Tag: Canada

Looking back in time: Geological perspectives on Canadian Rockies

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If you are in the Canadian Rockies, you must be wondering, why are the colors of these lakes so blue? Why are some of the cliffs so sharp and some are blunted? What is the difference between a Glacier and an Icefield?

Formation of the mountains

  • 500 million years ago, this area was by the ocean and by the equator. This is where Pacific oceanic plate and American continental plates met. Heavier oceanic plate colliding with lighter continental plate created something like a ‘big bang’ 500 million years ago, causing sedimentary rock to rise up like a ‘fold’. If you look closely towards the bare cliffs around you, you can see clearly visible layers. The extreme pressure of the tectonic shift caused the whole sea bed, which had layers and layers of sediments over the ages, to rise up. The top most layer is the most recent, albeit millions of years old.
  • Since it was the tropics back then, an abundance of sea life and fossils can be found in the layers of sedimentary rock here. Different layers have different colors and texture from different types of rock like brittle shale, softer limestone or sandstone. Some contained hydrocarbons due to vegetation (forming into coal) and animals (forming into petroleum).
  • What is currently British Columbia, was formed during this tectonic collision from magma. But the Rockies were created from sedimentary layers pushed up; that is why you will not find any igneous rocks, like granite, here.
  • If you look carefully, the sedimentary layers are not parallel which it was when it was formed. The layers also seem to have broken along a vertical line. Due to high pressure from the weight of the rocks above, a fault develops which is essentially a crack. The rocks on either side of the faultline, slide up or down, thereby creating a phase shift. Other types of faults, caused by tectonic movements and glacier forces are also visible throughout the Rockies creating shapes.
  • Another factor to consider is the weathering by wind and glacier movement for millions of years, causing some cliffs to be extremely steep and some peaks somewhat blunted.

Color of the Lakes

Heavy and thick glaciers formed most of the lakes in this area. As gravity pulls the glaciers, the incredibly heavy ice grinds the rock into rock flour. It is so fine and light, it takes long time to settle down at the bottom of the lake. Bright sunshine is absorbed by the rock flour and only blue light from the spectrum is reflected. That’s why the color of the lakes are such vibrant blue, especially when the sun shines the brightest.DSC_1812

Glacier vs. Icefield

Best analogy to understand this is to think of the Icefields as a lake and glaciers being the rivers coming out of the lakes. Most glaciers are formed from the icefields, and follows gravity. Movement of glaciers is much slower compared to a river, comparable to growth rate of your fingernails. There are a number of glaciers in the Canadian Rockies, with the Athabasca glacier and Saskatchewan glaciers being the largest and most significant. Most lakes and rivers in this area are fed by one of these glaciers, thereby creating some of the purest form of water. Columbia Icefield is one of the largest ones in the world. It is a staggering 200 square kilometers wide and at areas more than 200 meters deep. You can spot flanks of the icefield on top of peaks and plateaus from the entire stretch of the Icefield Parkway.

A memorable road-trip through Banff and Jasper

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So you love road trips, eh? We do too. We also love taking pictures and procrastinate doing any post-processing work. If you are the same way, look no further! A road trip in the Canadian Rockies is tailor made for you. Believe us, you would not have to do any photoshopping to make your pictures look stunning. The colors of the glacier fed lakes and the rugged snow clad peaks in the background will make smartphone photos print-worthy!

 

Before you start planning for a road trip of a lifetime, recommend chalking out some details that we often ignore –

  • There will not be much cellphone reception. So get a printed map. We have a Google maps view chalked out below that you can customize and print.
  • Recommend downloading an offline guide app. We love the Gypsy Guide apps. We have used it in road trips around North America. Highly recommended. There are two – for Banff (Lake Louise Guide) and for Jasper (Jasper Guide)

Suggested Duration: 3-4 Days     Best Time of Visit: End May – Early Oct    Base: Banff/Canmore

Itinerary

We set base location in Canmore. The itinerary is divided into days; all days complete at Banff or Canmore. So expect to do a lot of driving each day.

Day 1

  1. Start at the town of Banff and follow Trans-Canada Highway. Put in your GPS, Lake Louise as the destination for now.
  2. Drive to Lake Minnewanka and Vermillion Lakes – Should take about 1 hour to get back to the Highway.
  3. Drive northbound and take the exit towards Bow Valley Parkway leaving the Trans Canada Highway. This is a slower road but chances of wildlife and soaking in history are higher.
  4. First stop is Johnston Canyon. Takes about 1.5 hours for about a mile long round trip hike to the spectacular Lower Falls.

