Jasper

Ryan and I spent our weekend in Jasper, again. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now. I love it there. I cannot and likely will not ever get enough of it. Not to mention, it’s already half way through March and this was our first trip of the year!!

We had a concert to go to on the Friday night otherwise we probably would have left after work and enjoyed a slightly longer stay in the mountains. I have to say though, the concert was really great and I had absolutely no issues going to that instead.

Having left fairly early on Saturday morning we got to Jasper around noon and spent a while walking down the main streets. We snooped around a few shops, bought some snacks and got an early check-in at our hotel. 

The room we booked was so cute and tiny. I love the esthetic of the Athabasca Hotel, in and out of the rooms. This particular room had 2 tiny single beds, a dressing table and a shoebox bathroom but I loved it! It's so charming, (inexpensive) and it really is just for sleeping so we don't need much. 

As we have deemed it to be 'tradition' now, we made Pyramid Island our first destination of the day. I've been to the island with family and friends and even for a wedding, but I still love going there. 

Ryan decided this time that we should check if there were any geocaches nearby. We did find one, but it took a bit of looking. It's very well disguised, until you find it, and then it's painfully obvious. 

The day was windy and a bit cold but the trees on the island provide decent cover and kept us from getting to cold. We walked around for a while, enjoyed the view of the mountains from different sides, walked on the ice still covering the lake and took lots of pictures. I’m sure by now I have multiples of the same pictures from many different trips and in different seasons, but you know what?? I love it!!

I even did some tree stump yoga…

When we finished our time on the island the next stop was Athabasca falls. We have been here before as well but I wanted to see if the falls were frozen or not!

When we arrived the parking lots were closed and everyone was parked on the side of the road. I guess it isn’t the ideal season for this site so they don’t feel the need to maintain the parking lot. Once inside we realized that some of the paths weren’t open either due to “slipping hazards.”

The falls were mostly frozen but we could still hear water flowing underneath; rushing really, because even the brutal Alberta winter can’t hold back a force that strong.

There were a few families or groups out exploring but not many. It was a nice change from what it’s like in the summer months when tourists block every viewing point.

I had hoped to walk around and explore all the paths again but like I said, they were closed. We enjoyed our time no-less though and I’m satisfied enough that I don’t feel the desire to come back again. Not anytime soon, for sure.

By the time we were driving back to town from the falls the sun was already going down behind the mountains. We toyed with the idea of making the drive to The Columbia Ice Fields too but it’s a ways away and we were both hungry. There is a good chance we would have frozen to death if we went anyway. Perhaps in the summer.

Back in Jasper we went for supper at Famoso (which I absolutely love!!) I order the same pizza almost every time and it hasn’t gotten boring yet! I like to let my inner child out frequently and so I got a float as well!! Nutella gelato in Root Beer, I highly recommend you try it!!

Full and satisfied we went back to our hotel, conveniently located across the street, and passed out early in our tiny single beds.

On the morning of our second day we packed up, checked out and headed out into the surprisingly cold day. I wasn't expecting a really hot day by any means but I wasn't prepared for how cold and windy it was either.

The Other Paw Bakery is one of our favorite places in Jasper. They have an 'African Nectar' tea that is perfect for a cold morning, amazing scones and a great many other really delicious things. My breakfast was tea, a cinnamon bun and a yogurt parfait. Ryan had tea, a croissant and a breakfast sandwich.

With breakfast finished and no other plans we set out to find somewhere to walk and enjoy the view.

A roadside turnout next to the river turned out to be the spot. While we walked on the rocky shore we could see the mountains all around. Most of the times anyway, I was occasionally blinded by all my hair blowing in front of my face..

We collected a few new rocks for our growing collection, tossed a few in the water just to watch the splash and tried desperately not to turn into popsicles.

Eventually we did go running for the warmth of the car though and it took us all the way home!