31st October – Edmonton - Jasper, AB

Happy Halloween!!

Leaving Edmonton this morning was a little freaky. You know how some people dress up and look weird but that’s how they dress anyway. Imagine if most of the people you see are like that. Yep! That’s Halloween. On the drive out we passed pirates, Goths and old grannies. The latter weren’t dressed up though.

The plains towards the Rockies were flat with barns and the occasional tractor (mostly John Deere's of course). The plains were dry and all of the crops and grasses were all brown, dried off for winter. We passed power stations, oil wells pumping away and coal mines. We even got to see a dragline working close to the road (a first for me). Approaching Hinton, and the puddles were frozen and there were lots of big trucks, F150’s and up, everywhere and lots of compressor trucks for oil drilling. Our little Yaris had an inferior complex around these big machines. Near Hinton, there was snow on the ground, the occasional white tail deer and Tan was first to spot the snow covered Rockies in the distance. We were wrapped to see them.

Arriving at the gate to Jasper National Park, we blew $123 on an annual parks pass. We may be back! The wind was really bitingly cold but the snow capped mountains made it for us. Driving along and seeing the signs about wild life made us laugh!!After 385km of touring we made it to Jasper. A late lunch, and then we booked in to the Park Place Inn. Tan’s research paid off with a great off season deal in a big room with a spa and views of the mountains. Good score Kitchy! We walked around town and went into the Parks Canada Info centre. We had a great chat to the ladies there, found out some good info, saw a stuffed wolf, played with dead animals, ate their Halloween candy and checked out their Jack-o-lanterns. Outside there were heaps of droppings, most probably elk, but the wildlife were far and low. The lady said “There are elk everywhere, I even had to go home a different way as a bull elk was working the streets!”
Oh well, our walk was fruitless. After a big drive, we hit the spa with a nice drop of Canadian chardie. No photos!

It was below zero without wind chill when we went to the Jasper Brewing Company. I took the Pick Six, six ounces each of six different beers which hit the spot. On the way out I had to do the “Me, Myself and Irene” impression with the Big Horn sheep. Jim Carrey did a better job with the cow!