[snowbimmer]

Jasper, Alberta


2 States, 2 Provinces, Lots of Mountains

Icefields Parkway - Highway 93, Jasper National Park


So, a couple of weeks ago, I'm sitting around in my office on a Monday morning, just paying some bills and what not. The wife, god bless her, comes in and sez, "Hey, we haven't been to Whistler in a long time. The schedule is kind of clear right now." I check the weather forecast - very pleasant. Check the passports - good till 2029. I'm in!

It's only 400 miles due north to Whistler, BC - if you go direct. After pulling up google maps I realize that Banff and Jasper are "only" 1,500 miles out of the way, just "little" bit off to the east. Haven't been there in awhile, either. Maybe I can sneak that on to the itinerary. The road between Banff and Jasper is one of my favorite places on earth. I proffer my plan. She, reluctantly, says, "Go for it." Planned the route, booked six hotels for eight nights, checked out the vitals on the car and we're on the road at 8 AM Wednesday morning.

Wasn't really sure if I wanted to do another travel thread because they take an enormous amount of time to put together. But, the weather was perfect - and you just can't beat the Canadian Rockies for natural beauty. Got some great pictures. Since my first 6 travel threads are approaching 90,000 views, with 4 bimmerpost front pages, I thought what the heck. Just gonna pare it way back - it ties my first thread for shortest content. And, more of an economy of words. Mostly just pictures, plus 1 map. One Post. Hope you enjoy.

The M850 was flawless - again. What a joy to drive. The third oil change at 30,000 miles will be happening next month.

The exchange rate was around $1.32 CAN to 1$ US. Premium was about $1.94 CAN/Liter - which works out to about $5.56/gal. About 22% more expensive than Portland. It was worth it.

The route was Omak, Kamloops, Jasper, Banff, Revelstoke, Whistler, Portland.


Day 1: Portland to Omak, WA - 405 miles
1st day will be the longest day. Great trip through the Columbia Gorge. Always nice this time of year. Cross the Columbia at Biggs Junction and pickup US Hwy 97.

Leg stretch - Brooks Memorial State Park - US Hwy 97 near Goldendale, WA


Toppenish is an interesting town near Yakima. They started painting murals in 1989 in honor of Washington's centennial year of becoming a state. They are probably approaching 100 murals now.


Vantage Bridge. I-90 over the Columbia River




Dry Falls - Formerly the largest waterfall on Earth, equivalent to 40 Niagaras. Was 3.5 miles wide, 400 feet tall. Was going at the end of the ice age when Montana melted.


Banks Lake - WA Hwy 155


Roosevelt Lake behind Grand Coulee Dam


Grand Coulee Dam: 1 mile long, 550 feet high. Largest power generating station in the US






Day 2: Omak to Kamloops, BC - 268 miles
Continued north on US Hwy 97 to the border at Osoyoos, BC. The line at customs was zero - took about a minute.


Osoyoos Lake - Touristy summer lake town


Meandered along several lakes for hours, passing through Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon. Every road side stand is selling cherries. A very fruity valley.

Day 3: Kamloops to Jasper, Alberta - 314 miles
Now it's time for things to start happening. Giddyup.

After a night in Kamloops, it's off to the NE on BC Hwy 5 to Jasper - a marvelous & scenic road. At Tete Jaune Cache you pick up Trans-Canada 16 heading east. You're in the Rockies now.

Mount Robson quickly comes in to view. At 12,972 feet it is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Almost got to see all of it. Good enough.






Mount Robson from the visitor center.


The landscape really starts to smarten up around here. Approaching Moose Lake.




They just poke up everywhere


Near Jasper


Pyramid Mountain & Pyramid Lake, just outside of Jasper


Catching the evening light a few miles north of Jasper on the Yellowhead Hwy












Day 4: Jasper to Banff, Alberta - 190 miles
First up is the Jasper Tram, weather permitting. It was close, but it permitted. Great views from around 8,000 feet.


The town of Jasper


Then we hop on the Icefields Parkway (Alberta Hwy 93) - 180 miles of some of the best scenery on the continent. The road is in excellent shape. There is no traffic. Although I've driven this road several times, it never ceases to amaze me. You literally want to stop every 5 miles. We are only driving one direction (south) this time, but you really need to drive it both directions.


