Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre
After slowly making our way 103 km (64 miles) down the Icefields Parkway, we arrived at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre. In the early afternoon, we parked the RV in the RV parking lot where we would spend the night boondocking and went over to the Discovery Centre around 2PM.
 The Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre (taken from out on the glacier with extreme telephoto) |
 Snow Dome (11,300 ft - a peak out there somewhere) is a triple continental divide and is the world's only oceanic triple divide, where water flows to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. Aren't you glad you asked? |
We got our tickets for the Columbia Icefield Skywalk and Ice Explorer Adventure, ta-da!!! We went on the Skywalk tour first. The Skywalk is new since we were last here 10 years ago. I was not impressed.
 The Columbia Icefield Skywalk |
 Okay, I walked out on it - mark completed. |
After the Skywalk, we took the Ice Explorer Adventure out onto the Athabasca Glacier. Over the past twenty years, this glacier appears to have receded up the valley. However, much of the gray rocky gravel in front and sides of what we see as the glacier is actually terminal moraine and the glacier is still below the moraine.
 Our chariot out onto the glacier. |
 One of the ice flows feeding the glacier |
 Becky out on the Athabasca Glacier. They had flags from many countries so that we tourists could take a picture. |
 The current group out on the glacier. This is rather commercialized. While a good experience, I remember climbing around glaciers in Alaska without being on a tour and without restrictions; that would not be possible here. |
Waking up in the morning, we had probably our best view of the whole trip.
 The gang looking out the window in the morning at the Athabasca Glacier. |
Icefields Parkway Banff
We continued south 127 km (79 miles) from the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre on the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise. While the scenery was still gorgeous, there were fewer unique sightseeing stops. But we did come across one great viewpoint at Waterfowl Lake--great reflection.
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Lake Louise
We got into the campground at Lake Louise for three nights with no reservations, yes! Lake Louise is a big tourist attraction. In the afternoon, we had to take a shuttle from an overflow parking lot 5 miles away. Lake Louise is pretty, but the crowds distract some from the enjoyment.
 Lake Louise, the undiscovered frontier |
 Beyond the crowds |
 Chateau Lake Louise We didn't go in this time. In August of 2009, we dined at the restaurant for our anniversary with a great view of the lake and much fewer people in the evening. |
 We decide to wait until the evening to go to Moraine Lake when parking was easiy available and there were far fewer people, more peaceful. |
Banff
From Lake Louise, we took the long drive (53 km, 33 miles) to our Banff campground. We had to delay our departure from the Lake Louise campground to the checkout time at 11 AM and then stopped at a rest area for two hours so we wouldn't arrive before 2 pm check-in time. We arrived in the middle of a large caravan of RV's headed to Alaska.
Banff is another resort area and crowded. Our planned sightseeing over our four-night stay included the Banff Gondola and the Lake Minnewanka Cruise along with the town of Banff and other local area sights.
To avoid parking issues and to make life easier, we accepted the challenge of the local transit system, Roam. Since you are all determined to come to Banff, here are the details: from the campground, take the #2 bus to downtown and transfer to the #1 bus. Take the #1 bus to Banff Gondola. When finished, take the #1 bus back to downtown and transfer to the #6 bus and take it to Lake Minnewanka, on the way, bus stops to view grizzly bear in the distance in a field. After cruise, take the #6 bus (run when you see it, it only comes every 30 minutes) back to downtown and transfer to the #2 bus to get back to the campground. See, not so bad.
The entire Jasper, Icefields Parkway, Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, Lake Louise, and Banff area is magnificent. I was about to say that it is in my top 5 places we have visited but there are sooo many magnificent places we have visited over the years that let's just say it is in our long list of top places we have visited.
 We saw beautiful mountains in Banff. |
 We rode the Banff Gondola to the mountain top to get a better view of Banff and surrounding mountains. |
 Tom and Becky enjoying the view from the top. |
 That is the town of Banff down there. In the middle of it is Tunnel Mountain. There is no tunnel through Tunnel Mountain, go figure. It was named that because, in the 1800's, the railroad was going to build a tunnel through it. But then they decided on a different route. But the locals continued to call it Tunnel Mountain - must be a Canadian thing. |
 Our lunch spot at the top. |
 We finally saw a grizzly bear. Shooting pictures through a bus window is challenging. |
 Our boat for the Lake Minnewanka Cruise. |
 Lake Minnewanka |
 Do you see hoodoos? |
 We saw more elk. Poor gal has to wear a neckless whether she wants to or not. |
 View down Banff Street toward Tunnel Mountain. It is much busier farther down the street. |
 A pair of marmots guarding our campsite in Banff. They charged me two dollars Canadian a day to watch over things. I think it is some sort of local racket. Why shouldn't they get in on hustling the tourists also! |