through the countryside in this area was so pleasurable. There are many snall village which are very picturesque. It was a great road trip made more special by sharing it with our friends.