First major stop is Athabasca Falls. It is a very popular spot with more cars than parking stalls. The Athabasca River, which is 100 yards wide, gets crammed through a chute 10 feet wide. Quite something to see.




Further down the road






Next up is Sunwapta Falls. Same river, even narrower chute.




More glorious landscape opportunities












Stuttfield Glacier


Mt. Athabasca through the windshield - near the Columbia Icefields


Columbia Icefields


Stopped for lunch at the Glacier View Lodge. So did everyone else. It's crammed. The parking lot is full, but we snag a spot. We're about a third of the way to Banff.


We soon leave Jasper National Park and enter Banff National Park. We reach a section called the Big Bend. One giant hairpin turn puts you down on the valley floor. The view is magnificent.




Halfway through the day we reach the Saskatchewan River Crossing. Mt. Murchison in the foreground.


Waterfowl Lakes - the color is unreal.



And then we're at Peyto Lake. One of the signature viewpoints in all of Banff Park. I had been hoping for sun, because I wanted it in all it's glory. It did not disappoint. It REALLY is that color.






We reluctantly leave (with a boatload of pictures) and head to Banff. We will by-pass Lake Louise for now and catch it in a couple days when we head for Whistler.

For now, I am quite happy to be looking at Mount Rundle from the Vermillion Lakes just outside of Banff.




Banff is a freaking zoo. It's not a big town, but they've been adding new lodging for years. Several streets are now pedestrian only. The rest are just grid-locked with traffic. We finally get to the hotel, but as I turn in to register, there is only one space for one car - and the car in front of me beats me to it. I decide to go "around the block" to try it again. Between the blocked off streets and one way traffic it takes over 30 minutes to get back. The space is open. We check in, park the car. We're on foot the rest of the day as we fight the hoards for dinner.

Day 5: Around Banff
Today is going to be awesome. The weather is spectacular. We'd been worried about haze, as there were over 450 reported forest fires in British Columbia at the time. It appears that none of the smoke was reaching the Rockies. First up is a trip to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. They don't let you wander around anymore, but we snuck on to a patio. Very colorful.


Hmmmm...... A nice C-8 in Rapid Blue at the Banff Springs - seems to be exactly the same color as Peyto Lake.


Then it's off to the Banff Gondola. The gondola takes you up Sulphur Mountain to around 8,000 feet. It is also insanely popular. Reservations are required and we snagged the last two spots for today last night.

The 360 degree view is breathtaking. The sky is unbelievably clear. It was up here when my 10 year old self said "Dude, this is where you are going to honeymoon." Smart kid. Plan your work. Then work your plan.






You are also given a return time when you buy your tickets, so we reluctantly board the gondola for the ride back down.


Then it's off across the valley to Mount Norquay for a marvelous view of Banff and Mount Rundle.






Finish up with a stop at the Bow River and then off to dinner. What a great day.


Day 6: Banff to Revelstoke, BC - 255 miles
We get an early start. Lake Louise is the first target, 30 miles away. We suspect there will be large crowds, if Banff is any indication. We were here for a couple hours 11 years ago. Parking was easy. We stayed at the Chateau Lake Louise for a week of skiing on our honeymoon. Today, they will let you stay for about $1,150 a night. Yikes.

You can't drive to the Chateau anymore, so you are directed to nearby parking and overflow parking. Nothing doing. They send us back 5 km to the Lake Louise Ski Resort. The parking lot is huge, it is very full, but you can catch a shuttle here to take you back to Lake Louise. So, of course, the shuttle is sold out for the rest of the day. Well, shit. Probably wouldn't be any fun there today anyway, with these crazy crowds.

We are about done with these crowds.

So Plan B takes us to the nearby Bow Valley Parkway and we meander back towards Banff. There is spectacular new scenery and I don't miss Lake Louise for a minute, since this is all new stuff.








Throwback set-up at the Johnson Canyon Bungalows. Wanted to see Johnson Canyon Falls. Two giant parking lots. Nothing doing. Again.


We get back on Trans-Canada 1, pass the Lake Louise exit - again - and head for Revelstoke. The road is awesome and the scenery matches.




Stop at Field, BC on the Kicking Horse River for a nice lunch.


