It had rained over night and when we got up very early it was still pouring down. We decided to give it a try and drove into the Icefield Parkway. The roads were empty and we enjoyed the peace and quiet at the sightseeing spots we went to. It was not until a few hours later that the roads got fuller and so did the view points.

The weather had cleared up a bit as we entered 93 Icefield Parkway and we were really glad we went.

Stopping at Hector Lake we enjoyed our first view of a lake as you would picture Canada to look like- calm water reflecting snow covered mountains.

Absolut highlight of the day was Peyto Lake on the next stop. The color of the water is absolutely unreal.

An info board by the lake explained the unusual appearance:

Why is the lake blue? The junction of the stream, the lake and the water leaving the glacier is muddy with rocks, gravel and silt. As the stream slows down most of that rubble is left behind to become delta. Silt flows into the icy water where most of it sinks to the bottom. Fine particles of rock ground to the texture of baking flour remain suspended in the water. This "rock flour" scatters the blue-green rays of light giving the lake its special colour.

The disadvantage of seeing such natural wonders as Peyto lake is that any „ordinary“ lake almost becomes „just another“. Which is a shame because lakes like Waterfowl Lake are breathtaking as well.

A stop along the Icefield Parkway that we almost missed is the trail head at Mistaya River. Park authorities could do a much better job at marketing this one. Just a short hike from the parking lot you cross Mistaya River over roaring water. The river starts at Peyto lake and thunders down deeply engraved in rock formations. The sheer force of the water is incredible. And so is the noise.

At Bow Lake we had a quick coffee stop but the rain had started again so we turned around at noon. Plus we still had a problem to take care of: When we started the car in the morning a warning light popped up stating an airbag malfunction. Makes you really proud of German engineering- we drove a Volkswagen.

So we headed back to the lodge to deal with the rental car agency. Our rental company promised to exchange the car but they had to bring one on a truck from Calgary. So we spent all afternoon waiting in the lodge. Since the weather hadn’t improved it could have been worse.

When we finally had a new rental we went for a delicious dinner and then packed up our belongings as we planned to head out early again the next morning towards Jasper.