Driving the Icefield Parkway in the Canadian Rockies



Canadian Rockies along the Icefield Parkway

The next adventure on our agenda was to drive the Icefield Parkway (Alberta 93) from Banff National Park to Jasper National Park. I can understand why National Geographic Magazine called this one of the ‘World’s Ten Greatest Drives.’ This is an amazing drive through the backbone of the Canadian Rockies journeying through several icefields and glaciers that straddle the Continental Divide. Vast wilderness, sweeping valleys, pristine mountain lakes, waterfalls, wildlife and glaciers – it would be hard to find a more scenic and diverse drive.



Another gorgeous view along the Icefield Parkway

 

Columbia Icefield

 

After stopping many times at the scenic pullouts we reached the Icefield Center located near the Columbia Icefield. The Icefield Center was built on the glacial moraine of the Athabasca Glacier – the building stood where the ‘toe’ of this glacier ended 125 years ago.  The Athabasca Glacier is now located about ½ mile away and across the highway from the center.

Photos of the Columbia Icefield and its glaciers from 125 years ago are on exhibit as well as much information about glaciers and their formation, the geology they create and predictions of where the icefield and its glaciers may be 125 years from now.  Standing on the deck at the center and looking across the valley at the Athabasca Glacier really brought home how much the earth has warmed over the last century.

Athabasca Glacier across from Icefield Center