Edith Cavell Meadows – Jasper

The last installment of the Debbie-Shelli-Hiking-Extravaganza.  And what a way to end our Canadian Rocky trip!!!

To arrive at Edith Cavell Meadows, drive south from the town of Jasper on the 93, take the 93A + then make a right onto Edith Cavell Road.  Signs are pretty lacking, so as you’re driving up + winding around Edith Cavell Road, you feel like you’re not quite confident that you’re going in the right direction – but don’t worry!  You’re golden!

From the parking lot, there is a well paved path that brings you up to a view spot for beautiful Angel Glacier.

Angel Glacier.

There’s families taking pictures + then they usually turn around from there + go off on their next sightseeing stop.

But if you’re physically up for it, I really urge you to take the day + hike up into the meadows!  It’s about a 3-4 hour hike consisting of mostly uphill switchbacks.

Milky glacier water.

As you get higher up, the views cannot be beat, jack!

Edith Cavell Meadows is famous for it’s summertime wildflowers.  The meadows were covered in heather!

In the past, this trail was the victim of a lot of hikers wandering off the trail + destroying the flora.  But a keen restoration project has brought it back to all it’s glory.

I love this glacier + the blue ice glimmering from within it!

Keep on goin’ girl!!!

This trail is well marked + there were a lot of informational placards catering much to Debbie + I’s nerdy hearts.  There are many spectacular resting spots + view points.  Here we crossed a snowy path up to one of the viewpoints.

Let ye all be warned – this hike was RAMPANT with vicious mosquitoes!!!!  I thought I was tasty – but they were LOVING Debbie on this trip, which secretly made me just the tiniest bit happy because she diverted all the blood sucking away from me!  I jest!  We diligently sprayed ourselves with Muskol in the parking lot, but halfway through the hike, Debbie was getting eaten alive before my eyes!  I gave her an Off! mosquito repellant wipe for some relief.  She was getting it so bad that after she swiped herself with it, she tucked the wipe into her ponytail to keep warding them off!!!!

So if you’re delicious like Debbie – be well prepared!

On the way up we encountered a hoary marmot stuffing his chubby little face on I don’t know what!

He was nom nom nom-ing on something so hard that he couldn’t have cared less about our human presence.  Bye, marmot face!!!

Up we go!

The entire hike up we were treated with ahmazing views of Angel Glacier – so much better than the view from the bottom!

I think I took a thousand glacier pictures but I have to keep it to a minimum here!

As you can see, the higher we walked the landscape significantly changes – dry + barren.

This is the part of the hike where a majority of the hikers turned around.  A switchback uphill on crumbly shale that fell away beneath your feet at every step.  Anyone with a fear of heights might freak out a little bit.  It’s relatively steep, mixed with the unstable shale, mixed with altitude wooziness makes you kind of wonder how you’re going to make it down without sliding down the whole hillside.

We took a couple stops to catch our shallow breath + soldiered on.  Slow + steady wins the race!  So worth it!!!

Lunch time!!!  It was only Debbie + I + two other people enjoying a little nosh.  What a perfect spot to be!  So pristine!!!

I seriously felt like I had died + gone to alpine heaven.  We could have stayed up there all the live long day.

After having some nourishment + resting a bit, the steep downhill wasn’t as bad as we thought.  Hiking poles would have been handy to steady ourselves, but we just went slowly + methodically.  We crossed paths with a  solo older woman coming up.  She looked worn, frazzled + red faced.  She asked us how much further up it was, in a really dejected manner.  We told her it was worth it + that she was almost there – don’t give up!  “SIGH!!!!” she loudly huffed, “I HATE SHALE!!!” + up she went.  Debbie + I thought that was the quote of the day + we want to make t-shirts that say, “I Hate Shale”.  Classic.

The downhill path takes you along more gorgeous alpine meadows.

Me. Love. Alpine. Wildflowers.

Further down as we neared the parking lot, we heard a rumble coming from the glacier!

OMG!  A chunk of ice had come off of the glacier + was tumbling down the mountainside!!!  What a roaring sound it made!

Debbie + I were like,

Oh, receding glacier, how I mourn for thee!

Well, that sums it up for my pal Debbie’s hiking adventures in the Canadian Rockies!  But I can’t end this post without a shout out to Canada’s most famous dish!!!  On the way back to Black Diamond, we stopped by La Belle Patate in Canmore for Debbie’s first poutine + Montreal smoked meat experience!!!  Poutine is fries with gravy + squeaky cheese curds!  La Belle Patate is a great lunch spot because it’s situated in an industrial area + away from the bustle of the tourists!

Bon appetit, Debbie!!!  I loved having you in Alberta!  And thanks to all y’all for tagging along!!!