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Western Canada

8 reasons you must visit Jasper National Park in the winter

1/20/2020

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There is no doubt that Canada is home to some of the most beautiful natural sights anywhere in the world. Wintertime is an especially beautiful time in Canada and Jasper National Park exemplifies this better than anywhere else. Located on the Albertan side of the Canadian Rockies, Jasper is a short road trip away from Edmonton's International Airport. Below are our 8 top reasons why you simply must visit Jasper in winter.
Icefields parkway, Jasper National Park
There are worse views...
Athabasca Glacier in winter
Athabasca Glacier on the Icefield's Parkway.
bull elk in jasper national park
A bull elk in the town of Jasper.
Before we get started on our list of things to do in Jasper, we wanted to give first time travelers a quick guide to winter in the Rockies so you know what to expect:
  • Highway 97, also known as the Icefield's Parkway, can close unexpectedly and the conditions can change rapidly.
  • You will need to purchase a Parks Pass to park your car anywhere outside the town of Jasper. 
  • It can get exceptionally cold. -20°C is not uncommon. 
  • Look for rental cars with snow tires. They are a requirement on many Alberta highways in the winter.
  • The famous turquoise water is usually covered in ice and snow.
  • Not all of the many hiking trails are open. You might want to try snowshoeing! 
  • While bears will be hibernating during winter, moose and elk can be aggressive at the start of the season when they are competing for mates.
1. Hiking on frozen rapids

One of the highlights of the winter experience in Jasper has to be hiking atop its famous white water rapids at Maligne Canyon. There is something so surreal knowing only a sheet of ice separates you and rushing freezing cold water below your feet. Maligne's ice walk spoils it's visitors with stunning ice formations every step of the way. Nothing quite compares to watching the brilliant winter sun glimmering on the canyons tall ice walls, topped by cold white cedars.

Be sure to take one of the many guided walks through the canyon and do not attempt the walk on your own. Not only does this make sure you stay safe, but also ensures you see the most beautiful parts of the canyon.
maligne canyon ice walk in jasper national park
Nick really doesn't want to fall into that water!
Couple in front of frozen maligne canyon
Although it seems like Nick is wearing red gloves, it is actually just his very cold hands.
Picture
Maligne Canyon is the Rockies deepest canyon.
maligne canyon in winter
The beautiful calmness of winter.
2. January in Jasper festival

January in Jasper is a local event that is held every year for a few weeks in January. The festival has just about everything you could ever want from a winter retreat in what has to be one of Canada's most beautiful areas. Snowshoeing the snow-blanketed forest, ice climbing frozen waterfalls, dog-sledding with gorgeous huskies, astronomy classes in Canada's largest 'dark sky preserve' and so many more. The festival is extremely budget friendly too! Many of the events are free and simply need to be signed up for. Be sure to head over to the festivals website to check out what you can do for the upcoming January in Jasper.
sleigh ride on pyramid lake
Pyramid Lake offers sleigh rides, dogsledding and skating during 'January in Jasper.'
Woman curling at pyramid lake
The free curling rink at Pyramid Lake.
dogsledding on a lake
Dogsledding on a beautiful winter day in Jasper.
Woman petting sled dog at jasper national park
Meeting the doggos before sledding.
3. Skiing and snowboarding

What winter break would be complete without strapping on your skis or snowboard and racing down a gorgeous snowy piste? Jasper is only a 25 minute drive from the beautiful Marmot Basin, which boasts 91 runs over 4 mountain faces and 7 lifts (and a magic carpet too!). Perhaps my favourite part about skiing at Marmot Basin was how quiet it was in comparison to other ski resorts in western Canada (Whistler...).

If you do decide to go skiing or snowboarding around Jasper in winter, try to have your trip coincide with 'National Ski and Snowboard Day', also known as Never Ever Day. Which is a one-day event across Canada where participating ski resorts offer a lesson, lift pass and equipment rental for only $25 which is a phenomenal saving! You might be thinking to yourself 'But, I know how to ski, this isn't applicable to me'. Let's just say it wouldn't hurt to take a few minutes of the lesson to 'brush up' before finding the courage to enjoy the slopes on your own, with your extremely discounted lift pass and rental equipment...
Women skiing at marmot basin, jasper
'Never Ever Day' is a chance for new skiiers to try it out on a budget. For $25 you get a lift ticket, equipment rental and lesson.
Skiing at marmot basin, jasper
Skiing or snowboarding is a must in the Rockies!
4. Fewer crowds

