Since the early 1900s, Alberta has been a popular destination for tourists looking
to discover the real Canada and with some of the most stunning scenery on the planet,
it's not hard to see why.
So I've loaded the iPod, packed the car and decided upon one of the most iconic road
trips in North America, taking in the forests and glaciers of the Canadian Rocky Mountains
and it all starts in the little town of Banff.
Banff National Park has always been a place where people have to come to explore.
The First Nations have been doing it for 10,000, 12,000 years and it has not changed.
We still get amazing amount of people coming from not only Alberta but from Canada, from
around the world to explore the valley.
If you love photography, well we have subjects, we have wildlife, we have nature, we have
flora fauna in every direction you look.
The crisp alpine air here really is as clean as it gets and the expansive mountain skate
that circles the horizon is just crying out to be explored, which is exactly what I'm
going to do on one of the oldest forms of transport in the area.
Well the main reason we have visitors coming to Banff National Park for horseback riding
and stuff is its untouched wilderness, there isn't ATBs or anything like that going through
it, the only thing allowed really is horseback.
Sir Roland, you're actually a real cowboy, you said you grew up on a ranch, is that right?
Yes, yes I did grow up on a ranch, five hours north east of here.
The Canadian Rockies were actually settled by horseback, the only way to travel efficiently
and carry enough supplies to last you a few days you need to go by horses.
You don't have to be a really good rider, we have any horse to suit your needs to come
for a ride.
Well this is breathtaking, I can't think of a better way to see this gorgeous forest
and it's so tranquil and unlike when you're hiking you don't really have to watch where
you're stepping because you're sitting on a horse and it's like a giant walking chair
really.
On our back country tours you can see your bears and wolves and stuff, when you get into
the further like one day, two days and up you'll get to see like those waterfalls, high
altitude lakes and just lots of good scenery.
Oh what an incredible view, so what's that mountain over there?
Cascade mountain.
Ah lots of waterfalls I'm guessing.
Yes, mountain of cascading water.
And it was by horseback that early settlers to the region uncovered the perfect remedy
to a day's riding.
Two European settlers actually discovered the hot springs in 1883, the lower hot springs.
They then discovered the upper hot springs in 1884 which are now the ones that we continue
to bathe in today.
They believe that the hot springs actually had healing benefits, people of all sorts
of illnesses would come travel from far away even from Europe.
So the best time to bathe here at the hot springs is in the evening and we actually
are open until 11pm at night.
The moon will actually rise up above one of our mountains, it's very beautiful and excellent
time to take a picture.
The steam also rises from the hot water in the evening and it's a very beautiful natural
experience.
Well it's 10 o'clock at night, I'm half way up a mountain and I've got to admit I was
expecting to be quite a lot colder than this but these waters are 39 degrees Celsius and
it really is quite magical surrounded by fir trees and stars, it's a perfect way to relax
at the end of your day.
Leaving Banff takes you to the start of Highway 93, also known as the Icefields Parkway and
to Lake Louise where I met up with local guide Rebecca for a spot of sightseeing.
Well the Lake Louise ski area is a year round resort, we have a skiing and snowboard destination
in the winter and in the summer we offer a sightseeing lift in Gondola.
Gosh, what a vantage point.
Yeah, you have the village of Lake Louise down there, you have the actual lake of Lake
Louise with the chateau, the glacier and then over there is Mount Temple.
Without wanting to sound like a glacier, it does look like a postcard, it's just stunning.
In addition to the views we have our award winning interpretive center, we do complimentary
presentations and guided hikes, walks and we also have hiking routes available from
the top of the lift as well.
Rebecca Bear Scare, I can imagine what it does but what is it exactly?
This is bear spray, so hikers will typically take this with them when hiking in bear country,
another precaution in case they do encounter a bear just to scare it away in case it's
curious.
But if you're making enough noise and following the protocol for traveling in groups you shouldn't
have to use it, I've never had to.
As you travel along Highway 93, the landscape that unfolds before you becomes more breathtaking
at every turn but keep an eye out for all the little detours that reveal some real
hidden treasures.
This is Bowes Summit, the highest point on the Icefields Parkway.
It's famous for its colourful timberline meadows and stunning views of both the Pato Glacier
and Pato Lake, said to be the bluest lake in the Rockies.
When you're driving through the Banff and Jasper National Parks, it's easy to see why
this route is dubbed the Icefields Parkway and no visit would be complete without an
excursion onto the Columbia Glacier itself where you get to feel like you're truly on
top of the world.
So David, tell me where exactly I am because it does look quite lunar, I could be on the
moon.
Oh, without a doubt, very alien landscape here.
It is.
But you're out in the middle of the Athabasket Glacier, below us there's about 300 metres
of ice.
That's a lot of ice, gosh!
It's coming from above the Columbia Icefield, much larger glacier, about the size of the
city of Vancouver in area, over 300 square kilometres.
The vehicles that we use are specially adapted for this type of environment, they use huge
low pressure tyres and the engines are designed to sit high at the back of the coach to direct
heat away from the glacier, so we're having a very minimal impact to come out here.
Well, as you look around this glacier, I mean, I don't need to tell you how unbelievably
dramatic it looks and when you're up here, it really does feel like it's just you and
the elements.
Speaking of elements though, this wind is absolutely freezing, so if you don't mind,
I think I'll get back on the bus.
Yes, a little vest of Incardigan was no match for that icy Canadian breeze, so it's back
on the bus and back down the mountain.
Sadly though, all good things must come to an end and this road trip winds up at the
park community of Jasper and the best way to see it is from the peak of the mighty Whistler's
Mountain.
The Jasper Tremblay is in its 40-50 year of operation, we built it in 1964.
Whistler's Mountain was named after the little hoary mormons that you'll see running around
up here because of the noise they make when they're calling each other.
This has to be one of the most spectacular views I think I've ever seen, how high up
are we here?
We're about 2,200 metres and this mountain itself is about 2,400 metres.
Now I can see the town of Jasper down there, what else am I looking at?
Well, you do have a view of five different mountain ranges here as well as there is the
Athabasca River here which has the green look because of the glacial silt.
There's also the hike to the summit which can take about 45 minutes each way and it's
not that hard for anybody to do.
The reaction of people is just amazing, they're just inspired by the view of course, they're
not expecting it, they're really not expecting what they see up here.
I love it here, it's an amazing place.
When I came to Alberta I expected to see mountains, rivers and wildlife but what I've experienced
in the Banff and Jasper National Parks is so much more because nothing can quite prepare
you for the sheer scale and beauty of the place.
This may be my first trip to the Canadian Rockies but it certainly won't be my last.
