There have been times when I thought this trip would bring out the very best in me... I’ve only been away just over 2 weeks and I can tell you now, it has done so. I never thought I would have had the opportunity to see some of the most amazing scenery this world has to offer, yet in the past week and a half since starting the road trip I have been to some pretty amazing places and seen some awesome works of Mother Nature...
I will start off with the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler. The day I left there was not a cloud in sight, and the scenery was awesome. Even though I was driving I still tried to get pics as I was leaving the city behind and moved into a comfortable driving pattern. Although the road is more like a zigzag along the coast until entering Squamish country it is still highly recommended to do as it is so easy. Numerous times along the way I had to look for places to pull over and take a few pictures but in the end I resorted to pic-while-driving... not safe by any stretch of the imagination but it did work.
The first stop I made was at Shannon Falls, which in comparison to Brandywine Falls further up the road is a mere trickle, where you can see the waterfall from the carpark but that would be the lazy thing to do. Had to get out as I was getting pretty restless. A good walk up to the waterfall soon had me wondering what would be next. Little did I know that the best was yet to come at Brandywine Falls about an hour up the road. At this particular waterfall it seriously looks like Mother Nature has carved a circle out of a valley and decided to put a large waterfall in there, which then flows through said creek and over to Brandywine Lake.
Had a good night rest in Whistler, after having a tour of the local brewery funnily enough named ‘The Whistler Brewery’ and going out for dinner with a couple of other aussies that were staying at the same hostel. Next morning I went into the township and began imagining what it would be like with 10,000 other Australians living there at the peak of winter... Lets just say I want to be one of them next year...
From there the drive to Kamloops took about 7 hours to go 400km as the roads were very winding, but also passing through some amazing countryside. Lakes in the middle of mountains, mountains in the middle of lakes and everywhere you go... rain. It is hard to believe that the particular road is shut off from the world for up to 7 months of the year due to snow and avalanches as it is a really nice drive (if you don’t mind going up slopes that are on about a 30 degree incline that is). At one stage I was worried that my car (which I am still yet to name) was struggling a little too much but as it turned out all was ok.
After a night in Kamloops, BC, I made my way to Lake Louise in Alberta (AB) which was about an 8 hour drive but none-the-less spectacular. I had a great view of sunrise in the Rockies while I pulled over in Salmon Arm for a much needed break only an hour into the trek. From there it was more winding roads and sweeping bends with some awesome views of lakes and valleys along the side of the road. Too bad i wasn’t able to stop in some places as it would have made for some really good shots. Overnighted in Lake Louise and rose early for what was to be a long but definitely worthwhile day.
The drive along the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper generally takes about 3-3 ½ hours. It took me 7 hours as I was stopping every few kilometres to take photos. The first photo opportunity came about due to people stopping in the middle of the road for what I thought was wildlife crossing the road. It was people stopping to take photos at Lake Nelson which was perfectly still for the reflection shots. From there it was Peyto Lake, Athabasca-Andromedes Glacier and then finally Jasper, just to name 3 of the many stops I made.
Will keep you all updated with more news once I get there... where-ever ‘there’ may be J
