Day 13 Banff, Alberta to Jasper National Park

Day 13 Banff, Alberta to Jasper National Park     09/02/10     Mileage: 327 

After putting the KLR’s rear end back together, we packed up and went to meet Webble for breakfast. He suggested, in fact, everyone suggested Melissa’s…and specifically the french toast. Well, it lived up to the billing and was really delicious.  

 

 

 

After that Paul and I shot over to the Banff information kiosk…he in search of a map and me to see what the area has to offer besides the town itself. With that done, our ride together had come to an end. Paul was turning the Beemer south back towards Colorado. He was going to try and make it home by Saturday for his son Lance’s first football game. I would continue northwest towards Lake Louise, Jasper an onward to Alaska. So with a final farewell, we parted ways and I was on my own once again. We had such a great time on the road…I miss riding with him already.  

 

 

My first stop was to check out the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel…and wow is that place spectacular.  

 

 

 

   

 

 

Next I rode up to an overlook where you could see all of Banff and the surrounding mountains and valley’s…quite a view for sure.  

 

On my way to my next stop, Morraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks, I saw a huge elk feeding right by the side of the road!  

 

He never gave me a second look as I sat there on the bike for 10 minutes watching and taking pictures.  

 

 

The ride to Morraine Lake was great and the lake itself is stunning (thanks to Andria for the suggestion!).  

 

 

Next stop was the Chateau Lake Louise which is a hotel set on the edge of an alpine lake of the same name that is nearly as stunning as Morraine Lake. The hotel itself is nice, but not in the same league as the Fairmont Banff Springs.  

 

 After a quick PB and honey on flat bread, it was off to Jasper National Park. On my way I saw my first bear of the trip! Just as the elk did earlier in the day, he could care less that I was there watching and didn’t even look my way.  

 

The scenery as I rode north was unbelievable. My jaw would have dropped to the ground had my helmet chin strap not been there to catch it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home for the night would be the Honeymoon campground about 30 miles south of Jasper where I got some great twilight pictures of the mountains reflecting in the lake.  

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow it’s on to the town of Jasper, then Dawson Creek.