Jaunt to Jasper

We took a quick trip to the mountains this weekend. On our drive to Jasper we stopped at the Columbia Ice Fields. There is a bus tour that we were going to take, but once we got there Otto decided we should wait and take it next spring. I'm still not clear on why 'we' decided to wait, but okay. These snow coaches leave every thirty minutes to take you up there so you can walk, run, or do whatever on the glacial ice.

So we didn't go on top this time, but we did hike up to the edge, where there were multiple signs about how you shouldn't go past the ropes because of the dangerous conditions at the edge of the glacier. About how the last three rescue attempts were unsuccessful, or how children die from hypothermia much faster than adults, or how this nine year old boy died by falling in one of the crevasses when his family was there for a visit in 2001. Okay, mission accomplished!

The one in this area is the Athabasca Glacier.


As we drove to the foot of the trail there were markers along the road indicating that the glacier was 'here in 1948'.

After we read all the nice signs about death and had our fill of the views, we headed to Jasper. And as we rolled into town we were greeted by some of the locals!



After we got settled into our hotel, including checking out the large chair in the lobby,

we took in some sights. Here is a little fall color from around town.


They had a really neat train station. Maybe we take the train to Jasper next time!



A picture-perfect post office.

More strolling...



Posing with a bear statue in front of where we ate dinner.

And checking out the driers at the coffee shop/laundromat where Otto got an after-dinner cuppa joe.


We finished breakfast this morning and headed for the gondola that takes you to the summit of Whistler's Mountain.
This is the mascot of Jasper. We saw him around town a few times.

There were snow flurries at the top! And it was colder- glad we brought extra jackets.


The town of Jasper below, with Athabasca River flowing alongside.

The trip back down.

On our trip home this afternoon, Otto was playing hangman with the boys as I drove. Andy had chosen the word 'bread' for Otto, but ended up spelling it incorrectly (braed). So after Otto guessed several letters and figured it out, he was explaining how to spell it the correct way, and thus started the Abbott and Costello routine:

Otto: (writes the correct spelling on the Doodle-Pro) B-R-E-A-D, see Andy?
Sam stares in silence at the board, Andy's looking out the window.
Sam: Papi, there's no 'C' in 'BREAD'!
Otto silent trying to figure out what Sam is talking about. Andy still daydreaming.
Otto: What? Ohhhhh! No, I was telling Andy how to spell 'BREAD', and I said "SEE, Andy?" Not telling him that there's a 'C' in bread.
Andy: (just realizing Otto was talking to him) What? Yeah, Papi, I know there isn't a 'C' in bread!

I was laughing so hard I almost had to stop the car!

Rockies

We finally took a day trip over to the Rockies while my mom was visiting. Here are a few photos we took to hopefully lure people up for a visit.

Abraham Lake: one of the longest, narrowest, most teal blue lakes I've ever seen.


It took us a little while longer to make it to Lake Louise than we estimated. And my, was it crowded (though you can't see it from the pictures), but it's just as beautiful as it was when I saw it about seven years ago.

Otto, Andy, Sam, and Mom testing the water.

A chipmunk that was scurrying in and out of the rocks.

Mom and Sam on a two-mile trail that leads from Lake Louise to another lake (anyone?) and has a couple tea houses along the way. I believe this other lake is accessible by foot only. Maybe next time we'll have time to go all the way over!

A pretty patch of Poppies.


Lake Moraine, which according to the toe-testing crew is even colder than Lake Louise.


And we rounded off the day with dinner in Banff. Wow, it's grown since I've been here last!

And it's equally, possibly more beautiful in the winter, so feel free to come for a visit then, too. It's really not bad - it's a dry cold. :o)


P.S. Since we're talking about mountains, here's a shot that I love of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Colorado that I took on our drive up to Canada.