Jasper National Park
This past summer I embarked on a long road trip throughout the US and western Canada. The one place I was most excited to visit was Jasper National Park way up in the Canadian Rockies. When I first got to Jasper it didn’t seem to be quite what I was expecting or hoping for, but after three days backpacking on the Skyline Trail followed by several days of running up mountains for sunsets, I quickly learned what Jasper was all about. The mountains in Jasper aren’t the biggest mountains in the rockies, but what makes Jasper so beautiful is the way the mountains interact with the landscapes around them. There is a lot of water in Jasper National Park. There are huge flowing rivers, tons of lakes, and plenty of snow and ice on the mountains even in the summer. And all this water makes the valleys great places for plants and animals to thrive. And many of my best pictures from Jasper were from the tops of mountains looking into these valleys.
The Jagged peaks, lush green valleys and patterns of snow and ice against the dark colored mountains were just some of the ingredients I used to compose these photos. I was also very fortune to get plenty cool looking clouds!
And while wildlife can sometimes seem non existent, with a little bit of patience, and maybe a little bit of luck, you’re bound to spot many different animals. Elk and sheep graze in the valleys and along the sides of the roads, and bears can be seen anywhere there are berries.
I saw lots of big horned sheep in the Canadian rockies. These guys are so cute and are amazing climbers!
Please keep your distance from animals! I saw way too many people approaching wild animals while in Jasper. You don’t need a selfie with an elk.
The picture below was taken shortly before one of the scariest moments of my life. Nothing bad happened, but I was climbing up “The Notch” which is the midway point on the Skyline Trail. The Skyline Trail is a 30+ mile trail that I hiked over 3 days, and climbing up to “The Notch” with my very heavy pack (I backpack with too much camera gear) was insanely nerve racking for me. The trail slowly degrades into wet loose rocks that you sink into with every step. I’m not particularly used to this type of terrain, I’m more used to the solid granite of the northeast, and the sometimes loose but generally dry rock of Colorado in the summer. So thank you to the couple ahead of me who helped talk me through it. I also think I may be developing a fear of heights in my old age, not a good trait for someone who likes to hike up big mountains.
This shot was taken from the top of Signal Mountain. I stayed at the Signal Mountain Campground on my second night, but you can easily hike up to this lookout for a day hike. The hardest part may be finding a parking spot though.
That’s me. I don’t really take a lot of selfies, but when I do I carry a tripod for three days up a big mountain. This was taken earlier in the same day at the ridge that leads up and over to the watchtower campground. For anyone planning on doing this hike I would highly recommend hiking up to this ridge for the views, even if you’re not going to the watchtower campground. It’s a little steep but not too far.
Here’s one last shot from Jasper. I forget the name of the trail where I took it… Thank you for checkin out my blog, I hope you have enjoyed my photos! I have plenty more posts coming from this trip.
