Canadian Rockies – The Icefields Parkway

The Icefields Parkway is an excellent two lane road that travels about 150 miles between the towns of Jasper and Banff in western Alberta Province. The distinguishing feature of this road is the monumental mountain scenery. The road threads its way through glacially carved mountain valleys between majestic mountain peaks. While the mountains are not all that tall, especially when compared with what we have seen in Alaska, they are clustered close to the road and are particularly rugged in appearance. The tree line is low, so the rock formations stand starkly against the azure blue sky (if you are lucky, as we were).

As we have mentioned previously, we try very hard not to incorporate too many photos in our blog. However, Kathy took well over 300 pictures on our trip down the Parkway, and we are having an awful time culling them down to just that select few that we like to publish. That’s a sort of a fancy excuse for there being too many images in this post. You are welcome to fast forward.

Rolling South on the Icefields Parkway near Jasper

Rugged Mountain Peaks Look Like
Jagged Teeth Against the Skyline

Note the Variation in Rock Color, From Dark Gray
in the Last Photograph to Light Tan in This One

Cleavage Steps, Somewhat Rounded by Erosion

The Western (right) Face of This Steeply Tilted
Mountain is One Gigantic Cleavage Facet,
With Layered Strata Visible on the North Edge

Glacially Carved “U” Shaped Valley, With Another
Huge Cleavage Facet Visible in the Right Background

Columbia Icefield

Athabasca Glacier Descending From the Icefield

Columbia Icefield Center, With Ice Buggy on Left

Ice Buggy Crawls up the Glacier

Just Another Beautiful River Valley

Heavily Eroded Mountain Strata

More Cleavage Steps, Heavily Rounded by Erosion

Bridge Construction

Beautiful Clouds Contrast Sharply
With the Rugged Mountain Scenery

Reflections

Bike Tour, With Turquoise Colored
Lake and Alluvial Slopes in Background

Bruin Warning

Bruin Lurks on the Roadside

Wildlife Crossing

Wildlife Crossing Under Construction

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