Icefield Parkway... beyond WOW!

Words can hardly express the ‘WOW’ factor of this 230km trek. Travelling north, and then south three days later, we found ourselves amazed, speechless, exhilarated and finally exhausted.

Frozen lakes became common, starting with Lake Louise. It wasn't perfect blue skies, pristine waters, green grass and red canoes. Oh no, there was more than a metre of snow in places, with ice rinks still noticeable on the lake’s surface and heavy skies in the background.

Heading north saw increasing snow, with our highest point just over 2000m. On the return trip a detour saw me walk in snow for twenty minutes to get a view of the famous Peyto Lake!

Flowing water has led to amazing rock formations and waterfalls - Mistaya Canyon, Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls - all highlighting the incredible force of water over time. Photos don’t really show its true power and dynamic.

Athabasca Glacier was amazin - it's deeper than the Eiffel Tower is tall. We ventured through some snow to a viewpoint. With a strong glacial breeze, it gave us an inkling of its uniqueness!

On our return journey gloriously clear skies were enjoyed. We were blessed with wildlife - black bear, grizzly bear, large horned sheep, elk, deer... to name a few. Q. What's a traffic jam along the Parkway? People photographing wildlife. Parkway... you are beyond WOW!Read more