Saturday, August 13, 2011

Iceroad Parkway or Highway 93 and 93A

The Ice road Parkway is a highway that connects Banff with Jasper. This parkway is one of the most beautiful parkways in the world. What makes this road so beautiful? The Glacier capped mountains and the glacial lakes define this parkway as one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The clear lake and sky make the area look like heaven. However, the real beauty is two hundred miles away from Calgary. The lake is called Maligne Lake.

The Columbia Ice field is on the border of Jasper and Banff National Park. From the visitor center, you purchase tickets to go on the largest glacier south of the Arctic circle. The tour  guide drives you by bus to a ice truck center on the mountain. Then he moves everybody to the big machine that will take you to the glacier. When you get to the glacier, you should be extra careful not to slip on black ice. Even worst than black ice are the hidden holes. These holes are hidden underneath the thinnest layer of ice and snow. The huge machine can travel safely because it has five foot high tires. These tires are also one meter wide. When you take photographs, remember to watch your step. It is human nature to take a step back to focus the camera. Before you take that step back, look at the ground before stepping. It is crucial that tourist watch their step. Sometimes people can get carried away with photography that they forget about common sense.

One more thing, the tour guide will mention the terminal moraines. The Terminal Moraines are piles of rocks. These rocks were left behind by glaciers that had melted away.

You can also hike to the ice field; however, the trail is long and treacherous. It typically takes an experienced hiker five to six hours to hike to the top. An inexperienced hiker could take as long as twelve hours to climb up. They could take as short as seven seconds to come down. Beware of avalanches.

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