Elk!

2nd June 2010

MP3 track of the day - Honeymoon - The Young Victoria Soundtrack

Weather: Good but cloudy

So today would be my first all day hike. I made myself a pack up and headed out at around 9:00am. My plan was to head to the east part of Jasper and travel around 'Lac Beauvert Loop', 'Mildred Lake', 'Trefoil Lakes', 'Lake Annette' and 'Lake Edith'; however first I had to get there.

Now I had read in my guidebook about making a noise as you hiking around the national parks; this is to make sure animals (elk's, deer ... bears etc) know you are there so that you don't startle them. However I didn't really follow it because I felt like a bit of a berk talking to myself.

I was walking along a path that I had walked along twice before; it was next to the road so I didn't think I needed to make any noise ... I was wrong. I went full pelt around this blind corner to see this Elk run out in front of me. I'm not sure who was more shocked, me or the Elk but I know one thing ... they are big, seriously big! To make matters worse I had read earlier that it was 'Elk carving' season and that female Elks were quite aggressive if their young were around ... now I didn't stop to ask if it was a 'he' or a 'she', I backed away slowly until I was out of sight. I then went back into sight, armed with my camera for a few minutes and then back I went.

After this encounter I took the road and by-passed the Elk. I then walked to the start of my hike (not before crossing a bridge with a stunning view). Near to the start of my hike the Canadian National Park Authorities had closed off a wood I needed to go through, due to a high activity of Elk carving ... fair enough. I then had to take another detour through the same woodland, only 300 meters further north. This time I made sure I made noise as I walked through the wood (have you ever tried to play 'November Rain' on a guitar attached to a AMP whilst walking through a woodland ... it's pretty tricky I can tell you!)

The lakes were superb; the water was a turquoise colour that was crystal clear (you could see the stone on the lake bed). Around these beautiful waters were sandy beaches, surrounded by alpine woodlands with snow capped mountains in the background ... bliss. In fact, around lake Annette, I sat down and had my lunch with the above view all around me ... heaven.

After being stunned, again and again and again by the beauty (check out my Flickr account) I had to head back to Jasper. At this point I was north-east of the town and on the wrong side of the river; therefore I crossed the river (using a bridge) and got onto 'Big Horn Alley' walkway. This is a walking footpath which actually wasn't that picturesque.

Anyway I arrived in Jasper at 4:30pm; having spent nothing today I treated myself to a 100g Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar and eat it all whilst waiting for the shuttle bus.

Once back at the hostel I made my tea and then put my feet up. I had walked for 7/8hrs, only spent $10.00 today (one chocolate bar and a 2 trip shuttle ticket) and got a little blister on my little right-foot toe (compeed that sucker!).

So another brilliant day in Jasper ... surely it can't get any better

Toodle pip!