Far Away Places

Last week I was lucky enough to head back into the mountains, as anyone who read my previous post might already know. I had briefly been to Jasper in August, on my way to Maligne Lake where I went kayaking (see blog post here: https://www.thebackwoodsblonde.com/post/foggy-emotions) and had stopped for gas. Excited to get to the lake and overwhelmed by the amount of people (as always) I carried on my way without exploring the beautiful mountain town much. I went back in October to the Whistle Stop Pub as a respite from the 3.5 days of camping in sub zero temperatures for the mountaineering course I took part in. When I decided a few weeks ago that I needed a dose of the mountains, to have an adventure, it was the very easy choice. AirBnBs are plentiful, the town is surrounded by mountains ,restaurants and lakes begging to be skated on. You all know my journey into Jasper on the first day so I'll skip that part, if you don't then go back one blog post and you're all caught up.

Maligne Canyon My first full day in Jasper started with a trip to Maligne Canyon where I got to explore the beautiful, frozen, phenomenon. If you ever get the chance to check out this stunning area of Jasper in the winter I highly recommend it. You can book with multiple different tour groups due to the danger of walking on ice, falling ice and rocks and the fact that the trail to the canyon is actually locked for peoples safety (through it is climbable) or you can explore by yourself but I highly recommend ensuring you're dressing warm enough, have waterproof boots, micro spikes and even a climbing helmet. The environment down there is constantly changing, shifting, rocks and ice are falling and the ice thins and thickens in the slightest change of temperature so definitely don't venture alone. When down there, there are plenty of areas to explore, caves to meander into if small spaces don't bother you and glorious frozen formations to be in awe of. The benefit of this canyon is also the surrounding trails and lookout points that enable you to make at least a 4-6 hour day of this area if you choose to explore everything it has to offer.

I went back to town for lunch and then headed to Lake Mildred which is near Jasper Fairmont Hotel, had plenty of parking and was not busy on a Friday afternoon. The hotel ensures the safety of the ice, maintains a lovely oval track with 3 small shinny rinks in the centre. There were benches placed around the oval to sit and admire the views which was nice but there were constantly tractors driving around the oval maintaining the surface (which was incredibly bumpy.)

Pyramid Lake and Pyramid Mountain

Day 2 in Jasper was one of my favourite days in the mountains yet, I woke up before sunrise, packed a bag, a snack and grabbed my skates. Pyramid mountain is only about a 15 minute drive from the core of Jasper along a fairly well maintained road, the views incredible the entire drive. There is ample parking near the lake which is overlooked by Pyramid Lake Resort (which I can imagine would be a gorgeous stay in winter or summer) and the surface is maintained by the resort. When I arrived there were people on the ice ensuring it was safe to skate on, the surface was slushy in places but overall exceptionally smoother than Mildred Lake. And I had the entire thing to myself. I set up my GoPro to catch the sunrise in action on timelapse and skated as I watched the mountain become engulfed in the most gorgeous golden hues I've ever laid my eyes on. I continue to have these moments that feel like pure peace, healing, life altering experiences and each time I do, I think "there's no way something will be better than this." But the glorious thing about life is the constant reminder that no matter how bad or even how great our days are, there will continue to be moments that are better than the last. I find this such a humbling reminder that even when were in dark places, we can have hope knowing that there is so much radiant light just around the corner.

After my face hurt from the wind and my feet hurt from the skates, I traded the blades for hiking boots (cue blisters on blisters) and headed for Pyramid Lake Loop. An estimated 8km loop with views of Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake, multiple different trail systems so if you happen to get lost, it's easy to hop back on a trail and plenty of spots to rest and enjoy the view. Don't forget to pack a snack, a thermos of your favourite hot drink or just plan to take the time to enjoy the sights from the top!

If you're in this area I highly recommend checking out Pyramid Island, it's close to P7, is connected by a short bridge and is well worth the small walk over. I went at sunset on a chilly afternoon and was lucky enough to have the island to myself where I enjoyed a jetboil apple cider and the sunset.

Medicine Lake

The thing about Jasper is that they have no reason to adequately maintain roads that lead no where except to beautiful lakes. I set out on this day wanting to snowshoe and watch the sunrise at Medicine Lake and then potentially head to Maligne Lake for another adventure. However, Maligne Lake road was not the best drive. It was plowed, but had icy spots, valleys and lots of blind curves that I did not feel safe continuing to navigate on my own when I hadn't seen another vehicle on the road all morning. I arrived at Medicine Lake to find that the lake wasn't frozen enough to snowshoe on (this lake is a phenomenon, it's like a giant bathtub and is constantly draining from the bottom so if the weather doesn't maintain cold enough temperatures, it doesn't stay frozen), so I walked around the perimeter of the lake and sat on a few rocks to enjoy the sunrise instead. The morning was clouded over and I didn't get the golden mountain glow I had been hoping for but I did get some moody clouds and determined sun. I decided to not drive another 25+ minutes to Maligne Lake and instead headed back into Jasper and hiked the Mina Riley Loop.

