We got an early start out of Kelowna to make it to our next stop in Clearwater BC, gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park. We were lucky we got there when we did as we got the last campsite at the North Thompson River Provincial Park Campground a few miles outside of town. Otherwise we would have been paying a lot more for the KOA. That afternoon was quite muggy so we drove the motorhome to a small beach on a nearby lake and went for a swim and a paddle with Misty.
The next morning we left the motorhome and Misty at the campsite as the weather was supposed to be much cooler, and headed out on the motorcycle into Wells Gray PP. It was fine when we left but about ⅓ of the way there the skies opened up and it started pouring. It rained most of the way up the 50km to the end of the paved road where we got to see Helmcken Falls, the 4th highest waterfall in Canada.
We stopped at a few more waterfalls on the way back, as the weather alternated between clear and pouring. We hung out for several minutes under a tent enjoying a coffee and Belgian waffle made by a very nice transplanted Belgian man now living in BC. He told us about how he and his wife head to Indonesia for the winter every year and stay with a family they sponsor there.
Thankfully it was clearing up by the time we got back to the campsite so we had a nice evening. The following morning we didn’t hang around too long even though we had our next night’s accomodations secure at Mt. Robson Provincial Park. After a quick grocery stop and visit to a local brewery to pick up a few beers we arrived at the foot of the impressive peak. We did a couple small hikes in the area before heading to bed for an early start the next day.
The reason we had to leave early was we had no reservation in Jasper National Park, where we planned to stay the next 3 nights. Complicating matters was one of the major campgrounds in Jasper was closed this summer for renovations. There were a handful of first come first served sites in Wapiti campground, and we hoped by arriving early we would snag one. We also had the one hour time difference going from BC to Alberta working against us.
We arrived at Wapiti around 8:30am and luckily we got a site. The lady at the booth told us they figured they would be sold out by 9am that day so we certainly didn’t have too much time to spare! The site itself wasn’t that great, just a big parking lot but it did have electric hookups and a fairly nice washroom nearby. We headed into town to do some laundry and pick up a few groceries. That afternoon we did a nice little walk just south of the campground called the Valley of the Five Lakes. The lakes had a beautiful greenish / blue colour.
Then we took the motorcycle for a ride up to Maligne Lake about 50km away from Jasper. It was a beautiful ride especially the section alongside Medicine Lake. We thought about going for a cruise on Maligne Lake until we saw the price – $80 per person! We opted to just go for a walk along the lake shore to a lookout point for some photos before heading back.
That night we met up with Ben Rich a fellow EV fan and also the first to ride an electric motorcycle to all 48 states! We chatted about travelling and EVs over a beer at the local brewery.
The next morning it was pretty rainy so we spent the morning cleaning up the motorhome in preparation for the arrival of our friend Nour. After lunch we met up with Ben again and got a ride in his Tesla up to the Miette Hot Springs where we went for a dip. It started to rain again while we were in the pool but it didn’t matter much. After we got back and said goodbye to Ben we returned to the motorhome to get dinner ready and await Nour’s arrival.
Nour had flown from Hamilton to Edmonton that morning, and then had to wait till the afternoon to catch a bus to Jasper. It was almost dark out by the time he arrived so we enjoyed a dinner and got to bed early to get a good rest for the next day. When we all woke up we headed over to the Jasper Gondola station and purchased tickets to ride up the mountain. At the top we hiked to the summit and had plenty of opportunities for photos.
After we returned from the gondola we drove to Pyramid Lake which was just a few KM outside town. Sandy and Nour went for a kayak while Gareth snapped photos from the dock. It was a very pretty location.
We then visited Maligne Canyon where there are several bridges passing over the raging waters below. Finally we stopped at Edith Lake for breathtaking views.
Following that we returned to town to stock up on groceries, then headed back to the campground to make dinner.
The next morning we hit the road once again to travel down the Icefield Parkway towards Banff. There were many things to see along the way but our first stop was Mount Edith Cavell to check out the glacier. Gareth rode his motorcycle while Sandy drove the motorhome with Nour. It was a little bit foggy and wet on the twisty drive up to Mt Edith Cavell but by the time we arrived it was clearing up and the road was starting to dry on our way back down.
Next stops were the Athabasca and Sunwapta falls respectively. At Sunwapta we stopped to enjoy a picnic lunch.
After that we made our way to the Columbia Icefields and hiked up the Toe of the Glacier trail. We had last been here about 20 years ago and the ice had melted a remarkable amount since then. Even the most recent marker which showed where the ice was in 2006 was very far back from the ice surface. It was a sobering reminder of the impact that humans are having on the world around us.
We made a few additional stops as we headed south on the parkway, before turning west and crossing over the Kicking Horse Pass en route to Golden, BC.
We spent the night at the Golden Municipal Campground which was located just outside downtown Golden.