Visiting Jasper in the winter means many things; snow, winter festivals and grizzly bears safely asleep among others, but it also means less people. Many people simply don't want to go on holiday somewhere cold, which is awesome for people who do because it means less waiting in line, less people booking ahead of you and more beautiful landscape to yourself. When enjoying one of Jasper national parks many hiking trails in wintertime you can truly take in the scenery as if it's all yours. Slowly wandering the trail with nothing but a camera, a flask of hot tea and people you love.
Frozen waterfall in jasper national park
We had these gorgeous views all to ourselves.
5. Skating on frozen lakes 

Jasper is home to some of the most beautiful lakes and rivers in the world and during the wintertime they are often* transformed into perfect natural ice rinks. Pick up a pair of skates from the rental shop in the town or bring your own and skate outside in some utterly breathtaking scenery. Below you can see Caitlin skating on Pyramid Lake (10 mins away from the town of Jasper) with the gorgeous rocky mountains in the distance.

Another gorgeous place to go skating in Jasper is on Lake Mildred, located next to Fairmont Park Lodge. Although we didn't stay there, we took our rented skates, and a few flasks of hot chocolate, to the lodge and skated their huge figure of 8 lake rink under moonlight.

* Always check with the local tourist information center what lakes are safe to skate on when you visit. Although sometimes a body of water seems iced adequately to skate on, its never worth the risk.
Picture
Skating is free at Pyramid Lake in winter.
6. Athabasca Falls is still gorgeous

People from all over the world travel to Jasper National Park to see the stunning Athabasca Falls! In Winter the outer layer of the waterfall freezes solid creating an ice cocoon, giving the impression the waterfall is frozen solid. The narrow gorge around the falls is coated with gorgeous ice formations and really amplifies the sound of the powerful gushing currents under the ice.

Be sure when you visit to wear shoes with good treads if not crampons, as the staircases around the falls can be slippery thanks to compacted snow and ice.
​
Picture
You can just catch a glimpse of the beautiful turquoise water the Rockies is famous for.
Athabasca Falls
A beautiful view from Athabasca Falls!
7. Winter Wonderland at a discount

Jasper is gorgeous no matter what time of the year you visit, yet there is something so distinctly Canadian about visiting Jasper in the wintertime. Sometimes pictures speak far louder than words, so I'll let our photos here illustrate the beauty of Jasper in the winter months.

Aside from the spectacular winter landscapes, accommodation at this time of year is at its cheapest. With many places offering over half price room rental, winter is the budget friendly season to enjoy Canada's winter wonderland!
icefields parkway in jasper national park
Icefield's parkway in Jasper National Park.
8. It's not Banff

Banff is extremely busy, even in the winter, we have been several times and it is always too crowded for us. If you are looking for some true wilderness and not just a quick photo op, Jasper is the place to be. It's also worth mentioning the turquoise water that Banff is so famous for will be covered by ice and snow in the later winter months (see below). While of course Banff is still a beautiful national park to visit we feel strongly that what you can do in Banff, you can do in Jasper also, but with less people and without the expense.

Lake Louise in Winter, banff national park
The famous Lake Louise shot, only in winter. What you can't see (as well as 90% of the lake) is the thousands of people behind us, taking the same shot before retreating back to their palatial hotel.
Visit Jasper National Park in Winter
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Our weekend in Vancouver on a budget

3/5/2019

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Vancouver is what I consider, as a non-Canadian, to be one of the 'Big Three' of Canadian cities, along with Toronto and Montreal. Having visited Toronto many times, as well as crossing Montreal off back in 2017, 'Van City' as its affectionately called, was the last of the cities I had a chance to visit.

In January of this year, Caitlin and I decided to embark on the 4 hour drive from B.C's interior to the pearl of the Pacific. Only a weekend away, as so often it is for us when we travel, we crammed as much into the two days as we could.
Time is Precious neon sign in Gastown, Vancouver
'Time is Precious' sign in Gastown, Vancouver.
Gastown and East Hastings Street

I think to begin with it would be a good idea to talk about the elephant in the room, so to speak, which was the area we decided to stay in. East Hastings Street. Against the advice of just about everyone we spoke to about our plans in Vancouver, we decided to stay on the notorious street, mostly due to the fact that we were attending a retro 'Electo-swing' event at a hotel located here. Having traveled and stayed in some fairly difficult places before, we thought little of the strange looks and shocked reactions when we mentioned we were staying on East Hastings. Surely its not that bad? They can't be right?

