Summer 2018 is just starting, so I figured it was time to visit Jasper National Park again. Having had a difficult past few months, which included a long Winter that broke a 40-year record, a trip to the mountains would be good. Also, I needed to flex my photography muscles once again to keep sharp and don’t start forgetting stuff.
A small setback
I left Edmonton mid-afternoon with the plans to meet up with my buddy Diego at Miette Hot Springs. Arriving at 19:40, I thought it was too late to try and go up to the summit of Sulphur Skyline. But, as he got there only a few minutes after me, we decided to try and get to the top before the sunset. It was a mad dash uphill and when we got to about 70 or 80% of the hike, we figured there was just too much snow to continue. Even with my newly acquired microspikes, it was just too deep. We doubled back to a small clearing which would allow us to get some sunset pics (below). The plan was to be atop the mountain but alas, sometimes even “the best-laid plans of mice and men go awry”, right?
Revisiting old places
Following that initial setback, we headed to Sunwapta Falls, an iconic landmark of Jasper National Park and Highway 93 (arguably one of the most beautiful roads in the world). Sleeping there allowed us to have the place to ourselves in the morning and I got away with a keeper. Going back to places I have already photographed lets me see everything with fresh eyes and, as my photography has evolved since I was there last (2012), come out with different images.
Next we went back to the town of Jasper to gather information about the trails (Parks Canada Information Centres in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper are always a great stop). Before we got there, we had a quick stop on the shores of the Athabasca River. There I found a small beach with tons of driftwood which I used as foreground for another one of my shots.
Great views require great efforts
Armed with a bunch of suggestions, we went to check out Mt Greenock scramble, as we were told it would be adequately challenging but feasible. It was indeed a great view, but it required a lot of effort. Totally worth it. Our only mistake was to start this hike around 2PM – with temperatures near the 30C mark. We miscalculated the amount of water we would need and as a result, I finished my bottle as soon as I arrived at the top. Although the view was amazing from up there, the harsh mid-day light was not very enticing and I elected to not take any pictures (except with my phone), so not much to share in from that place. Exhausted, we returned to the car and that was our last effort of the weekend; after that, it was pizza-eating and relaxing and no more pictures or adventures.
I’m looking forward to being busy in the next several weekends. Janu will be visiting from Ottawa and I’ve got lots of ideas and plans, and I’ll do my best to keep you updated.
