Icefields Parkway...Canada

We got a nights accommodation at a place called David Thompson Resort....I think the word "resort" is used liberally as far as accommodation goes, but it did the trick....was only 40kms from the Icefields Parkway and was surrounded by magnificent mountains and lakes.

and while we were driving we came across a coyote that we were too slow to photograph and a deer and her fawn.

Stu and I drove the Icefields Parkway in 2008 and it was amazing how it all came back to us as we started the drive. We approached the Parkway from the east, at the Banff NP checkpoint and turned right. We'd decided not to go all the way up to Jasper, and would take in the magnificent, spectacular views up to the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier, turn around and drive to Lake Louise before heading to our night's accommodation in Golden.
Oh my, this is one of the most stunning drives you could possibly do.  Every turn in the road is a picture, so I will do my best to ration our photos.

There are pullovers all the way along and people are very obliging of this and the slow speed you tend to travel at, as you want to take everything in!

One place we pulled over, we could hear water falling so went for a walk about 2 mins from the parking lot and came across this...

There are waterfalls, creeks and lakes everywhere......and we discovered a good view from the sunroof of the car.

 The Columbia Icefields are another visual treat.  The landscape surrounding the Athabasca Glacier is barren, rocky and dusty and then half a kilometre either side it changes back into the green, snowcapped mountains. We had visited Athabasca Glacier 5 years ago and had taken a bus ride up there and walked on the glacier.  This time we walked to the base of it with Joshuah and it was interesting to see how much it had receded in just 5 years.

Goats on the ridge...Athabasca Glacier

The Visitors Centre was "heaving"with tourists.....so much busier than we were here last time, even though it was the same time of the year,

but we did manage to get a photo taken with a bear AND a moose..

As we headed south we were keeping watch for bears....a lot of people don't get to see them, fortunately we did the last time we were there, from a distance.  Suddenly Joshuah yelled "bear!", Stu slammed the brakes on, threw the car into reverse and there it was..a big black bear, munching away on berries,  It was one of the most exhilarating experiences I have had and we were fortunate enough to have it to ourselves for 10 minutes, before Josh popped his head out of the sunroof and then the cars all stopped to see it.

 It was nonplussed by us and kept moving along the bushes, continuously eating berries.

 It knocked a rock over and ate some insects underneath it.

We were within 5 metres of it and at one stage Stuart's camera battery died, so he had to get out of the car, go to the boot and grab a new one......a little confronting when you are so close!

We were on a high after seeing the bear as we made our way to Peyto Lake, did a steep walk up to a viewing platform and were met by busloads of tourists.....sometimes travellers en masse can be quite confronting and this was no exception.  There is a small platform to see the Lake from and people were pushing and shoving to get a photo from the vantage point.  I finally got to the front to get a photo and it really is simply breathtaking.

 Josh was smarter than everyone and found a track, away from the crowds.

We kept driving down the Parkway. stopping every minute to take photos....

before making our way to Lake Louise...again, we had seen it 5 years ago.  There was much more snow back then and we were a little disappointed this time.  Huge crowds and hot sun probably didn't help.....it is still beautiful though.