Jasper was doomed to be dull and gloomy even before we had begun the trip. But as with any weather pattern, there are some formations that simply look stunning when the light is just right. What did dampen our spirits though, was the nagging rain. It rained non-stop for the next 2 days, throughout our drive to Jasper and back, stopping only periodically, as if testing my will to get out and photograph.

Starting out from Banff, there was no hope. By the time we reached Bow lake, it was impossible to get out of the car - in stark contrast to the azure canvas just a day earlier. Renewed enthusiasm came in the form of a father and two daughters getting out of the car at Bow Lake, and capturing memories even in the slicing rain. Since I was prepared with shower caps for my cameras, I got out and had fun.

The drive till Athabasca glacier was very uneventful, since we didn't stop at too many points along the way, having covered most of it the day earlier. It was after the Columbia Icefields that the landscape started getting very interesting.

The first stretch of the Icefields Parkway, from the Columbia Icefields to Sunwapta along the Sunwapta River, is incredibly barren and brought National Geographic images of Tibet and the high Himalayas to mind. There is a small gift shop, cabins and a restaurant at Sunwapta. Relieve yourself here, as there is nothing else for miles after Sunwapta, having found out the hard way ourselves. The bridge over the Sunwapta Crossing provides a spectacular view of the river crisscrossing the landscape.

From Sunwapta all the way till Athabasca Falls is the most lush green, untouched expanse of coniferous forest that I had ever come across. Jasper National Park, in this section of the Icefields Parkway, is the epitome of serenity. Along with the foggy weather, the entire experience was surrealistic. Not surprisingly, there were very few cars on this stretch of pavement, and absolutely no tourist buses. In places like Poboktan Creek, we were pretty much the only folks walking around and taking pictures.

The short Sunwapta Falls trail takes you on a bridge over the roaring, really roaring, Sunwapta River cutting through walls of rock and foliage. Very impressive, but the bridge was a bit too high and shaky for my tastes, and I was out on solid ground in a jiffy.

Athabasca Falls was much more accessible, and marked the southernmost tip of Jasper from where we started seeing the tourist buses again. Needless to say, the trails around Athabasca Falls were as populated and chaotic as the Peyto Lake viewing deck. From Athabasca Falls to Jasper was a race against the failing light and the creeping cold. There was no time, and no energy, for detours to Edith Cavell or Maligne Lake canyon. We were starving, and the only goal was to hit the town as soon as possible.

Jasper is a surprisingly small town, spread mainly across 2 parallel streets. Our hotel, the Amethyst Lodge, was overflowing with guests by the time we arrived. We had to find parking in the neighboring streets. It was freezing When we entered our room. A full twist of the heating dial did nothing, so we called the lobby. Their response: "Its the middle of summer, we don't turn on the heating facilities in the middle of summer." Decisions were based on the day of the year, and not on temperature.

They sent us a broken portable heater after much haggling. We decided to go out for dinner and deal with the staff with a satisfied stomach. By the time we returned, enough people had complained and the in-room heater was working just fine. There aren't many dining options in Jasper, and we tried our luck with . After some subsequent shopping, we decided to call it a day. It was too dull and depressing to do anything else. Plus, we had been running on the highest gear for the past 3 days.

The next morning wasn't any different - dull and depressing was the forecast for the day. I had read about spectacular reflections in Pyramid and Patricia Lakes, so we headed west for an hour's detour to these lakes, hoping that the sun would peek through and lift the blanketing fog. No such luck. So we decided to drop the immediate Jasper area, and try our luck at Mount Edith Cavell. Maybe, just maybe, we may clear the low fog and see sunlight at the base of this 3300 meter (11,000 feet) mountain.

Back at the Icefields Parkway, we took the fork towards 93A which leads to Cavell Road. The liquid feel of the Icefields Parkway disappeared quickly, and we were climbing a 10 mile, winding, and very uneven Cavell Road towards Mount Edith Cavell. At one point, the potholes became so large, that driving became impossible, especially given Rachna's state. We hailed a returning driver and asked him what the conditions were near the mountain. "The mountain is completely fogged up, but you can view the emerald lake a few miles ahead". Depressed, we decided to take a peek at Cavell Lake and then head back.

By the time we reached the lake, the road had become much better, and we were flying at a comfortable 30 mph. A quick change of plans, and we headed out to the Edith Cavell parking lot at the end of the 10 mile stretch.

A 1 mile trail leads the visitor to the base of the mountain, where the Angel Glacier slowly drains itself into a freezing pool of turquoise water and floating mini icebergs. One look at the steep trail, and Rachna was out of the equation. This doesn't usually happen, but I was given permission to take the trail solo, while Rachna waited in the car.

The trail climbs slowly to a small hill, from where you can take a longer detour to Cavell Meadows, and possibly, a better view of the Angel Glacier. But the view I got from the top of this hill was unlike anything I had ever seen. Once at the bottom of the trail, it was just impossible to return without touching one of the smaller mini icebergs near the shore.

It was at that instant that I heard a loud thunder which echoed across from the mountain face. Initially I thought that the darkening clouds were gearing up to pour sleet. But there were a couple of mini rumblings, which indicated that a huge slab of compacted glacial ice had broken off the base of the mountain and had fallen off into the turquoise lake. The waters of the lake receded by about 15 feet, and within a minute, the water starting gushing up the shore towards us as the newly formed mini iceberg displaced its volume in water.

All this excitement, and I hadn't even seen the Glacier yet, as it was hidden inside a thick cover of fog. But this was enough to warrant a second slow trek along with Rachna, especially since I had spotted a slower, yet easier, trail skirting the mini hill, which would be prefect for her. So I hurried back, and enticed her by showing off the digital images that I had taken. Over the next 30 minutes, we slowly trudged along the longer trail and finally reached the shore.

Divine!

We wished we could just sit at the shore of the lake forever, but we had to drive all the way back to Canmore, covering the entire stretch of the Icefields Parkway. So we reluctantly trudged back to the car, and drove non-stop till we reached Lake Louise. Quick dinner, and then more driving all the way to Canmore. The next day, it was time to wrap up, and visit the town of Banff for a little last minute souvenir shopping, and then out to Calgary for the flight back to the humdrum of San Jose.