Late Travelling in Western Canada

Fall....

It is the most beautiful time of the year with the various colors. It also happens to be a great time to travel as well, since you get to avoid excessive tourists and annoying insects. This happens to be my favorite time to travel, and as a result here comes a chilly travel blog deep within the Canadian Rocky mountains.

So, where do we start? Well, Lake Louise is a great place, and one that many are familiar with. The lake is located on the outskirts of Banff National park (bordering with Yoho National park). Lake Louise also has easy access like most areas of interest within Banff, because it's positioned close to the main highway (Trans-Canada highway). It's definitely a must see. However because it's so popular, the lake doesn't have much value for the true adventurer, as we appreciate novelty more than easy access. That being said, it's worth the turn off and here is a picture for your enjoyment!

We had to continue our journey past where the overcrowded spectacles are. Our destination was Jasper, a place where many do not dare to go. (Mainly due to it's long distance from any major city). To us, this makes the journey much more magical and mystical. So we hit the main highway and turned off onto the only route to Jasper. It quickly became a ghost road and this was something we were not used to. Nobody is in sight, at first it felt strange and then it quickly turned into a sense of bliss. Even though the road was covered in ice and snow for the majority of our travels, we felt safe.

Out here, the roads aren't really maintained. It made sense, since not many would travel it. The elevation gain was incredible, as we scaled the countryside into the mountains. With it, we looked backed and the valley looked magnificent.

Clearly, we were gaining altitude quickly to the point where we had reached the peak of the mountains. It felt like an entirely different world, a colder world and unseen escapade. To our surprise, we had reached what's known as the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National park. We just had to capture a picture of this rare opportunity and we were feeling on top of the world!

Although we wanted to spend more time here, we had to continue. Back on the road we go, and soon our elevation started dropping drastically. It began looking as if spring was here and we just left winter behind. The roads began clearing up, although snow was still evident. Along the way, we "rammed" into some animals who were trying to lick the salt off of the roads. This seems to be common among most animals, and some will even lick the salt off of your car!

Now we were able to find some worthwhile hikes within the area. Being a national park there are many "turn offs" for people to visit. Too many certainly for one day, so we just chose random ones as this was our first time here. Our destination was "Horseshoe lake" and along the way we captured some stunning pictures of the landscape! Here is a panoramic shot!

We continued onward to Horseshoe Lake, which happened to be a short hike. It's located just south of the town of Jasper and offers some unique beauty. Being the time of the year, I found the pictures to have more color and depth. The scenery was just all too natural and not exploited yet. To us, this is what true adventure is all about. Upon reaching the lake, it didn't take long to get absorbed into Nature's overwhelming beauty. Generally untouched by humans (in compared to other locations) it was well worth the drive! The water was just as reflective as a mirror.

Jasper, you are something special. I hope this blog has sparked interest in exploring further than the majority go. As for those who put in the effort are those who reap the reward!

All photography was done by me and my girlfriend.

• Thanks for experiencing our blog.