Endless Chain Ridge - Icefields Parkway
The Endless Chain Ridge. This ragged ridge of stone was named in 1907 by Mary Schäffer, the same year that Jasper National Park was established. In her book, "A Hunter of Peace," Mary wrote: "A short distance beyond the rock-slide and on the river's right, begins a low, rocky ridge, which for length and unadulterated ugliness cannot be beaten. We trailed it for a day and a half and then named it The Endless Chain, well named too, for on reaching the Athabasca shores, we found that it still stretched on in an unbroken line for miles down the river." Obviously, the perspective of wilderness pioneers is very different from modern-day travelers.
Mistaya Lake
Today the Range is one of the highlights of the Icefields Parkway, a paved two-lane highway that connects Banff National Park and Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies. Contrary to Mary Schäffer’s opinion, I would argue the Endless Chain is one of the most beautiful areas in the region. But we can certainly appreciate the obstacle it presented to those desiring to move West. If I had been trundling along in a horse-drawn wagon and come up against this seemingly endless wall of rock I’m certain the initial reaction would have been, “<explicative>! What have we done? I regret all my choices to this point. [turns wagon around] That Calgary place didn’t seem so bad.” No, those early pioneers were hardy bastards. And just the right amount of crazy.
Athabasca Glacier
We had driven the Icefields Parkway from south to north on the front end of our trip. The weather at that time was gloomy. The giant mountain peaks would only occasionally peak out of the clouds. The glaciers shrouded in mist. And yet, it still earned one of the top spots on our list of most beautiful drives. Now with the sun shining, we were excited to revisit the trek and see the mountains in a new light.
Bow Lake
Early on in our journey we were a little concerned about “scenic fatigue.” That point where your eyeballs and brain have become saturated with scenic beauty and everything starts to seem less interesting. That amazing snowcapped peak that you would have considered melt your eyeballs beautiful becomes a JAFM – “Just Another F#CK1n@ Mountain.” Fortunately, we never got to that point. The same amazing views that had prompted endless “WOWs!” weeks ago did not disappoint. Maybe it was the sunshine? Or the change in perspective driving from north to south? Whatever the reason, the wows kept coming, turn after turn, kilometer after kilometer.
Wildlife "Overpass"
You know you are approaching the end of the Icefields Parkway when you start seeing the “wildlife overpasses.” As the popularity of the National Parks of the Canadian Rockies grew, so did the number of unfortunate encounters between animal and automobile. As you might imagine, an “encounter” between and moose and a car never ends well – for either party. Today the local wildlife can safely avoid crossing the road by using one of seven animal overpasses. These grassy pathways arch over the road providing safe passage for large mammals like bears, cougars, elk and big horn sheep (not to mention smaller critters as well.) Since the overpasses were built the number of deer and elk strikes has been reduced by 96 percent. That is a great outcome for the animals and drivers!
An hour later we popped out of the mountains and onto the vast plains of Alberta. From here on out if we were to see the Rocky Mountains it would be in our rearview mirror. We were now officially headed home.
Below the Line
Look North
Having driven the Icefields Parkway in both directions, we can definitely say the “best” way is from south to north. The most photogenic lighting usually occurs when the sun is to your back, providing nice even light without deep shadows. When you drive from the south to the north, assuming the sun is up, you will have the best viewing. Driving from the north to the south you will be driving into the sun, resulting in glare, haze and deep shadows. Still beautiful, but not ideal.
Driving south on the Icefields Parkway, looking into the sun. Meh.
If you find yourself driving toward the south all is not lost. Just stop and look back frequently – some of the best views will be waiting behind you!
Same location as the photo above, but looking north. Now that's more like it!
For the photographers out there – be aware that in the summer the “golden hour” may be late in the evening, and last for several hours. This is great news because you will be often rewarded with few to no people in your shots. It is also important to keep track of where the sun will be – tall mountains to your south and west can result in a very early “sunset” as the sun slides behind the mountains. This can result in very cold, blue casts in your photos.
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