Category: Geology

Jasper National Park

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Back to Alberta

So you have seen Banff already, and may be thinking twice on making the long drive along icefields parkway? Do not even flinch. The two parks next to each other actually are vastly different. While Banff offers more accessible yet spectacular views, Jasper National Parks is actually much more rugged, wild and unforgiving, albeit dramatic.

Suggested Time Spent: 1-2 Days   |    Best Time to Visit: May – Oct     |    Entry Fee: CAD 9.80 per adult (incl. w/ Banff NP)

As you drive north from Banff National Park, as you pass the Saskatchewan river crossing, you will enter the famous Icefields Parkway and Jasper National Park. You will not need additional passes if you already have bought the pass for Banff National Park.

Geology

As you embark on this 140 mile stretch of the Icefields Parkway, it is imperative that you gain some insights from a geological standpoint, to make viewing mega-glaciers and rugged terrains more fulfilling. Geology is a topic very close to us and a simplified version of the geologic history is fairly frowned upon. But in order for brevity, here is a simplified version – Tectonic movements of plates caused seabed to rise up 500 million years ago. From then, years of weathering by glaciers, rain and wind has caused some cliffs to be steep and some blunted. These are some of the oldest land on earth, whereas the land in British Columbia is much younger as they were formed by lava coming out of the subduction zones between the two plates. Get all your answers on our short coverage of the Geology of this area.

Things to see

There are plenty of marked attractions along the road, which we will list below, but remember, the real fun happens while you are on your way from one point to the next. Look out for flora and fauna, landscape changes, and the glaciers above. Many attractive features in this park are actually not marked, and can only be seen from the trails or side of the highway. We begin from the south make our way up north.

  • Columbia Icefields and Athabasca Glacier: The Athabasca glacier is one of the biggest attractions, rightfully so, in this area. What you see now is only remnants of the ice cover on this part of the country millions of years ago. It is situated at a slightly elevated plateau, and is surrounded by a number of peaks making it a sweet-spot for photographers. The glacier is like a frozen river where the ice is constantly on the move. The movement of the glacier has and is still shaping the topography of the area. Due to climate warming, the glacier’s recession is actually overwhelming the progress; you can spot the area where the glacier’s receded from. Jasper Cover
    • There is a ticket booth where you can buy the tickets. We did not buy them online, therefore wasting a bit of time. But if your tour itinerary is finalized, buy the tickets here. Please note that you cannot go on top of the glacier on your own. Only vehicles designed to move in the terrain can take you up there. We bought the combo of glacier walk and the skywalk (which was merely a tourist trap in our opinion).
    • When your group is called upon, you will be transported via a shuttle to the ‘Mars Rover’ like vehicle that will take you to the glacier. It goes through an extremely steep decline that normal tires will not be able to endure. The treading in these massive tires are about 6 inches deep. Not surprisingly, not a comfy ride, but the destination, the Athabasca glacier is incredible. It is below freezing here with the windchill coming down the glacier, so not advisable to stay more than 20-25 minutes.
    • When standing on the glacier, you cannot feel the movement of the 10,000 year old ice sheet. But look around the cliffs and you can visualize the thickness it used to have in the pre-historic times. Look up the cliffs and you will see thick (200-250 meters deep in different areas) ice sheets of the Columbia Icefield which is 215 sq. km. in area.
  • Sunwapta Falls: While you will spot many waterfalls along the way, most of them unnamed, this one needs a quick hike to the hanging valleys. Massive amounts of water cascades down a U-shaped broad valley. It was created when a large glacier receded 10,000 years ago, creating a deep limestone gorge below. The mist created by the plunging water makes the ambiance surreal, especially with some cloud cover.
  • Athabasca Falls: Along the Icefield Parkway, you will spot the 23 foot high Athabasca falls on your right. It is one of the most powerful falls due to the large amount of water that the Athabasca glacier fed river of the same name cuts into the softer limestone creating a deep gorge.
  • Mt. Edith Cavell: It was closed when we got there, but if open, a trail lets you look at the peak and traces of the icefield along its sides. There are lookouts though on the Icefields Parkway that you can spot the peak from.
  • Maligne Lake: Through a by road on the right, a trail takes you to one of the most picturesque lakes surrounded by snow-clad peaks. It is an incredible experience to kayak in the lake. As you paddle on the turquoise waters and get to the middle of the lake, you will be tired of clicking pictures of one peak to the other around it.
  • Town of Jasper: We recommend ending the day here in one of the little restaurants or cafes having a bite. If it is a clear day, you can spot the peaks of the Colin range and the jagged peaks of the Athabasca valley. There are lodging options available, but due to high demand, tends to fill out fast.

