Friday, August 8, 2014

ICE FIELDS PARKWAY TO HINTON, ALBERTA 8/6/14

Today’s drive on the Ice Fields Parkway is claimed to be one of the most scenic drives in all of North America.  We had traveled this road to the Athabasca Glacier in 2000, but never beyond to Jasper and Hinton.  There were times the beauty of this drive brought tears to my eyes.  These pictures don't do it justice. You keep thinking this has to end somewhere, sometime…but it just keeps coming.  Every turn, every vista, just kept getting better.  We saw a cougar in one part of our journey on this day and some Elk but wasn’t able to get pictures of them.





We splurged today and took an excursion on the Athabasca Glacier at $49.00 each not knowing if we would ever have another opportunity.  You take a short ride up to the base of the glacier and board an Ice Explorer.  The Explorer then transports you onto an area of the glacier.  You are allowed to walk in the “safe zone” of the glacier, sample glacier water running in small streams around the perimeter of the “safe zone”.  We were told, the glaciers are melting at a rapid rate, and if continued could be gone within the next 60 years. 








Traveling north on the Ice Fields Parkway to Jasper was incredible.  I took close to 250 pictures, but will try to limit what I share to the best of the best. The Athabasca Falls just south of Jasper were very impressive.




Joe was able to get the parts he needed to fix the hot water supply line in our truck camper in Jasper, AB.  A very nice fellow at the Home Building supply was helpful in getting the plumbing parts needed for the repair.  Joe was able to fix it in the parking lot so if he needed anything else, he could pick it up easily.



More pretty pictures taken north of Jasper on our way to Hinton, AB where we are staying at a KOA Campground.








It’s been another good day, seeing so much natural beauty.  Tomorrow, we finally will be reaching the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, BC.  We have traveled about 3400 miles and have about 1800 more miles to travel.  If all goes well, we should arrive in Eagle River, AK on August 12th or 13th – 2 weeks after leaving Georgia.



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