Banff and Jasper

Jul 25, 202418 min read

Updated: Dec 3, 2024

At the Brewster Express depot in Calgary, I picked up a coffee and a couple of muffins. I got to talking with Rodrigo about travels and traveling – his father is an agricultural consultant so he’d been many places. We were 7 to board, picking up a solo at a second hotel stop and a pair at the third. At the airport seven more joined us and then we were heading west towards Banff. I noted that this bus ride had started by giving me many different additional vantage points to view the city skyline of Calgary and beyond. In fact, from the airport pickup, the sun was shining off to the west on the snow-capped Rockies

The bus followed Canada Highway 1, a trip of about 130km heading west, making stops at Stoney Nakoda (Resort & Casino) and Canmore. As we were approaching town, we saw a black bear out the windows. Once we reached downtown Banff, I shifted over to a local shuttle to take me out Tunnel Road to the c, my lodgings for 3 nights. After checking in and rolling my bags to my unit, I returned to the lodge and crossed to the free shuttle pick-up point. I wanted to time the ride as I had a morning pickup on Monday. Maybe 20–30-minute walk downhill took 10 minutes with 3 stops. I strolled around this town’s commercial center, finding it very tourist-focused. The Tourist Information Center was very helpful and friendly.

I found the laundromat, and determined I could drop off and they’d wash, dry and fold! There is an IGA to do grocery shopping, where I was able to gather fixings for a night in. But I went into the Canadian Brewhouse to get a beer and dinner. With a Banded Peak Microburst hazy IPA, the fish & Chips was haddock and the fries were extra crispy.

Finished with dinner, I caught the shuttle back to the lodge, and went in search of firewood. Located in the underground parking garage, I took a large armload back and used the provided newspaper and fatwood to get a good blaze going. Settling in for the night, I read in the living room for a while and then crashed in the bedroom in the front of the unit.

Tuesday morning was crisp and fairly clear, with a view of the ridged mountain in front of me as I left Cabin 173 to get to the shuttle stop. Well ahead of my pick-up, I walked Banff Avenue to get coffee at Evelyn’s Coffee World. The requested decaf meant another Americano, which I had with a blueberry scone. Back to Elk Street (most of the streets in Banff are named for four-legged animals) and the rendezvous point. Our driver, known as both Peng and Joseph, boarded us into a 15-passenger van. Couples from St Johns (Newfoundland) and Indianapolis, two younger British women, a father/daughter from northern Virginia and I were his complement.

Unfortunately, the windows were filthy, but when I tried cleaning them later I found most of the dirt was on the inside! So I took no pictures on the ride to our first stop which was Emerald Lake in Yolo National Park. We made a few quick stops, but he passed the pull-offs for Mt Castle, which National Geographic lists as an important stop in this National Park. Needless to say, I was a bit frustrated, especially as there were clear shots. At Emerald Lake, we were there about 15 minutes, and the water was rather turquoise in color to my eye. This was our most northern and most western point, having crossed the Continental Divide into BC.

After returning to the van, we headed south to the Kicking Horse River where we stopped to view the river at a rapids. A pedestrian bridge allowed us to view from both side, and to get posed shots with the river and mountains in the background.

Back underway, I took a great shot out the window (with unfortunate reflections) of the river valley and snow-capped mountains. A freight train full of containers rolled along the highway as we headed to Lake Louise.

With two-and-a-half hours at Lake Louise, along with several other tour members, I hiked the north shore towards the melting glacier feeding the lake. The lake surface was covered with melting and breaking ice, so there was limited open water. To my delight, I spotted pussy willows blooming on the side of the trail. Keen eyes spotted several free climbers working their way up the face to the rocks lining the gorge. The only wildlife that I saw were squirrels, chipmunks and small fish in the streams. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike, and was frustrated when the path became snow-and-ice packed, making it too slippery to continue to the actual glacier.

Turning around, the Fairmont Hotel was at the far end of the lake. While I took fewer pictures on the return, I think I may have enjoyed just viewing, plus I knew I had the time to saunter, rather than scramble. As I remember, we were all prompt in returning to the bus, and I’d cleaned my outside window, and then the inside! The tour was supposed to head to Morraine Lake, but that road was still closed, so we set off for Lake Minnewanka, which would take us to the east of Banff. Just before Banff we stopped at the Vermillion Lakes, where I got shots of prairie dogs.

I had been using my phone to try to capture the glory of the mountain peaks as we sped along Canada 1. (I hate the camera’s autofocus, as it would pick up the window if the camera was held away and at an angle.)