A couple miles further is Natural Bridge - another spot where the river is crammed through a space about 5 feet wide.


Emerald Lake was just up the road. Again, you couldn't get near it. Looked it up on the interwebs - I can see why. Just, wow.

We come out of the mountains on fumes and look for gas in Golden, BC. The gas stations are all totally slammed. Four different pumps at the Chevron were all empty. Finally got some at the Shell. We climb back up into Glacier National Park. The scenery gets better and better and we stop at the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre. Cool place. Then, on to Revelstoke for the night.


Revelstoke Suspension Bridge on the Columbia River. Gee, this thing meanders for another 1,000 miles and eventually goes through Portland.


Day 7: Revelstoke to Whistler, BC - 318 miles
Today will be a nice drive, but we've surely put the best in our rear view mirror. It picks up again as you get to the Coast Range, though. We stay on Trans-Canada 1, swing through Kamloops again and head for lunch in Cache Creek. Then its up BC Hwy 97 a few miles before turning off west on BC Hwy 99, which will take us through the mountains to Whistler. Really, really nice out of Lillooet.





We're staying at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. We finally arrive at our original destination after 7 days and 1,700 miles. The hotel is still awesome (we've been staying here for 30 years) and recently renovated. We make our way to one of our favorite eateries - which is now an unfortunate, tired and dirty shell of what it once was. Oh, well. Then a nice stroll through the village. And, ice cream cones at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.




The Olympics were here in 2010


Whistler is also quite crowded and could use a little spiffing up.

Day 8: Around Whistler
Hop in the car and drive back up Hwy 99 to Pemberton to see Nairn Falls. It's a nice shaded 1.5 km hike to another waterfall cramming it's way through a narrow chute.




We sight see the lakes and neighborhoods and stroll around the village again.

A nice soak in the outdoor jacuzzi at 9:30 solves a lot of problems for the weary traveler.

Day 9: Whistler to Portland - 402 miles
Today is a grind. Long way to go, lots of traffic. We make it to Vancouver down the fabulous Sea to Sky Highway. Sea to Sky is always a treat. Then a quick loop through Stanley Park. The Vancouver skyline is nothing but high rise condos. There is some seriously dense living going on here.


A long, slow line at customs and we're back in the US.


I-5 moves fairly well until you get just north of Everett, then traffic comes to a screeching halt. We can get into the HOV lane, but it's basically 35 mph of bumper to bumper traffic for 100 miles until you clear Olympia. It's only 1 PM on a Thursday and I'm on the road with a million cars. Does anybody actually work here? They're all just driving around. Finally made it home by 6 PM.

For a spur of the moment trip, this has to be one of our all time best. The crowds in the Rockies are getting more annoying, but that's just the way it is now. It's better than not going. But..............

Road tripping became so much better when I stepped up to the BMW V-8s, starting with my 2014 550xi. A work conference in San Diego, that included paid airfare, turned into a negotiation for mileage reimbursement so we could drive there - all 1,250 miles down the Oregon and California coasts. PCH, baby. What a blast. The 550xi became the M550 for a couple good runs through Yellowstone and then Yosemite. The M550 gave way to the M5 and M5C. And now the M850. Still totally happy with the M850. Probably my favorite car now. I have over 150,000 miles in the various V-8s - with zero problems. I've put in a total of 3 extra quarts of oil, and two of them were at the same time on the M550 once. All the cars have been extremely enjoyable and reliable rides. A couple trips a year just doesn't seem like enough.

As far as driving in Canada - You can't get too crazy in Canada like you can in the SW USA, but sometimes you just have to smell the roses.

Thanks for following along.

Where to next?

[jargon]

Thanks for taking the time. Gorgeous pictures.

[mjr24]

Amazing pics from you, as usual!

[Kansr]

The pictures of the blue water and glacier were intense. Thanks for sharing.

[Opie55]

So many of your roadside shots make it look like you had the road to yourself. Did you have to wait a long time for breaks in the traffic?

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by jargon

Thanks for taking the time. Gorgeous pictures.

Originally Posted by mjr24

Amazing pics from you, as usual!

Thank you kind sirs!

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by Kansr

The pictures of the blue water and glacier were intense. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you. They were, indeed. A couple more..........

