Icefields Parkway and onward to Elk River National Park.

Last of the catchup posts, Tuesday morning we left Banff for the drive along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and beyond.

The first part of the drive you go along The Trans Canada Highway for about 60km. and just passed Lake Louise you turn on to The Icefields Parkway.

                                                                       

How do I describe this drive and the scenery, you can use words like magnificent-aweinspiring-beautiful or that much over used word awesome, but none of them do it justice.  

I read somewhere this road is one of the best 10 drives in the world. I can't argue with that.

 Bow Lake, the river of the same name starts here eventually emptying into Hudsons Bay.

So many lakes and mountains, hard to keep track of them and their names.

Looking back down Sunwapta Canyon, just short of Sunwapta Summit

 Nearly there.

 And over the top, the highest pass of our journey 2035 metres. The weather changing by the time we approached Jasper it was raining on and off.

Lunch time. 

We joined the Yellowhead highway at Jasper and continued to Hinton. 

Wednesday morning rained all the way to Edmonton, on to Elk River Retreat a total drive Banff to Elk River 706km.

A change from mountains here at Elk River, grass with buffalo grazing.

Tranquil stream and Marsh Marigolds.

Astotin Lake.

One thing they have here which we don't like-mosquito's, pesky things!