Lake Minnewanka is splendid. Free of ice, considerably larger than Lake Louise, there is a beach, and a tour boat pulled out for a cruise while we were there. We only got to the southwest end, but there is a trail which extends along the north shore about 2/3rds of its length. Joseph had given us a challenge – there are Adirondack chairs placed along the beach, however, only two were provided by the Park Services – we were to find them.

Joseph returned us to the pick-up point in Banff, so I decided to do a bit more shopping (milk for coffee, sliced chicken for a salad) at the IGA, and then I had to find a liquor store to get a bottle of wine. Loaded with fixings, I caught the shuttle up the hill, dropped off my food and went and got both a fire starter kit from the front desk and more wood from the garage. After fixing my salad and opening the wine, I settled in again in front of the fire and relaxed. Before going to bed, I prepared my laundry to drop off the next day.

May 28 was a Wednesday and I was slow getting going. Seventy-five minutes after rising, I rolled my laundry-filled bag to the bus stop, only to find it would be an hour before the next ride. Walking down the hill was easy, and I headed to the laundromat downstairs in the “mall”, where I paid and was promised for 4-hour service. Flashing my shuttle card (from Douglas Fir Lodge), I boarded the #1 shuttle to get to the base of the Gondola. Once there, I queued up to purchase a ticket. There would be a half hour wait until my lift time, so I went in to browse the gift shop. Sticker shock, but the exchange rate between Canadian and US dollars was favoring the southerners 4:3.

When my 12:20 ride was scheduled, I rode up Sulphur Mountain in the 4-passenger gondola with a couple from Seattle – he was a Ken too! Ever up for a challenge, I began walking up stairs, along wooden and gravel paths and more stairs, until I reached the highest point. It took about an hour, and I stopped regularly to enjoy the stunning vistas, capturing a few of them. With a few videos too. From the high point, I was able to look back to the gondola station. Most of the time it was bright and sunny, with a mild breeze and not too cold.

When I returned to the mountaintop station, there was a brief queue to ride back down to the base. After picking up a souvenir, I rode the shuttle back into town with a woman from Toronto and a Banff male who were in town for a forestry products conference. Feeling like eating, I headed into Park Spirits & More, a distillery. With an amber ale from 3 Bears and a bison burger, I updated my journal. This piqued the interest of James, my waiter who doubled as the bar and restaurant manager. He told me about the distillery’s tour, tasting and “make your own gin” options, and I booked all three. Distillery worker Jacob gave a tour for 9 of us, explaining the process of distilling from the mash of grains to the condensation of the alcohol.

Fewer for the tasting, with one couple sharing, we sampled vodka, Glacier Rye (which couldn’t be called whiskey because it hadn’t had enough aging), and three gins: unadulterated, vanilla and espresso. The two couples left, leaving me to make my own gin. Because I wouldn’t be in Banff (or return), Jacob’s solution was to prepare a “tea bag” with aromatics, spices and herbals, and then hand me a sealed bottle of their vodka. I had him remove some of the juniper berries, and we added coriander seed, spruce tips, cardamon, angelica root, both orange and lemon peel, and both the berry blend and the “feature of the month”. Armed with an instruction sheet to put the bag into the bottle for 10-days, I proceeded to collect my laundry, and then brought the whole shebang up to the cabin. Having a dinner reservation in town, I returned to the shuttle stop, and saw a juvenile fox run across the road.

My dinner reservation was at Lupo on Wolf Street, a restaurant touted by several of the guides and drivers I’d been with. Located up a flight of stairs from the street (a frequent occurrence in Banff) I was seated at the bar on a corner. As they had it on the menu, I had a taste of the “orange” Poderi di Carlo Pinot Grigio, Friuli Venezia Giulia DOC, which was pleasant but not worth their asking price. Rather, I ordered a 9-ounce glass of Podere Frontino Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC with the focaccia starter. The wine was particularly dry with good cherry fruit. My main, selected for flavor, was spaghetti and spicy meatballs, which was a complete fail for me. I tried to fix with parmesan cheese and pepper, which made it edible.

After that disappointing meal, I rode back up the hill to the cabin. Packing in preparation for the trip to Jasper the next day, I hauled the large roller up the flight of steps to by the front door before I settled in for the night. I did have another glass of wine from my bottle of the 2021 Red Rooster Cabernet-Merlot blend (actually a Merlot / Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah / Petit Verdot blend) from Okanagan Valley, BC, but no fire that night.

