Augusta and I woke up at Whistler’s Campground in Jasper National Park on our fifth day of roadtripping through the Canadian Rockies in June last year. We’d spent the night in the car and had our first sleep-in, so we were ready to take on the second mountain climb of our trip, to the summit of Morro Peak at 1.679 m! We wanted to climb one of Jasper’s mountains but most of the high peaks were icy and we didn’t have the right equipment, so we opted for this “small” mountain instead.
A hike up Morro Peak
As always in the Canadian Rockies, we saw a lot of wildlife on this day. On our way to the mountain, a coyote ran over the road, and at the parking lot, we met two mountain goats!
It was really hot out, so we took our time on the climb up. I also wasn’t feeling very well that morning, so I was extra slow. The trail was quite steep and even treacherous in places, but we managed to get to the summit in around three hours. It was hazy because of nearby wildfires, but the views were mesmerizing nonetheless. We had a stunning view over the Athabasca River below and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. We sat on the summit for quite a while, enjoying leftover pizza and peanut butter wraps.
On the way down, we met a guy from Vancouver who was working in Jasper for the summer. He decided to follow us down the mountain, but we got lost twice so that probably wasn’t the best decision on his part! Still, we had lots of fun playing “I Spy” while trying to find the correct trail. By getting lost, we actually managed to skip the most treacherous part with lots of loose gravel, so it wasn’t all bad!
Mount Edith Cavell
The hike took a lot longer than we’d expected, and we were absolutely roasting afterwards because of the hot and humid weather, so we drove into Jasper to get ourselves a cold drink.
But the day was still young, so we drove up to the parking lot below Mount Edith Cavell, the most prominent mountain in Jasper National Park with an elevation of 3.363 m. On the north face, the Angel Galcier spills over a 300-metre cliff. It’s a majestic sight, enhanced even more by Cavell Lake below, which mirrors the mountain and glacier.
We walked the short loop trail to the Cavell Pond, which is tucked at the base of the mountain. The pond is fed by the glaciers of the mountain, which gives the pond its beautiful turquoise colour – as well as numerous tiny icebergs. We continued to the Cavell Meadows and hiked part of the trail to a lookout above the pond where we sat and rested for a while and enjoyed our dinner. We met several squirrels and a marmot along the way, and also spotted a raven chilling on a rock!
After our little evening hike, we drove to Pavell Lake in search of the famous viewpoint at a small bridge. This is where the best view of Mount Edith Cavell is found, with the lake and reflections in the foreground and the mountain massif in the background.
Athabasca Falls and a sunset along Icefields Parkway
Mount Edith Cavell was the last destination we had planned in Jasper National Park, so it was time to head back towards Banff National Park where we wanted to spend our last two days. It wasn’t long until we spotted a black bear near the side of the road, and I was finally able to get a decent photo!
In the soft light of golden hour, we passed by Athabasca Falls, which fall 23 metres into the powerful Athabasca River. The falls are not high by the standards of the Canadian Rockies, but the scenery and the gorgeous light made a pitstop inevitable. Moments before, I’d taken off my hiking boots to give my tired feet a rest, so I walked to the viewpoint in my socks. No regrets!
As we drove away from Jasper along the Icefields Parkway towards Banff, we watched golden hour turn to a gorgeous sunset and then to dusk. It was astonishing and a beautiful way to say goodbye to Jasper!
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