Jasper and Canmore Travel Day

  Well, last day in Jasper before driving back to Canmore. We stayed up the prior night to see the sunset... at 10:20pm! So we planned a later start, with the goal to rent canoes when they open at 9am. When renting the canoes, we asked where they were from. They were from Melbourne. In fact, it seemed like most of the workers were Australian. They said they wanted to work in the US, but it was much easier to get visa's in Canada rather than the US. Hopefully they'll make it to the US.

  The canoeing was great. No one else on the lake and water so beautiful and clear. There were geese and beautiful loons. Once we reached the far cove and started paddling back, we glimpse bears. In fact, three bears! A mamma and two cubs. We were all glad we saw them and extra glad we didn't see them on any hike (yet).

  After canoeing, the girls head to the spa area to enjoy the hot tub and saunas while I load the car and check out. After loading, I walk to the pool and just sit and try to take in the view as much as I can. Eventually the girls join me and we go to the car and head out. 

  Today was hitting all the places on the road from Jasper to Canmore that we skipped on the trip up. We hit Athabasca Falls...

... Sunwapta Salls

... then Peyto Lake. Wow, this was a stunner.

  Not only that, there was snow/ice... in early July.

  We see more bears on the drive back. In fact, of the three times, one caused a traffic jam, with people stopping in all the lanes and both shoulders of the road. Later at dinner I asked the waitress and she said everyone calls them "bear jams". Ha... very fitting.

  Then we finally make it to Lake Louise, one of the musts on the agenda. Signs all say parking is FULL. Undeterred, we still go toward the lake. Finally, just after the Fairmont, they wave us into the parking lot... and park. Yay! We walk to the Fairmont to the trailheads. Whew, crowded and loud. We pick the Fairview trail and start hiking up. And I do mean UP. Luckily(?) the _up_ really thinned out the crowds. In fact, it thinned us out a bit too, with Madison heading back to the car due to a combination of tough hike and mosquitos at full Amazon level. Bailley, Abigail, and I finally made it to the end, and yeah, it was a great view. 

  We then loaded up and headed the rest of the way down to Canmore. We unloaded again, then grabbed food at the pub below the airBnB. Time to collapse once again.