They were right.
flatiron building in Maple Tree Square, Gastown, Vancouver
The cobblestone streets and famous flatiron building of Gastown are only a stones throw away from the poverty of East Hastings.
Although our hotel was a good kilometer away from the notorious blocks of the street, we decided to walk to our first destination on our Vancouver list, Gastown, through East Hastings. The experience was eye opening. Never before on our travels have either of us seen such a concentration of homelessness and overt drug use. As we walked through the most dense few blocks of the street, we saw a half naked couple fighting in the road. We were repeatedly offered the chance to buy cigarettes and more. While at no point were either of us threatened or confronted in any way, the area didn't feel safe, and this was in broad daylight. It was painstakingly obvious why this area of Vancouver is frequently the overdose capital of the province and often Canada as a whole.
After hastily walking through the drug capital of Canada, we reached Gastown, which was only a block over. There was no transition from the abject poverty of Hastings and the gentrified 'upmarket' feeling of Gastown. The cobblestone streets, hipster independent cafes and a quaint steam clock simply could not be further, economically, from the street over.
Gastown steam clock in Vancouver at dusk
The Gastown steam clock whistles every quarter of an hour and 'lets off some steam' as seen here.
Gastown itself was an interesting experience. We spent a while reading about Gassy Jack, the patron saint (almost) of the area, next to his statue, in Maple Tree Square. Across the street is the famous flatiron building built in the early 1900s. We decided afterwards to grab a drink in one of the hipster cafes and process the rapid cultural change we just experienced. Gastown didn't have a great deal of things do keep a tourist busy but it has beautiful Victorian buildings and is known for to have fantastic, albeit expensive, restaurants. Caitlin's brother lived in Vancouver for several years and recommended Meat and Bread. It's cheaper than most of the places in Gastown and has amazing sandwiches. The gastown steam work clock was entertaining if you happen to be wandering past every quarter of an hour that it 'rings'. There is also CRAB park, which offered beautiful panoramic views of the high rises, the water front as well as north Vancouver and the mountains in the distance (below).
Vancouver Lookout

After walking the cobblestone streets of Gastown, we headed to the Vancouver Lookout before the best of the sunlight escaped us. The lookout honestly seemed a little pricey at just under $20 for an adult (albeit with concessions available for youth, students and seniors). As a result, Caitlin went up and took photos from the lookout while I enjoyed a tea at the Tim Horton's on the ground floor. The views of the city are utterly beautiful and probably justified one admission ticket, however paying close to $40 (two people) maybe would seem like a stretch. Our advice if you want to enjoy the views of the city would be to dine at the restaurant and see the city views in one price. If you do opt for the viewing ticket, it is valid throughout the day with multiple readmissions. We were told sunset was the best time to get photos and it was beautiful. If you are interested in the photo aspect, we suggest visiting before the sun goes down. Getting a high resolution picture with poor light up there would have been a nightmare.
view from Vancouver Lookout with buildings, harbour and mountains
Mountains can be seen in the distance from Vancouver Lookout.
Skyscapers in Vancouver at sunset
The city from the Vancouver Lookout at sunset.
 C.R.A.B Park for Sunset

After the lookout we decided to head over to CRAB park to enjoy the sunset over the city and harbour. The pictures you can take from the small pier in CRAB park are gorgeous (see below). The park offers amazing views of the harbour, docks and skyline. We choose to walk through Gastown from the Vancouver Lookout which took about 15 minutes. We passed by a movie set, which are common place in downtown Vancouver, but didn't see anyone famous. Caitlin's brother works in the film industry and has told us that are many big names working on films here at any given time, so if you visit, look out for George Clooney!
Vancouver night skyline from CRAB park
Views of the city from CRAB Park at dusk.
Back to the Hotel to recuperate

After spending some time at the pier in CRAB park, we decided to head back to our hotel, 'Hotel at the Waldorf' on East Hastings (yikes!), have some dinner and go to bed. We decided to have dinner at the attached restaurant to our hotel which was called 'Nonnas table pizzeria' which offered fantastic Italian menu, the Pizzas were out of this world. The journey back from the city center to our hotel was an easy one, opting to take the bus rather than walk through the tent city that is much of East Hastings street. The public transportation system in Vancouver is modern and relatively well maintained and not overly expensive considering the expensive reputation Vancouver generally has.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park

We decided to start the next day in Vancouver nice and early and headed down to the Science World at the harbour. On our way, we visited Vancouver's extensive Chinatown. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park is free to enter but the neighbouring Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese garden charges an admission fee. It was so relaxing to wonder through the garden and have a peaceful start to the morning. When we return to Vancouver, we will definitely go back to Chinatown to try some of the fantastic restaurants! 
Entrance to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park in Vancouver
A pond and classical chinese building with Vancouver skyline in background. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park in Vancouver.
Walkway surrounded by water in Chinese garden. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park in Vancouver.
Aqua Bus to Granville Island
​

