Jasper and Banff National Parks

In many respects, it has been difficult coming “out of the bush” after nearly a month.  After encountering so few people for miles at a time and the quiet of Wood Buffalo, it is jarring to the senses to come back into “civilization,” particularly a tourist area. 

David and I have been coming to Jasper and Banff National Parks in Canada since 1987.  It remains one of the most beautiful areas we have ever seen.  Over time, however, it has also become more accessible and more crowded… or at least it certainly feels like it after our being in the bush for nearly a month!

We camped at Whistler’s Campground and were disappointed to find our favorite camp area full of other campers.  After setting up Oz, we decided to take a stroll to the shower house to see if we could find our bull elk from last year.  The grounds around the amphitheater showed ample evidence that the elk were still in the area. 

As we neared the shower house, I spied an elk cow in the woods.  She was obviously distracted, looking off into the distance.  I thought that she was concerned about a gentleman loading firewood into his pickup.  Then we heard an elk bugle very close by, and we saw the bull heading straight towards her.  Beyond the cow’s shoulder, we could see a bull elk competitor also making advances towards the cow.

David, Rox, and I backed towards the shower house as the man with the firewood, drove his truck behind the bulls.  Unfortunately, one of the park rangers decided to back his truck into the mix, nearly cutting us off from our escape route.  The cow rushed passed us, brushing within ten feet of our position, with both bulls in pursuit.  Thankfully, the larger bull pushed her towards the meadow and the competitor followed.  We never felt in danger; we were just intimate witnesses to the rivalry that goes on during rut.

There were other folks also in the shower area.  The park ranger immediately got out of his truck and followed the bulls out into the meadow to retrieve two campers who were walking out to get a closer look.  Within moments, two other park rangers arrived.  They were equipped with some sort of air rifle and a hockey stick draped with red and orange flyers.  Their job was to scare the elk from the area in an effort to keep the camper and elk activity separate.

Keeping both people and animals safe must be a daunting task.  While the national parks remain the best places to view wildlife, it also seems that over time people have lost respect for these animals and the danger they present.  Perhaps it is more a testament to our increasingly urban lifestyle and the resulting disconnect from nature.  Last year’s visit to Yellowstone and the chances people took there with wildlife was a shock, particularly how close some got to those enormous plains bison! 

Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park

The same has been true here in Jasper.  Not only have we witnessed dozens of people walk right into an elk’s harem, we also saw a man get out of his vehicle and walk within ten feet of a mother sheep and her baby.  We witnessed a crowd of people actually running up to a black bear for photos at Maligne Lake.  No wonder the incidences of animal attacks is on the rise in our national parks!

The next morning, we found the bull and his harem closer to the road.  We were able to take some good photos until a tour bus stopped and blocked our view. 

The competition

Victorious bull elk

That evening, we drove up to Edith Lake and found a beautiful bull grazing.  We watched him for some time before a man drove up in his car, got out and fumbled around for his camera, then started walking towards the bull.  Last we saw the man, he was dressed in shorts and flip flops, chasing the bull across the road and into the woods.

Thankfully, our Indian Summer has returned... so much so that we are actually wearing T-shirts during the day rather than layers and layers of clothing!

We left Jasper and headed towards Johnston Canyon.  For two wonderful nights, we have stayed in our favorite cabin.  Although the weather has been mild, David has been building fires in the fireplace.  We drove into Banff yesterday to pick up groceries for a wonderful supper of salmon and asparagus. 

This morning we treated ourselves, staying in our pajamas late, having coffee, and cooking breakfast.  We spent the afternoon hiking to the top and bottom of beautiful Silverton Falls.  Tomorrow we will head towards Waterton.  Our plans are to stay there a few days before re-entering U.S. soil via Glacier National Park.  Our journey home continues.

Top of Silverton Falls

Hike to top of Silverton Falls

Jasper on Dwellable