CAN: The Whistlers

The Whistlers Trail, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

The Whistlers, standing at 2,470 m above sea level, is a mountain in the Trident Range of the Canadian Rockies. The easiest way to reach the summit is to take Jasper SkyTram to an elevation of 2,263 m and trek all the way up. Take note that the ascent can be pretty steep.


---

---

After checking out the gift shop and using the washroom at the upper station of Jasper SkyTram, my BFF and I were ready for our trek.


Learn about the various flora and fauna in the region.

Do not feed the wild animals!
We saw a huge patch of unmelted snow boardwalk.


The snowy patch was cordoned off.


Pika! (o^^o)
Despite the warning sign not recommending to proceed further, we went ahead to trek as we probably wouldn't have a chance to go there again.



Fit individuals don't really need any special equipment to reach the summit.


Wear sturdy shoes that are waterproof or don't get wet easily.

Édouard-Gaston Deville of the Geological Survey of Canada called the mountain The Whistlers in 1916 for the whistling inhabitants of the mountain: hoary marmot. We were lucky to see one.


Hoary marmot is the largest North American ground squirrel species.


The word 'hoary' refers to the silver-gray fur on the shoulders and the upper back of the animal.
We'd passed 200 m from the upper station.



Did someone just stack those stones a while ago?


We'd be going to Hotel Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in the late afternoon.


Not many people attempted the trek that day.

Slightly more than halfway there!



It was fun stepping on an icy patch


What a breathtaking view!


We took a detour to go to the False Summit.


Pikachu and Melon made it to the False Summit.


It looked like we had to pass through that snowy path to reach the summit.
Here's the last 320 m stretch of the trail to the summit.


Remember to catch your breath before continuing.


Almost there!
Welcome to the summit of The Whistlers!


You can continue trekking beyond that point, but there's no distinct trail.
The sign says that you need strong footwear, suitable clothing and knowledge of mountain travel.

We reached the summit before noon.

I shall include two panorama shots that I took at the summit.



For someone who's afraid of heights like me, descending the mountain is probably much scarier than ascending it.



Following the traces made by other people~
Below are the last few photos that I took on my way down.

The upper station looks so small from up there.


The river looks silvery from up there.


The Whistlers is located in a subarctic climate zone with mild summer and cold, snowy winter. precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of Athabasca River.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

COL: Avianca VIP Lounge @ El Dorado International Airport

Image
Near Gate 32, El Dorado International Airport, Bogota, Colombia The flagship lounge of Avianca is located on the second floor near Gate 32 of El Dorado International Airport. While it may not measure up to the standards of some other flagship lounges globally, it's fairly spacious and divided into two areas: one for Business Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members, while the other is open to travellers accessing using programs such as DragonPass.
Read more

AZE: Quba and Khinaliq Tour (Part 1)

Image
Quba District, Azerbaijan After enjoying the half-day group tour to Qobustan by TES Tour, my BFF and I embarked on a full-day group tour to Quba and Khinaliq by the same tour operator on our second last day in the country. On our way to Khinaliq, which is known to be the highest and most remote village in Azerbaijan, we passed by the city of Quba.
Read more

BAH: Qal'at al-Bahrain

Image
Karbabad, Bahrain Daily: 8.00am - 6.00pm Known by many international tourists as Bahrain Fort, Qal'at al-Bahrain is an archaeological site inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was once the capital of the Dilmun civilisation that flourished from around the late fourth millennium to 800 BC.
Read more