Jasper National Park

I woke up at the butt crack of dawn to get into Jasper National Park and I was either extremely excited or extremely sleep deprived because I drove straight through the lane for pass holders. My morals eventually kicked in, so I circled back and entered through the correct lane. I had a ticket for the Lake Maligne cruise and was told to arrive early, but the views kept making me stop for pictures. Then a big ole elk decided to cross the road, so by the time I arrived, I was cutting it very close.

I finally made it to the cruise and immediately started questioning my decision. It was cloudy, cold, and this guy forgot to pack a coat. Luckily, a giant moose, antlers and all, was hanging out near the entrance, which delayed the cruise a bit. After grabbing some picturesof the moose, I boarded the Leah Beaver with our awesome tour guide, Sam. Canadians can be pretty funny and Sam was no exception. He had everyone call out random subjects for him to talk about, including Bigfoot.

While Sam was talking about Bigfoot, I looked off to the side and suddenly saw something even better—mountains and sunlight! The weather finally cleared up just in time for Spirit Island, and holy cow, the views were incredible. I didn't see any spirits, but it is pretty hard for a mediocre photographer like me to take a bad picture when the scenery is doing all the work.

On the way back, I chatted with an older British couple on a three-week Canadian road trip. Their goal was to see a bear. I told them I'd never seen one either but had always wanted to. The cruise eventually ended and I hit the road. Then I saw some people stopped on the side looking up the mountain. Again, no Bigfoot but it was a bear!

I really hope that British couple made it down the road far enough to see him. Elk, moose, mountains, Spirit Island, and a bear all in one day. Jasper did not disappoint.