We arrived at the Hinton KOA about 1:30 PM. The drive over was uneventful, but we must say, this part of Alberta certainly has its own beauty. There are no jagged peaks or magnificent lakes, only rolling hills covered with sense birch, lodge pole, and spruce with cattle ranches and farm ground etched out of the trees. The area reminded us a lot of the of the drive from Portland to Lincoln City, particularly southwest of McMinnville.
In the later afternoon, we drove west into the Jasper National Park and the town of Jasper (about 45 miles). The mountains around Jasper are steep, jagged monolithic granite. On the lower sections of the mountains, trees are able to grow.
We stopped at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge which was a little disappointing to us. We expected a “mountain-themed” lodge like Yellowstone or Glacier, but what we found was a modern building with some natural features. We entered the lodge and found a latte shop for a quick mocha and muffin.
The town of Jasper is located about in the middle of the park. It reminds us a bit of Leavenworth, WA the first time we visited there, about 20 years ago. Jasper is in the midst of upgrading their streetscape and there is quite a bit of commercial construction in progress. We walked the town's business area, made a few purchases, and then drove about town.
On the trip back to Hinton, we were able to photograph a few big horn ewes on a near-vertical cliff beside the roadway. It is absolutely amazing how these sheep are able to maneuver up, down and across the steep slopes.
We encountered intermittent rain showers late in the day, but as we approached Hinton, we had steady rain. We arrived at the KOA about 6:30, had dinner, and watched TV before going to bed.
Tomorrow we plan to go back into JNP and take the Jasper Tramway to a 7500' peak.
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