Skyline Trail - Jasper, Alberta, Canada



Jasper National Park: Our destination for Week 1 for some backpacking, kayaking, and day hiking!



On our way into Jasper, we found this lone black bear munching along the road.

Kayaks in tow for a backcounty kayak trip in Maligne Lake.

Glorious. Free.

In Jasper, we wanted to hike the Skyline Trail. Since the middle was still snowed in, we opted to hike as far as we could for two nights and some day hiking. At the start of the trail was a beautiful old burned area.

Thank goodness for bridges. This was during their big snow melting time.

Airing out our feet at base camp.
This was at Little Shovel Pass Camp.

This is bear country; both black and grizzly. You have to hang your food when not in immediate use!

Tent Sweet Tent: Our home for the next 21 days or so!

Did we mention: Glorious and Free!

This woman is 5.5 months pregnant!
Crossing snowfields, climbing, and always trying to make me keep up...My hero!

Still too early for wildflowers, but we found one or two.
Anyone know what this is?

Little Shovel Pass.

Not a bad place to have lunch!

We stopped in the meadow/valley between Little Shovel Pass and Big Shovel Pass.
They was an ice cornice blocking Big Shovel Pass, so this was the end of the line for us.

River crossings too!

Seriously...you can't stop her!

Building a cairn on Little Shovel Pass on the return trip.

Self Portrait...as always!

Happy....Tired Campers!

Retrieving the food bag for breakfast!

Our next phase in backcountry kayaking in Maligne Lake...

STATS!

I just found some stats for our blog; a wealth of knowledge!

I noticed a few things:

• Our readership has gone international!
• I have no idea where Estonia is, but they love us!
• People still use Internet Explorer?! Really?
• What the heck is Iceweasel?!
• Our readers are PC people?  Nothing wrong with that, just saying it's "interesting."

Whidbey Island

Spring time on Whidbey Island is always a treat.

We spent a few hours sipping coffee outside Useless Bay Coffee Co. Townsend loved the attention from the visitors, as well as laying in the sun rays.


Our big "lap dog."


Enjoying the weather.


Townsend loved playing ball and running the beaches of Double Bluff Park.
We enjoyed the beautiful walk along the sandy shores.


It was a nice relaxing weekend we spent together


Townsend following this little water path up the bluffs! It was pretty steep, but very silty/sandy.


Waiting patiently for the ball.


Our crazy puppy dog.


Sunset on the sound


Walking at Deceptions Pass State Park the next morning, after a nice cool night camping.


Among the driftwood, Olympics in the background.


We checked out the Coupeville Farmer's Market on Saturday and stumbled upon this BBQ stand. WOW! We voted it the best BBQ this side of the Mississippi. Good stuff.

Beckler River Campground -> Bridalveil Falls -> Mt Index

Right next to our campsite was the Beckler River. We'd recommend campsite #26.

Townsend taking a few drinks.

Eggs for breakfast to prepare for our hike up to Bridalveil Falls. Oh yeah, and testing our new stove for car camping: a Primus!

Townsend found some breakfast too: a yummy stick!

We're never quite sure what Towno thinks of our adventures.

Right below Bridalveil Falls. Easy hike, tough for the first one. It reminded us of a little Reichenbachfalle.

Towno leading the way...

through the lush trail!

Like we said, we're never quite sure. Towno acted like he has never been this worn out...for two days!

He slept the day away as we made quesadillas on our new stove!

And he slept through an evening of reading books!

Left of center is Mt Index with Bridalveil Falls below it in the trees.

Taken outside of the Espresso Chalet on Rt 2. We can't believe we pass this every time we go skiing at Stevens Pass. Come to find out, Harry and Henderson's was filmed close by!

Eagle's Landing 2011

a dog's day!