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Wednesday — September 2 / Part II
At 12:30p, we gave up our parking spot at Angel Glacier and drove back down pot-hole strewn Cavell Road. The road, which is usually open much later into the year, will be closing on September 8 for re-pavement. Good thing we came when we did. It sure would have been a shame to miss Angel Glacier.
Rather than drive back out to the Icefields Parkway to head south to our next destination, we stayed on Hwy 93A. En route, seeing a sign that read Meeting of the Waters, we pulled into a picnic area with a view of the confluence of the Whirlpool and Athabasca rivers. Nearby signage explained the importance of the Athabasca portage in the fur trade route that stretched from the St Lawrence River (later from the Hudson Bay) to the Pacific Ocean.
Photo op at “Meeting of the Waters”.
The very popular Athabasca Falls was crowded with mid-day sightseers. The headwaters, which originate in the Columbia Icefield, flow for about 42 miles (~70 km) before they tumble 80 feet (~24 m) down a narrow gorge here. It is the volume of water that squeezes through that makes these falls so impressive. Seeing the rush of water, it’s impossible not to respect the power of the Athabasca River to carve a new landscape out of age-old rocks.
Athabasca Falls — one of the most popular spots in Jasper National Park.
The falls from two different overlooks.
After wandering around to the various overlooks to view the falls and take our photographs, we found a picnic table alongside the Athabasca River. Away from the crowds visiting the falls, we had a quiet spot to rest for a bit. Later, we returned for a second round of the overlooks and then wandered down to explore the lower canyon.
Just think of the power water has that it can carve out a canyon like this one.
At the bottom of the canyon, the Athabasca River once again flows calmly on its way.
Our explorations took us along the riverbank, far from the crowds visiting the falls. It was quiet and peaceful — just like the river that was flowing next to us.
A photo op along the Athabasca River.
A glimpse of where the river flows out from the canyon.
A stroll along the Athabasca River before we bring our day of sightseeing to a close.
We were back at the cabin by 4:00p. The guests in the neighboring cabins were out seeing the sights, leaving us to enjoy a peaceful afternoon on the porch. The cooling breezes helped keep the air crystal clear, which added to our enjoyment of the day. As we read, blogged, and otherwise whiled away the hours, we were entertained by our resident “porch guard” running across the porch, feverishly preparing for winter. He obviously trusts us as he even buried a couple of pine cones in the ground next to our porch — I hope he can find them when the cold months set in.
Eventually, our stomachs reminded us that dinner time was at hand. Mui started a fire for one last barbecue dinner on the porch. On the menu — shrimp, pasta with veggies, and garlic bread.
Left: Mui whiles away an afternoon on the porch.
Right: One last barbecue dinner on the porch.
We even had a guest for dinner!
Mr. Chippie brings his own dinner and joins us on the porch.
And so another day of our vacation draws to an end. As Mui put it earlier, today was a 9.9 on a scale of 10 — we’re deducting .1 because Angel Glacier did not cooperate and give us a spectacular calving to top things off (wink, wink). Time to take care of the chores before turning in. We plan to be off early again tomorrow!
Next Up: Quest for Salmon in British Columbia
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