Quite difficult to believe really that we are about to start driving from Jasper to Clearwater. Our Rockies Adventure has been amazing! Our trip so far, through the Rockies on the Icefields Parkway was amazing. This is well worth a read if you are considering it.
The fact that the 5 days we had to explore and enjoy the amazing wonders of the Rockies are over and today sees us drive slightly west and then slightly south.
The 1,200 photos (here are 10 favourite) we have taken in 5 days will, baring any disaster, always serve as a suitable reminder of our days here.
We set off, driving from Jasper to Clearwater
But still, we leave on Highway 16 with heavy hearts and open eyes. Heavy hearts that our Rockies experience is over, for now anyway. Open eyes for the still amazing scenery, the chance of seeing wildlife and perhaps most importantly, to avoid driving the wrong way down a oneway street. A feat we accomplished in Jasper and want to avoid accomplishing again.
Clearwater is our next stop, and if population is anything to go by, this is a town half the size of Jasper, at just over 2,300. On our way made a couple of stop offs to break up the journey.
While driving from Jasper to Clearwater there were still plenty of things to see. The first being Mount Robson.
Driving from Jasper to Clearwater – Mount Robson
Mount Robson Provincial Park is proud of a few facts. The second oldest provincial park in British Columbia (the oldest being Strathcona Provincial Park). Home to the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and can boast the start of the Fraser’s River 850 mile journey to the Pacific Ocean.
As a result it was our choice for a quick lunch stop on the way out of the Rockies.
Next up was a fleeting visit to Moose Lake. This happened by chance as the sight of another beautiful lake coincided with a pull out right there, allowing us to stop.
We jumped out, camera in hand ready to photograph the multitude of Moose, grazing and lapping at the waters edge of the lake named after them. There wasn’t a Moose in sight. Talk about false advertising.
So, you are left with a photo of me lakeside. Sorry about that!
Driving from Jasper to Clearwater – Snow Topped to Tree Topped
We continued our journey south west. The snow capped peaks of the Alberta Rocky Mountains were giving way to the tree topped hills of British Columbia. The word Hills isn’t probably doing them justice. If the Rockies are Mountains then these are definitely lesser, but impressive nonetheless.
Perhaps due to there being less tourists on this stretch of the road, than on the Icefields Parkway, the drivers are more Canadian, and perhaps in a hurry going about their daily lives.
Because of this, there is far more overtaking, and possibly one pushed a little too far. This resulted in us being stuck in a jam for 40 minutes, speculating what the problem was.
It turned out to be a car in a ditch and a burnt our lorry at the side of the road. Unknown if there were any injuries but it didn’t look good.
On this journey we passed through many small towns with just a couple of shops and 2 motels. Our next stop was in a bigger town in as much as it had 3 motels!
Clearwater – Not the best hotel room
The motel itself looked ok from the outside. The lobby too, was modern and attractive. The room was where this went a smidgen downhill.
Odd smell, gaps in the balcony railings for a 3 year old to fall through, and holes in the ceiling with loose wires.
Other than that, it was all ok!!
Fortunately we found a nice place to eat, called the Hop “N” Hog. I had a flight of beer, which is essentially 8 small craft beers, from pale ale through to stout. Some were nicer than others but none of them made me want to rush out and buy a keg of it.
So here we are, after spending the day driving from Jasper to Clearwater. Shacked up in Clearwater. The Rockies not quite a distant memory, but firmly in the back of our minds as we plough on towards Vancouver, but first, tomorrow, Kamloops.
Distance covered today – 320km
Total driven so far – 991km
If you are looking for places to stay in and around Jasper, then click here to see the hotels to chose from.
