A Canada Retrospective...Columbia Icefield

After our drive on the Bow Valley Parkway and walk along Lake Moraine we headed northwest to Jasper National Park and the Columbia Icefield. The Athabasca Glacier feeds many of the lakes and rivers in the region. It was a three-hour drive from Banff and filled with a continuous display of mountain grandeur.


Just 125 km to go...the Icefield Centre.

Bow Lake - one of the many wonderful sights
 on the Icefield Parkway.

Yet another amazing glacier on our
 route to the Columbia Icefield

I kept hanging out the window on our three-hour drive
 to capture as many beautiful sights I could.

To get to the Icefield we started to ascend the Candian
Rockies. This was at Bridal Veil Falls...looking back
 from where we had come. You can see a small bit of
the road below.

Our approach to the Icefield and the changing weather.
A slice of heaven.

Our first peek at the Icefield as we came around the bend.

The Columbia Icefield...we would soon be standing
 out in the middle of it.

A Brewster SnoCoach.



These "bus" wheels were huge!



Our SnoCoach. You get to walk around, for about 15 minutes,
 on the icefield. The ice melt is drinkable and most took
 advantage of the crisp and clear glacial refreshment.



The view straight up the glacier icefield.



Matthew staying warm our on the
icefield perimeter.



Glacial runoff...crystal.

 

The ice melt from the glacier.

Todd enjoying a silly moment.

Another glacier that rings the icefield.

Then the weather changed and the clouds engulfed us and
 the rain began to fall creating a mystical landscape.
  



And as quickly as the clouds came in, they disppeared. This
was the view upon returning to the Icefield Centre.





The view from the Icefield Centre.

And on the drive back to Canmore we were charmed
 with a Grizzly sighting!