R&R in Jasper, AB

Jasper has become one of my favorite places. It’s beautiful, has great restaurants, shopping, convenient bike paths, hiking trails and camping. It has all the amenities of a tourist town without feeling like one. I’m sure it’s bustling in summer but right now it’s perfect. We are both ready to spend a couple days in one place after traveling for the last 10 days and this is the perfect place to do it.

I also have an affinity for Canadian culture. There a general feeling of peace rather than division, diversity is embraced rather than discouraged and people seem more respectful of each other. I also appreciate the environmental mindset. There are as many recycling receptacles as waste cans. So many reasons to love it.

After breakfast, Riley and I rode about 3 miles on the bike path that connects the campground with downtown Jasper. It’s so convenient to have a dedicated trail instead of sharing the road with other traffic. We spent the morning shopping and walking around town. There are several nice outdoor clothing stores, some upscale specialty shops and the expected t-shirt and souvenir stores. Shopping wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Bear Claw Bakery for a sticky bun and (of course) a big glass of cold milk.

Later, we went back to camp to relax and plan how to spend the rest of the day. There are lots of hiking options in the Maligne Valley just a short drive away. Riley looked up details on the AllTrails app and we decided on the Maligne Canyon loop to Sixth Bridge, a 5-mile hike along a deep gorge with several footbridges that cross the river.

We opted to wait until evening to avoid the crowds. Parking is limited and Charlie takes up a lot of space so we didn’t want to risk driving all the way out there and have nowhere to park. This time of year days are really long so daylight won’t be a problem. The sun won’t set today until around 10:15 PM.

After a nice dinner in town, we drove to the trailhead. Other hikers recommended hiking in a counterclockwise direction to save the best for last. That sounded like good advice, so we set out around 6:45 PM for the 2 hour hike.

The trail was hard packed and dusty but you could see that it’s really mucky when it’s wet. There were lots of foot-sized depressions in several long stretches where people have slogged through the mud. I’m glad the sun’s been shining all day and everything is very dry.

The trail wound through the woods and gradually descended to follow the river. The last bit was pretty steep with loose gravel and a thick layer of loose, powdery, dirt. I was glad we wouldn’t return on the same path.

Sixth bridge, the first we encountered, spans a wide section of the river. The aqua colored water is so clear you can see the rocks and sand on the bottom even in the deepest water.

A large elk was standing on the far end of the bridge and two more standing on the opposite river bank not far from a family sitting down for dinner at a picnic table nearby.

We watched and waited until they wandered into the woods down river. They were the only wildlife we’d seen so far, but we’d been keeping an eye out expecting it, especially this time of evening. Riley was carrying bear spray just in case.

The view from Fifth bridge didn’t quite live up to the hype we’d read about and I began to doubt this hike was such a great choice. While nice, it didn’t seem particularly impressive.

It wasn’t until a bit further up the trail that I looked back and realized the view of Fifth bridge is what they were talking about. The river flowing under the bridge with snow capped mountains in the background was just beautiful. Photographs don’t do it justice.

The views became increasingly more dramatic the further up the canyon we climbed. Water from Maligne Lake and Medicine Lake feed the river rushing through the narrow canyon. As the canyon narrowed, the volume of water per second increased. You could almost feel the roar of the water, especially standing on the bridges and overlooks.

The winding, twisty canyon walls are more than 50’ high. Rounded, carved out sections in the walls are created by rocks and sand carried by the rushing water. These potholes are aptly named.

We saw boulders suspended high up between the canyon walls. Erosion will eventually cause the chock rocks to crash into the river below. Dead trees that have fallen into the river collect in narrow spots creating choke points but the water still finds a way.

Evening was definitely the right choice for this hike. We encountered just three groups of people on the entire trail. A father and his young son walked the last bit with us. It was heartwarming to observe them as we examined fossil remains in a stone alongside the river. The boy was excited when he realized he was seeing the remains of a gastropod from 366 million years ago.

With an hour of daylight left, we thought we might have time to drive to Maligne Lake in time for sunset. The drive was longer than we expected, partly due to the increased likelihood of animals in the roadway that time of day. We drove past Medicine Lake but turned around shortly afterward to make our way back to camp.

It was after midnight by the time we showered and watched an episode of Foyle’s War (thanks for the DVDs Paige!). That’s the latest we’ve stayed up so far. I’m sure we’ll have later and later bedtimes as we travel north. It’s only one week until Summer Solstice!

Tomorrow we’ll be back on the road headed to Dawson Creek, BC.