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 Jasper
National Park,
Crown Jewel of the Yellowhead
by
Jerry W. Bird
Many
travelers first love affair with Jasper's Rocky
Mountain paradise was by train, sprinting off for
souvenirs during a brief stop at the town station.
Today, most visitors arrive on four wheels. By car
you can seize the moment, cooling off under a
waterfall, standing bug-eyed at a viewpoint,
catching every photo opportunity. Allow at least
one extra day for this Rocky Mountain high, which
includes Maligne Lake, Jasper Lake, Punchbowl
Falls, the Whistlers, Pyramid Lake, Henry House,
Skyline Trail and Pocahontas for starters. The
hottest water on the entire drive (54°C) is at
Miete Hot Springs. Don't worry, it's cooled to a
comfortable 39° in the mineral pool. Near the
mouth of Rocky River, a cairn marks the Jasper
House National Historic Site, where a supply post
was built by the Northwest Company in 1813. Jasper
National Park is a wildlife sanctuary, where deer
and antelope play, bighorn guard the peaks, elk and
bears are everywhere. A friend describes Jasper
National Park as follows, "Our first lodging here
was a war surplus tent; the most recent visit was
years later at luxurious Jasper Park Lodge, where
the waiter brought dinner to our cabin by
bicycle.
 We've
enjoyed it both ways &endash; Jasper provided two
of life's greatest moments."
Jasper
National Park's southern boundary is the Columbia
Ice fields, a marvel of nature with the largest
mass of ice in the Rockies. This seventh wonder of
the world is part of a formation that blanketed
Canada for a million years. Today, fleets of snow
coaches traverse the Athabaska glacier, looking
from a distance like ants on a giant vanilla
marshmallow sundae. To get to this site from the
Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway, take the Icefields
Parkway, following the Sunwapta River to Sunwapta
Falls. Take your time in the park and enjoy a Rocky
Mountain high you'll never forget.
Getting There
If you are driving your own car or a shiny new
model from Avis, or if you decide to board a Via
Rail Canada Silver and blue coach from Winnipeg to
the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii), Jasper
National Park is a natural place to stop and spend
some quality time. I first experienced this Rocky
Mountain playground by train, sprinting off for
souvenirs and a snack during a brief station stop.
Since then I've always arrived on four wheels - the
most enjoyable was a complete circle tour with my
son, of two of Canada's great cities and two of its
most grandious parks - Calgary to Edmonton, to
Jasper to Banff and return By car you can seize the
moment, cooling off under a waterfall, standing
bug-eyed at a viewpoint, or catching every photo op
at that exact moment. Allow at least an extra day
for this Rocky Mountain high. Why? --Jasper Park
Lodge, the Whistlers , Punchbowl Falls, Pyramid
Lake, Henry House, Jasper Lake, Skyline Trail and
Pocahontas for starters.
My choices are Miette Hot Springs -- hottest water
in the Canadian Rockies, and Maligne Lake, a
portrait of serenity. Our first lodging in Jasper -
a true outdoors honeymoon, was a war surplus tent
from the Army & Navy Store in Edmonton, where
three of us worked the Edmonton Journal newspaper.
The most recent trip was at Jasper Park Lodge,
where the waiter brought dinner by bicycle -- a
real feat of gymnastics. Near the mouth of Rocky
River, a cairn marks Jasper House National Historic
Site, where a supply post was built by the
Northwest Company in 1813. The park is a wildlife
sanctuary, where deer and antelope play, bighorn
guard the peaks, and bears are everywhere.
Allow at
least an extra day in the Jasper area , and enjoy a
Rocky Mountain high you'll never forget.
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