June 27, 2015 JASPER NATIONAL PARK and beyond!
Jasper is just as amazing as Banff but yet so different. Banff is proper and gorgeous while Jasper is remote and wild and what lies in between is amazing too. The Columbia Icefields, which our entire family visited 18 ½ years ago while we were adventure camping throughout the United States. The Columbia Glacier is something to see and while I didn’t take the time to go onto the glacier this time, last time with the family we did the entire all day tour. It’s definitely something everyone should do once in there life. You can sit and stare at the Columbia Glacier all you want but until you walk on the ice and feel it move, there is nothing that is like it.
The vast nature of Jasper National Park with the incredible steep climbs and viewing the freezing cold violent glacier run off from 10 feet away as the river swells to grand proportions is more than I can describe. It’s scary knowing that one wrong move and your life is bye-bye. You could never get out of the turbulent waters due to the cold temperatures and swift current, its definitely death defying.
The road through Jasper National Park eventually leads to civilization and the town of Jasper, which was full of weekend bikers blaring their sound systems from their Harley’s, ahhhh just what I WASN’T ready for.
No stopping for anything in Jasper and on we were into a 300-mile remote side track. Coming into the resupply town of Hinton there is a huge sign that says, “ALASKA Scenic Route
I saw the sign and while re-fueling I asked the Canadian towing a big trailer about it and he said he wouldn’t do it because there is no help out there. Hmmmm, sounds like a good plan for the XploreBaja rig.
I had a few things on my forgot to bring list so I stopped at the mini-WalMart to grab 4-5 things. I just had to make it through this last shopping expedition, but the civilized world was eating at me. As I walked into WalMart I couldn’t believe I was doing it. I hate WalMart.
In 20 minutes I was able to get just about everything I was looking for and I made my way out to the XB II Camper, which was being admired by a retired couple and their granddaughter (29 year old granddaughter)… They told me they loved the XB II Camper and the Truck and then they blurted out they had traveled all over the Baja Peninsula as well! Dang, it was about time I met some people that love Baja as much as I do. We chit-chatted and finally got back to the camper and truck and they had to see the whole thing. I was reluctant to open up the backdoor because when I left in the morning I had just thrown things in the door due to the mosquitos and I hadn’t got a chance to clean it all up, but the granddaughter was all about seeing what was behind door #1.
They loved the interior and the layout of the inside, as well as the outside cabinets and how it all ties together. They admitted they were 82 years old and I woulda guessed they were in their late 50’s early 60’s…and they told me they are adventuring everywhere they never did before and regretted not starting until they were in their 70’s. They were on the way to Vancouver Island for a month of relaxation, but they thought about my plans on this trip and I could see the wheels turning. They live in Saskatchewan and have never been to Alaska. We said our goodbyes and off I went with Diezel into 400-miles of remote road.
This was great! No traffic, open roads and the wilds of Canada. The terrain is similar to the area in California off Highway 395 between Bishop and June Lake. Big hills and pines on both sides. Lots of lakes, streams and rivers and we had no problem finding places for Diezel to swim on this day.
We pushed onward and camped outside a small town in a small campground next to a stream. Deep enough for Diezel to get muddy and wet, but definitely not deep enough for him to actually swim, however, he did swim TWICE already today.
Xplore The Wild 