It pays getting up early. We left the lodge at six in the morning and it was still raining but just half an hour later the sun started to come through.

Just minutes from the lodge we saw a couple of beautiful moose grazing in the early morning light.

As we had already done the first half of the Icefields Parkway yesterday we drove past all lookouts until we reached the „Weeping Wall“ Wall viewpoint about 100km into the park.

For a brief period it started raining again but soon the weather turned sunny and warmer. We left Castle Mountain with 5 degrees and rain and arrived at Jasper with 23,5 degrees and sunshine.

On the way North we passed the toe of the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefield as well as Stutfield Glacier.

The first short hike of the day took us to Sunwapta Falls. Once again we were mesmerized by the force of the water.

A hike that we had been really looking forward to was „Valley of Five Lakes“.

You can do the short version and just hike up to „Lake Five“ ( they are simply numbered). But we decided to do the whole experience and hike the 10 kilometer trail that takes you through the woods along all five of the lakes, plus one that is not counted.

The hike started off with a big surprise- just a few steps into the walk we once more saw two gorgeous moose.

On the Five Lake trail we hiked large parts by ourselves- which was really nice but a bit scary in bear country. We therefore decided to get a bear bell as well. This bell is intended to make the bears aware of human presence. Apparently they try to avoid humans and most attacks happen because the bear gets surprised. Not sure how true this is as just a bit outside of Jasper, driving to Pyramid Lake, this black bear with her cub crossed the road completely unbothered right in front of our car. From the safety of our car this was a wonderful experience!

A beautiful spot in the Canadian Rockies is Lake Paradise. The tranquil lakes would be the perfect spot for a summer vacation.

But we were booked into a ranch for the next two nights. As they advertise themselves on their website: „Located just outside of Jasper National Park, we offer the splendor of the Rockies without the crowds and hustle of the park.“ (Website Black Cat Ranch)

Sounds like the perfect spot to get some relaxation after the buzzing Icefields Parkway, doesn’t it?