    Johnston Canyon

    Johnston Canyon

  5. Drive slow to spot wildlife, remnants of forest fires and terrain battered by landslides.
  6. Merge into the Trans Canada Highway at Castle Junction and travel north.The Bow River flows south along the road here to your right.
    1. You will also spot some interesting bridges – they are for the bears to cross the highway safely.
  7. Next up is Lake Louise. It is highly visited especially during summer months as the roads are closed until mid-May due to risk of avalanches. There is a hotel – Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, where you will park the car. A hike around the pristine waters will give you ample opportunities to soak in the beauty. Don’t forget to look around for avalanche debris. Whole trip here should take about 2 hours.
  8. From Lake Louise, follow directions to Moraine Lake. Looking at the deep blue

    waters of the lake surrounded by 10 peaks is an incredible experience. A little hike up the hill created by avalanche debris, will give you an awesome view from the vantage point. The log pile in front of the lake after the parking lot creates a nice foreground for the photography enthusiasts. Taking in the beauty and doing a bit of hiking around should take about 1 hour. Can you guess why the waters in the lake are so blue? Check the answer here.

  9. We chose to end our day after tiring hikes and posing for numerous pictures all day. We will continue this journey on Day 2, but the evening can be spent at the beautiful town of Banff.

Day 2

  1. Fill up gas and your stomach before hitting the road. This will be a much lighter day, and we can revisit one of the hikes or trails that we missed out yesterday. We will head towards Yoho National Park first. About a 45 minute drive from Banff, after the intersection of Icefields parkway, DSC_1732Instead of going towards Icefields Parkway (which we will do on our third day), stay on Trans Canada highway towards Yoho National Park.
  2. Along the road, try spotting some bears as this is a nice habitat for bears by the railroad tracks. Why? As the grain carriages on the tracks may leak some grains which attract bears, causing a number of bear deaths. You will hear train whistles along the way as well to keep bears away from the tracks.
  3. About 15 minutes in, you will spot the Continental Divide which is also the Alberta and British Columbia border. The rivers on either side of the divide flows in opposite directions.

     

  4. Don’t miss the Spiral Tunnels pull out. You may have to wait a bit for the best experience. You may be able to spot a train, which will pass above itself through the spiral tunnels at various levels. This was done due to the steep mountain side that the engineers had to build necessary rail tracks to transport goods. It’s an incredible site. A train generally passes through here every half an hour.
  5. As you drive west along the Yoho parkway, you will spot the upper tunnels as well. We will drive towards Emerald Lake. You will see Natural Bridge signs. This road is typically closed during winters and does not open until early June. We missed the lake and the bridge, but the road up is picturesque enough to fill your appetite.

     

  6. As you drive down to the main highway, take a left towards Field, BC. If you go west, the road takes straight to Vancouver, BC, and is about 9 hour ride. Stop at the idyllic town of Field, BC. It is a charming town in the summer, but winter is harsh here as the towering Mt. Steven hinders sunlight from getting here. Grab a bite in the small town stylish cafes before hitting the road.
  7. Quick turn left to take a steep climb up through a seasonal road towards Takkaka Falls. Pull out at the sign to see the meeting of the waters to the right. Difference between glacial greenish water of Yoho river and clearer waters of Kicking Horse river meet here in a whirlwind. Through multiple switchbacks up, reach the lot for the spectacular Takkaka falls.
  8. This is the wet side of the continental divide, and the vegetation is much greener than the rugged landscape of the other side. But look out for steep slopes that are devoid of any trees. It is a sign of deadly avalanches and landslides have depleted any vegetation.
  9. The Takkaka Falls are fed by the hidden icefields above it which has about 8 different glaciers. The falls are one of the tallest in Canada, and the gigantic amount of water coming down eroded the landscape for ages to create the sharp cliff and gorge.
  10. On your way back down to the highway, look at the Spiral Tunnels from a higher vantage point. On the highway before crossing the AB/BC border, the nice lake of Wapta Lake will be on your right.
  11. Once past the provincial border into Alberta, you are inside Banff National Park again from Yoho National Park. We will end our day here on the road, and spend the afternoon in town of Banff. There are plenty to keep yourselves busy in Banff. Tomorrow is Icefields parkway, and will start very early.

