Saturday, June 22, 2024

June 22 – Mistaya Canyon and Columbia Icefield

Since it was our last day here and we had ticked off all our our must do items, we did some driving. When we visited Jasper National Park at the end of our Alaska trip we had travelled down the Icefields Parkway as far as the Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier . I am pretty sure we have driven the whole thing before but just to be sure we drove up from the bottom, back to check out the glacier.

But our first stop, partway up, was the short walk down to Mistaya Canyon.

PXL_20240622_171015053

It’s only 0.5 km from the parking lot but it is steep stony path. This is from us climbing back up  I hate how the pictures make it look flat.

PXL_20240622_180709698

There were signs saying that you should stay on the man made bridge over the canyon for your own safety but this was all you could see from there.

PXL_20240622_171018802

So of course everybody ignored that.

PXL_20240622_171250691

Including me.

PXL_20240622_171657199

PXL_20240622_171624012

PXL_20240622_171739313

I should have made a gif of this swirling spot.

PXL_20240622_171745437.MP

Some photospheres show being there better. Photosphere1, Photsphere2.

Looking upstream.

PXL_20240622_172449638.MP

Jennie came down and sat safely away from the edge.

PXL_20240622_173220890.MP

I tried a long exposure to blur the water but I am not sure if I like it.

PXL_20240622_173225256.LONG_EXPOSURE-01.COVER

We walked up along the shore for a short while.

PXL_20240622_175343947

PXL_20240622_174641546.PORTRAIT

PXL_20240622_174941359.MP

Lots of people climbing on the rocks.

PXL_20240622_175153444

Then back to the car. We did a quick stop at this viewpoint after we had climbed high above the highway below.

PXL_20240622_185113090.MP

Arriving at the Athabasca Glacier we drove down to the parking lot closest to the toe. Then a short but steep and very rocky climb.

PXL_20240622_191849997

At the top of that hill there was still a little way to go.

PXL_20240622_193256960

A photosphere from the top of the hill.

This is as close as you could get, without a tour.

PXL_20240622_193438768

PXL_20240622_193606630

The photosphere.

The parking lot back by the highway, where you can get a tour, was packed with a constant stream of the huge buses driving along the moraine and onto the glacier.

PXL_20240622_194041726

PXL_20240622_194052984

You can also get walking tours.

PXL_20240622_193120028

Then the careful climb back down to the car.

PXL_20240622_195044651

From here it took 1.5 hours to get back to Lake Louise.

Tomorrow we are moving on to Waterton Lakes National Park down near the Alberta border with Montana and the US Glacier National Park.

1 comment:

  1. I remember how busy the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier were when we were there! So many tour buses! I haven't mentioned how much we've enjoyed your photospheres and all the wild flower photos and they're all amazing! Enjoy your drive to Waterton Lakes National Park!!!

    ReplyDelete