We came back to Banff the same day, spotting animals and the sunset glow on the ice peaks. The drive was tiring but was worth it to be able to spot so much wildlife as it was the time when they all come out.

Spotting Wildlife

While driving the magnificent Icefields Parkway, slow down. Not only to admire the scenery but also to look out for wildlife roaming around. Due to their camouflage, it is anyway hard to spot them in the sides of the road. But if you look carefully, and know what to look for, spotting a bear or two, porcupines, deer and even an occasional moose can be spotted. We even got lucky and got to see a huge Grizzly bear pretty close to the highway, and a baby black bear crossing the road along with a few more at a distance. Close to sunset and right around sunrise are the best times to spot wildlife.

Mountain Goats are another interesting topic here. They were not originally from here, and were introduced to the area by the explorers. They do not have enough nutrients from the vegetation here, so they lick glacial debris for essential minerals. It will not be difficult to spot Mountain Goats in the cliffs of the Jasper National Park. Make sure to have a high speed camera with a longer tele-lens ready for action. See below on what we could admire and capture in our lenses.

Arches National Park

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Back to Utah

Out of a number of national parks around the state that hosts a wide variety of extra-terrestrial looking landscapes, Arches National Park definitely holds the first place in terms of the serenity. Gigantic arches reminiscing different shapes and sizes, red rocks bejeweling the foreground and background with no trace of greenery in the horizon.

arches-windoes

Ventana Arch

A park full of arch like structures with the center eroded making it see through! Natural wonders are abundant like McDonalds stores in this area, only that the flavors and taste differ so significantly. We drove through the park first just to scale the area and to prioritize our hikes. This is a popular park and a lot of visitors actually stay overnight camping. We heard that the starry nights are fascinating because of the lack of air and light pollution.

There are tens and thousands of arches of various kinds here. The popular and our favorite ones are – Delicate arch, Double arch, Window/ventana arch, and Turret arch. The

arches-sand-dune-arch

Sand Dune Arch

geology behind the formation of the arches is intriguing. Million years ago, this land was under the sea indicated by the discovery of fossils of oceanic creatures, mollusks, shells. Once the seas receded, the large basin covered with thick salt beds was covered in turn

arches-sky-arch

Sky Arch

with large rocks carried in by the streams and rivers. The salt levels being lighter, pushes up the rock layer to create higher rock formations from the valleys. After groundwater dissolved the salt layer, the top layer collapsed into wall like structures. After 100-150 million years’ of weathering, these tall wall like structures took shape of these arches which are made of soft red sandstone. These arches are not permanent structures; new arches are being formed every day while old ones collapse.

The hike to the Delicate arch is a strenuous one, but extremely rewarding. The other arches have their own charm with various structural intricacies, and variation of grandeur. One can easily spend a week here just soaking in the charm of the delicate natural wonders. Find out more about the park from the National Park Services.

Tortuguero National Park

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Back to Tortuguero

Back to Costa Rica Itinerary

This is one of the parks where a small canoe is the best option to roam around and catch wildlife, compared to walking. We spent the entire day in the park and village, yet seemed too less in terms of a wholly immersive time. Our tour guide (Jessica and Francisco), who we found miraculously, were amazing. Starting from their hospitality, timeliness, and care to make sure we got the best experience possible. Read more about them and their reviews in Tripadvisor.

Here are the highlights of our day in the park –

By Canoe

We started our tour around 8-30am, which is by far the best time to spot wildlife after the park opens around 8am. Francisco took the two of us around the canals in his little canoe and on the way pointing towards the numerous herons, iguanas, migratory birds, turtles, snakes, monkeys, and other interesting plants and trees that adapted for survival in these harsh environments. We even went within a foot of a Caiman waiting for its prey. It rained for a little bit and we took shelter under a tree that acted as a natural umbrella. With insects and animals all around us, danger lurking right below our little canoe, snakes hissing from the wood next to us, our voyage through the narrow (sometimes less than 6 feet wide) canals and passage ways was truly a humbling experience.

