Kansas Girl Meets Glacier Ice

Sunday, July 24

In Jasper National Park, south of the town of Jasper, lies the 
Columbia Icefield.  As we drove north on Highway 93, we saw one glacier after another, but these didn't prepare me for the Athabaskan Glacier, formed by the Columbia Icefield.  

Mike had already taken the tour of the glacier years ago when he was here so he hung out in the parking lot while I bought my ticket for the glacier tour and the Skywalk.  (We met a guy in the park in Golden who knows the engineer who designed the Skywalk.)  The parking lot and the center were absolutely packed with visitors.

A bus takes you up to the area where the snow cats are waiting to take you to the glacier.  My guide was a very handsome young man from France who seems to drift around the world.  He speaks perfect English and, of course, perfect French, so being a guide in Canada is a natural fit. 

The Icefield

Tourists on the glacier.

Snow Cat

It was partly sunny when we arrived on the glacier but in the next few minutes, sleet started to pelt everyone.  Going back to the snow cat was popular.

Thomas, the guide, told us that the snow cats are custom made at an average cost of $1.2 million (Canadian).  Each tire weighs 400 pounds and costs about $5,000.  No wonder they charge so much for the tours, about $65 USD in my case.

Keeping the road safe for the snow cats is a major undertaking, as the glacier is constantly changing and re-arranging itself.  Thomas said a crew goes up every morning and several times a day to inspect the route and, if necessary, make changes with dozers.  Cracks can open up in the course of one day.  Bad for business to lose a snow cat with 30 people on it in a crevasse. 

There were four or five loads of tourists on the glacier at one time.  Many appeared to be on tours from China, Japan, and India.  In my group were three young ladies from China (I presume) who clearly didn't understand "glacier."  They were dressed in flimsy light clothes with sandals.  On the way to the snow cats they chit chatted with each other, and they stayed together on the glacier.  

The snow cat took us back down to where the bus picked us up for the ride to the Skywalk.  The bus route goes past the visitor center and down the highway a mile or two. As the bus passed the visitor center, the young ladies, seated up front, all jumped up and started yelling at the driver.  Bless her heart, she tried to calm them down and continue with her presentation about the Skywalk.  She finally gave up and said "I think I will sing a song."  And she did, one with about 10 verses.  As soon as the bus arrived at the Skywalk, the three young ladies stormed off the bus and stomped to another bus waiting to take people back to the visitor center.  So...they either got on the wrong bus (unlikely, as guides check the tickets at a couple of places) or they didn't understand there were two stops.  I stopped to talk with the driver and told her she handled it beautifully.  She was frazzled!

The Skywalk is a new addition to the park, built after Mike was here.  I did notice there were a few people clinging to the railing on the part with the "invisible" floor.  The Skywalk is about 800 feet above the canyon floor but my photo through the floor doesn't give you the same effect as standing there staring down...and down...and down.

View from the Skywalk.

View through the floor.