Thursday morning I was up ahead of the 7:30 alarm. I had to clean up and remove my trash to the bins, strip the bed of linen and generally make it look like I hadn’t been there. By 8:30 I was up in front of the lodge, having checked out, awaiting my ride. Promptly at 8:40, I was one of two passengers in the SunDogTours van. We headed to Lake Louise.

I requested an unscheduled stop on the way at Castle Mountain, but as we neared, it was obvious that the vista was clouded in. [dscn3937] Onward, our next stop at Lake Louise was for a half hour photo “opportunity” while the final two couples were collected into the van. SunDog offers a transfer between the National Parks, with sightseeing stops along this beautiful highway which include Lake Louise, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, the Columbia Ice fields, the Weeping Wall and Athabasca Falls. I probably overdid the photography aspect of this leg of the trip, as I have 600+ photos for the day, more than half taken with my phone! Sharing both inline and through a Nikon album will mean some careful curating. (I'll need at least a few requests)

After Lake Louise we followed the Bow River north on the Icefields Parkway passing Hector Lake. A stop at the Crowfoot Glacier and Bow Lake Viewpoints had low cloud cover.

We made a number of other stops where I went camera-happy, but didn’t keep any notes. But I do know we turned off the highway reaching the conjunction of the Bow and Saskatchewan rivers, as we had a pit stop at the Crossing Resort at noon.

A half hour later, a lunch stop in a flats area, SunDog providing a bag lunch and beverage.

The stop at Athabasca Glacier involved viewing Athabasca Falls and walking on the glacier. From the lodge across the highway, after waiting for our group to be called, we headed over to the overlook via smaller buses, then boarded special vehicles to head down a steep slope and onto the glacier. There we were able to walk on the snow/ice for a bit, then reversed our route. On the hill at the transfer point were mountain sheep, grazing as we headed back to our tour bus.

About three miles north along the parkway we again stopped. From the parking lot we had to walk 400 meters to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. The pathway is monodirectional, feeding visitors to the glass-base loop out over the ice and then return (to discourage multiple walks.) Now, I’m acrophobic, so this was another test of mind over fears. Back on the van, and another 2 miles along, we made a stop to use the Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint for more pictures, including some back towards the SkyWalk.

Following the Athabasca River north onward towards Jasper, we spotted a black bear off to the side of the road. At 6:30 we had a final stop in a park with a half hour to enjoy the Athabasca Falls, its canyon and the forest scenery. On the final 20 miles, the driver spotted a grizzly bear mother and her 2-year-old cub grazing on the side of the road (7:09) which was a real bonus.

We pulled into Jasper, where the Rocky Mountaineer had halted in the train station. A bit further up the road, the driver dropped me at the Astoria Hotel. I Checked and hauled my bags up a flight to my room. After getting settled in, I returned to the street and walked back to the train station, and a bit further, to the Jasper Brewing Company. I’d sampled there on our stop on my train ride to Edmonton, so I knew I was having Rockhopper to go with my fish & chips. Bored with the ketchup/mayonnaise offerings, I proposed that they mix 2 parts ketchup with one-part hot sauce, and stir in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. The chef came out with it, telling me that, after confirming with his staff, he expected to begin offering this condiment to customers. My notes indicated I hung out at the bar, having three pints before beginning my walk back to the lodgings. It was still light out at 10pm, so I captured a couple outside wall murals.

Traditional US Memorial Day, Thursday morning had me up on the early side and walking into town. Preplanning had me booked again with SunDog for a transfer to and then a ride on the Jasper SkyTram. After collecting my ticket/voucher at the Jasper Adventure Center, I hopped on the SunDog bus to the base of the tram. A 15-minute bus/van ride, by 9:30 I had been joined in the queue by a British couple to board the 20-person gondola for 7½ minutes to the top of Mt Whistler. As the woman had mobility limitations, they planned to hang out at the lodge, while I decided I would hike to the actual summit.

Probably not the best idea, because it was cold. The summit air temperature was at the freezing point, and there was a significant steady (cold) wind making it feel much colder. Nonetheless, I followed the wooden walkway out to a viewing platform, and stepped down onto snow. It was a slowly ascending climb over hardscrabble, and over the occasional snow patch. I took several videos of the panorama vistas showing snow-topped mountain tops and clouds, some below our 2200m altitude.

After about an hour, the track had turned fully into ice. In my Skechers, I was slipping and sliding; and it really felt cold. I’d gotten to somewhere near the half-way point, and even the hikers with serious boots and poles were struggling. I decided that it was wise to turn around, and so began my descent. And I found that it was harder coming down than hiking up!