Although we didn't go into the Science World itself, the views of the city from there were great. The next destination on the agenda was to visit Granville Island, famous for its bustling artisan markets, and what better way to get there than take the quirky little Aqua Bus. The ticket was only $5.50 per person for a one-way journey, although there were good deals available for day passes or even week/month passes ($16.00 for an adult day pass). The boat itself was a totally unique experience, with the driver sitting raised in the center and the passengers sat in a circle around him, with 360 degree views of the harbour and city. The driver was very talkative and friendly and gave us a lot of advice on things to do in the city, which was super appreciated. ​
Science World at Vancouver harbour with skyline in the background
The Science World dome in one of Vancouver's harbours.
Granville Island was exactly what we expected it to be. As soon as we disembarked from our Aqua Bus (and conveniently paid by tap) we could just about hear the constant drum of vendors advertising their goods. We had already eaten at our hotel before we left so we wouldn't be tempted by the foods we could find at Granville Market, we were tempted however and ended up buying a bag of mini donuts. If we lived in Vancouver or were spending more than a few days, I think we would have come back to buy dinner there to take home and cook.

Granville is also home to lots of quirky little cafes and shops, although as souvenirs aren't exactly an interest of ours, we decided to skip them and continue on with our Van city exploration. Our next stop being UBC's campus.
Purple boat with Aquabus sign at Granville Island. Vancouver skyline in the distance.
Our Aquabus taxi was definitely worth the $5.50!
Granville Island Public Market sign over brightly coloured building on a sunny day. Seagull flying overhead.
The Granville Island Public Market was full of life (and delicious food)
Museums and sight seeing at UBC

We had already picked up a day transit pass from the convenience store for $10.25 (adult fare) by our hotel to get downtown and it came in handy to get from Granville Island to UBC. Probably not on most peoples agendas when visiting Vancouver, as animal dorks, we couldn't resist the opportunity to explore the extensive collection at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. While certainly not everyone's cup of tea, the musuem was extremely informative and the taxidermy there is easily some of the best I've ever seen. They have everything from dinosaurs and whales to bears and even domestic cats. as neither of us are from British Columbia, it was interesting to learn a little more about the wildlife in the province, both now and in the past. We managed to spend a few hours browsing their collection, which is laid out more like a library than a typical museum. Staff were very friendly and we learned a lot.

The UBC campus also provided a beautiful scenic lookout, kitted out with benches too, which we enjoyed a tea from the Tim Hortons on campus while sitting at. The lookout is located at the very north western end of 'Main Mall' next to a small roundabout, it can't be missed and is a great place to enjoy a few minutes of downtime. The rose garden attached looks absolutely beautiful in Summer and well worth devoting another quarter/half an hour to.
Mountain views with trees at University of British Columbia campus
Stunning mountain views from University of British Columbia campus.
Skeleton of a blue whale at Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Vancouver.
A blue whale skeleton at Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
Stanley Park

Stanley Park was the next place on our itinerary, which actually highlights our occasional shoddy planning! The park is a long bus ride from the UBC campus and although it was nice to rest on the bus for a while, it would have been better to spend more time wandering around the gargantuan park. Another error we made was getting off of the bus on the stop before the park as opposed to the stop inside of the park, which resulted in another 20 minute walk entering Stanley Park.

The Park is hugely popular with both locals and tourists alike and one could easily spend hours wandering the lush green grounds. The weather when we visited was beautiful, walking the promenade with a fresh sea breeze was so relaxing. Had we decided to spend more of the day in the park, and had the sun been any stronger we would love to have rented some bicycles and ridden through the parks entirety.

We made a point of stopping at the iconic totem poles in the center of the park (as did most other people it seemed!). I wish we had brought some food with us in our backpack to sit on one of the many benches facing the water and enjoy a sandwich and tea as the sun made its way to meet its doppelganger on the water. Fortunately the bus stop is in a fairly central position in the park and we didn't have to wait too long for it to arrive and take us back into the city proper.
Totems poles in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC
Totem poles in Stanley Park.
Final Thoughts

Unfortunately for us, we had to head home early the next morning to get back to our day jobs. We were so tired after exploring all day, we used Skip the Dishes to order some Chinese food to the hotel. Chinese cuisine was considered a must by everyone we spoke to about Vancouver and when we return, we will definitely try some of the restaurants out! We both really enjoyed Vancouver (but we'll probably stay on a different street next time) and look forward to trying out some summer activities like whale watching, night markets, beaches and hikes later this year.
A weekend in Vancouver on a budget #visitvancouver #budgettravel | Budget Breaks Blog
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