Jasper & surroundings

After skiing everyday we explored Jasper and its surroundings.

Post Office

Jasper was founded in the mid 19th century as an outpost for the fur trade but its fame really rose with the arrival of the railway and the connection to Vancouver. Today the railway serves two ports in the west: Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Goods transportation is still done this way, but passenger transport has changed dramatically - you are much faster by road or air. A basic service is upheld, but it's not profitable.

The Yellowhead Museum and Archives tells the story of the town, its inhabitants and the ski resort.

On the first afternoon, we ventured around Patricia and Pyramid lake. Both frozen and surrounded by the mountains, they give a great backdrop for those who wish to do snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.

Patricia Lake

Lake Pyramid

Next day, we went to Maligne Canyon that was formed by water and time in the carst region. In summer, a noisy creek flows down the canyon, but in winter it all freezes to a winter wonderland with iced waterfalls, frozen creek bed and snow covered trees on both sides.

There were tours offered to explore the creek bed of Maligne Canyon but we decided to find our own way. We went along the top of the canyon for a while until we found a flat place to enter it. We followed the trails of the groups, walked over the frozen creek and squeezed through a narrow gorge. Be sure to take the right equipment: warm boots, spikes and poles. Don't forget the camera!

.

We were always looking for animals and one dawn we got rewarded: at a road crossing we saw a small herd of caribou (Canadian reindeer) grazing.