Looking over the edge into the green valley below, a long freight train moved to the north and Jasper. When I reached the wooden walkway and its guardrails, I was relieved that I’d survived. After getting a few more shots from around the summit station, I headed inside to the café for a cup of hot chocolate. The merchandise there was limited, so I returned to the queuing up area to get a ride down. (Yes, you can go one way and walk down, but I’d suggest that to the more fit in better weather.) Riding down with a couple from Gainesville, I took a few videos as we compared travel notes and experiences. Catching the SunDog transport north back to town at noon, I strolled a bit in an attempt to find dining where I could get a salad. At the Whistle Stop Inn, with a tall can of Pecan Pie Porter (from Double Trouble Brewing, Toronto), I had a cobb salad with blue cheese dressing. An interesting presentation, the chicken breast pieces needed a serious knife and there was half an avocado thinly sliced.

Several of my conversations since getting to Jasper were with folks who’d been on wildlife tours, and all were raving about how much they’d seen. I’d made dinner reservations for The Raven (highly recommended as best in town) for the evening, but rescheduled it to Friday night once I found that the only available wildlife tours were that evening. After booking a tour at the Adventure Center, I walked to the train station. VIARail had opened at 2:30pm, and I learned there were no electronic alerts sent to passengers. And even if that had been an option, they still wanted passengers in the station an hour before scheduled departure. A woman there, also an economy passenger for the Saturday train, and I walked outside talking, bumping into a local, an older (91) man who’d come from northern Greece; we three chatted for a bit, as he told us tales of Jasper from 50 years before.

With time to kill, I headed to my lodgings an took a break. Emails, rehydrating, a brief nap; I was up and refreshed, ready for the tour. Down and outside the hotel, a group of 6 were waiting on their tour. Not mine, so I saw them off before mine arrived. Five had boarded at the Crimson, just up Connaught Drive. Lutz, our driver/guide then continued on and we added a trio from Switzerland and a French solo, and finally a pair. So we were a dozen, setting off first to a horse ranch to look at bear claw marks on a tree.

Our first live sighting was a female white-tailed elk grazing. Ten minutes later, well off to the side of the road was a coyote, apparently near her den. Twenty minutes on, a big horn sheep grazed and posed. We’d been on the road following the adjoining Athabasca River as it flowed into Lake Talbot, which Lutz advised should have visible wildlife. About 7pm we sighted goats scrambling on the steep side of the road. Coming around a bend a half hour later (and a lot of beautiful scenery out the windows) were a small herd of grazing mule deer.

With evidence of a past forest fire, a bald eagle’s nest, a massive pile of sticks, stood out in the sunshine. At least one eaglet poked their head up for a photo. Continuing to head north, over a drop a lone bull moose was grazing below in a flat. However, directly below as a young black bear and we had to move – Park rules regulate the approach distance limits, and the bear was still much below us, but still too close. From a safe distance I was still able to get a handful of shots. It was past 8, so Lutz turned us around and began the return to Jasper. On our way, we passed those mule deer as they were licking salt off the road. I was back at the Astoria by 9 to drop my camera.

Wanting a pizza and foolishly not trusting the pub downstairs, I wandered into town, pulling in to Something Else, a restaurant with a Greek flare. With a Hazy Ale from Jasper Brewing, I started with hummus served with pitas, and a deluxe pizza where I swapped the proffered mushrooms with onions. With a much thicker crust (probably premade) and light on the gravy, it wasn’t my best meal.

Friday was my second full day in Jasper. I’d booked a tasting tour, to start at 2:30. Getting up, I headed into the downtown center and decided on breakfast at Smitty’s. With OJ and decaf, I tackled the Meatlover’s Skillet. (Diced sausage, bacon, ham, back bacon, and shredded cheese over hash browns with scrambled eggs and toast. The meat was thickly sliced, the eggs bite-sized pieces, and the potatoes were crispy. Enough food to get me through the day.

After eating, I strolled the two main streets (Connaught and Patricia), poking into stores and eventually finding a t-shirt and hat pin that I purchased.

Returning to my room, I dropped off my goodies and read until it was time for the tour. Here there was some confusion: the rendezvous point was listed as 500 Connaught, and the address posted on its exterior was 444. Across the street, the gift shop in Whistler’s Inn was 610. After walking back and forth a bit, I found a group gathering in front of the Jasper Park Information Center (@444.) Right place, Sarah began checking us off her list: a pair of “local” women, two British couples, a German couple and an Australian couple. With me, eleven participants.