 Walking during the day

In the afternoon, we hiked in the park. With one ticket, you can reenter the park multiple times. In the hike, make sure to get boots. We got them from Tanya next door, and the prices were reasonable. During the hike, Francisco made sure we saw many animals, and unlike other tour guides we had in CR, he was especially keen in giving us a fantastic experience. We saw pit vipers, howler monkeys, beautiful toucans, and several other unique insects. Spotting toucans were by far the most elusive as they hovered in the top most branches of the canopied forest and apart from their sharp voice, it is impossible even to know of their presence. At one point, in our quest for the bird, we stumbled upon a beautiful eyelash pit viper. A tiny golden hued coil camouflaged within yellow-green leaves of a bamboo tree lurked apparent danger. We also spotted some other colorful insects that made the journey through the forest enjoyable.

Night walk

It felt like we could never get enough of the rainforest, be it in the day or in pitch black darkness. A 2-3 hour walk after dark in a small group started from the La Pavona pier area. With flashlights, opulent bugspray and rubber hiking boots, we walked around the park through the bushes and along barely used trails. On our way, we spotted night frogs, spiders, and other scary looking insects. In a quest to spot some sloths and bats, we encountered some raccoons and smaller mammals hidden in the bushes too.

Florida Mariana Caverns

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Trees, stately giants beyond imagination. Rocks, boulders, and majestic mountains, living tapestries of light, shadow, and color. Streams, rivers, lakes, waterfalls; shimmering serenity, purity, and excitement. Endless, flowing plains; pathways to the sky. Flowers, leaves, needles, grasses, mosses; a kaleidoscope carpet. A billion snow diamonds, softer than baby feathers. Heavenly air; purified and sweetened by the birth, life, and death of beauty. What is the best alternative to the National and State parks in USA, to experience all of the above together? It is admirable how the national parks and state parks has stepped up to retain the natural beauty and to maintain the wilderness Mother Nature presents us with. From the Grand Canyons to Niagara falls to the redwood forests, nature is preserved to the extent that human beings can appreciate the beauty without painstaking hikes or treks. 

The same holds true for the small state park containing the Florida caverns. Normally, a cave that has stalactites and stalagmites in it, should be inaccessible for a common man. To view those splendid creations, one has to wear scuba gear or have expert hikers limbs generally. Thanks to the US National Park Service, we could watch and admire the formations deep inside the surface of the Earth in the Jackson county, Florida. The park is located in the northern Florida panhandle, near Mariana. Drive from Tallahassee took an hour and a half. It is located in the Central Time Zone of USA. Directions and location of the park can be found here. On a warm weekend in April, 2011, a group of eight ventured out to the Florida Caverns. The time difference between Tallahassee and the park made our drive look incredibly quick. 🙂

Stalactites

The entry fee is $5 per vehicle and $8 per person to enter the guided tour inside the caverns. Caves are generally unusual for the state and moreover, caverns with such formations are strange indeed. Stalactites and Stalagmites are formed inside the caverns with time when water filled with minerals dissolve local bedrock. Now Stalagmites are formed when mineralized water drips from the roof and calcium carbonate is deposited, forming a structure that rises from the floor vertically. Stalactites are the opposite of stalagmites and they hang from the roof vertically and are formed by dripping of mineralized water. When these two formations meet midway, they are called ‘columns’.

A bulky Stalagmite
Generously lit formations

The caves in here were pretty dark (as it should be), but the park authorities had installed lightings in such a way that they make the crowd lure towards specific features inside. Several types of formations, rather various types of combination were available for display. Some were tall and thick, some smaller ones, some combination of stalactites and stalagmites made it look like a bed of arrows or some kind of trap. Floor of the caverns were slippery and we saw water dripping from the roof, making the caverns ‘live’. Formations were still in the process of developing and more and more areas of the caves were yet to be discovered. Bats, rats and other geeky nocturnal animals. The caverns had several rooms and some rooms were much lower than others, making tourists bend down and walk several feet hunched over. The slippery floor and low roof along with pitch black darkness can make people wary. All in all, apart from watching the eye candies, e.g. stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones, inside the caverns were a good break from the scorching Florida sunshine.

Column Structures

Outside the cave, the park is equipped with camping and picnic areas. The scary wilderness can call for big hearted people in the dark. The eerie feeling just before sunset, the silence, the sound of wind flowing through open crevices, the soft light just before complete darkness felt so pure. The feeling of being alone in the middle of everyone was enough for me to be lost with myself. Thanks to my sweet soul mate to select the exotic location so nearby. It may not be a place worth visiting again, but for the open minded traveler who cannot afford to get into large underwater caverns to relinquish the serenity of the limestone monuments, Florida state caverns may prove to be the hidden gem. Back to Home