Day 3

  1. Begin as early as possible, preferably before 6am. Fill up gas tank and coffee mugs. From Banff, drive up north about 40 minutes and take the exit towards Icefields Parkway into Jasper. This is voted the best mountain drive in the world. Hopefully you are here around sunrise to spot the golden crowns of the steep peaks around you.
  2. First stop is at Herbert Lake. On a still day, the reflections of the mountains on the lake is inspirational at its best. Many people would stop at the shoulder of the road to take the pictures. DSC_1767
  3. At a distance, about 15 minutes later, you will see Hector Lake which is a large water body only accessible via a trail.
  4. Next up is Bow Lake which has a pristine calm beauty around it. The view is spectacular from the road, but even better is from a tiny alley north of the lake. The alley on the left will take you to the lodge Nampti-Ja, and the view from that level (lake level) is incredible. From here you can spot the Bow Glacier as well.
  5.  Next up is the Bow Summit and the Peyto Lake. The best photo opportunity appears after a steep but short hike. Many postcards, travel magazine covers and wallpapers feature a photo of this. It is about 2500 meters above sea level, so a brief period of out-of-breath is common.
  6. Next up is Snowbird Glacier on your left getting its name from the shape like a bird spreading its wings. There is a small shoulder pull out for a quick stop and snap pictures.
  7. Continuing up north, you will see multiple noteworthy mountain peaks – Mt. Weed on the right hand side, Mt. Cephren pyramid shaped peaks on left, Mt. Wilson with the back of the icefield on top. Stop at the Mistaya Canyon for a quick hike (~30 minutes) through the narrow canyons. You will see washouts caused by melting snow and heavy glaciers. One of them is a big washout on your right.
  8. About 10-15 minutes north, you will see the wide Graveyard Flats where Alexandra and Saskatchewan rivers meet. On your right up ahead is Mt. Coleman with the green vegetation, look out for mountain goats on the cliff. You will see Sakatchewan Glacier and Mt. Andromeda from up ahead.
  9. As you pass the Big Bend, you will spot the end of the glacier and beginning of the river. Mt. Athabasca and Mt. Andromeda, two of the highest mountain peaks in the Rockies, can be seen from the bend ahead. You will enter the Jasper National Park from here.
  10. Next up is the Columbia Icefields where you will spend 2-3 hours exploring the glacier and surrounding vista including the Glacier Skywalk. Read more here.

  11. Quick stop ahead is the Tangle Falls on the right. Set your shutter speed slower and smaller aperture for a nice water strands of the falls falling in multiple stages. Take a closer look up ahead of the Stutfield Glacier.

    Stutfield Glacier

    Stutfield Glacier

  12. Endless chain ridge, a row of knife like peaks, 17 mile in length with highest peak at 9000 feet will be visible to your right. Quick entry on the left and an easy walk to Sunwapta Falls is warranted here.
  13. Past a bunch of lakes like Buck Lake and Honeymoon Lake, drive up towards Athabasca Falls. This is where heavy amounts of water from the river of the same name plunges down through a narrow canyon. Try to capture the falls with the gorgeous mountains in the backdrop.
  14. Press on towards the town of Jasper. You will see the Valley of the Five Lakes which is a 1-2 hour easy trail that takes you to 5 pristine but tiny lakes. But may not be a good one to do on the short time today. So lets skip it, and revisit if you are staying a night in Jasper. You will spot the Pyramid Mountains and Whistlers Mountain Trams up ahead.
  15. End the drive in Jasper town for an evening snack or dinner. We drove back to Banff the same evening, but not recommended. Try to find reservation in one of the quaint lodges in Jasper.

Okay, that’s it for the road trip. Please note that a 3 day itinerary is slightly aggressive, but can easily be stretched into four, especially if weather Gods are not merciful on one of the days. Hope you enjoyed the tour. Please reach out via comments or Instagram/Twitter if we can be of any help to put together an itinerary for you.

Below is a map view. You can also download the map for navigation here.

[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1X1UvqbRdHrrVw1YdIyXnUzs9r2BtXOaX&w=640&h=480]

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.

Banff National Park

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Back to Alberta

A short drive from Calgary, one of the oldest national parks of the world, Banff National Park is home to placid lakes, sharp cliffs, glaciers, snow clad mountain ranges and a diverse ecology. Here, you will spot serene lakes as you may spot bars in New York City. While you can choose to come during any time of the year, certain roads may not be accessible in winter.

Suggested Time Spent: 2 Days   |    Best Time to Visit: May – Oct     |    Entry Fee: CAD 9.80 per adult

As you drive from Calgary to Banff National Park through the Trans-Canada Highway 1, you will pass the entrance. To save some time, buy the pass online. Unless you are going to visit multiple parks in the same year, only buy the day pass that is valid for two consecutive days.