Our first stop was Jasper Brewery, what I was beginning to feel was my stomping grounds. There we had samples of Jasper the Bear ale and elk meatloaf.

Next at Cassio’s, our beverage was a sauvignon blanc from Peller Estates on the Niagara Peninsula; to taste was an elegantly plated trio of salmon de carpaccio, bruschetta, and black olive tapenade.

Then Sarah walked us into the Dead Dog Bar, which neighbors the Astoria Inn. There we had a Chilean Alamos cabernet sauvignon to accompany a beef rib with poutine.

At our last stop at Olive Bistro, Chef David offered a deconstructed tiramisu with a triple infused espresso (with vodka).

Public art on the streets of Jasper.

As I still had my dying reader, I returned to the Inn to swap out equipment to charge batteries. My reservation at The Raven was for 6:45. I was seated at the bar which held a very cozy 8, while there are another 9 tables for pairs. I wasn’t overly hungry, and found the cramped space at the bar uncomfortable. I ordered a small house salad and the truffle and pulled elk tagliatelle. The salad was excellent with lots of good greens, beets and cheese. To my tastes, the pasta dish was underseasoned and served too cool – I suspect it was fired too soon (despite my request to wait for me to finish my salad before ordering). Not needing a dessert, I returned to the hotel to pack for the trip the following morning.

First of June, a Saturday, was a horror. With a scheduled 9am departure, I was up and out of the hotel so I could be at the station at 8am and check-in my luggage. After doing so, the waiting room was told there would be an announcement about 9-9:30. A freight train had derailed in Hinton, blocking any through traffic. VIARail would be sending a train from Edmonton for the Toronto-originating train’s passengers, and those eastbound would be bussed to Edmonton (360km.) We were advised to be back at the station at 1pm.

Waiting on announcement in Jasper station

At 11:30 I left the station and headed to Jasper Brewing. Having enjoyed the meatloaf during the tasting tour, I ordered it along with Rockhopper ale. Meanwhile, 3 buses had arrived with some of the westbound passengers. Back in the station at 1, there was no announcement, but the 150 or so eastbound Jasper-originating passengers were loaded on buses for Edmonton. This included Enrique, a 38yo Mexican who travels the world doing community services with whom I’d been talking. The train from Vancouver arrived, but sat on the siding.

Finally boarding the VIARail train at 2230

At five, they announced we were waiting on the remainder of the westbound passengers and the crew of that train. Folks were given a dinner voucher of $15C as we were advised to be back at 8, Between 9 and 9:30 the buses arrived from Edmonton and the train was slowly boarded. Finally at 10:30 we pulled out of Jasper. Our midday passage through the Canadian Rockies would take place in the dark, as my journey had east bound.

Sleeping on trains (buses, planes) is impossible for me. So I resolved to read and rest as best I could. Two seats in front of me, a heavy-set woman managed to curl up in a double seat (2 facing 2) and snored for much of the night. There were maybe a dozen folks in our car, so I probably should have moved.

During the night the train hauled – we had no stops, not once being directed to a siding until we made the scheduled stop in Kamloops. As the sun began to rise around 5am, I was able to use my phone to get some shots as the tracks followed the Fraser River south and west. Since our car was at the head of the 20-car train, the announcements allowed us a brief opportunity to position our cameras. By 10 the rains returned, which had contributed to the brown color of the river water. My last picture was at 10:30. All pictures below using the phone as we moved through BC.

Our ETA was announced for 3:30pm, and we arrived at Vancouver’s Pacific Coast Station an hour later than that. Luggage took a half hour, and then I called for a Lyft to take me to the Travelodge near the airport. I was finally checked-in at 6. After unpacking the bare minimum and washing my face, I checked Google for dinner options, only to find anything nearby was fast food, not an option for me. Walking 20 minutes under an umbrella, I entered into a chain, Fogg & Suds.

A Bomber, a Märzen amber started my meal, and the waiter suggest the Sunday night special of chicken wings. Six pieces arrived coated in BBQ sauce, hot and spicy. My main was Thai chicken curry. I asked the maître d’ to call me a taxi to return me to the hotel. After a shower, I crashed.

Monday was yet another travel day. Fortunately, I’d allowed an extra day in Vancouver had the train arrived on time. So I was up at 8, out an hour later, Lyft to the Vancouver airport. With a flight just after noon, knowing I would cross into the USA, I wanted to allow sufficient time. Check-in, TSA, Customs and Immigration were a breeze.