On the road to Jasper, you turn a corner, go down a big hill, and get hit with a very windy, very cold shift in climate. Towards the bottom you see this guy.
This is the Athabasca Glacier, one of the six principal toes of the Columbia Icefield. You can actually walk on it, I'm told. It was a stunner in person, even with the poor light and nasty conditions.
The infrastructure for glacier viewing and touring was pretty impressive out here. There was a cool floating observation deck, like the one in the Grand Canyon, an impressive glacier informational center, and all manner of buses and trams and hiking opportunities. If glaciers are your thing, this is your spot. It's no surprise that this is the most visited North American glacier.
The chilly conditions gave me my first (but not last!) opportunity to put on just about every article of clothing I possess on this ride. I had boxers and a T-shirt, a couple of pairs of socks and boots, my wetsuit-like heat suit, a heavy long-sleeved shirt, a jacket with hood and neck protection, my full motorcycle outfit, and my rain suit. It held up pretty well.
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