Day Eleven Exploring Jasper National Park

Day eleven for Tyler and Catherine begins waking up in the awe-inspiring Jasper National Park in Alberta Canada. We took a room at the Tonquin Inn Lodge and were not disappointed in the service or lodgings. We set out early and started exploring the park while hoping the dark clouds overhead held off with the rain and/or snow.

We started our exploration with a trip to the top of Whistler Mountain via the tram service. Had it been summer we would have hiked to the top but being the weather was cold and rain was looming we paid the $28 per for the trip to the top. The views on the way on up the mountain are worth the fee and almost 360 degree view once at the top sealed the deal. The cold kept Catherine inside the tram house for the most part besides a few quick pictures outside. This left Tyler with the final 200 meter walk to the very top of Whistler Mountain.

If doing the same be sure to bring some good walking shoes as the trail is not paved and is loose dirt and rocks all the way. And there was spots of snow on the ground making it difficult for some to traverse the path to the top. But the final laugh was reserved for Tyler as the tram house stunk of a reeking outhouse as the toilets inside were emanating a rather putrid smell. Not sure if it always smells that way, but they should try to do something about it as you can watch each new load of travelers arriving at the top cringing at the smell as they got off the tram car!

After spending an hour or so on Whistler Mountain taking photos and some video we decided to explore the park. Here again we learned what it was like to be traveling in Canada in between seasons. Most of the park facilities were closed to visitors or not yet open depending on which season they catered to. This again limited our choices of things to do. So we decided upon plain old traditional sightseeing. We tried to reach as many places within the park to take photos and to take in the beautiful views as we went. You really should spend a few days to a week to really cover this national park.

We grabbed a quick late lunch and started out towards Banff National Park. We were looking for a campground in Jasper on the way and found all to be closed for the season. We came up to the pay both for Banff Park and paid our park entrance fee once again. Shortly after we came across an open campground at Mosquito Creek. Normally a name like that would make us pause before staying but with the weather so cold and snow flakes already falling we were sure there were no flying insects around to bother us.

Having recently stayed in Manning Provincial Park we were expecting a park ranger to come by while setting up our campsite but none ever came. That’s when Tyler remembered that at national parks you have to self-register. That’s right, you have to fill out your own form with credit card details – so be sure to have a valid credit card if planning on camping in a national park. You will also have to pay for a fire permit so both fees together came to $24.50.

We planned for snow and rain by tying a tarp over our tent and we were right. It snowed and rained on and off all night long. The weather also changed between bitter cold and mild throughout the night, but come morning it was below zero and both Catherine and Tyler were rather cold and near frozen – even with their new propane heater!

We were also kept up late as a car full of young men arrived at this family campground shortly before midnight and immediately set out about beginning a noisy party replete with blaring music. You could see all the campers around them turning on their lights in their tents and RVs as they were awoken and kept awake by these yahoos. Tyler tried to keep his patience but before the hour was out he made his way to their campsite and demanded they turn off their music or leave the campground. At first they refused but Tyler stood his ground and the music was extinguished – much to the delight of the other campers. If you must party when camping pick a forestry campground where this sort of thing is expected – don’t do so in a family campground…

Tyler says of day eleven – This was a rather fun and eventful day. The weather for camping could have been much better but waking up in the snow is always an adventure. If traveling on a budget please be aware that both Jasper and Banff will suck your wallet dry at each opportunity.

Catherine says of day eleven – At this time of the year we didn’t see too many animals in Jasper National Park though I was expecting to see many more as Tyler had promised we would. The landscapes and vistas though made up for the lack of wildlife viewing. With so many beautiful lakes, mountains and the tremendous colour of Athabasca River I appreciated that we spent the time to visit this park. I didn’t appreciate all the fees that were applied even though most things were not even open to us. Tyler was my hero when he confronted the noisy campers because after that they were very quiet and we could all sleep. All the campers were too afraid to say anything but Tyler stood up and took it upon himself to do so.

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