VENTURING AGAIN REAPS REWARDS
Even with COVID rules, Jasper offers fantastic mix of nature, wildlife and exploration
There was no denying it. We were giddy. My husband and I felt like a couple of teenagers on a joyride as we pulled our vehicle onto the highway to make the drive to Jasper National Park. After months stuck at home, it felt good to venture out again. For some time, Jasper’s tourism slogan has been “Venture Beyond,” but they recently tweaked it and are inviting Albertans and Canadians to “Venture Again.” We were more than ready to take them up on it.
The drive to Jasper is one of the most scenic road trips in the world and I couldn’t believe how much I had missed being in the mountains. Author and naturalist John Muir once said “the mountains are calling and I must go.” I finally understand the urgency he felt. There’s something about mountains that heals your soul — my soul anyways.
It’s possible that the huge drop in tourists has resulted in an increase in wildlife activity — or maybe we were just lucky. We spotted the first bear before we even entered the national park. We saw two more on the drive up the Icefields Parkway along with a moose, several deer and some bighorn sheep. There was a large number of elk near the Jasper townsite. Over our fourday trip, we saw so much wildlife we actually lost count. We think we saw 20 bears in total — a new family road trip record. A Wildlife Discovery Tour with Sundog Tours definitely gave us the inside track on seeing wildlife in Jasper.
We hadn’t stayed in a hotel since the onset of the pandemic and we wondered if we would feel safe and comfortable. As we made our way up the road that leads to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, we stopped at a new check-in kiosk by the roadside. A friendly masked attendant greeted us, asked some health questions, took our temperatures, explained the new hotel sanitation policies and provided us with a welcome kit complete with masks, disposable gloves, antiseptic wipes and hand sanitizer. We stayed inside our car during the entire check-in process. Since the doors to rooms open to the outside at the lodge, we were able to drive straight to our room without coming in contact with anyone else. Hotel guests are asked to wear masks inside the lobby or any other public buildings. At the restaurants, you wear the mask until you’re seated at your table. Once you’re seated, the server provides a bag for you to store the mask in. Lodge staff wore masks at all times. The Jasper Park Lodge also has room service, private chefs and new personal barbecue kits that can be delivered to your room, so you can grill your own meal if you prefer not to dine in a restaurant with other people.
Masks were optional at the restaurants we visited in the town. Tables were spread out and all servers wore masks. We felt safe during our trip and everyone we met seemed excited and ready to welcome visitors back to Jasper.
There are a lot of things to do at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge — whether you’re staying there or not. If you’re staying at the hotel, bicycles, paddleboards and paddleboat rentals are included — with some restrictions. The waters of Lac Beauvert were so inviting during our visit, that I couldn’t resist renting a kayak from the boathouse and dipping a paddle into the lake. We also spent a morning on the golf course, a Stanley Thompson-designed masterpiece that has been ranked one of the top courses in Canada. Though we didn’t see any bears during our round, we saw four grizzlies on the 17th hole later that evening.
Parks Canada is slowly opening the trails in Jasper National Park and some trails, like Mount Edith Cavell, were not open during our visit.
There were plenty of trails that were open though and we hiked several during our visit. Signs at trailheads reminded visitors to maintain social distance, but it wasn’t really an issue in our experience. Trails were uncrowded.
Visit the Tourism Jasper website to find discounts on accommodations and attractions designed to encourage Albertans and Canadians to Venture Again. The amazing mountain scenery, epic trails, glistening lakes, abundant wildlife and great restaurants are ready and waiting — with enhanced safety protocols. I’m pretty sure I’ll be venturing again several times this summer.
Debbie Olsen is an award-winning writer and photographer and a national bestselling author.
Follow her at wanderwoman.ca.