Geology

Before hitting the road and the trails in Banff National Park, it is good to have an idea on the geologic history of the Canadian Rockies. Tectonic activity and glaciers primarily formed and shaped the topography of this area. Get all your answers on our short coverage of the Geology of this area here.

Things to see

Banff National Park has plenty of marked attractions for photography and hiking, but real treasures are often in the ‘road less taken’. So even if we recommended 2 full days, we also suggest taking a break from the list of places to cover and go in that trail that looks interesting, albeit safety permitting.

We set up our base in Canmore in a charming little cabin. There is debate on whether to stay in the town of Banff or Canmore. Banff is inside the park, therefore is, not surprisingly, extremely touristy. Whereas Canmore, outside the park boundaries, is a quaint town and has a bit more local feeling. Here are a list of spots that cannot be missed –

  • Lake Minnewanka and Vermillion Lakes: As you exit the highway towards the town of Banff, a small byway will take you to the serene Lake Minnewanka and the Vermillion Lakes. Soak in the beauty of the reflection of the mountains behind on placid lake waters before hitting the road to a few more attractions.
  • Johnston Canyon: Driving north on the Trans-Canada highway, first major stop is at the Johnston Canyon. A quick hike up on a fairly flat trail takes you to the narrow but spectacular Lower Falls. You can crouch up through a small tunnel to get closer to the falls.DSC_1491
  • Lake Moraine: This is one of the top most attractions in the park, with seven peaks surrounding the pristine waters of the lake. Dramatic landscape with clouds hanging above the cliffs, makes incredible photographic memories. There is an easy hike up to a small rock pile (possibly created by glacier debris, known as Moraines) from where you can get magnificent views of the lake with all the seven peaks in the background and reflections of the same in the foreground. In late May, we found portions of the lake surface still being frozen, but between June and September, the view is even more exceptional. Try to spot all the 10 peaks surrounding the lake.
  • Lake Louise: This is the flagship attraction of the park. Hike the popular Lake Agnes trail for an up close view of the Mt. Saint Piran. In summer and early fall, the water of the lake becomes so still and reflective that you can clearly see the peak merely from the reflections. This is in an avalanche zone, so look to the right and you will see evidences of landslides all around.
  • Bow Lake: Further north on the highway, you will reach the pristine Bow lake which is the source of the Bow river that accompanied you so far along the highway. The turquoise blue of the lake with reflections of the Bow glacier makes unparalleled photographic opportunity.
  • Peyto Lake: Slightly to the north, is another gem. In late may, we found the trail up to the Bow summit mostly frozen. But we still endured the treacherous hike up to the summit for a fascinating view of the turquoise glacier lake with Mistaya mountains to the left and Marmot mountain range in the far right background. Be careful on your way down, as the trail may be slippery.
  • Yoho National Park: A gem hidden inside the larger park, this is a few must-see attractions including the Takkakaw falls and Emerald Lake.
    • There is a lookout for the Spiral Tunnels which is still used for cargo trains. The slope was so steep when they tried building a railroad here that the coaches would dangerously slide back down the slope. Therefore an ingenious solution to build multi-level tunnels was designed. If you wait a bit, you may spot a cargo train spiraling from tunnel to tunnel. The tunnel pitch is so short that at some points, the same train can be seen entering into one tunnel and exiting another at a different level. Don’t miss it.
  • Town of Banff: We recommend ending your day here. Walk around the streets filled with local souvenirs and interesting restaurants. Grab a beverage and some food in one of the pretty restaurants, and end with an ice cream at the COWs Ice Cream Shop. While you are in town, walk to the gorgeous Cascade Gardens, stone clad Park Canada building and the scenic Fenland Trail. DSC_1756

Noteworthy Info

  • Forest rangers have found ways to minimize wildfire damage by producing controlled burns. You will spot remnants of these burns at the lower altitudes.
  • Something interesting happens when the Pines are burnt. You may spot new trees have sprouted in the forest full of ancient ones. Under fire, the Pinus cones release a type of resin that germinates paving way to grow new trees whereas other trees perish in a controlled fire.
  • Meadows around the road in the lower altitudes show stories of the rise of tourism, beginning at the stage of horse driven carriages to the modern day cars.

Tips for an incredible trip

  • DO NOT speed up in these roads due to dangerous curves and wild animals.
  • Do Not stop if you spot a bear walking by or grazing. Slow down and take photos as you slowly cruise by.
  • Take the Bow Valley Parkway between Banff and Castle Junction. This road runs parallel to albeit at a slower pace than the Trans-canada highway, but gives you ample opportunities to soak in the beauty around.