Kind of a funny ending to my last posting I skipped from Expensive gas at Saskatchewan Crossing to going to bed.  Accidentally deleted about 12 hours.  Weird.  Especially since I appear to be having a brain fart and can’t remember a darn word I wrote.  Bet it was good too.  Probably the best piece of writing I have done in a decade - or two even.

To sum up.  We continued north from Saskatchewan Crossing just oohing and ahhhing at ever turn in the road.  The weather was perfect.  Warm, turning to hot.  The scenery incredible.  Our little Rialta chugged upon one mountain and down another.  Had to go into second a few times, but we made it.

Stopped at Columbia Ice Fields for a look see.  The Rogers weren’t much interested in the glaciers, so we didn’t go out onto the ice fields.  Place was over-run with people and every time a bus came in another bunch was added to the hoard.  Met an interesting couple from Saskatchewan who were biking.  Had a nice change. Another couple on a BMW were from England.  They brought the bike over and had just come back from the Arctic Circle, on their way around North America.

Continued on to Taggets’s Creek, a lovely waterfall, and had a picnic lunch.  Pulled in to many scenic lookouts just to take in the scenery - and snap pictures of course.  Aside from the stunning, ever changing, vistas, the wonderful fresh mountain air, and the sheer joy it all brings the highlight of our day was seeing two black bears, different times.

We spent an hour or so at Athabaska Falls.  Don’t ever pass up the opportunity to visit.  The potholes worn into the rocks, the deep gorges, the rushing water, the pockets of ferns, lichens and wild flowers, make this pretty darn awesome.

Great lineups at the gate to our campground.  Man I’m glad I made so many reservations before we left home.  We checked in, found our site, then headed in to Jasper for a coffee and a few groceries.  Ended up having pizza for supper and doing some browsing in the shops. Jack and I discovered a bakery that sold fresh-baked sourdough bread and mixed fruit tarts.  The tarts were so good we have been back every day for two more.  I love Jasper.  Its laid back, casual, yet has a nice small town feel. Small and easy to get around.

Sunday we headed into town at 8 am for breakfast at the Soft Rock Café. Then we ventured up Hwy 16 to the northern gate of Jasper National Park, to see the valley, lakes and mountains, and to search for Big Horn Sheep.  We’ve seen elk, loads of elk, roaming in town, through the campsite, on the roads, but not one Big Horn Sheep.  Didn’t find one this day either so headed back to town.

After a coffee stop at the bakery for two more tarts Jack and I headed back to the campsite and C&R stayed in town to shop.  It was the first time they ventured out on their own so we were really happy about that.  The campsite is only 3 miles away, so it was a good opportunity.  Jack snoozed for a few hours.  He was really tired because he has been doing all of the driving, etc.  When we rent a car he drives, so it has been every day without a break.  I played around with my scapbooking and had a nice long phone call with Mom.

Our last day in Jasper took us to Maligne Lake, still looking for those sheep, and Carol wants pictures of bears.  I hoped to see the herd of caribou who are resident in the area.  Didn’t see any of them.  Just one deer.  But we did take a boat cruise - in the rain - which was fantastic.  The turquoise water of a glacial lake is magnificent no matter what the weather.  Popped in to Maligne Canyon on the way home. When you see the volume of water rushing over the falls, and thundering down into the canyon its hard to believe it all freezes over in winter, and is a mecca for climbers who make their way into the canyon to walk on the floor and behind ice walls.  Did have some sunny intervals, so it was a lovely, relaxing day.

 As I’m writing this we are thanking our lucky stars that we are in an RV, even if small.  The Thunder storms that have been threatening all day have opened up the skies.  The rain is heavy and thunder rattling the world.  Its magical.

We have totally enjoyed our visit to the Canadian Rockies. I do urge everyone to make a visit here at least once in their lifetime.  Do the whole thing, take time to savour Banff, thrill all of your senses along the Icefields Parkway.  Then get back to nature and relax in Jasper.  It is truly magnificent.

We are off tomorrow.  Heading west 

Julie - remember if you want to get in touch email julie@seacroftpei.com