Athabasca River and Ice Fields Parkway

We travelled south on the Ice Fields Parkway – so named because of all the ice fields or glaciers that are visible along the way – through the Rocky Mountains from Jasper National Park to Banff National Park.

This beautiful route parallels the Athabasca River along the way.

Athabasca River

This river is quite murky because of all the rock particles it contains …

… but its power and beauty are nevertheless undeniable.

Upper Athabasca Falls
Mist rising from the pounding water.
Here’s a short video.
The falls are squeezed into a tight Venturi-like chute …
… accelerating the water’s velocity.
One more video.

Happy Wednesday.

50 thoughts on “Athabasca River and Ice Fields Parkway”

  1. The Athabasca River is such a big part of what makes up Jasper National Park. Good to see the high water flow in Athabasca Falls and river as the spring melt continues. Happy Wednesday Lynette. Allan.

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    1. Thank you very much, Allan. We saw high flows in all the little creeks and rivers, too, so it seems that there was good snowfall in the mountains during the winter. Agreed, the Athabasca River is a huge part of Jasper’s character.

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  2. These falls are fantastic, Lynette. They remind me of some of the spots we saw at Niagara Falls last year. The power of rushing water is both fascinating and scary. Thanks for sharing them!

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  3. The Ice Fields Parkway is one of my favourite drives. The scenery never disappoints. Looks like you had beautiful clear skies to enjoy the views. Beautiful shots of the mountains and Athabasca River.

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  4. Oh wow Lynette there’s always something so special and so relaxing about mountain country, especially when white water is rushing through the scenery. I could almost hear the sound while looking at your photos and reading your words.

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    1. Right? This whole section of the country is spectacular and we enjoyed our visit immensely. We’re mountain fans and actually live in a valley surrounded by them (but much older ones, so they’re not as soaring and craggy as the Rockies). It seems that the videos weren’t accessible to you; that happens sometimes; I’m not sure why.

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