Page 31 - 2023 AMA Spring

TALBOT LAKE
I stopped at this lake on a whim whilst driving to West Edmonton Mall (the second largest mall in the world). The sun was rising and I could see a cool green colour on the water and the tips of the surrounding peaks lit by the morning sun. Talbot lake sits alongside Jasper Lake, a short 30-minute drive from Jasper town.
ABRAHAM LAKE
Abraham Lake is an artificial lake and Alberta’s largest reservoir. I previously wanted to visit this lake but didn’t get around to it on my last trip due to time constraints. However, by luck, on my way back to the airport the sat nav took me on a different route through the Kootenay Plains; thus providing this fortunate opportunity. As I approached the lake, I remembered thinking “Jesus, I should have come here, that water is a beautiful colour” and on that thought, I decided to stop and check what lake it was. I was pleasantly surprised as I’d researched the lake on seeing photos of it during the winter because it is famous for producing frozen methane bubbles that can be seen through the ice.
AND FINALLY,
this lake sit in Canada and the other third in the USA near a small mountain town called Waterton Park.
And so ends my memoirs of Canada’s abundant outdoor opportunities. Hopefully, these have inspired you in the same way that they inspired me and my Samsung Galaxy Note.
WATERTON LAKE
OTHER PL ACES TO VISIT IN JASPER
This lake was the first place I visited on my trip to Canada. I was staying in Calgary for 2 nights and Waterton National Park was only a three-and-a-half-hour drive away. I took the Linnet Loop as a starting point on arrival and after a short 5 minute walk I was greeted with one of the most amazing views I’d experienced (at this point of the trip anyway). Two thirds of
Waterton Lake Panoramic
Athabasca Falls.
Fed by the Columbia
Icefield and Athabasca river, this is one of the most powerful waterfalls to be found in Canada’s national parks, passing over layers of hard quartzite before falling onto softer limestone, carving potholes and short canyons along the way. The river was a landmark for Canada’s early fur trade route and the Cariboo Goldrush and since 1989, the Athabasca has been recognised as a Canadian heritage
river. (https://parks.canada.ca)
Miette Hot Springs. Set against the iconic backdrop of Jasper National Park, Miette Hot Springs offers the hottest mineral water in the Canadian Rockies, flowing from the mountain at 54°C before being cooled to a comfortable 40°C. This relaxing setting provides the ultimate opportunity to unwind after a hard day on the nearby Sulphur Skyline trail. (https://www. hotsprings.ca)
Columbia Icefield. At 89 square miles, the Columbia Icefield spans the two continental divides of high alpine plateaus along the Alberta-British Columbia border. Its annual snowfall is so significant that not all of it can melt in the short summer sun. As such, it accumulates and turns to ice which flows through surrounding passes and glaciers on its way to the Athabasca and other nearby river systems. (https://www.travelalberta.com)
Columbia Icefields Skywalk. An inspiring experience in one of Canada’s most unique ecosystems. Explore the immense powers of glaciology from a fully-accessible, cliff-edge walkway that leads to a glass-floored observation platform that towers 280m above the Sunwapta Valley floor. From ice-capped mountain peaks to vast glacier-formed valleys, the Glacier Skywalk offers a front row seat to one of Canada’s most amazing landscapes. (https://www.banfflakelouise.com)
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