Vinz and I liked Jasper National Park much better than Banff National Park. There were considerably fewer tourists, and the landscape was just as beautiful. The drive from Banff to Jasper was along Icefields Parkway, considered one of the most scenic roads in the world.
We spent two full days in Jasper National Park and went on two great hikes. On the first day, we hiked 2.5 hours to Wilcox Viewpoint. It kept raining on and off, and the peak was so windy and cold that we only stayed a few seconds before heading back down. But whenever it stopped raining, the views were fantastic!
On the second day, we first visited Medicine lake to see the bald eagles nesting. We found the nest, and there were two baby eagles inside. Apparently, the dominant eagle (on the left) will likely kill its sibling in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the parents. But we did see a family of Pikas at the lake, which was very cute!
In the afternoon, we hiked the Sulphur Skyline Trail. It was beautiful as well, and we finally had a full day without rain!
We left Jasper National Park this morning and drove to 150 Mile House in British Columbia. We have another work day planned, and then we will head to Bella Coola, where we will spend a few days and take the ferry to Vancouver Island. We are enjoying our trip so much that we are now considering driving everything back to the east coast after returning from Vancouver Island!