Icefields

This morning we got up early to start our tour along the Icefields Parkway. This tour and High Tea at the Fairmont Lake Louise were the most highly recommended activities.

The tour started a little after 8:00 am and we got off the bus a little after 5:00 pm. Quit a full day; we covered 400 km (about 250 miles). There were seven on the trip. Beside Tina and me, there was a couple from England, a couple from Singapore and a young girl from Japan. I don’t believe the lady from England had ever experienced an outdoor privvy. That is all that there is generally available in the wilds of Alberta.

The best description of the day is the photos.

The tour included several hikes where we needed to use ice gear on our shoes.

At one point we hiked to the toe of a glacier.

This like all other glaciers is receding. The the toe of the glacier is marked with signs indicating the location and year.

During the trip the guide was hoping to see wildlife. It wasn’t until we returned to Banff that we got a significant sighting. Elk, we learned is an invasive species here. Long ago they were introduced from Yellowstone Park in the USA. The elk eventually pushed out the native caribou.

It was a great excursion. However, it made for a long day.