[Bankerbry]

Absolutely amazing thread! Thank you for taking the time. This makes me want to go back to Whistler, Banff & Vancouver & the 8 looks awesome with the backgrounds.

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by Opie55

So many of your roadside shots make it look like you had the road to yourself. Did you have to wait a long time for breaks in the traffic?

I kinda had the road to myself. Everyone was already parked at all the popular sites. I usually didn't have to wait long for the road to clear. It was pretty much like this all the way down the Icefields Parkway.


I take several pictures each time, because sometimes you can't really see much in the viewfinder. The ubiquitous semi invariably shows up just when you click

[Accentu8]

Amazing post again, thanks so much for sharing and keep ‘em coming!

[Bulent Ali]

Man.....get this on vdo and YouTube it ! See hiw many viewers you'll get . I'll watch it many times. We need inspiration.

[M8Bimmer]

I sure wish I could do that trip. But it's SO far for me to get to. I even thought of shipping the car there and back but it's about $5500. r more to send it safely on a proper carrier. So nada. Then add on all the extra's makes it pretty pricey. The 6k kills that deal.

[snareman]

How many miles do you have on the car now? You take that thing all over!

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by snowbimmer

I kinda had the road to myself. Everyone was already parked at all the popular sites. I usually didn't have to wait long for the road to clear. It was pretty much like this all the way down the Icefields Parkway.
Attachment 3232545

I take several pictures each time, because sometimes you can't really see much in the viewfinder. The ubiquitous semi invariably shows up just when you click
Attachment 3232637

I'm glad to hear it was actually that way. I was last on the road between Banff and Jasper in 1976, so it's good to know it's not been totally overrun.

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by Bankerbry

Absolutely amazing thread! Thank you for taking the time. This makes me want to go back to Whistler, Banff & Vancouver & the 8 looks awesome with the backgrounds.

Hey, thanks. Hell, putting this together makes ME want to go back.

You're only 1,200 miles away from Banff - a good two day drive. Three, if you want to see something in Montana.

Originally Posted by Say My Name

Amazing post again, thanks so much for sharing and keep ‘em coming!

Appreciate it. Where would you like me to go next?

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by M8Bimmer

I sure wish I could do that trip. But it's SO far for me to get to. I even thought of shipping the car there and back but it's about $5500. r more to send it safely on a proper carrier. So nada. Then add on all the extra's makes it pretty pricey. The 6k kills that deal.

Yes, you do appear to be a looooooong ways away. But, hey, that's what road trips are for.

Plus, it would be way cheaper to just drive there. And, fun.

[M8Bimmer]

Originally Posted by snowbimmer

Yes, you do appear to be a looooooong ways away. But, hey, that's what road trips are for.

Plus, it would be way cheaper to just drive there. And, fun.

Driving across the prairies really sucks. 3 provinces of flat and boring and yawn. Maybe a detour through the States would help.

[Accentu8]

Originally Posted by snowbimmer

Appreciate it. Where would you like me to go next?

Spain? Italy?

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by snareman

How many miles do you have on the car now? You take that thing all over!

Haha. Yup - ain't no garage queens here.

Now, if you would've slowed down long enough to read the opening paragraphs instead of just jumping to the pretty pictures........But, I get it. You live in Ohio. Great roller coasters at Cedar Point, though.

She just had her 15 month birthday this week and I'm approaching 29,000 miles. Woot woot!

[snareman]

Originally Posted by snowbimmer

Haha. Yup - ain't no garage queens here.

Now, if you would've slowed down long enough to read the opening paragraphs instead of just jumping to the pretty pictures........But, I get it. You live in Ohio. Great roller coasters at Cedar Point, though.

She just had her 15 month birthday this week and I'm approaching 29,000 miles. Woot woot!
Attachment 3233740

Hey, this isn't Playboy. I'm not here to read the articles. Just here for the pretty pictures. 🙂🙂

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by snareman

Hey, this isn't Playboy. I'm not here to read the articles. Just here for the pretty pictures. 🙂🙂

Oddly, after I wrote my response I knew someone would go there 🙃

[snareman]

Originally Posted by snowbimmer

Oddly, after I wrote my response I knew someone would go there 🙃