After a relaxing afternoon the day before, we were more than ready to be a bit more active and finally submerge ourselves in the beauty of the Canadian Rockies.
We had two days to discover Jasper National Park and there was plenty to see in that little time.
Sadly the weather forecast for the days to come wasn’t all that good, so when we got up the first morning and saw that the sun was still shining brightly we immediately got into our car and drove the ten minutes from Jasper to the Jasper SkyTram parking lot.
This time we had done our research and were already informed that this gondola goes a lot higher than the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish. In seven minutes the Jasper SkyTram takes you up to 2263 metres above sea level. That way it is the highest and longest aerial tramway in Canada.
If those facts haven’t convinced you yet, the view from the top most definitely will. From the top of the upper station you can still hike a bit up to the top for a breathtaking 360° view. It’s quite a steep climb but it’s oh so worth it! Hello Canadian Rockies!
Isn’t that absolutely breathtaking? A ticket from the Jasper SkyTram costs 49,9 CAD and at the ticket desk you get assigned a time that you’re going to board the tramway. There is one every ten minutes so do take into account that you might have to wait a while for the next available tramway when it’s the high season or a busy weekend.
For the afternoon, we drove more north into Jasper National Park and headed for Pyramid Lake. Since we had forgotten all our hiking maps at our Airbnb, we decided to just freestyle along the hiking trails available there. But first, a stop at the Pyramid Island.
And then we just got lost along the trails through the forest until it was time to head back to Jasper for the evening.
The next day we were disappointed to find out that the sun had left us. We were met with grey clouds and the promise of some rain. But that didn’t stop us from exploring the Canadian nature.
And we were immediately rewarded for our dedication. Right outside the city limits of Jasper we had to stop for some deer crossing the road and a bit further down the road, there was a moose calmly grazing. Our first big wildlife. Pretty damn exciting!
We drove all the way to Maligne Lake and parked at the parking lot at the end of the road. There we chose the Loraine Lake and Mona Lake trail (5,2km return) to start our day. The hike itself wasn’t all the special, but along that trail we experienced one of the best moments of our entire trip. Suddenly we found ourselves eye to eye with a momma moose and her two babies. Such a magical moment!
One of the highlights of Jasper National Park is supposed to be Maligne Lake itself, but sadly it had started to rain by then so it kind of ruined the experience of this beautiful turquoise water. We still walked the Mary Schäffer Loop (3,2km) which went along the lake and then back through the forest.
A little bit disappointed we left Maligne Lake behind us, and headed for the Maligne Canyon. You can discover this fifty meter deep canyon over a 3,7 kilometer one way trail. The last bit until the Sixth Bridge isn’t all that special anymore but you should definitely go to the Fifth Bridge. Sadly this is quite a hotspot in the area so we weren’t on our own there. But the sun was peeking through the clouds again and we got some really amazing views along the way. Worth it!
Even though the weather wasn’t all that great that day, we tried to make the best of it and the moose encounter definitely made this day goddamn amazing. The next day we would be heading to Lake Louise along the Icefields Parkway. This was the day I had been looking forward to the most before departure. Exciting!
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