Fri, Oct 8 2010, Sat, Oct 9 2010, Sun, Oct 10 2010, Mon, Oct 11 2010 - The Jasper Last Gasp (View Original Event Details)
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What a nice way to spend Thanksgiving weekend!
Five people made it up to Jasper on Friday night and the other two turned up on Saturday. The early birds managed to have a nice drive down the Icefields Parkway on Saturday, followed by a little hike up Parker Ridge and a brief stopover at Athabasca Falls, before adjourning to the hot tub at the Jasper Activities Centre. Dinners were either made at the hostel or grabbed at a Jasper restaurant, and we made it to bed at the end of a long day.
Early on Sunday morning, we embarked on the harrowing drive up the Celestine Lake Road, a nail biting one-way trip around cliffsides and down twisting forest roads. We made it to the trailhead by around 9:00 and set out for Devona Lookout. Celestine Lake was our first stop, and we paused for a snack. A quick run up to the wind-scoured Devona Lookout followed, than we ran back down to make it to the TH in time for the 3:30 departure window. Back in town, we again met at the pool, then went to Jasper Pizza for Thanksgiving dinner. Back at the hostel, there was a rather unfortunate attempt at creating a chocolate KFC gourmet treat, then to bed again.
When we'd packed up on Monday, we figured that having stayed beside it all weekend it would be foolish to miss visiting Maligne Canyon before leaving. We went as far as the fourth bridge before driving into Jasper for breakfast. One person had to leave early, but most of the group went up to the Virl Lake trail before heading back home.
Three good hikes, a couple of pretty 'tourist' walks, and a very nice weekend. Good weather, good food, good exercise, and good company. And nobody snored!!!
Thanks for coming! See you next time.
Peter McClure
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