Mina Riley Loop This loop was incredibly accessible, starting in the middle of the town of Jasper, parking made easy across from the community centre. I enjoyed this hike because there were multiple viewpoints over the town which I found very charming, the hike is rated as easy on Alltrails and I would agree, not a technical hike, some icy spots and areaas where the trail isn't well marked but otherwise a leisurely hike with plenty of viewpoints. My favourite part of this hike was the dam at Cabin Lake which was windy but offered some great views. Another area where there are plenty of trails that interconnect so it's hard to get lost and easy to find your way back to the start even if you end up off your intended route.

In honour of full transparency, of all the solo adventuring I've done, this was the first time I felt slightly unsafe (read: sketched out) by my environment. There was no reason for me to feel this way, I think I just got in my head which was unusual and a difficult thing to talk myself out of. Maybe it was not seeing another human (which I usually don't anyway), or the vast amount of animal tracks compared to other hikes I've done, or being SO close to Jasper (it would have been easier to be followed?) or the fact that the trees seemed to be unusually alive and creaky. I feel ridiculous now because looking back it was a lovely hike, I had cell reception the entire way. I had my GPS on, I had by knife and my safety gear but my mind seemed to be against me. I didn't like feeling that way during the hike but in retrospect it's a good reminder to never be TOO comfortable, to think through scenarios so you can be prepared in case the unthinkable happens, to remember that I'm only human and a constant work in progress.

Patricia Lake

My Last morning in Jasper I wanted to get out to Patricia Lake (a smaller lake on the way to Pyramid) only around 10 minutes from my airbnb. This was a perfect way to spend my last morning, I had read that it's great to skate on, that the sunrise is as beautiful as it is on Pyramid lake and that there are even places to have small fires. This was a lesson in "don't believe everything you read."

While the view was stunning, there were hockey nets on the ice but it was completely snow covered, as though it hadn't been cleared in weeks and only one bench, definitely no spaces where there were evidence of people having fires. I briefly contemplated making the drive to Pyramid lake to go skating one last time and then decided to enjoy the moment regardless. I grabbed my jetboil and sat on the lake instead of skating on it. I made myself a coffee and did not enjoy the sunrise because it was a very overcast morning. Instead, I enjoyed the clouds rolling past the mountains, watching the weather be moody but taking mental snapshots for my memory knowing it would be my last mountain morning for a while. I was having a difficult time leaving, not wanting to go back to my airbnb and pack up and then do a 4 hour drive to Edmonton for my flight when mother nature said "Girl...get your butt in gear" and within seconds, the mountains were completely invisible, hiding behind clouds.

I loved every moment of my time in Jasper, an experience I am so thankful I was lucky enough to take advantage of and getting to experience the little town in off season where it wasn't overflowing with tourists. The weather was ideal the entire time and I spent another few days learning, growing and adventuring and I couldn't have asked for more. I will definitely be back to visit but I don't think I'd spend another 5 days solely in Jasper, especially in the winter when driving to many of the good hikes is either impossible because of closed roads or a little sketchy because the open roads are covered in snow and ice. Places to Eat If you head to Jasper, here is where I ate if you're looking for recommendations. 1) Jasper Brewing Co. Great beer, good environment and phenomenal food. Not being from the area, they made me feel welcome, gave me recommendations for hikes and other places to explore. 2) Bear's Paw Bakery The best caramel macchiato I have ever had, usually bakeries make small cups and charge an arm and a leg, this cup of coffee was as big as my face and more than affordable. The baked goods make it hard to pick just one thing and the "small town" feel made me want to sit and enjoy it all morning 3) Jasper Pizza Place So many people recommended this pizza. While they were incredibly friendly, it was $20 for a 10" pizza which was covered in so much sauce I think I scraped enough off to make a serving of pasta for a family of 4. It wasn't too greasy though and came with a side of deep fried pickles that were the best I've ever had. 4) Wafflato For a place that specializes in waffles I was disappointed in the plain Belgian waffle, maybe I should have gone for one of the gourmet ones but the bacon, eggs and hashbrowns were definitely worth a visit to this charming little breakfast stop on the main street. The coffee wasn't as good as at Bear's Paw but hit the spot after a chilly morning of adventures. 5) Patricia Street Deli A cute little hole in the wall deli that makes fresh sandwiches to your liking when you order. A delicious bun and so many topping options. With an option to add a side cup of soup or some baked goods, this was a great place to grab a quick lunch in between hikes.

6) De'd Dog Bar and Grill I decided dinner on my final night here was fitting because they served Kokanee which my Dad used to love to treat himself with. The vibe was classic small town bar, it was moderately busy for a Monday night and plenty of screens to watch the football game. The service was sub par, I felt slightly like an inconvenience though they were friendly enough and the food was nothing to rave about but it was hot and came quickly. I wouldn't say this is a "must stop at" but if you're looking for a good array of beer options and a quite bite to eat this is a decent stop.

Are you planning on making a trip to Jasper? Feel free to message me with any questions about my journeys, I'd love to answer any questions I can to make your adventures enjoyable. Until then, enjoy the last few months of this chilly weather, I can't wait to share my next adventures with you!